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Growing Markets through Business Training for Female Entrepreneurs: A Market-Level Randomized Experiment in Kenya

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  • McKenzie, David

    (World Bank)

  • Puerto, Olga Susana

    (Youth Employment Network (UN, ILO, World Bank))

Abstract

A common concern with efforts to directly help some small businesses to grow is that their growth comes at the expense of their unassisted competitors. We test this possibility using a two-stage randomized experiment in Kenya which randomizes business training at the market level, and then within markets to selected businesses. Three years after training, the treated businesses are selling more, earn higher profits, and their owners have higher well-being. There is no evidence of negative spillovers on the competing businesses, and the markets as a whole appear to have grown in terms of number of customers and sales volumes. This market growth appears to come from enhanced customer service and new product introduction, generating more customers and more sales from existing customers. As a result, business growth in underdeveloped markets is possible without taking sales away from non-treated businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • McKenzie, David & Puerto, Olga Susana, 2017. "Growing Markets through Business Training for Female Entrepreneurs: A Market-Level Randomized Experiment in Kenya," IZA Discussion Papers 10615, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10615
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gabriela Calderon & Jesse M. Cunha & Giacomo De Giorgi, 2020. "Business Literacy and Development: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Mexico," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 68(2), pages 507-540.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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