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  • 11
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 86 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 9502
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper
    Parallel Title: Erscheint auch als Print Version: Anderson, Stephen J Improving Business Practices and the Boundary of the Entrepreneur: A Randomized Experiment Comparing Training, Consulting, Insourcing and Outsourcing
    Keywords: Business Support Programs ; Business Practices ; Firm Growth ; Entrepreneurship ; Boundary of the Entrepreneur ; Boundary of the Firm ; Insourcing ; Outsourcing ; Business Services Marketplace ; Graue Literatur
    Abstract: Many small firms lack the finance and marketing skills needed for firm growth. The standard approach in many business support programs is to attempt to train the entrepreneur to develop these skills, through classroom-based training or personalized consulting. However, rather than requiring the entrepreneur to be a jack-of-all-trades, an alternative is to move beyond the boundary of the entrepreneur and link firms to these skills in a marketplace through insourcing workers with functional expertise or outsourcing tasks to professional specialists. A randomized experiment in Nigeria tests the relative effectiveness of these four different approaches to improving business practices. Insourcing and outsourcing both dominate business training; and do at least as well as business consulting at one-half of the cost. Moving beyond the entrepreneurial boundary enables firms to use higher quality digital marketing practices, innovate more, and achieve greater sales and profits growth over a two-year horizon
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  • 12
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    [Washington, DC, USA] : World Bank Group, Development Economics, Development Research Group
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 51 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 8977
    Series Statement: World Bank E-Library Archive
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper
    Parallel Title: Erscheint auch als Iacovone, Leonardo Shortening Supply Chains: Experimental Evidence from Fruit and Vegetable Vendors in Bogota
    Keywords: Graue Literatur
    Abstract: Small trading activities are a prevalent form of self-employment in developing countries, but their integration into supply value chains is not efficient, especially when it comes to perishable produce. This study tests a novel approach to improve their efficiency by reducing the time and cost of sourcing produce by aggregating purchases through the use of an app and centralized distribution system. Fruit and vegetable vendors in Bogota currently travel most days to a central market to purchase produce, incurring substantial time and monetary costs. A social enterprise attempted to shorten the supply chain between farmers and vendors by aggregating orders from many small stores, sourcing directly from farmers, and delivering them to the stores. The introduction of this new service was randomized at the market block level. Initial interest was high and offering the service reduced travel time for users by almost two hours a week, reduced travel costs, and increased work-life balance for store owners. Firms offered the service saved an average of 6 to 8 percent on purchase costs, and although some of this passed through into lower prices for consumers, there was incomplete pass-through, so that markups rose. However, stores reduced their sales of products that were not originally offered by this new service, and their total sales and profits appear to have fallen in the short run, with service usage falling over time. The results highlight the potential for new technologies to solve firm coordination problems, offer a window into the nature of competition among small retailers, and point to the challenges in achieving economies of scale when disrupting centralized markets for multi-product firms
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  • 13
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    [Washington, DC, USA] : World Bank Group, Development Economics, Development Research Group
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 40 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 9408
    Series Statement: World Bank E-Library Archive
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper
    Parallel Title: Erscheint auch als McKenzie, David Small Business Training to Improve Management Practices in Developing Countries: Reassessing the Evidence for "Training Doesn't Work"
    Keywords: Graue Literatur
    Abstract: Despite the popularity of business training among policy makers, the use of business training has faced increasing skepticism. This is, in part, fueled by the fact that most of the first wave of randomized experiments in developing countries could not detect statistically significant impacts of training on firms' profits or sales. This paper revisits and reassesses the evidence for whether small business training works, incorporating the results of more recent studies. A meta-analysis of these estimates suggests that training increases profits and sales on average by 5 to 10 percent. The author argues that this is in line with what is optimistic to expect given the relatively short length of most training programs, and the expected return on investment from the cost of such training. However, impacts of this magnitude are too small for most experiments to detect statistically. Emerging evidence is provided on five approaches for improving the effectiveness of traditional training by incorporating gender, kaizen methods, localization and mentoring, heuristics, and psychology. Training programs that incorporate these elements appear to deliver improvements over traditional training programs on average, although with considerable variation. Given that training delivers some benefits for firms, the challenge is then how to deliver a quality program on a cost-effective basis at a much larger scale. Three possible approaches to scaling up training are discussed:using the market, using technology, or targeting and funneling firms
