IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/apecpp/v46y2024i2p435-455.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A mixed methods assessment of technical and financial assistance to small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises in Kenya's food sector

Author

Listed:
  • Eduardo Nakasone
  • Maria Porter
  • Mywish K. Maredia
  • Andrew Jones
  • David Tschirley

Abstract

We study the impact of providing consulting services and major capital infusions to small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food sector in Kenya. We exploit a quasi‐experimental design that matches treated firms with comparable firms that applied for the same support but were just short of scoring sufficient points to receive this support. Using mixed methods, this quantitative analysis is supplemented by in‐depth qualitative interviews, which provide further insights into the workings of the program. The program helped SMEs launch new products and increased numbers of employees. Interviewees described higher sales resulting from the major capital infusions they received.

Suggested Citation

  • Eduardo Nakasone & Maria Porter & Mywish K. Maredia & Andrew Jones & David Tschirley, 2024. "A mixed methods assessment of technical and financial assistance to small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises in Kenya's food sector," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(2), pages 435-455, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:46:y:2024:i:2:p:435-455
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13426
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13426
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/aepp.13426?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Valdivia, Martín, 2015. "Business training plus for female entrepreneurship? Short and medium-term experimental evidence from Peru," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 33-51.
    2. Levy, Brian, 1993. "Obstacles to Developing Indigenous Small and Medium Enterprises: An Empirical Assessment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 7(1), pages 65-83, January.
    3. Emily Oster, 2019. "Unobservable Selection and Coefficient Stability: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 187-204, April.
    4. Klapper, Leora & Richmond, Christine, 2011. "Patterns of business creation, survival and growth: Evidence from Africa," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(S1), pages 32-44.
    5. repec:oup:qjecon:v:129:y:2014:i:2:p:697-752. is not listed on IDEAS
    6. David McKenzie & Christopher Woodruff, 2014. "What Are We Learning from Business Training and Entrepreneurship Evaluations around the Developing World?," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 29(1), pages 48-82.
    7. Nicholas Bloom & John Van Reenen, 2010. "Why Do Management Practices Differ across Firms and Countries?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 24(1), pages 203-224, Winter.
    8. Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli, 2006. "Small and medium-size enterprises: Access to finance as a growth constraint," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2931-2943, November.
    9. Fafchamps, Marcel & McKenzie, David & Quinn, Simon & Woodruff, Christopher, 2014. "Microenterprise growth and the flypaper effect: Evidence from a randomized experiment in Ghana," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 211-226.
    10. Christopher Blattman & Nathan Fiala & Sebastian Martinez, 2014. "Generating Skilled Self-Employment in Developing Countries: Experimental Evidence from Uganda," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(2), pages 697-752.
    11. Stjepan Srhoj & Michal Lapinski & Janette Walde, 2021. "Impact evaluation of business development grants on SME performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1285-1301, October.
    12. Karlan, Dean & Knight, Ryan & Udry, Christopher, 2015. "Consulting and capital experiments with microenterprise tailors in Ghana," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 281-302.
    13. McKenzie, David, 2012. "Beyond baseline and follow-up: The case for more T in experiments," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 210-221.
    14. Jeanne Lafortune & Julio Riutort & José Tessada, 2018. "Role Models or Individual Consulting: The Impact of Personalizing Micro-entrepreneurship Training," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 222-245, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antonia Grohmann & Lukas Menkhoff & Helke Seitz, 2022. "The Effect of Personalized Feedback on Small Enterprises’ Finances in Uganda," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(3), pages 1197-1227.
    2. M. Mehrab Bakhtiar & Gautam Bastian & Markus Goldstein, 2022. "Business Training and Mentoring: Experimental Evidence from Women-Owned Microenterprises in Ethiopia," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 71(1), pages 151-183.
    3. Mckenzie,David J., 2020. "Small Business Training to Improve Management Practices in Developing Countries: Reassessingthe Evidence for 'Training Doesn’t Work'," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9408, The World Bank.
    4. Higuchi, Yuki & Mhede, Edwin P. & Sonobe, Tetsushi, 2019. "Short- and medium-run impacts of management training: An experiment in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 220-236.
    5. Grover,Arti Goswami & Imbruno,Michele, 2020. "Using Experimental Evidence to Inform Firm Support Programs in Developing Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9461, The World Bank.
    6. David McKenzie, 2017. "Identifying and Spurring High-Growth Entrepreneurship: Experimental Evidence from a Business Plan Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(8), pages 2278-2307, August.
    7. Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Strategy for Cluster-Based Industrial Development in Developing Countries," Discussion Papers 2019, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    8. Giambra, Samuele & McKenzie, David, 2021. "Self-employment and migration," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    9. Gonzalo Nunez-Chaim & Henry G. Overman & Capucine Riom, 2024. "Does subsidising business advice improve firm performance? Evidence from a large RCT," CEP Discussion Papers dp1977, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    10. Ubfal, Diego & Arráiz, Irani & Beuermann, Diether W. & Frese, Michael & Maffioli, Alessandro & Verch, Daniel, 2022. "The impact of soft-skills training for entrepreneurs in Jamaica," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    11. Islam, Asadul & Lee, Wang-Sheng & Triyana, Margaret & Xia, Xing, 2023. "Improving Health and Safety in the Informal Sector: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Bangladesh," IZA Discussion Papers 16150, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Eduardo Nakasone & Maximo Torero, 2014. "Soap Operas for Female Micro Entrepreneur Training," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 87916, Inter-American Development Bank.
    13. Delius, Antonia & Sterck, Olivier, 2024. "Cash transfers and micro-enterprise performance: Theory and quasi-experimental evidence from Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    14. Nakasone, Eduardo & Torero, Maximo, 2014. "Soap Operas for for Female Micro Entrepreneur Training," MPRA Paper 61302, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Rosas, Nina & Acevedo, Maria Cecilia & Zaldivar, Samantha, 2022. "Starting points matter: Cash plus training effects on youth entrepreneurship, skills, and resilience during an epidemic," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    16. Lucia Dalla Pellegrina & Giorgio Di Maio & Paolo Landoni & Emanuele Rusinà, 2021. "Money management and entrepreneurial training in microfinance: impact on beneficiaries and institutions," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(3), pages 1049-1085, October.
    17. Bassi, Vittorio & Nyshadham, Anant & Tamayo, Jorge & Adhvaryu, Achyuta, 2020. "No Line Left Behind: Assortative Matching Inside the Firm," CEPR Discussion Papers 14554, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Singh, Nirvikar, 2018. "Financial Inclusion: Concepts, Issues and Policies for India," MPRA Paper 91047, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Calderone, Margherita & Fiala, Nathan & Melyoki, Lemayon Lemilia & Schoofs, Annekathrin & Steinacher, Rachel, 2022. "Making intense skills training work at scale: Evidence on business and labor market outcomes in Tanzania," Ruhr Economic Papers 950, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    20. Croke,Kevin & Garcia Mora,Maria Elena & Goldstein,Markus P. & Mensah,Edouard Romeo & O'Sullivan,Michael B., 2020. "Up before Dawn : Experimental Evidence from a Cross-Border Trader Training at the Democratic Republic of Congo?Rwanda Border," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9123, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:46:y:2024:i:2:p:435-455. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)2040-5804 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.