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Is It Who You Are or What You Get? Comparing the Impacts of Loans and Grants for Microenterprise Development

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  • Bruno Crépon
  • Mohamed El Komi
  • Adam Osman

Abstract

Is the type of financial support provided to businesses more important than which businesses receive it? Loans and grants can lead to differences in optimal investments and in scope for moral hazard. We randomize 3,293 business loan applicants into receiving a loan, cash grant, in-kind grant, or nothing. All treatments equally increase income, yet there are large differences within a treatment group with impacts concentrated at the top of the distribution. Those who succeed with loans are observationally equivalent to those who succeed with grants, showcasing that owner heterogeneity is more important than the type of support received in microenterprise development.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Crépon & Mohamed El Komi & Adam Osman, 2024. "Is It Who You Are or What You Get? Comparing the Impacts of Loans and Grants for Microenterprise Development," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(1), pages 286-313, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:16:y:2024:i:1:p:286-313
    DOI: 10.1257/app.20210683
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • H81 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Governmental Loans; Loan Guarantees; Credits; Grants; Bailouts
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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