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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Microfinance Among The Maya: Tracking The Progress Of Borrowers, Bruce Wydick
Microfinance Among The Maya: Tracking The Progress Of Borrowers, Bruce Wydick
Economics
Microfinance has become an increasingly widespread tool for fostering economic growth among the poor in developing countries. This study tracks the progress of 239 borrowers in a Guatemalan microfinance institution from 1994 to 1999. Results from the study show that rapid gains in employment within the sample enterprises after initial credit access were followed by a protracted period of stagnation in employment growth. Other results highlight gender differences in response to credit access, showing — surprisingly — that the long–run growth in hired labour for female entrepreneurs was slightly greater than that for male entrepreneurs.
How Efficient Are Africa’S Emerging Stock Markets?, Magnus Arni Magnusson, Bruce Wydick
How Efficient Are Africa’S Emerging Stock Markets?, Magnus Arni Magnusson, Bruce Wydick
Economics
The development of financial institutions has been viewed in recent years as critical to the economic development process. This research uses recent data from the eight largest African stock markets to test whether these markets meet the criterion of weak-form stock market efficiency with returns characterised by a random walk. Results are then compared with similar tests on emerging stock markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Conclusions from the research indicate that test results for weak-form efficiency in the emerging African stock markets compare favorably with those performed on other emerging stock markets.
Affirmative Action In College Admissions: Examining Labor Market Effects Of Four Alternative Policies, Bruce Wydick
Affirmative Action In College Admissions: Examining Labor Market Effects Of Four Alternative Policies, Bruce Wydick
Economics
A rancorous debate continues to rage over the use of affirmative action policies in college admissions. This paper uses a simple signaling model to evaluate the labor market impacts of four types of affirmative action admissions policies. Race-based preferential policies and policies guaranteeing admission based on high school academic rank may induce discrimination in labor markets when there exists strong heterogeneity in socio-economic disadvantage within the under-represented minority group. Under such conditions, it may also be difficult to realize ethnic diversity with disadvantage-based preferential policies. The paper argues instead for affirmative action policies emphasizing intensive college preparation for targeted groups.