Digital labour platforms in Pakistan: institutional voids and solidarity networks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fareesa Malik ◽  
Richard Heeks ◽  
Silvia Masiero ◽  
Brian Nicholson
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Global South ◽  
Institutional Voids ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Training Project ◽  
Power Asymmetries ◽  
Work Training ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Enabling Institutions

PurposeWhile digital labour platforms are being increasingly studied across the Global South, the existing literature does not conceptualise the theoretical link between such platforms and socio-economic development. This paper theorises such a link drawing on the notion of institutional voids defined, as in Khanna and Palepu (2010), as “the absence of intermediaries to efficiently connect buyers and sellers” in an economy. We frame digital labour platforms as means to fill institutional voids, seeking to create “development” in the form of earning opportunities in contexts of deprivation.Design/methodology/approachWe draw on an interpretive case study of an online work training project in a deprived region of Pakistan, where members of marginalised communities were trained to become freelancers for global digital labour platforms. We use the notion of market-enabling institutions aimed at filling institutional voids as a lens to study the project's declared goals, examining the extent to which these were met in practice for the workers who participated in the training.FindingsOur analysis reveals three types of market-enabling institutions–credibility enhancers, aggregators and distributors, and transaction facilitators–through which digital labour platforms seek to fill institutional voids. However, workers' narratives reveal that institutional voids are only partially filled by these platforms, and their perpetuation results in diverse forms of power asymmetries leveraged by clients and owners of the platforms. We also observe the formation of solidarity networks among workers, networks that are intra-familial and societal rather than characterised by formal unionisation.Originality/valueThe paper offers a novel perspective to theorise the link between digital labour and socio-economic development. Applying such a perspective in a Global South context, it also finds the limits of the digital platforms' institutional void-filling potential, highlighting the emergence of power asymmetries and the emerging formation of worker solidarity networks.

scholarly journals Local tourist accommodation and institutional strengthening in the interior of the Algarve, Portugal

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virgílio Machado ◽  
Joaquim Contreiras ◽  
Ana Patrícia Duarte
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
The Past ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Tourist Accommodation ◽  
Overnight Stays

Purpose This study aims to understand how legislation and technology can enhance socio-economic development in low-density population territories, focusing specifically on the dynamics of local tourist accommodation over the past decade. Design/methodology/approach A case study was conducted for five municipalities in one of the most significant tourism regions of Portugal – the Algarve – based on a systematic investigation of relevant laws, regulations and electronic platforms. Official statistics were compiled and analyzed for the five territories’ registered local accommodation services, population, overnight stays and additional local services. Findings The results reveal that public entities’ regulations favor micro-entrepreneurship initiatives in local accommodation and that digital tools supported by online platforms have quite visible effects on low-density territories. The findings also reveal that the local tourist accommodation supply has experienced an especially dynamic, sustained growth over the past decade. This expansion has been accompanied by an increased supply of other services, suggesting that accommodation can positively influence the existing and/or future socio-economic development of low-density territories. Research limitations/implications Further studies focusing on other areas with low-density populations are needed to determine more clearly how local accommodation influences socio-economic development. Practical implications Public regulations supported by digital platforms that favor micro-entrepreneurship initiatives in local accommodation can strengthen local development. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyze how local tourist accommodation can foster socio-economic development in low-density territories.

scholarly journals CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks: contribution to socio-economic development

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdalrahman Mohamed Migdad
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Islamic Financial Institutions

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important corporate activity that affirms the importance of giving back to the community. This research aims to examine the CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks and their contribution to socio-economic development. There is an ongoing debate regarding Islamic financial institutions’ profit motive versus their motivation to achieve human welfare. The Palestinian Islamic banks are not disconnected from this debate, and this paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach For the purpose of assessing the CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks, a secondary analysis of the banks’ annual reports was carried out. In addition, 11 structured interviews were conducted with Islamic banks’ practitioners at the decision-making level and with some of the banks’ Sharīʿah board members to gather their views on CSR. These have been analyzed in light of the actual CSR practices disclosed in each bank’s annual reports. Findings The main research findings suggest that the CSR practice is highly valued by the Palestinian Islamic banks, but it is small and has marginal effects on the community’s socio-economic development. Another important observation from report analysis is that Islamic banks have great potential for expansion, given that the demand for Islamic financial transactions is double of what Islamic banks currently offer. If Islamic banks live up to that opportunity, they could deliver more in CSR practices, which is their ultimate goal according to the majority of the interviewees. Originality/value Existing literature has presented findings on the CSR of Palestinian corporations in general, but there is no available literature on the CSR practices of Palestinian Islamic banks. This research attempts to fill in the gap by presenting preliminary findings on Palestinian Islamic banks’ CSR practices.

