This paper examines the incidence and determinants of credit rationing and borrower discouragement among Kenyan SMEs using firmlevel data from the 2018 World Bank Enterprise Survey. Only about onequarter of firms report no financing obstacles, while the majority face constraints of varying...

This paper examines the effects of increased bureaucratic discretion in public procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, when the government relaxed restrictions on direct deals and expanded discretionary authority for small contracts. While greater discretion can lower administrative...

We investigate preferences for engaging in or opposing discrimination, focusing on moral preferences beyond self-interest. Some individuals may oppose statistical discrimination on grounds of protected-group equality, while others may prefer it to reward groups with higher average merit....

Research on gender gaps in firm performance often attributes lower productivity among womenled enterprises to differential access to institutions. This paper examines how interactions with formal and informal institutions relate to enterprise performance in Mozambique, Vietnam, and Myanmar. We...

Rapid artificial intelligence (AI) advancements have emerged as a critical catalyst in curbing carbon emissions and fostering sustainable growth. Drawing upon balanced panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2022, this study employs the spatial Durbin model, along with mediating and...

Compliance with complex regulatory requirements can be challenging. We study why and how complexity affects non-compliance in terms of incorrect reporting. Our novel experimental design isolates two distinct complexity effects: an increase in honest mistakes and a substantial shift toward...