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Radio Frequency (Un)Identification: Results from a Proof-of-Concept Trial of the use of RFID Technology to Measure Microenterprise Turnover in Sri Lanka
De Mel, Suresh; McKenzie, David - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2014
difficult due to the fact that the majority of these firms do not keep detailed records. We test the use of RFID tags as a means … potential to track stock movements accurately. We compare the stock counts obtained from RFID reads to physical stock counts and … to survey responses. We have three main findings. First, current RFID-technology is more difficult to use, and more time …
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011084548
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When is capital enough to get female microenterprises growing? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Ghana
Fafchamps, Marcel; McKenzie, David J.; Quinn, Simon; … - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2011
Standard models of investment predict that credit-constrained firms should grow rapidly when given additional capital, and that how this capital is provided should not affect decisions to invest in the business or consume the capital. We randomly gave cash and in-kind grants to male- and...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10009150951
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Macroinsurance for Microenterprises: A Randomized Experiment in Post-Revolution Egypt
McKenzie, David - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2014
Firms in many developing countries cite macroeconomic instability and political uncertainty as major constraints to their growth. Economic theory suggests uncertainty can cause firms to delay investments until uncertainty is resolved. We conduct a randomized experiment in post-revolution Egypt...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011084029
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(Measured) Profit is Not Welfare: Evidence from an Experiment on Bundling Microcredit and Insurance
Banerjee, Abhijit; Duflo, Esther; Hornbeck, Richard - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2014
We investigate the puzzle of microfinance: that loans generate large measured returns for businesses, yet loan take-up is low and the businesses often close. We analyze a randomized trial that bundled microfinance loans with a cheap health insurance policy. Requiring clients to purchase...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011084607
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Selective Trials: A Principal-Agent Approach to Randomized Controlled Experiments
Chassang, Sylvain; Padró i Miquel, Gerard; Snowberg, Erik - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2010
We study the design of randomized controlled experiments in environments where outcomes are significantly affected by unobserved effort decisions taken by the subjects (agents). While standard randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are internally consistent, the unobservability of effort provision...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10008642870
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Group versus Individual Liability: A Field Experiment in the Philippines
Giné, Xavier; Karlan, Dean S. - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2007
Group liability is often portrayed as the key innovation that led to the explosion of the microcredit movement, which started with the Grameen Bank in the 1970s and continues on today with hundreds of institutions around the world. Group lending claims to improve repayment rates and lower...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10005656151
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You Can Pick Your Friends, But You Need to Watch Them: Loan Screening and Enforcement in a Referrals Field Experiment
Bryan, Gharad; Karlan, Dean S.; Zinman, Jonathan - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2012
We examine a randomized trial that allows separate identification of peer screening and enforcement of credit contracts. A South African microlender offered half its clients a bonus for referring a friend who repaid a loan. For the remaining clients, the bonus was conditional on loan approval....
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011083275
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Agricultural Decisions after Relaxing Credit and Risk Constraints
Karlan, Dean S.; Osei, Robert; Osei-Akoto, Isaac; Udry, … - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2012
The investment decisions of small-scale farmers in developing countries are conditioned by their financial environment. Binding credit market constraints and incomplete insurance can reduce investment in activities with high expected profits. We conducted several experiments in northern Ghana in...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011083318
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Targeting ultra-poor households in Honduras and Peru
Karlan, Dean S.; Thuysbaert, Bram - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2013
For policy purposes, it is important to understand the relative efficacy of various methods to target the poor. Recently, participatory methods have received particular attention. We ex-amine the effectiveness of a hybrid two-step process that combines a participatory wealth ranking and a...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011084451
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Keeping it Simple: Financial Literacy and Rules of Thumb
Drexler, Alejandro; Fischer, Greg; Schoar, Antoinette S - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2010
Individuals and business owners engage in an increasingly complex array of financial decisions that are critical for their success and well-being. Yet a growing literature documents that in both developed and developing countries, a large fraction of the population is unprepared to make these...
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10008611017