Credit-constrained in Risky Activities? The Determinants of the Capital Stocks of Micro and Small Firms in Western Africa

Michael Grimm, Simon Lange and Jann Lay

No 185, GIGA Working Papers from GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies

Abstract: Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in developing countries are typically considered to be severely credit constrained. Additionally, high business risks may partly explain why the capital stocks of MSEs remain low. This article analyzes the determinants of the capital stocks of MSEs in poor economies focusing on credit constraints and risk. The analysis is based on a unique, albeit cross-sectional but backward-looking, micro data set on MSEs covering the economic capitals of seven West-African countries. The main result is that capital market imperfections indeed seem to explain an important part of the variation in capital stocks in the early lifetime of MSEs. Furthermore, the analyses show that risk plays a key role in capital accumulation. Risk-averse individuals seem to adjust their initially low capital stocks upwards when enterprises grow older. MSEs in risky activities owned by wealthy individuals even seem to over-invest when they start their business and subsequently adjust capital stocks downwards. As other firms simultaneously suffer from capital shortages, such behaviour may imply large inefficiencies.

Keywords: informal sector; micro and small enterprises; credit constraints; risk; risk aversion; firm growth; West-Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D13 D61 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Working Paper: Credit-constrained in risky activities? The determinants of capital stocks of micro and small firms in Western Africa (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:gigawp:185

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