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Skills Training and Business Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from Liberia

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  • Ana Dammert
  • Aisha Nansamba

Abstract

This paper explores whether skills training in business performance and customer practices was a promising way to increase business outcomes among self-employed workers who operate small businesses in developing countries. We randomized training in business-management skills and business and inter-personal skills among BRAC’s Small Enterprise Programme firm owners in Liberia. We found that firm owners who received either training experienced an increase in attention to customers, which consequently enhanced the performance of the businesses, including higher average monthly revenue, less loss of customers, and a smaller likelihood of encountering business losses. Customers, however, reported no effect on their customer experiences.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Dammert & Aisha Nansamba, 2019. "Skills Training and Business Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from Liberia," Working Papers PIERI 2019-24, PEP-PIERI.
    • Handle: RePEc:lvl:piercr:2019-24
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    14. Vittorio Bassi & Aisha Nansamba, 2022. "Screening and Signalling Non-Cognitive Skills: Experimental Evidence from Uganda," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(642), pages 471-511.
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    Cited by:

    1. Busso, Matías & Park, Kyunglin & Irazoque, Nicolás, 2023. "The Effectiveness of Management Training Programs: A Meta-Analytic Review," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12782, Inter-American Development Bank.
    2. 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.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    RCT; SME; Liberia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments

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