Details about Christopher Woodruff

E-mail:
Postal address:	Department of International Development Queen Elizabeth House 3 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TB
Workplace:	Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), (more information at EDIRC) National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), (more information at EDIRC) Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House), Oxford University, (more information at EDIRC)

Access statistics for papers by Christopher Woodruff.

Last updated 2025-03-14. Update your information in the RePEc Author Service.

Short-id: pwo165

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Working Papers

2020

1. Challenges of Change: An Experiment Promoting Women to Managerial Roles in the Bangladeshi Garment Sector
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (14)
   Also in CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers (2020) View citations (12)

2019

2. Gender Wage Gaps and Worker Mobility: Evidence from the Garment Sector in Bangladesh
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (12)
   Also in CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers (2019) View citations (12)
3. Micro-Equity for Microenterprises
   Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank
   Also in CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers (2019)

2018

4. Can Mobile-Linked Bank Accounts Bolster Savings? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Sri Lanka
   CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers View citations (5)
   Also in NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2018) View citations (7)
5. Information and Bargaining through Agents: Experimental Evidence from Mexico’s Labor Courts
   CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers View citations (1)
6. Information and Bargaining through Agents: Experimental Evidence from Mexico’s Labor Courts
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (1)

2016

7. Business Practices in Small Firms in Developing Countries
   The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS), University of Warwick, Department of Economics View citations (22)
   Also in NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2015) View citations (28)
   Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2015) View citations (28)
   Economic Research Papers, University of Warwick - Department of Economics (2016) View citations (22)
8. Identifying gazelles: expert panels vs. surveys as a means to identify firms with rapid growth potential
   Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank View citations (14)
   Also in CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers (2015) View citations (1)
   See also Journal Article Identifying Gazelles: Expert Panels vs. Surveys as a Means to Identify Firms with Rapid Growth Potential, The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank (2017) View citations (29) (2017)
9. Labor Drops: Experimental Evidence on the Return to Additional Labor in Microenterprises
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (11)
   Also in Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2016) View citations (8)
   See also Journal Article Labor Drops: Experimental Evidence on the Return to Additional Labor in Microenterprises, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association (2019) View citations (37) (2019)

2015

10. Challenges of Change: An Experiment Training Women to Manage in the Bangladeshi Garment Sector
    Economic Research Papers, University of Warwick - Department of Economics View citations (11)
    Also in The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS), University of Warwick, Department of Economics (2015) View citations (11)
11. The market for training services: a demand experiment with Bangladeshi garment factories
    LSE Research Online Documents on Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library View citations (1)
    See also Journal Article The Market for Training Services: A Demand Experiment with Bangladeshi Garment Factories, American Economic Review, American Economic Association (2015) View citations (2) (2015)
12. What Are the Headwaters of Formal Savings? Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka
    Working Paper Series, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government View citations (6)
    Also in NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2014) View citations (18)
    Working Papers, eSocialSciences (2014) View citations (14)
    CID Working Papers, Center for International Development at Harvard University (2014) View citations (14)
    See also Journal Article What Are the Headwaters of Formal Savings? Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka, The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd (2019) View citations (21) (2019)

2014

13. Supervisory Management and Productivity Dispersion in the Bangladeshi Garment Sector
    2014 Meeting Papers, Society for Economic Dynamics

2013

14. What are we learning from business training and entrepreneurship evaluations around the developing world?
    CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers View citations (78)
    Also in IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) (2012) View citations (76)
    Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2012) View citations (74)
    See also Journal Article What Are We Learning from Business Training and Entrepreneurship Evaluations around the Developing World?, The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank (2014) View citations (203) (2014)

2012

15. Business Training and Female Enterprise Start-Up, Growth, and Dynamics: Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (34)
    Also in Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2012) View citations (30)
    See also Journal Article Business training and female enterprise start-up, growth, and dynamics: Experimental evidence from Sri Lanka, Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier (2014) View citations (118) (2014)
16. Business Training for New and Existing Female-Owned Firms in Sri Lanka
    World Bank Publications - Reports, The World Bank Group View citations (1)
17. Do Informal Firms Want to Formalize and Does It Help Them If They Do?
    World Bank Publications - Reports, The World Bank Group
18. Long Term Impacts of One Off Grants to Microenterprises
    World Bank Publications - Reports, The World Bank Group View citations (1)
19. The Demand for, and Consequences of, Formalization among Informal Firms in Sri Lanka
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (35)
    Also in Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2012) View citations (28)
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2012) View citations (34)
    See also Journal Article The Demand for, and Consequences of, Formalization among Informal Firms in Sri Lanka, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association (2013) View citations (131) (2013)

