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Event
Workshop: Leveraging exports for growth in Uganda
Engaging in international trade enables firms to grow faster, by facilitating improved supply of inputs, increasing competition in final goods markets, and expanding market access. Even though Uganda exports less than average for other countries at its per capita income, export growth over the last 20 years has been relatively rapid and with considerable diversification....
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Blog post
Impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Ethiopia
The conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions against Russia triggered price increases of key commodities with far reaching impacts on welfare, production, and economic growth for developing countries, including Ethiopia. Economic sanctions were imposed on Russia by the US and EU to deter Russia from further escalating the war with Ukraine. The ongoing conflict has...
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Project
Evaluating a novel approach for expanding the pool of entrepreneurs creating SGBs in Myanmar
This project will try to understand what characteristics and skills entrepreneurs need to succeed. The researchers will then use an iterative design thinking process and pilot interventions to test whether a mostly psychological intervention can make early-stage entrepreneurs believe in their own ability to improve in any skill and have the skillset for actually doing so....
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Project
Hiring frictions and growth among small firms: Evidence from an internet platform-based experiment
This project uses randomisation of access to an online job portal for firms seeking entry-level workers in Bangalore, India to test whether frictions in the labour recruitment process constrain the growth and productivity of small and growing firms. Specifically, the experiment will test whether online portals can do screening and background verifications to improve...
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Project
Evaluating the returns to high-quality employees in medium-sized firms
This project will determine whether facilitating access to highly skilled employees for medium-sized enterprises can have a positive impact on firms’ business practices and overall growth trajectory. Specifically, the researchers will use a randomised experiment on Open Capital Advisors’ managerial secondment model to examine the extent to which the introduction of a...
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Project
Targeting consulting services to high-growth entrepreneurs
This pilot project will examine entrepreneur selection and matching for training programs as well as the ultimate impact of matching strategies on entrepreneur outcomes. Specifically, the researchers will evaluate the effectiveness of various marketing strategies in selecting entrepreneurs that have high potential for growth and improving the effectiveness of the training...
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Project
What do high-growth entrepreneurs in Africa want?
This project will take advantage of a large dataset from VC4Africa containing information on start-ups, investors, and entrepreneur support organisations in Africa. The researchers will build this dataset out further with new survey data on the decision-making processes of entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to serve as the basis for planned field experiments to...
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Project
Measuring and managing impact: A field experiment
Investors and firms face uncertainty over how to measure and manage impact, an uncertainty that introduces severe challenges when trying to evaluate the growth of firms in low-income countries across both financial and impact metrics. This project aims to be a large-scale causal examination of impact management and measurement (IMM) practices in Low Income Countries (LICs)....
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Project
Corporate transparency and investment readiness
Corporate transparency (the extent to which a firm’s actions are observable by outsiders) is thought to be a key success factor for SGBs around the world. A lack of corporate transparency prevents SGBs from accessing finance needed for growth. This project aims to (1) measure corporate transparency on a large scale and (2) examine the short- and long-term causal effects...
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Project
Can light-touch accelerator programmes foster business performance? Evidence from ICT enterprises in Bangladesh
The ICT sector in Bangladesh is rapidly growing, creating high-skilled jobs for youth as well as diversifying the export base. However, so far there is limited evidence on the impact of business incubation and accelerator programmes on firm survival and growth. To fill this evidence gap, this research examines the impact of a light-touch business accelerator support...