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Limited Impact of Business Development Programs on Profitability in the Presence of Ambiguity Aversion

Author

Listed:
  • Shapiro, Dmitry

    (Seoul National University)

Abstract

This paper develops a theoretical framework to explain the limited effect of business development programs (BDPs) on entrepreneurs’ profits. We argue that a mismatch between a BDP’s narrow focus on business-promoting strategies and the wider context in which microentrepreneurs operate can limit the impact of business training. In our framework, entrepreneurs are ambiguity averse and have multiple sources of income (e.g., business and wage incomes). We show that for a sufficiently ambiguity-averse entrepreneur with multiple income sources, efficient training can result in a decline in expected profit. Notably, when the wider context (multiple income sources, ambiguity aversion) is considered, the business training impact is limited and can result in a posttraining expected profit decline. This limited impact is caused by the diversifying role that the business income plays in household finances.

Suggested Citation

  • Shapiro, Dmitry, 2020. "Limited Impact of Business Development Programs on Profitability in the Presence of Ambiguity Aversion," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 614, Asian Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:adbewp:0614
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dean Karlan & Martin Valdivia, 2011. "Teaching Entrepreneurship: Impact of Business Training on Microfinance Clients and Institutions," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(2), pages 510-527, May.
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    6. Verrest, Hebe, 2013. "Rethinking Microentrepreneurship and Business Development Programs: Vulnerability and Ambition in Low-income Urban Caribbean Households," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 58-70.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ambiguity aversion; business development programs; microentrepreneurship;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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