scholarly journals Capacity building for sustained competitive advantage: a conceptual framework

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Riad Shams
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustained Competitive Advantage ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Socio Economic Development

Purpose – Capacity building is a crucial antecedent for socio-economic development. However, an enhanced capacity that is difficult to develop could quickly be eroded, because of rapid changes in competitive forces in industries and markets. Therefore, this paper intends to analyse the extant strategic management and relationship marketing (RM) literature that deal with competition. Eventually, the purpose of this paper is to develop an alternative route for capacity building process that could sustain competitive advantage in a market or industry, which encounters rapid changes in business competition. Design/methodology/approach – An inductive constructivist approach is followed to support arguments, in order to develop a synthesis from the relevant literature to reinforce the current understandings on capacity building and sustained competitive advantage. Findings – An influence of RM on strategic organisational dynamic capabilities (DCs) is recognised, which appears as significant to sustain DCs and subsequent competitive advantage. Based on this influence, this paper proposes a conceptual framework of capacity building that could survive through the “valuable, rare, inimitability and non-substitutability” test, which is fundamental to sustain competitive advantage. Some empirical insights are developed, in support of this conceptual framework. Practical implications – For research and practice, these insights will be useful to focus on specific attributes in capacity building to sustain the enhanced capacity’s competitive advantage over time, across industries and markets. Social implications – Similarly, the insights will be instrumental to sustain the benefit of capacity building to underpin socio-economic progress. Originality/value – The paper proposes a much needed initial conceptual framework for capacity building to sustain competitive advantage of a hard-earned capacity for socio-economic development.

scholarly journals Digitalization of Trade as a Factor of Development of Export Potential of the Republic of Belarus

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-13
Author(s):  
N. V. Yurova
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Foreign Trade ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
National Strategy ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Geographical Structure ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
The Republic

The purpose of the article is to show how the digitalization of trade can lead to the development of the export potential of the Republic of Belarus. The article discloses theoretical approaches to digitalization of trade as a combination of traditional and new digital models of interaction between buyer and seller. The author presents the volume, commodity and geographical structure of foreign trade of the Republic of Belarus, lists the priorities and identifies the main prospects for the development of exports using modern digital platforms and the emergence of new digital goods and services. The advantages of paperless trade and the need to implement the main provisions of National Strategy for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus are indicated. The author proposes the ways of development of the export potential of the Republic of Belarus witch based on an analysis of the processes of digital transformation of Belarusian trade.

China's Communist Party will adapt as economy develops

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Communist Party ◽  
Global South ◽  
Market Forces ◽  
Digital Goods ◽  
Chinese Firms ◽  
Market Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Authoritarian State

Subject China's efforts to become an innovation-led economy. Significance China has become wealthy and technologically advanced but retains an authoritarian state that gives market forces a smaller role in the economy than Western governments do. The degree to which China's system helps or hinders innovation is difficult to assess and discussion is often coloured by ideology. There is consensus, however, that innovation is crucial for China's economic development to continue. Impacts Some Chinese firms may be better prepared than Western ones to succeed in the global South. China's leaders do not assume inexorable movement towards market mechanisms, but rather ongoing recalibration in response to circumstances. It is unlikely that any other country could replicate the manufacturing structure that China has in high-end digital goods.

