Friendship at Work: Can Peer Effects Catalyze Female Entrepreneurship?

Erica Field, Seema Jayachandran, Rohini Pande and Natalia Rigol

No 21093, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Does the lack of peers contribute to the observed gender gap in entrepreneurial success, and is the constraint stronger for women facing more restrictive social norms? We offered two days of business counseling to a random sample of customers of India’s largest women’s bank. A random subsample was invited to attend with a friend. The intervention had a significant immediate impact on participants’ business activity, but only if they were trained in the presence of a friend. Four months later, those trained with a friend were more likely to have taken out business loans, were less likely to be housewives, and reported increased business activity and higher household income. The positive impacts of training with a friend were stronger among women from religious or caste groups with social norms that restrict female mobility.

JEL-codes: O1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-ent, nep-exp, nep-mfd and nep-soc
Note: DEV
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published as Erica Field & Seema Jayachandran & Rohini Pande & Natalia Rigol, 2016. "Friendship at Work: Can Peer Effects Catalyze Female Entrepreneurship?," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(2), pages 125-53, May.

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Journal Article: Friendship at Work: Can Peer Effects Catalyze Female Entrepreneurship? (2016)
Working Paper: Friendship at Work: Can Peer Effects Catalyze Female Entrepreneurship? (2015)
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