Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
10/24/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2025 09:23
Risk aversion and demand uncertainty among small firms evidence from new product adoption
Abstract
This paper demonstrates that small retailers in Kenya are risk averse, leading them to under-adopt a new product when they face uncertain demand. The author models risk averse firms who learn about demand through stocking decisions, then tests the model's predictions using two field experiments. Results show that risk aversion in firms can impede product diffusion, potentially limiting growth.
This paper is part of the Private Enterprise Development in Low-Income Countries (PEDL) programme.
Citation
Killeen G. 'Risk aversion and demand uncertainty among small firms evidence from new product adoption' PEDL Working Paper, 2025
Links
Risk aversion and demand uncertainty among small firms evidence from new product adoption
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