Firms, Farms & Markets
Our research under this theme focuses on private sector development, and the behavior and performance of farms and firms in low-income countries.
This line of research is motivated by the need for poor countries to modernize and generate more good jobs for a rapidly growing population. A better understanding of the constraints facing farms and firms can lead to better development policies and, ultimately, improved standards of living in low-income countries.
Works in progress (selection)
Shiferaw, Admasu and Måns Söderbom, 2021, “Worker Turnover and Job Reallocation: Evidence from Matched Employer-Employee Data,” Resubmitted to Economic Development and Cultural Change.
Bedi, Arjun, Admasu Shiferaw, Måns Söderbom and Getnet Alemu, 2021, "Social Insurance Reform and Workers' Compensation,” Resubmitted to Labor Economics.
"Locus of Control, Economic Decision-Making and Aspirations: A Field Experiment in Odisha, India" with Cecilia Jansson (Gothenburg), Vikram Patil , Prakashan Veettil, Yashodha and Joe Vecci.
Recent publications
Chegere, Martin, Håkan Eggert and Måns Söderbom, ”The Effects of Storage Technology and Training on Postharvest Losses, Practices, and Sales: Evidence from Small-Scale Farms in Tanzania," Economic Development and Cultural Change, published online ahead-of-print.
Alem, Y., & Colmer, J. "Consumption Smoothing and the Welfare Cost of Uncertainty", Forthcoming in American Journal of Agricultural Economics.
Alem, Y., & Dugoua, E. "Passive Learning and Incentivized Communication: A Randomized Controlled Trial in India." Forthcoming in Economic Development and Cultural Change.
Alem, Y., Behrend, H., Belot, M., & Biro, A. "Mind Training, Stress and Behaviour - a Randomised Experiment", Forthcoming in PLOS ONE.
Newman, Carol, John Page, John Rand, Abebe Shimeles, Måns Söderbom and Finn Tarp, 2020. “Linked-in by FDI: The Role of Firm-Level Relationships for Knowledge Transfers in Africa and Asia,” Journal of Development Studies 56(3), pp. 451-468.
Eyerusalem Siba, Måns Söderbom, Arne Bigsten and Mulu Gebreeyesus, "The Effects of Agglomeration and Competition on Prices and Productivity: Evidence for Ethiopia’s Manufacturing Sector”, Review of Development Economics, 24(3): 831-854, 2020.
Alem, Y., & Demeke, E. (2020). "The Persistence of Energy Poverty: A Dynamic Probit Analysis", Energy Economics, 90: 1-11.
Ruhinduka, R., Alem, Y., Eggert, H., & Lybbert, T. (2020). "Paddy Post-Harvest: The Role of Preferences in Storage and Processing Decisions of Tanzanian Rice Farmers", forthcoming European Review of Agricultural Economics.
Alem, Y & Andersson, L. (2019). "International Remittances and Private Inter-household Transfers: Exploring the Links", forthcoming European Journal of Development Research.
Alem, Y., Eggert, H., Kocher, M., & Ruhinduka, R. (2018). Why (Field) Experiments on Unethical Behavior are Important: Comparing Stated and Revealed Behavior, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 156: 71-85.
Alem, Y., & Broussard, H. N. (2018). The impact of Safety Nets on Technology Adoption: A Difference- in-differences Analysis, Agricultural Economics, 49(1): 13-24.
Weng, Qian and Måns Söderbom, 2018. “Is R&D cash flow sensitive? Evidence from Chinese industrial firms,” China Economic Review 47, pp. 77-95.
BenYishay, A. , Grosjean P. and Vecci, J (2017) "The Fish is the Friend of Matriliny: Reef Density Predicts Matrilineal Inheritance." Journal of Development Economics, 127: 234-249
Arne Bigsten, Mulu Gebreeyesus and Måns Söderbom, “The Effects of Input and Output Tariffs on Firm Performance in Ethiopia”, Journal of Development Studies, 52(7): 986-1001, 2016.
Alem, Y., Damte, A., Köhlin, G., & Mekonen, A. (2016). Modelling Household Cooking Fuel Choice: a Random Effects Multinomial Logit Analysis, Energy Economics, 59: 129-137.