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  • 14
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    [Washington, DC, USA] : World Bank Group, Development Economics, Development Research Group & Africa Gender Innovation Lab
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 51 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 9415
    Series Statement: World Bank E-Library Archive
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper
    Parallel Title: Erscheint auch als Maffioli, Alessandro Estimating the Demand for Business Training: Evidence from Jamaica
    Keywords: Graue Literatur
    Abstract: Business training programs are typically offered for free. Charging for training provides potential benefits including financial sustainability, but little is known about how price affects the demand for training. This study conducted two experiments in Jamaica using the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak mechanism and take-it-or-leave-it offers to estimate the demand for training. Most entrepreneurs have a positive willingness to pay for training, but demand falls sharply as price increases: in the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak experiment, 76 percent of the entrepreneurs attend training when it is free, but only 43 percent attend when they are charged one-quarter of the cost, and only 11 percent when charged the full cost. Providing a credit option did not increase willingness to pay. Higher prices screen out poorer, older, and more risk-averse business owners, and those who expect to benefit less from training and have a low value of sales. However, charging a higher price increases attendance among those who pay, suggesting a psychological effect where paying for training makes firms value it more
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  • 15
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (1 online resource (34 p.))
    Edition: Online-Ausg. World Bank E-Library Archive
    Parallel Title: McKenzie, David A Land of Milk And Honey With Streets Paved With Gold
    Keywords: Accurate Information ; Annual Income ; Bank ; Consumer ; Consumer Goods ; Demands ; Earnings ; Economic Theory and Research ; Education ; Finance and Financial Sector Development ; Financial Literacy ; Fiscal and Monetary Policy ; Health Systems Development and Reform ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Household Income ; Income ; Income ; Incomes ; Information ; Labor Markets ; Labor Policies ; Macroeconomics and Economic Growth ; Money ; Population Policies ; Public Sector Development ; Remittances ; Social Protections and Labor ; Accurate Information ; Annual Income ; Bank ; Consumer ; Consumer Goods ; Demands ; Earnings ; Economic Theory and Research ; Education ; Finance and Financial Sector Development ; Financial Literacy ; Fiscal and Monetary Policy ; Health Systems Development and Reform ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Household Income ; Income ; Income ; Incomes ; Information ; Labor Markets ; Labor Policies ; Macroeconomics and Economic Growth ; Money ; Population Policies ; Public Sector Development ; Remittances ; Social Protections and Labor ; Accurate Information ; Annual Income ; Bank ; Consumer ; Consumer Goods ; Demands ; Earnings ; Economic Theory and Research ; Education ; Finance and Financial Sector Development ; Financial Literacy ; Fiscal and Monetary Policy ; Health Systems Development and Reform ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Household Income ; Income ; Income ; Incomes ; Information ; Labor Markets ; Labor Policies ; Macroeconomics and Economic Growth ; Money ; Population Policies ; Public Sector Development ; Remittances ; Social Protections and Labor
    Abstract: Millions of people emigrate every year in search of better economic and social opportunities. Anecdotal evidence suggests that emigrants may have over-optimistic expectations about the incomes they can earn abroad, resulting in excessive migration pressure, and in disappointment among those who do migrate. Yet there is almost no statistical evidence on how accurately these emigrants predict the incomes that they will earn working abroad. In this paper the authors combine a natural emigration experiment with unique survey data on would-be emigrants' probabilistic expectations about employment and incomes in the migration destination. Their procedure enables them to obtain moments and quantiles of the subjective distribution of expected earnings in the destination country. The authors find a significant underestimation of both unconditional and conditional labor earnings at all points in the distribution. This underestimation appears driven in part by potential migrants placing too much weight on the negative employment experiences of some migrants, and by inaccurate information flows from extended family, who may be trying to moderate remittance demands by understating incomes
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 16
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (1 online resource (29 p.))
