The Role of STEM Degree in the Choice between Entrepreneurship and Paid-Work Career: the Case of Russia

One of the spheres intensively investigated in the managerial field nowadays is entrepreneurship and factors affecting the intentions to become self-employed. The topic is popular especially in Russia, as the development of the economy is linked with the rise of entrepreneurial activity. The purpose of this paper is to determine the association between a person’s educational background and his or her employment status in Russia. A series of statistical tools and tests were used as research methods, including building a Probit model as a final step of the analysis. The dataset was retrieved from Russian Federal State Statistics Service and included 41,744 observations. The main result showed that individuals with non-STEM degree are more likely to be self-employed than their STEM counterparts. In addition, the research statistically proved the presence of the effect of gender, age and the fact of having children on individuals’ decision to be self-employed. Findings suggest that Russian companies, educational and entrepreneurship-oriented organizations need to consider the fact that non-STEM graduates are prone to entrepreneurial activities, and consequently use this information in building their knowledge management systems. Keywords: entrepreneurship, self-employment, education major, Russian education, STEM degree.