The Fondecyt Initiation in Research Grant 2025, awarded by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID Chile), was secured by Juan Pedro Ronconi for his investigation entitled “Narratives and Market Exchange in Developing Countries.” This project examines the role of narratives as a business strategy for entrepreneurs in developing countries, where market exchange is hindered by weak institutions and low levels of trust. The research focuses on the potential of narratives to attract consumers and stimulate demand.
By leveraging data from online stores in Latin America, the study aims to document the types of narratives employed by entrepreneurs and provide causal estimates of their impact on consumer behavior and business performance. The project will utilize text processing techniques to analyze these narratives and implement experimental designs, including consumer surveys and experiments with entrepreneurs, to explore how narratives build trust and signal quality.
This grant program is notable for its contribution to advancing excellence in scientific and technological research, funding projects for two or three years with annual resources for up to USD 35,000.
