Research

This paper explores the connection between income aspirations and time preferences among smallholder cocoa farmers in Ecuador. Drawing on a lab-in-the-field experiment that elicits discounting behavior under exponential, hyperbolic, and quasi-hyperbolic models, we document a robust negative correlation between farmers’ aspirations and the degree to which they discount future earnings. Farmers with higher self-stated income targets tend to wait more patiently for delayed payoffs, whereas those with stronger near-term focus are prone to setting lower goals. While we cannot fully resolve the causal direction, our findings suggest that policy interventions aimed at both fostering ambitious yet realistic aspirations and mitigating immediate liquidity pressures may spark longer-horizon investments. These results deepen our understanding of how aspirations shape economic behavior in resource-constrained environments, and they highlight the potential for integrated policy approaches that couple aspiration-raising strategies with financial tools promoting patience.

This study examines the long-term effects of two state-sponsored organizations in Indonesia—Dharma Wanita and Pemberdayaan Kesejahteraan Keluarga (Family Welfare Guidance or PKK)—on female labor market outcomes. Dharma Wanita, which required the participation of civil servants' wives, reinforced traditional gender norms by confining wives' responsibilities to the domestic sphere. Additionally, this study explores the role of PKK, a grassroots organization that connected government policies to everyday family life. Preliminary findings suggest that daughters of civil servants have a higher likelihood of working in the formal sector and tend to work more hours in formal employment, indicating potential labor division effects. The study will further examine the impact of PKK's reach, though this aspect remains a work in progress. 

Paid childcare plays a crucial role in increasing women’s engagement in the workforce, enhancing economic growth, while also promoting child development. In Kenya, childcare markets are largely informal, making it difficult to understand the degree of access parents have, as well as the current status of quality and safety in existing facilities. This report is designed to fill that gap, summarizing the landscape for paid childcare services in Kenya. We present original data from paid childcare providers in 11 counties in Kenya, summarizing how many and what types of childcare services are available. We describe characteristics of different types of providers, as well as quality. We highlight both commonalities of all providers, while also highlighting important differences by establishment type and location. We end with a discussion of potential policies that may work to improve this vital industry in Kenya and abroad.

Abrupt economic shock brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic left governments around the world with only little lead time to response. This creates a data-gap with most of the policy response in the early phase in the pandemic are made in the absent of real-time high-frequency data on the economic condition. The pandemic also creates an extraordinary circumstance where traditional survey with face-to-face interviews is not preferable in order to reduce contact and to keep the safety of both the respondent and the enumerator. This calls for an alternative data gathering approach to provide a high-frequency indicator of the condition of Indonesian private sectors. We propose for a more agile online survey with short lead time and fast turnaround. In this study, we conduct an alternative data gathering approach, combining location-based targeting of the sample and adaptive questionnaire to monitor the near real-time data on the condition of Indonesian private sectors, comprises of individuals and business at all scale from informal sole-proprietor to large firms. While online survey will suffer from some self-selection issue, the result will be able to serve as a rapid assessment of the economy and how government’s intervention is actually performed in mitigating the crisis and promoting recovery.