Browsing by Author "Mahn, Daniel"
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Item Contextualizing the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship: the Chilean paradox(2022) Mahn, Daniel; Poblete Cazenave, CarlosThis research uses hierarchical linear modelling to test the KSTE in a developing-country context. By trying this theory on a different setting as is usually studied, we attempt to identify boundary conditions, expanding this theory's understanding. Results show the low effectiveness of this theory in a developing economy, suggesting that additional dimensions are needed to understand it completely. In reviewing the high-tech sector (the only sector in which we found evidence that the KSTE mechanisms apply), our data shows the importance of diversity for technological innovation and thus for firms born out of spillovers. Finally, we find that easiness to start a business interacts with human capital into forming high-tech new firms. Under a more bureaucratic system, high-knowledge human capital will have fewer incentives to switch from employment to self-employment and start a venture. By dealing with the specificities of developing economies when dealing with the KSTE, policymakers can avoid applying police recipes coming from findings related only to developed economies that cannot fit with the characteristics of these countries. In this context, this phenomenon is not particularly relevant for fostering new ventures, joining on the call of avoiding standardized strategies to build efficient entrepreneurial ecosystems.Item Drivers of growth expectations in Latin American rural contexts(2022) Mahn, Daniel; Lecuna, Antonio; Chavez, Gonzalo; Barros, SebastianPurpose: Given the importance of growth-oriented entrepreneurship in the context of economic development and the need to understand how rural communities can be developed, the objective of this research is to determine how the drivers of growth expectations differ between urban and rural setiings.Publication The optimism effect on country productivity and innovation activities(2024) Mahn, Daniel; Wang, Cong; Kent, Danielle; Heaton, ChrisThis study focuses on how optimism translates into innovation outcomes. While the link has been estab lished at a microeconomic level, its translation to an aggregate economic effect is still an open question. Empirical analysis draws from a yearly sample of 42 (mainly OECD) countries between 2000 and 2020 to test the effect of economic optimism on R&D measures from both the consumer’s and producer’s points of view at the aggregate level. Using modern econometric techniques that address potential endogeneity issues, the results suggest that economic optimism supports an increase in innovation activity and economic perfor mance but not an increase in innovation outcomes, such as more patent production. The implication is that an economically optimistic environment is an important contribution to a nation’s entrepreneurial ecosys tem. This novel insight shows that firms need not specifically recruit optimistic individuals to reap the bene fits of the optimism effect. Policies that encourage economic optimism can orchestrate an environment in which the benefits of the optimism effect are realized, independent of the individual personality traits of its citizens.Publication What drives solar energy adoption in developing countries? Evidence from household surveys across countries(2024) Mahn, Daniel; Best, Rohan; Wang, Cong; Abiona, OlukoredeThis study investigates household solar energy uptake in developing countries by combining household surveys for 11 countries with area-level data. We use data from World Bank surveys for countries in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Our probit regressions use up to 36,653 household observations and cover actual uptake rather than intentions. The main result shows that households further from capital cities are less likely to have solar home systems. Furthermore, there are strong links between assets and solar uptake across solar types such as solar home systems, solar lighting systems, and solar lanterns. This is an important finding given the small number of prior studies that use actual uptake data for developing countries and the mixed results from prior literature. We do not find evidence that households in sunnier areas are more likely to have solar home systems across countries. This study motivates policymakers to consider greater support for households far from capital cities, in sunnier regions, and with low levels of assets