2011

20. Capital, Gender, and Microenterprise Growth in Ghana
    World Bank Publications - Reports, The World Bank Group
21. When is capital enough to get female enterprises growing ? evidence from a randomized experiment in Ghana
    Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank View citations (49)
22. When is capital enough to get female microenterprises growing? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Ghana
    CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers View citations (114)
    Also in CSAE Working Paper Series, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford (2011) View citations (112)
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2011) View citations (105)

2010

23. Enterprise recovery following natural disasters
    Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank View citations (3)
    See also Journal Article Enterprise Recovery Following Natural Disasters, Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society (2012) View citations (68) (2012)
24. Using PDA consistency checks to increase the precision of profits and sales measurement in panels
    CSAE Working Paper Series, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford View citations (6)
    See also Journal Article Using PDA consistency checks to increase the precision of profits and sales measurement in panels, Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier (2012) View citations (28) (2012)

2009

25. Innovative Firms or Innovative Owners? Determinants of Innovation in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (64)
    Also in Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2009) View citations (50)
26. Remittances and banking sector breadth and depth: evidence from Mexico
    Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank View citations (2)
    See also Journal Article Remittances and banking sector breadth and depth: Evidence from Mexico, Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier (2011) View citations (89) (2011)

2008

27. Are Women More Credit Constrained? Experimental Evidence on Gender and Microenterprise Returns
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (15)
    Also in Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2008) View citations (18)
    See also Journal Article Are Women More Credit Constrained? Experimental Evidence on Gender and Microenterprise Returns, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association (2009) View citations (185) (2009)
28. Mexican-American Entrepreneurship
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (1)
    Also in CEPR Discussion Papers, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University (2008) View citations (2)
    See also Journal Article Mexican-American Entrepreneurship, The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter (2010) View citations (10) (2010)
29. Who Are the Microenterprise Owners? Evidence from Sri Lanka on Tokman v. de Soto
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (44)
    Also in Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2008) View citations (27)

2007

30. Measuring microenterprise profits: don't ask how the sausage is made
    Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank View citations (19)
31. Mexican Microenterprise Investment and Employment: The Role of Remittances
    IDB Publications (Working Papers), Inter-American Development Bank View citations (1)
    Also in INTAL Working Papers, Inter-American Development Bank, INTAL (2007) View citations (12)
32. Returns to Capital in Microenterprises: Evidence from a Field Experiment
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (19)
    Also in Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank (2007) View citations (40)
    See also Journal Article Returns to Capital in Microenterprises: Evidence from a Field Experiment, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College (2009) View citations (4) (2009)

2006

33. Mexican Entrepreneurship: A Comparison of Self-Employment in Mexico and the United States
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (3)
    Also in NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2005) View citations (5)
    See also Chapter Mexican Entrepreneurship: A Comparison of Self-Employment in Mexico and the United States, NBER Chapters, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2007) View citations (9) (2007)

2004

34. The quality of the legal system, firm ownership, andfirm size
    Policy Research Working Paper Series, The World Bank View citations (9)
    See also Journal Article The Quality of the Legal System, Firm Ownership, and Firm Size, The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press (2007) View citations (120) (2007)

2003

35. Why Do Firms Hide? Bribes and Unofficial Activity after Communism
    Public Economics, University Library of Munich, Germany View citations (20)
    Also in CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers (1999) View citations (16)
    See also Journal Article Why do firms hide? Bribes and unofficial activity after communism, Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier (2000) View citations (239) (2000)

2002

36. Property Rights and Finance
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (464)
    See also Journal Article Property Rights and Finance, American Economic Review, American Economic Association (2002) View citations (438) (2002)

2001

37. Courts and Relational Contracts
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (16)

1999

38. Contract Enforcement in Transition
    CESifo Working Paper Series, CESifo View citations (53)
    Also in CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers (1999) View citations (51)
39. Property Rights, Finance, and Entrepreneurship
    CESifo Working Paper Series, CESifo View citations (34)

1998

40. Inter-Firm Relationships and Informal Credit in Vietnam
    CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers View citations (9)
    Also in William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (1998) View citations (30)
    See also Journal Article Interfirm Relationships and Informal Credit in Vietnam, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College (1999) View citations (420) (1999)

1996

41. Trust and Search in Vietnam's Emerging Private Sector
    CEPR Discussion Papers, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers View citations (7)

1995

42. Formal Measures of the Informal Sector Wage Gap in Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru
    Boston College Working Papers in Economics, Boston College Department of Economics View citations (40)
    See also Journal Article Formal Measures of the Informal-Sector Wage Gap in Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru, Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press (1997) View citations (120) (1997)

