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The unintended consequences of state policies on entrepreneurial activity and quality of work life: A social impact study.

Jeremy B. Bernerth et al.

Journal of Applied Psychology2026https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001345article
FT50AJG 4*ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

The United States and other countries enacted various policies aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19. Though the pandemic itself took a physical, psychological, and economic toll on society, it is unclear how specific containment policies influenced longer term aspects of employment. Taking up this challenge, this research uses human agency theory to study the effects of U.S. state policy COVID-19 strictness, defined along the spectrum from the absence to the presence (e.g., none, recommended, and mandated) of nine containment policies, on critical macro and micro outcomes. Study 1, using an objective measure of public containment policies enacted during 2020, finds stricter policies (i.e., more restrictions) negatively related to opportunity-based entrepreneurship in 2021. Study 2, using the same public policy strictness measure and a national sample of 801 participants, finds strict policies in 2020 negatively related to residents' entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) in 2024, which in turn related to their entrepreneurial intentions and quality of work life (QWL). The hypothesized interaction between state policy and sex on ESE was not significant, but post hoc analysis reveals that women residing in states with stricter policies reported lower life and career satisfaction than women in states with less strict policies and that the effects of state policy strictness on career and life satisfaction were more negative for women than for men. A supplemental preregistered experimental vignette study reinforced Study 2 findings such that manipulated state policy strictness caused a decrease in ESE, entrepreneurial intentions, and QWL; manipulated ESE also had a significant effect on entrepreneurial intentions and QWL. We discuss the broader implications of these results for theory and policymaking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001345

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@article{jeremy2026,
  title        = {{The unintended consequences of state policies on entrepreneurial activity and quality of work life: A social impact study.}},
  author       = {Jeremy B. Bernerth et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of Applied Psychology},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001345},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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