LEGAL ORIGINS AND EASE OF START-UP BUSINESSES: THE CASE OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES

摘要

The impact of legal origins on the regulations of start-up businesses in 47 sub-SaharanAfrican (SSA) economies is investigated in this paper. Following the classification ofSSA nations in English and French legal origin countries, the paper examines the extentto which the historical origins of countries play a determinant role in terms of the numberof procedures with which an entrepreneur must comply in order to start a business andoperate it legally, the timeframe, the cost, and the minimum capital required. Findingsindicate that French legal origin countries in SSA offered a friendlier businessenvironment than English legal origin countries for the number of procedures, completiontime, and official cost. The evidence is inconsistent with Legal Origin Theory in three offour areas of analyzed regulations.