Journal Articles

2019

1. Labor Drops: Experimental Evidence on the Return to Additional Labor in Microenterprises
   American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2019, 11, (1), 202-35 View citations (37)
   See also Working Paper Labor Drops: Experimental Evidence on the Return to Additional Labor in Microenterprises, NBER Working Papers (2016) View citations (11) (2016)
2. What Are the Headwaters of Formal Savings? Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka
   The Review of Economic Studies, 2019, 86, (6), 2491-2529 View citations (21)
   See also Working Paper What Are the Headwaters of Formal Savings? Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka, Working Paper Series (2015) View citations (6) (2015)

2017

3. Identifying Gazelles: Expert Panels vs. Surveys as a Means to Identify Firms with Rapid Growth Potential
   The World Bank Economic Review, 2017, 31, (3), 670-686 View citations (29)
   See also Working Paper Identifying gazelles: expert panels vs. surveys as a means to identify firms with rapid growth potential, Policy Research Working Paper Series (2016) View citations (14) (2016)

2015

4. The Market for Training Services: A Demand Experiment with Bangladeshi Garment Factories
   American Economic Review, 2015, 105, (5), 300-304 View citations (2)
   See also Working Paper The market for training services: a demand experiment with Bangladeshi garment factories, LSE Research Online Documents on Economics (2015) View citations (1) (2015)

2014

5. Business training and female enterprise start-up, growth, and dynamics: Experimental evidence from Sri Lanka
   Journal of Development Economics, 2014, 106, (C), 199-210 View citations (118)
   See also Working Paper Business Training and Female Enterprise Start-Up, Growth, and Dynamics: Experimental Evidence from Sri Lanka, IZA Discussion Papers (2012) View citations (34) (2012)
6. Microenterprise growth and the flypaper effect: Evidence from a randomized experiment in Ghana
   Journal of Development Economics, 2014, 106, (C), 211-226 View citations (156)
7. What Are We Learning from Business Training and Entrepreneurship Evaluations around the Developing World?
   The World Bank Research Observer, 2014, 29, (1), 48-82 View citations (203)
   See also Working Paper What are we learning from business training and entrepreneurship evaluations around the developing world?, CEPR Discussion Papers (2013) View citations (78) (2013)

2013

8. Deposit Collecting: Unbundling the Role of Frequency, Salience, and Habit Formation in Generating Savings
   American Economic Review, 2013, 103, (3), 387-92 View citations (10)
9. The Demand for, and Consequences of, Formalization among Informal Firms in Sri Lanka
   American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2013, 5, (2), 122-50 View citations (131)
   See also Working Paper The Demand for, and Consequences of, Formalization among Informal Firms in Sri Lanka, IZA Discussion Papers (2012) View citations (35) (2012)

2012

10. Enterprise Recovery Following Natural Disasters
    Economic Journal, 2012, 122, (559), 64-91 View citations (68)
    See also Working Paper Enterprise recovery following natural disasters, Policy Research Working Paper Series (2010) View citations (3) (2010)
11. Using PDA consistency checks to increase the precision of profits and sales measurement in panels
    Journal of Development Economics, 2012, 98, (1), 51-57 View citations (28)
    See also Working Paper Using PDA consistency checks to increase the precision of profits and sales measurement in panels, CSAE Working Paper Series (2010) View citations (6) (2010)

2011

12. Remittances and banking sector breadth and depth: Evidence from Mexico
    Journal of Development Economics, 2011, 95, (2), 229-241 View citations (89)
    See also Working Paper Remittances and banking sector breadth and depth: evidence from Mexico, Policy Research Working Paper Series (2009) View citations (2) (2009)

2010

13. Mexican-American Entrepreneurship
    The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 2010, 10, (1), 44 View citations (10)
    See also Working Paper Mexican-American Entrepreneurship, IZA Discussion Papers (2008) View citations (1) (2008)
14. Wage Subsidies for Microenterprises
    American Economic Review, 2010, 100, (2), 614-18 View citations (23)

2009

15. Are Women More Credit Constrained? Experimental Evidence on Gender and Microenterprise Returns
    American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2009, 1, (3), 1-32 View citations (185)
    See also Working Paper Are Women More Credit Constrained? Experimental Evidence on Gender and Microenterprise Returns, IZA Discussion Papers (2008) View citations (15) (2008)
16. Measuring microenterprise profits: Must we ask how the sausage is made?
    Journal of Development Economics, 2009, 88, (1), 19-31 View citations (222)
17. Returns to Capital in Microenterprises: Evidence from a Field Experiment
    The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2009, 124, (1), 423-423 View citations (4)
    Also in The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2008, 123, (4), 1329-1372 (2008) View citations (611)
    See also Working Paper Returns to Capital in Microenterprises: Evidence from a Field Experiment, IZA Discussion Papers (2007) View citations (19) (2007)

