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Growing markets through business training for female entrepreneurs : a market-level randomized experiment in Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Mckenzie,David J.
  • Puerto,Susana
  • Mckenzie,David J.
  • Puerto,Susana

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. This study tests this possibility using a two-stage randomized experiment in Kenya. The experiment 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 nontreated businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Mckenzie,David J. & Puerto,Susana & Mckenzie,David J. & Puerto,Susana, 2017. "Growing markets through business training for female entrepreneurs : a market-level randomized experiment in Kenya," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7993, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7993
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    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • L53 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Enterprise Policy
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology

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