Playing the entrepreneurial game can turn job loss into opportunity
The article discusses a qualitative study from the University of Alberta and University of Ottawa regarding individuals who pursued entrepreneurship after losing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how some people used new business ventures as a psychological tool to regain a sense of control and rebuild their professional identity.
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Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-playing-entrepreneurial-game-job-loss.html
analyticsAnalysis
10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.
fact_checkFact-Check Results
5 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.
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“In a new study in the Journal of Business Venturing, University of Alberta researchers Angelique Slade Shantz, Madeline Toubiana of the University of Ottawa and their team found that when people lost jobs and experienced 'occupational disorientation' during the COVID-19 pandemic, some chose to 'play' with entrepreneurship”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the existence of the study 'Permission to play: Trying on entrepreneurship in times of crisis' authored by Madeline Toubiana, Angelique Slade Shantz, and others, published in the Journal of Business Venturing. The research focuses on individuals trying on entrepreneurship during crises (specifically COVID-19 job loss).
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— a study published in the journal Psychological Science.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/095679761452458…
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/095679761452458…
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— Madeline Toubiana is Professor and the Desmarais Chair in Entrepreneurship. Her research program has been focused broadly on what stalls and supports social change.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Madeline-Toubiana
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Madeline-Toubiana
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— Discover our latest research. IMD's faculty and research teams publish articles, case studies, books and reports on a wide range of topics.By Madeline Toubiana, Brian J. Bergmann Jr., Angelique Slade …
https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/entrepreneurship/case…
https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/entrepreneurship/case…
“The qualitative study focused on 47 people who had lost jobs or career paths between 2020 and 2021”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the existence of the study is confirmed, the specific sample size of '47 people' and the exact timeframe '2020 and 2021' are not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets, which only describe the study as qualitative and focusing on individuals during crisis.
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— Madeline Toubiana is a Professor of Strategy and Organization and the Desmarais Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of Ottawa. Her research is focused on what stalls and supports thriving for …
https://telfer.uottawa.ca/en/directory/madeline-toubiana/
https://telfer.uottawa.ca/en/directory/madeline-toubiana/
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— Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2020, June 18).
https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/people-who-lost-job-or-were-…
https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/people-who-lost-job-or-were-…
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— “How is it possible to do work that you’re proud of and not feel like your job is encroaching on all parts of your life?” Cal Newport, author of ‘Slow Produc...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HMjTxKRbaI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HMjTxKRbaI
“The study focused on [people] who had a safety net of savings, government benefits or family support”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence confirms the study exists and its general theme, but the specific detail regarding the 'safety net of savings, government benefits or family support' is not present in the search snippets.
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— One that participates, shares, or takes part in something. adj. Sharing in or taking part; participating. par·tic′i·pance n. American Heritage®...
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Participants
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Participants
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— 1 day ago · The meaning of PARTICIPANT is one that participates. How to use participant in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/participant
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/participant
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— The participants in an activity are the people who take part in it. 40 of the course participants are offered employment with the company.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/partici…
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/partici…
“most subjects underwent a psychological process of granting themselves permission to launch a venture, rather than rushing in impulsively”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence confirms the study's focus on how individuals 'try on' entrepreneurship to envision a future, but the specific psychological process of 'granting themselves permission' as a majority experience is not explicitly detailed in the snippets provided.
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— Study design, settings & participant criteria. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) to explore the drivers of psychological distress among female, and Bla…
https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/jo…
https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/jo…
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— However, the literature suggests that participants may experience challenges related to their social-emotional state, psychological strength domains, or physical capacity.Exploring the significance of…
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42322-026-00244-9
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42322-026-00244-9
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— The sample included a diverse demographic, though most participants were middle-class adults. Participants were unaware that they were part of a psychological experiment, which helped preserve the nat…
https://www.zimbardo.com/the-foot-in-the-door-technique-stud…
https://www.zimbardo.com/the-foot-in-the-door-technique-stud…
“Madeline Toubiana et al, Permission to play: Trying on entrepreneurship in times of crisis, Journal of Business Venturing (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106583”
VERIFIED
The title 'Permission to play: Trying on entrepreneurship in times of crisis', the authors (Toubiana, Bergmann Jr., Slade Shantz, Bacq), and the publication 'Journal of Business Venturing' are explicitly confirmed by multiple academic/institutional sources.
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— Toubiana, Madeline.This qualitative study explores how individuals try on entrepreneurship during crisis. We discover that individuals use entrepreneurship as a way to envision a possible future in a …
https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbvent/v41y2026i3s088390262600…
https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbvent/v41y2026i3s088390262600…
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— Permission to play: Trying on entrepreneurship in times of crisis. This qualitative study explores how individuals try on entrepreneurship during crisis.By Madeline Toubiana, Brian J. Bergmann Jr., An…
https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/?MRK_CMPG_SOURCE=webl…
https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/?MRK_CMPG_SOURCE=webl…
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— Madeline Toubiana is a Professor of Strategy and Organization and the Desmarais Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of Ottawa. Her research is focused on what stalls and supports thriving for …
https://telfer.uottawa.ca/en/directory/madeline-toubiana/
https://telfer.uottawa.ca/en/directory/madeline-toubiana/
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Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.