Special Economic Zones in India: Engines of economic growth or inefficiency?
Firm productivity rises in privately run Indian SEZs but stagnates in public ones, suggesting that political interference fuels rent-seeking behaviour.
Firms
Holger Görg Alina Mulyukova
Published
22.07.25

Unlocking investment in small firms through performance-linked financial contracts
Performance-linked contracts, increasingly enabled by financial technology, can better spur investment among small firms than rigid microcredit—especially for risk- and loss-averse business owners.
Firms
Muhammad Meki
Published
02.06.25

Building a business from the roots up: Yonas Alemu’s journey as an Ethiopian entrepreneur
Despite offering attractive conditions for foreign investment, a combination of structural and institutional barriers often prevent developing countries from realising their full potential. Yonas Alemu describes the obstacles he overcame to establish...
Firms
Yonas Alemu
Published
14.05.25

When progress divides: Are multinational enterprises fuelling conflict in Africa?
New evidence using geo-referenced data across the African continent suggests that the arrival of multinational enterprises can fuel local conflicts.
Firms
Tommaso Sonno
Published
20.05.25

How family pressure shapes hiring decisions and productivity in developing countries
Many businesses in developing countries hire workers from family networks. How does redistributive pressure from family influence hiring decisions? And how do these hiring decisions affect business profits?
Firms
Nicholas Swanson
Published
28.04.25

Fostering connections between firms improves business performance
Evidence from China finds that firms underestimate the value of new partnerships and therefore under-search for partners. As a result, referrals to new suppliers and clients can greatly improve firm performance.
Firms
Jing Cai Wei Lin Adam Szeidl
Published
14.01.25

The role of evidence at Development Finance Institutions
How can Development Finance Institutions use research to inform their investment decisions? What is their role in supporting economic development and private investment?
Firms
Christopher Woodruff
Published
19.12.24

Businesses profiteer from humanitarian cash transfers through price hikes
Evidence from Kenya shows how cash transfers in imperfect markets lead businesses to capture some of the benefits by raising prices, ultimately at the expense of transfer recipients.
Firms
Antonia Delius Olivier Sterck
Published
18.12.24

Why more flexible grants worked better for small firms in Burkina Faso
Are flexible cash grants or earmarked grants for technical training and consulting services more suitable to boost profits, employment and survival of small firms? New evidence from Burkina Faso that directly compares both types of support shows that...
Firms
Michael Grimm Sidiki Soubeiga Michael Weber
Published
02.12.24