    Edition: Online-Ausg. World Bank E-Library Archive
    Parallel Title: McKenzie, David Using The Global Positioning System In Household Surveys For Better Economics And Better Policy
    Keywords: Accessibility ; Air ; Aircraft ; Costs ; E-Business ; Externalities ; Health Monitoring and Evaluation ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Infrastructure ; Policies ; Private Sector Development ; Railway ; Railway Lines ; Road ; Road Network ; Roads ; Roads and Highways ; Signals ; Training ; Transport ; Transport Economics, Policy and Planning ; Accessibility ; Air ; Aircraft ; Costs ; E-Business ; Externalities ; Health Monitoring and Evaluation ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Infrastructure ; Policies ; Private Sector Development ; Railway ; Railway Lines ; Road ; Road Network ; Roads ; Roads and Highways ; Signals ; Training ; Transport ; Transport Economics, Policy and Planning ; Accessibility ; Air ; Aircraft ; Costs ; E-Business ; Externalities ; Health Monitoring and Evaluation ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Infrastructure ; Policies ; Private Sector Development ; Railway ; Railway Lines ; Road ; Road Network ; Roads ; Roads and Highways ; Signals ; Training ; Transport ; Transport Economics, Policy and Planning
    Abstract: Distance and location are important determinants of many choices that economists study. While these variables can sometimes be obtained from secondary data, economists often rely on information that is self-reported by respondents in surveys. These self-reports are used especially for the distance from households or community centers to various features such as roads, markets, schools, clinics, and other public services. There is growing evidence that self-reported distance is measured with error and that these errors are correlated with outcomes of interest. In contrast to self-reports, the Global Positioning System (GPS) can determine almost exact location (typically within 15 meters). The falling cost of GPS receivers (typically below US
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 17
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (1 online resource (44 p.))
    Edition: Online-Ausg. World Bank E-Library Archive
    Parallel Title: McKenzie, David J Surveying Migrant Households
    Keywords: Anthropology ; Benefits Of Migration ; Communities & Human Settlements ; Culture & Development ; Family Members ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Housing and Human Habitats ; International Migration ; Migrant ; Migrants ; Policy Research ; Policy Research Working Paper ; Population Policies ; Progress ; Remittances ; Return Migration ; Small Area Estimation Poverty Mapping ; Social Analysis ; Social Development ; Anthropology ; Benefits Of Migration ; Communities & Human Settlements ; Culture & Development ; Family Members ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Housing and Human Habitats ; International Migration ; Migrant ; Migrants ; Policy Research ; Policy Research Working Paper ; Population Policies ; Progress ; Remittances ; Return Migration ; Small Area Estimation Poverty Mapping ; Social Analysis ; Social Development ; Anthropology ; Benefits Of Migration ; Communities & Human Settlements ; Culture & Development ; Family Members ; Health, Nutrition and Population ; Housing and Human Habitats ; International Migration ; Migrant ; Migrants ; Policy Research ; Policy Research Working Paper ; Population Policies ; Progress ; Remittances ; Return Migration ; Small Area Estimation Poverty Mapping ; Social Analysis ; Social Development
    Abstract: Few representative surveys of households of migrants exist, limiting the analysis of the effects of international migration on sending families. This paper reports the results of an experiment designed to compare the performance of three alternative survey methods in collecting data from Japanese-Brazilian families, many of whom send migrants to Japan. The three surveys conducted were 1) Households selected randomly from a door-to-door listing using the Brazilian Census to select census blocks; 2) A snowball survey using Nikkei community groups to select the seeds; and 3) An intercept point survey collected at Nikkei community gatherings, ethnic grocery stores, sports clubs, and other locations where family members of migrants are likely to congregate. The authors analyze how closely well-designed snowball and intercept point surveys can approach the much more expensive census-based method in terms of giving information on the characteristics of migrants, the level of remittances received, and the incidence and determinants of return migration
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 18
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (1 online resource (31 p.))
    Edition: Online-Ausg. World Bank E-Library Archive
    Parallel Title: McKenzie, David Does It Pay Firms To Register For Taxes ?
