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Big loans to small businesses: predicting winners and losers in an entrepreneurial lending experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Bryan, Gharad
  • Karlan, Dean
  • Osman, Adam

Abstract

We experimentally study the impact of relatively large enterprise loans in Egypt. Larger loans generate small average impacts, but machine learning using psychometric data reveals "top performers" (those with the highest predicted treatment effects) substantially increase profits, while profits drop for poor performers. The large differences imply that lender credit allocation decisions matter for aggregate income, yet we find existing practice leads to substantial misallocation. We argue that some entrepreneurs are overoptimistic and squander the opportunities presented by larger loans by taking on too much risk, and show the promise of allocations based on entrepreneurial type relative to firm characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Bryan, Gharad & Karlan, Dean & Osman, Adam, 2024. "Big loans to small businesses: predicting winners and losers in an entrepreneurial lending experiment," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120637, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:120637
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/120637/
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    entrepreneurship; enterprise credit; heterogenous treatment effects; psychometric data; small and medium enterprises;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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