Employee to Entrepreneur Transition Experiences of Sri Lankan Youth: A Schlossberg 4S Perspective
T. H. M. Illiyas 
Abstract
Entrepreneurial career transitions have been widely studied; yet existing research largely adopts intention-based perspectives, offering limited insight into how individuals experience and navigate the transition from paid employment to entrepreneurship, particularly in Global South contexts. Addressing this gap, this study examines (1) what motivates young individuals to initiate this transition and (2) how they adapt to it through Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and its 4S framework (Situation, Self, Support, Strategies). A qualitative research design was employed, drawing on ten semi-structured interviews with young entrepreneurs (aged 18–30) in Sri Lanka who had transitioned from paid employment to entrepreneurship. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, with inductive mapping onto the 4S framework. The findings reveal that entrepreneurial transitions are initiated by dissatisfaction-driven situational triggers, together with aspirations for autonomy and self-fulfillment. Adaptation is shaped by the interaction among self-resources, relational support systems, and adaptive coping strategies, including selective social engagement, staged financial risk-taking, and learning-by-doing. The study extends Schlossberg’s framework by demonstrating that strategic actions as a key mechanism through which resources translated into and successful adaptation, thereby positioning entrepreneurial entry as a dynamic transition process rather than a discrete decision while also providing insights from young entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka.
Keywords: Youth Entrepreneurship, Schlossberg’s 4S Framework, Paid Employment-to-Entrepreneurship Transition, Global South Context, Qualitative Study
Volume 17, Issue 1
June 30, 2026
Pages: 31-65
DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cbj.v17i1.222
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Suggested citation:
Illiyas, T. H. M. (2026). Employee to Entrepreneur Transition Experiences of Sri Lankan Youth: A Schlossberg 4S Perspective. Colombo Business Journal, 17(1), 31–65. http://doi.org/10.4038/cbj.v17i1.222
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T.H. M. Illiyas
Human Resources Department, City Seasons Hotel Muscat, Muscat, Oman