Publication Date
2024
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Wilcox, Virginia
Degree Name
Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
Legacy Department
Department of Economics
Abstract
The dissertation comprises three essays that collectively contribute novel insights into the impact of institutional and regulatory factors on firm performance in Nigeria.
The first essay presents the first empirical assessment of the causal heterogeneous effects of competition from informal firms on the revenue of Nigerian formal firms using quantile regression, causal mediation analysis, and non-parametric preprocessing matching. The theoretical framework mathematically depicts how informality determines formal firm revenue by influencing prices.
In the second essay, I provide the first empirical assessment of the causal impact of bureaucratic corruption on firms' financial constraints in Nigeria by calculating treatment effects using linear and non-linear estimators to account for potential heterogeneous treatment effects across firm groups. Formally, the theoretical framework models how corruption may facilitate or restrain firms' financial access by shaping their cost functions, which consequently influences their success or failure and ability to raise the collateral for borrowing.
Employing regression analysis and the honest casual tree (HCT), the third essay provides the first empirical evaluation of the average treatment effects and the heterogeneous treatment effects of business registration from inception on firm employment, employment change, and employment growth. The theoretical framework formally demonstrates that formalization allows firms better access to capital, intellectual property protection, and collaboration with other firms and government agencies that may boost their organizational efficiency, leading to expansion and the need to employ more workers.
Recommended Citation
Ezeibekwe, Obinna Franklin, "Essays on Institutions and Business Performance in a Less-Developed Economy" (2024). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 7958.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/7958
Extent
188 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
