Abstract |
Firm-level data from Kenya indicates that establishments rely on technologies such as computers, generators and cell-phones to conduct operations when regulations and security pose significant hurdles in the business environment. While all firms rely on technology in the face of obstacles, those with female owners experience net effects that are statistically distinct from those experienced by male counterparts. A gender-of-owner disaggregated Oaxaca-Blinder type decomposition of differences in technology use indicates that up to 18 percent of the total gap is unexplained by differences in measurable characteristics, suggesting that female-owned firms use technology to a greater extent than is warranted by the level of observed covariates. |