2008

18. Experimental Evidence on Returns to Capital and Access to Finance in Mexico
    The World Bank Economic Review, 2008, 22, (3), 457-482 View citations (174)
19. Mental health recovery and economic recovery after the tsunami: High-frequency longitudinal evidence from Sri Lankan small business owners
    Social Science & Medicine, 2008, 66, (3), 582-595 View citations (13)
20. The Impact of Short-Term Credit on Microenterprises: Evidence from the Fincomun-Bimbo Program in Mexico
    Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2008, 56, (4), 829-849 View citations (18)

2007

21. Migration networks and microenterprises in Mexico
    Journal of Development Economics, 2007, 82, (2), 509-528 View citations (335)
22. The Quality of the Legal System, Firm Ownership, and Firm Size
    The Review of Economics and Statistics, 2007, 89, (4), 601-614 View citations (120)
    See also Working Paper The quality of the legal system, firm ownership, andfirm size, Policy Research Working Paper Series (2004) View citations (9) (2004)

2006

23. Do Entry Costs Provide an Empirical Basis for Poverty Traps? Evidence from Mexican Microenterprises
    Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2006, 55, (1), 3-42 View citations (169)

2004

24. Symposium on Transition in Vietnam
    The Economics of Transition, 2004, 12, (2), 193-199 View citations (1)

2002

25. Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility in Schooling: The Case of Mexico
    Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2002, 50, (2), 249-67 View citations (40)
26. Non-contractible investments and vertical integration in the Mexican footwear industry
    International Journal of Industrial Organization, 2002, 20, (8), 1197-1224 View citations (56)
27. Property Rights and Finance
    American Economic Review, 2002, 92, (5), 1335-1356 View citations (438)
    See also Working Paper Property Rights and Finance, NBER Working Papers (2002) View citations (464) (2002)
28. The Central Role of Entrepreneurs in Transition Economies
    Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2002, 16, (3), 153-170 View citations (289)

2001

29. Review of de Soto's The Mystery of Capital
    Journal of Economic Literature, 2001, 39, (4), 1215-1223 View citations (19)

2000

30. Entrepreneurs and the Ordering of Institutional Reform: Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Russia and Ukraine Compared
    The Economics of Transition, 2000, 8, (1), 1-36 View citations (96)
31. Why do firms hide? Bribes and unofficial activity after communism
    Journal of Public Economics, 2000, 76, (3), 495-520 View citations (239)
    See also Working Paper Why Do Firms Hide? Bribes and Unofficial Activity after Communism, Public Economics (2003) View citations (20) (2003)

1999

32. Dispute Prevention without Courts in Vietnam
    The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, 1999, 15, (3), 637-58 View citations (110)
33. Inflation Stabilization and the Vanishing Size-Wage Effect
    ILR Review, 1999, 53, (1), 103-122 View citations (2)
34. Interfirm Relationships and Informal Credit in Vietnam
    The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1999, 114, (4), 1285-1320 View citations (420)
    See also Working Paper Inter-Firm Relationships and Informal Credit in Vietnam, CEPR Discussion Papers (1998) View citations (9) (1998)

1998

35. Contract enforcement and trade liberalization in Mexico's footwear industry
    World Development, 1998, 26, (6), 979-991 View citations (36)

1997

36. Formal Measures of the Informal-Sector Wage Gap in Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru
    Economic Development and Cultural Change, 1997, 45, (2), 367-92 View citations (120)
    See also Working Paper Formal Measures of the Informal Sector Wage Gap in Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru, Boston College Working Papers in Economics (1995) View citations (40) (1995)

1994

37. Domestic Politics, Foreign Interests, and International Trade Policy: Comment
    American Economic Review, 1994, 84, (5), 1474-75 View citations (3)

Chapters

2010

1. Who are the Microenterprise Owners? Evidence from Sri Lanka on Tokman versus De Soto
   A chapter in International Differences in Entrepreneurship, 2010, pp 63-87 View citations (78)

2007

2. Mexican Entrepreneurship: A Comparison of Self-Employment in Mexico and the United States
   A chapter in Mexican Immigration to the United States, 2007, pp 123-158 View citations (9)
   See also Working Paper Mexican Entrepreneurship: A Comparison of Self-Employment in Mexico and the United States, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) (2006) View citations (3) (2006)

2006

3. Measuring Institutions
   Chapter 3 in International Handbook on the Economics of Corruption, 2006 View citations (6)