The role of social entrepreneurship in socio-economic development: a meta-analysis of the nascent field

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabir Ahmad ◽  
Ishtiaq Ahmad Bajwa
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
The Body ◽  
Intellectual Structure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Community Issues

Purpose This study aims to present the first meta-analysis of the research on social entrepreneurship and socio-economic development (SESED). Nation-states, researchers and organizations realized the pivotal role of social entrepreneurship in socio-economic development in the recent two decades. The body of knowledge in this domain witnessed consistent research growth, but it still lacks a critical review to map the scholarly literature and to guide future researchers. Design/methodology/approach This study used meta-analysis that combines bibliometric and content analyzes of 83 most relevant articles from 910 initially retrieved articles from the Web of Science, published in 75 different journals and 45 countries during 2005 and 2020. The analysis was performed using Histcite, VOSviewer and Biblioshiny software to identify the most influential aspects and to conduct citation and content analyze of selected publications. Findings The findings showed an overall consistent growth in research publications during the past 16 years with “Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprise: International and Innovation Perspectives” as the most influential article, “Entrepreneurship and Regional Development” as the most influential journal, and the USA and the UK as the most productive countries. The keyword co-occurrence analysis exposed five thematic clusters and content analysis revealed five streams within the selected publications. Practical implications This study provides 10 research questions that urge future researchers to conduct a thorough investigation on how social entrepreneurship while solving social, cultural, environmental and community issues, contributes to socio-economic development. Originality/value This study identifies prominent trends, intellectual structure, leading research streams and specific future research directions in the field of SESED.

Assessing socio-economic development in Bodoland Territorial Area District of Assam in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 1541-1559
Author(s):  
Nicodim Basumatary ◽  
Bhagirathi Panda
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Socio Economic Development

PurposeThe study attempts to assess the socio-economic development in Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) of Assam in North Eastern Region of India. This region is one of the most underdeveloped areas in India. The study also examines whether demographic and social characteristics in the form of social groups, number of family members, number of employed members in the family, education of the head of household, sources of income and location determine the variation in the level of socio-economic development. The authors surveyed 400 households during February to May 2018 in both rural and urban areas of BTAD to achieve the objective of the study.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the concept of Amartya Sen's capability approach (CA) for assessment of development and constructed an index of Multidimensional Development.FindingsThere is variation in the distribution of developmental parameters across the study area. It is found that urban locations have better achievement in the multidimensional index score, while the spread of development is not even in the rural locations. An interesting revelation of this study is that while urban areas depict better performance in income, asset, education and empowerment, they have a relatively lower score in health dimension as compared to rural areas. The study shows that level of development depends on demographic as well as social characteristics of the households.Research limitations/implicationsThis study does not analyse temporal dynamics of development that is necessary to examine how development evolves because of data constraints.Originality/valueThe study provides an understanding of the socio-economic development in BTAD area in a multidimensional framework. This study is the first of its kind to assess the nature and extent of development realised in BTAD through the capability framework. The study supports more recent findings.

The role of share waqf in the socio-economic development of the Muslim community

Humanomics ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhana Mohamad Suhaimi ◽  
Asmak Ab Rahman ◽  
Sabitha Marican
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Muslim Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Endowment Fund ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Research Show

Purpose – This study aimed to analyse the role of the Waqf Fund Scheme, by taking Penang (or Pulau Pinang) as one of the states in Malaysia as a sample of the study. Waqf Fund Scheme was established by the Islamic Religious Council of Penang, Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Pulau Pinang (MAINPP), in an effort to develop the economy of the Muslim community in the state. Design/methodology/approach – This study analysed the contribution that this endowment fund makes towards a comprehensive scheme of economic development, namely, in terms of the economic, spiritual and social welfare of the Muslim community in Penang. The primary source of data was obtained through interviews conducted by the researcher with the Manager of the Waqf Fund Scheme, the Head of Administration and Finance Section and the Account Executive of MAINPP. The researcher also interviewed respondents from four institutions that were beneficiaries of the Waqf Fund Scheme. Findings – The findings of this research show that the endowment fund scheme plays an important role in the economic development of the Muslim community in Penang. The Waqf Fund Scheme contributes by way of providing a financing facility towards the acquisition of waqf assets or through cash support channelled to associations or committees of a masjid. Research limitations/implications – This study only focuses on Waqf Fund Scheme which was established by MAINPP. Practical implications – This study is expected to contribute to the improvement of the Waqf Fund Scheme management. Originality/value – The paper is the first attempt to address the Waqf Fund Scheme contributions by MAINPP, particularly in Penang.

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