Research

My current research focuses on the diffusion and impact of financial innovations, identifying ways to improve the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises, and impacts of tax policies on firm behavior.

Publications: 

• Improving Management through Worker Evaluations: Evidence from Auto Manufacturing, with Shing-Yi Wang, 2022. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 137(4): 2459-2497.

• Subsidy Policies and Insurance Demand, with Alain de Janry and Elizabeth Sadoulet, 2020. American Economic Review, 110(8): 2422-53.

• Industrial Policy in China: Some Unintended Consequences? with Ann Harrison, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, November 2019, 1-36.

• Interfirm Relationships and Business Performance, with Adam Szeidl, 2018. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(3): 1229-1282. Online Appendix

• Do Disaster Experiences and Knowledge Affect Insurance Take-up, with Changcheng Song. Journal of Development Economics, January 2017, 124: 83-94.

• The Impact of Insurance Provision on Household Production and Financial Decisions. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2016, 8(2): 44-88.

• Industrial Policy and Competition, with Phillipe Aghion, Mathias Dewatripont, Luosha Du, Ann Harrison, and Patrick Legros. American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, 2015, 7(4): 1-32.

• Social Networks and the Decision to Insure, with Alain de Janry and Elizabeth Sadoulet. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, April 2015, 7(2): 81-108.

Other Publications: 

•   “Microfinance”, with Muhammad Meki, Simon Quinn, Erica Field, Cynthia Kinnan, Jonathan Morduch, Jonathan de Quidt, and Farah Said. VoxDevLit, March 2023, 3(2).

• “Training Entrepreneurs”, with Bjorvatn Kjetil, Miriam Bruhn, Juanita Gonzalez-Uribe, David McKenzie, Simon Quinn, Tetsushi Sonobe, Martin Valdivia, and Christopher Woodruff. VoxDevLit, August 2021, 1(2).

Working Papers: 

• Indirect Effects of Access to Finance, with Adam Szeidl. NBER Working paper No. 29813. Conditionally accepted, American Economic Review.

• The Impact of Corporate Taxes on Firm Innovation: Evidence from Corporate Tax Collection Reform in China, with Yuyu Chen and Xuan Wang. NBER Working Paper No. 25146. 

Work in Progress:

• The Impact of Contract Design on Insurance Take-up.

• Formal Insurance and Informal Risk-sharing.

• Effects of Referring Business Partners on Firm Networks and Performance, with Wei Lin and Adam Szeidl.

• Effects of E-commerce on Suppliers and Clients, with Wei Lin and Adam Szeidl.

• Government-led Certification and Quality Complementarity in Developing Country Food Supply Chains, with Jie Bai, Chaikal Nuryakin, Prani Sastiono, and Daniel Xu

• The Role of Financial Incentives in Screening and Inducing Effort, with Shing-Yi Wang and Sai Luo.

• Political Connection and Firm Pollution, with Ming Fang and Xuan Wang.