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The Entrepreneur Makes a Difference: Evidence on MSE Upgrading Factors from Egypt, India, and the Philippines

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  • Hampel-Milagrosa, Aimée
  • Loewe, Markus
  • Reeg, Caroline

Abstract

In many low- and middle-income countries most micro and small enterprises (MSEs) struggle to upgrade into medium-sized and large enterprises. An extensive literature offers manifold explanations for the phenomenon but no conclusive answer on what the most important factors for MSE upgrading are: entrepreneur or firm characteristics; personal or business networks; or the business environment. On the basis of extensive empirical research conducted in Egypt, India, and the Philippines this article argues that the entrepreneur and the entrepreneur’s coping strategies matter much more than what the recent literature on Doing Business indicators and the business environment would lead us to believe.

Suggested Citation

  • Hampel-Milagrosa, Aimée & Loewe, Markus & Reeg, Caroline, 2015. "The Entrepreneur Makes a Difference: Evidence on MSE Upgrading Factors from Egypt, India, and the Philippines," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 118-130.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:66:y:2015:i:c:p:118-130
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.005
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    2. Caroline Krafft, 2016. "Understanding the Dynamics of Household Enterprises in Egypt: Birth, Death, Growth and Transformation," Working Papers 983, Economic Research Forum, revised Mar 2016.
    3. Caroline Krafft & Reham Rizk, 2018. "The Promise and Peril of Youth Entrepreneurship in MENA," Working Papers 1257, Economic Research Forum, revised 19 Nov 2018.
    4. Crick, Florence & Eskander, Shaikh M.S.U. & Fankhauser, Sam & Diop, Mamadou, 2018. "How do African SMEs respond to climate risks? Evidence from Kenya and Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 157-168.
    5. Muhammad Shakeel & Li Yaokuang & Ali Gohar, 2020. "Identifying the Entrepreneurial Success Factors and the Performance of Women-Owned Businesses in Pakistan: The Moderating Role of National Culture," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, May.
    6. Abele Kuipers & Agata Malak-Rawlikowska & Aldona Stalgienė & Anita Ule & Marija Klopčič, 2021. "European Dairy Farmers’ Perceptions and Responses towards Development Strategies in Years of Turbulent Market and Policy Changes," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-24, March.
    7. Ragui Assaad & Caroline Krafft & Shaimaa Yassin, 2020. "Job creation or labor absorption? An analysis of private sector job growth in Egypt," Middle East Development Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 177-207, July.
    8. Distinguin, Isabelle & Rugemintwari, Clovis & Tacneng, Ruth, 2016. "Can Informal Firms Hurt Registered SMEs’ Access to Credit?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 18-40.
    9. Vaz, Rolando, 2021. "Firm Growth: A review of the empirical literature," Revista Galega de Economía, University of Santiago de Compostela. Faculty of Economics and Business., vol. 30(2), pages 1-20.
    10. Alam, Ashraful & Du, Anna Min & Rahman, Mahfuzur & Yazdifar, Hassan & Abbasi, Kaleemullah, 2022. "SMEs respond to climate change: Evidence from developing countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    11. Ritchie, Holly A., 2016. "Unwrapping Institutional Change in Fragile Settings: Women Entrepreneurs Driving Institutional Pathways in Afghanistan," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 39-53.
    12. Soliman, Salma & Papanastassiou, Marina & Saka-Helmhout, Ayse, 2023. "The role of subsidiaries in Global Value Chains (GVCs): An institutional voids perspective on LVC upgrading and integration," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    13. Prieger, James E. & Bampoky, Catherine & Blanco, Luisa R. & Liu, Aolong, 2016. "Economic Growth and the Optimal Level of Entrepreneurship," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 95-109.
    14. Lili Li & Linyi Zheng & Zhonggen Zhang & Yixiang Song, 2024. "How to trigger and strengthen the positive impact of the internet on the income of farmers in the region? A case from China," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 1407-1433, June.
    15. Welsh, Dianne H.B. & Kaciak, Eugene & Shamah, Rania, 2018. "Determinants of women entrepreneurs' firm performance in a hostile environment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 481-491.
    16. Rolando Vaz, 2023. "Firm growth in the Portuguese footwear industry: the location dilemma," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(2), pages 407-427, April.
    17. Tilman Altenburg & Aimée Hampel-Milagrosa & Markus Loewe, 2017. "A Decade On: How Relevant is the Regulatory Environment for Micro and Small Enterprise Upgrading After All?," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(2), pages 457-475, April.

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