This paper reviews and critically evaluates existing evidence on female entrepreneurial activity. First, we identify how female-run businesses are different, by examining both economic and non-economic...
This paper evaluates effectiveness of microfinance using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method applied to data collected in a recent randomized control trial. This method allows one to answer an additional...
Panel data for 91 countries are used to study how the ease of registering a business and the magnitude of registration reforms affect new registrations of limited liability companies (LLCs). The costs...
Using multi-year, firm-level surveys for 53 countries, this paper explores the impact of bank competition on firms’ access to finance. The authors find that low competition, as measured by high values...
This paper uses new panel data on the number of new firm registrations in 109 countries during 2002-2012 to study the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth. The data show strong evidence...
This paper provides new evidence on the factors affecting protracted credit contraction in the wake of the global financial crisis. The paper applies panel vector autoregressions to a global panel that...
Using firm-level surveys for up to 73 countries, this paper explores the impact of introducing collateral registries for movable assets on firms' access to bank finance. It compares firms' access to bank...
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are a policy priority for many countries, given their significance in terms of employment and economic activity. Many new policies, legal reforms, programs, and funds...
Combining multi-year, firm-level surveys with country-level panel data for 53 countries, the authors explore the impact of bank competition on firms' access to finance. They find that low competition...
A unique dataset of over 70,000 firms, most of which are small, in over 100 countries, is utilized to systematically study the use of different financing sources for new and young firms. Consistent age-related...
Alternative dispute resolution can help the justice system in a country function more efficiently. It often saves costs and time and increases user satisfaction. For cases that go back to court, however...
This paper is organized in following headings: what constrains Africa's exports?; does the internet reduce corruption? evidence from United States and across countries; do labor statistics depend on how...
This article reviews the literature on the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development and introduces four symposium articles. A common thread is that information asymmetries are important...
This paper presents empirical analysis of corporate savings in Egypt using two datasets: a survey of small and medium enterprises and data from accounting statements for the largest publicly traded firms...
The surveys a vast body of literature devoted to evaluating the relationship between corporate governance and performance as measured by valuation, operating performance, or stock returns. Most of the...
This paper uses data on publicly listed companies in Jordan to evaluate corporate vulnerability and perform corporate stress testing. The exercise finds that both earnings and interest rate shocks have...
This paper uses panel data on the number of new firm registrations in 91 countries to study how the ease of registering a business and the magnitude of registration reforms affect new firm registrations...
The authors use panel data on the number of new firm registrations in 95 countries to study the impact of the business environment and 2008 financial crisis on new firm registration. The data show that...
Financial development is strongly associated with economic growth across countries, and several recent studies have found a positive correlation between access to finance and poverty alleviation at the...
New data from the World Bank Group entrepreneurship snapshots show that new businesses are created at a faster rate in countries with good governance, a strong legal and regulatory environment, low corporate...