    Keywords: Debt Markets ; E-Business ; Employment ; Entrepreneurs ; Finance and Financial Sector Development ; Firm Size ; Firms ; Macroeconomics and Economic Growth ; Medium Enterprises ; Microenterprises ; Microfinance ; Private Sector Development ; Small Enterprises ; Small Firms ; Stores ; Supplier ; Taxation and Subsidies ; Transport ; Transport Economics, Policy and Planning ; Debt Markets ; E-Business ; Employment ; Entrepreneurs ; Finance and Financial Sector Development ; Firm Size ; Firms ; Macroeconomics and Economic Growth ; Medium Enterprises ; Microenterprises ; Microfinance ; Private Sector Development ; Small Enterprises ; Small Firms ; Stores ; Supplier ; Taxation and Subsidies ; Transport ; Transport Economics, Policy and Planning ; Debt Markets ; E-Business ; Employment ; Entrepreneurs ; Finance and Financial Sector Development ; Firm Size ; Firms ; Macroeconomics and Economic Growth ; Medium Enterprises ; Microenterprises ; Microfinance ; Private Sector Development ; Small Enterprises ; Small Firms ; Stores ; Supplier ; Taxation and Subsidies ; Transport ; Transport Economics, Policy and Planning
    Abstract: This paper estimates the impact of registering for taxes on firm profits in Bolivia, the country with the highest levels of informality in Latin America. A new survey of micro and small firms enables the authors to control for a rich set of measures of owner ability and business motivations that can affect both profits and the decision to formalize. The paper identifies the impact of tax registration on business profitability using the distance of a firm from the tax office where registration occurs, conditional on the distance to the city center, as an instrument for registration. Proximity to the tax office provides firms with more information about registration, but is argued to not directly affect profits. The findings show that tax registration leads to significantly higher profits for the firms that the instrument affects. However, there is also evidence of heterogeneous effects of tax formality on profits. Tax registration is found to increase profits for the mid-size firms in the sample, but to lower profits for both the smaller and larger firms, in contrast to the standard view that formality increases profits. The analysis shows that owners of large firms who have managed to stay informal have higher entrepreneurial ability than formal firm owners, in contrast to the standard view (correct among smaller firms) that informal firm owners have low ability
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 19
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (48 p)
    Edition: 2010 World Bank eLibrary
    Parallel Title: McKenzie, David The Economic Consequences of "Brain Drain" of the Best and Brightest
    Abstract: Brain drain has long been a common concern for migrant-sending countries, particularly for small countries where high-skilled emigration rates are highest. However, while economic theory suggests a number of possible benefits, in addition to costs, from skilled emigration, the evidence base on many of these is very limited. Moreover, the lessons from case studies of benefits to China and India from skilled emigration may not be relevant to much smaller countries. This paper presents the results of innovative surveys which tracked academic high-achievers from five countries to wherever they moved in the world in order to directly measure at the micro level the channels through which high-skilled emigration affects the sending country. The results show that there are very high levels of emigration and of return migration among the very highly skilled; the income gains to the best and brightest from migrating are very large, and an order of magnitude or more greater than any other effect; there are large benefits from migration in terms of postgraduate education; most high-skilled migrants from poorer countries send remittances; but that involvement in trade and foreign direct investment is a rare occurrence. There is considerable knowledge flow from both current and return migrants about job and study opportunities abroad, but little net knowledge sharing from current migrants to home country governments or businesses. Finally, the fiscal costs vary considerably across countries, and depend on the extent to which governments rely on progressive income taxation
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 20
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Washington, D.C : The World Bank
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (36 p)
    Edition: 2011 World Bank eLibrary
    Parallel Title: McKenzie, David Beyond Baseline and Follow-up
    Abstract: The vast majority of randomized experiments in economics rely on a single baseline and single follow-up survey. If multiple follow-ups are conducted, the reason is typically to examine the trajectory of impact effects, so that in effect only one follow-up round is being used to estimate each treatment effect of interest. While such a design is suitable for study of highly autocorrelated and relatively precisely measured outcomes in the health and education domains, this paper makes the case that it is unlikely to be optimal for measuring noisy and relatively less autocorrelated outcomes such as business profits, household incomes and expenditures, and episodic health outcomes. Taking multiple measurements of such outcomes at relatively short intervals allows the researcher to average out noise, increasing power. When the outcomes have low autocorrelation, it can make sense to do no baseline at all. Moreover, the author shows how for such outcomes, more power can be achieved with multiple follow-ups than allocating the same total sample size over a single follow-up and baseline. The analysis highlights the large gains in power from ANCOVA rather than difference-in-differences when autocorrelations are low and a baseline is taken. The paper discusses the issues involved in multiple measurements, and makes recommendations for the design of experiments and related non-experimental impact evaluations
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