Paper #1088

Título:

How "Doing Business" jeopardizes institutional reform

Autor:

Benito Arruñada

Fecha:

Mayo 2008

Resumen:

Simplifying business formalization and eliminating outdated formalities is often a good way of improving the institutional environment for firms. Unfortunately, the World Bank�s "Doing Business" project is harming such policies by promoting a reform agenda that gives them priority even in countries lacking functional business registers, so that the reformed registers keep producing valueless information, but faster. Its methodology also promotes biased measurements that impede proper consideration of the essential tradeoffs in the design of formalization institutions. If "Doing Business" is to stop jeopardizing its true objectives and contribute positively to scientific progress, institutional reform and economic development, then its aims, governance and methodology need to change.

Palabras clave:

Starting business, doing business, informal economy, company registers

Códigos JEL:

K22, K23, L59, O17

Área de investigación:

Dirección de Empresa y Estudios de las Organizaciones / Economía de la Empresa y Organización Industrial

Publicado en:

European Business Organization Law Review, 2009, 10(4), 555-574.

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