Success in Entrepreneurship: Doing the Math

35 Pages Posted: 27 Apr 2014

See all articles by Michael Kremer

Michael Kremer

Harvard University - Department of Economics; Brookings Institution; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Center for Global Development; Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Jonathan Robinson

University of California, Santa Cruz

Olga Rostapshova

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Date Written: May 16, 2013

Abstract

This paper examines the association between entrepreneurial success and firm and owner characteristics, in the context of the small retail sector in Western Kenya. Earlier work finds very high rates of return to inventories. Inventories are positively associated with math skills. Since inventories and profits are positively correlated, math skills predict profits as well. Math skills are also robustly correlated with profits conditional on inventories.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, success, firm, owner, inventories, math, profits

Suggested Citation

Kremer, Michael R. and Robinson, Jonathan and Rostapshova, Olga, Success in Entrepreneurship: Doing the Math (May 16, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2429425 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2429425

Michael R. Kremer

Harvard University - Department of Economics ( email )

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Jonathan Robinson

University of California, Santa Cruz ( email )

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Olga Rostapshova (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

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