Research Interests

My research interests are in the fields of micro development and econometrics, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. I work on a variety of issues, like technology adoption (all sorts: agricultural, water, mobile money), risk-sharing, measurement error, etc. Some of my working papers are being updated – please email me for more current versions if you are interested. Below is also a list of projects that I currently have in the field.

 

Published Papers

"Selection and Comparative Advantage in Technology Adoption", Econometrica., 79 (1), pp. 159-209, January 2011.

         NBER Working Paper #15346; EGC working paper version; Web Appendix Tables

“Monetary Theory and Electronic Money: Lessons from the Kenyan Experience”, with William Jack and Rob Townsend, Economic Quarterly, Volume 96 (1), First Quarter, 2010.

“Paths to Success: The Relationship Between Human Development and Economic Growth”, with Michael Boozer, Gustav Ranis and Frances Stewart, World Development, 39 (4), 506-522, 2011.

 

Working Papers

Risk Sharing and Transaction Costs: Evidence from Kenya's Mobile Money Revolution”, with William Jack, July 2011. (Submitted)  [See below for other resources on mobile money]  Web Appendix

"Endogenous Emergence of Credit Markets: Contracting in Response to a New Technology in Ghana", with Rahul Deb, January 2012. (Submitted)

"Documenting the Birth of a Financial Economy", with William Jack and Thomas Stoker, August 2011. (Submitted)

"Estimating the Extent of Local Risk Sharing Between Households" (previously titled Spillovers in Village Consumption: Estimating the Extent of Partial Insurance), July 2011. (Submitted)

"Are Exporting Firms Better? Evidence on Comparative Advantage and Learning from Chilean Firms", with Prashant Bharadwaj and Anant Nyshadham.

“Household Information: Implications for Poverty Measurement and Dynamics”, with Michael Boozer and Markus Goldstein.

 

More on Mobile Money

Slide Deck on M-PESA, November 2010.

Mobile Money: The Economics of M-PESA”, with William Jack, January 2011.

 

Projects in the Field

“The Role of Mobile Banking in Expanding Trade Credit and Business Development in Kenya", with William Jack and Chris Woodruff.

"Promoting the Adoption of New Rice Varieties: Addressing the Costs of Early Adoption", with Rachel Glennerster.

“Diffusion of Technologies Within Social Networks: Evidence from a Coffee Training Program in Rwanda”, with Esther Duflo and Daniel Keniston.

“Agriculture, Technology Adoption and Infrastructure: What are the Returns and Who Do They Accrue To? Evidence from Sierra Leone”, with Rachel Glennerster and Lorenzo Casaburi.

“Technology Adoption and Collateralized Loans”, with Joost de Laat, William Jack and Michael Kremer.

“Using Cell Phone Technologies to Expand Financial Services in Kenya”, with William Jack.