THE NATURE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR: EVIDENCE FROM ENGLAND

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. 239-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Informal Sector ◽  
Third World ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Formal Economy ◽  
Informal Entrepreneurship ◽  
Conventional Representation

Mirroring the representation of informal workers in a third world context as displaying entrepreneurial qualities, recent years have witnessed the emergence of a similar view of the informal sector in western nations as a hidden enterprise culture. Until now, however, few attempts have been made to analyze the nature and motives of informal entrepreneurs in western economies. Instead, it has been widely assumed that those engaged in entrepreneurship in the informal sector are those marginalized from the formal economy and driven out of necessity into this endeavor as a last resort. The aim of this paper is to evaluate critically this "marginalization thesis". Reporting the findings of face-to-face structured interviews with 130 informal entrepreneurs in England, the conventional representation of these entrepreneurs as necessity-driven, as well as an emergent depiction of them as opportunity-driven, is transcended. Instead, a richer and more textured understanding of informal entrepreneurship is developed that replaces such either/or thinking by a both/and approach that depicts how the majority are concurrently both necessity- and opportunity-driven. The paper then concludes by exploring the public policy implications of this rereading of the nature of informal entrepreneurship in western economies.

ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE AND THE INFORMAL ECONOMY IN CAMEROON

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (04) ◽  
pp. 1450024 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER F. ACHUA ◽  
ROBERT N. LUSSIER
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Formal Economy ◽  
Curve Effect ◽  
Street Corner ◽  
Do So

There is a growing appreciation for the value and impact of the informal economy on the lives and livelihood of many in developing economies. A key question for researchers has been whether those operating in it do so out of necessity or voluntarily as opportunity seekers? Unlike previous studies that have examined the informal economy as one large block, this paper took a slightly different tangent. First, we analyzed and identified three distinct sub-groups within the informal entrepreneurial sector — the street walker (st. walker), the street corner (st. corner) and store owner (st. owner) — and then examined each group's motives. Reporting the results of face-to-face structured interviews with 200 informal entrepreneurs in Cameroon (West Africa), the finding is that the majority, especially st. walker and st. corner informal entrepreneurs, are predominantly necessity-driven while st. owner entrepreneurs are predominantly opportunity-driven. Our study also revealed a progression pattern whereby st. walkers do progress to st. corner and ultimately to st. owner entrepreneurs. The assumption is that this does create a learning curve effect in the entrepreneurial abilities and effectiveness of store owners. This is an area for future research. There are policy implications for institutional support that can grow the informal economy into the formal economy.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AMONG INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURS: EVIDENCE FROM MEXICO

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (03) ◽  
pp. 2050021
Author(s):  
CRISTIAN E. VILLANUEVA ◽  
ADRIANELA ANGELES ◽  
LUZ CECILIA REVILLA
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Formal Economy ◽  
Formal Organizations

Social responsibility (SR) has been widely studied within formal organizations, especially in large companies in developed countries. However, studies about SR in the informal sector is still insufficient. Addressing this gap is relevant for developing countries where informality is becoming extensive and is growing faster than the formal economy. This research has two main objectives: (1) determine whether in an informal economy context, entrepreneurs could perform SR and (2) if it is possible to have SR, to examine critically the way informal entrepreneurs perform it. To achieve these objectives, this study conducted 50 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with informal entrepreneurs (IEs) in Mexico City. The outcome of this research shows evidence that IEs can perform SR in an implicit form, despite their adverse and vulnerable conditions.

EVALUATING THE MOTIVES OF INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURS IN KOFORIDUA, GHANA

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (01) ◽  
pp. 1250005 ◽  
Author(s):  
KWAME ADOM ◽  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Formal Economy ◽  
Majority World ◽  
Informal Entrepreneurship ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Economic Necessity ◽  
Gender Variations

In recent years, there has been growing recognition in the entrepreneurship literature that many entrepreneurs operate in the informal economy and that not all these informal entrepreneurs are doing so out of economic necessity and because of a lack of choice. Instead, it has been asserted that some of these informal entrepreneurs choose to exit the formal economy and trade on an off-the-books basis more as a matter of choice. However, until now most research displaying this has been conducted in advanced western and post-socialist economies. Little has been written on whether this is also the case in third (majority) world countries. This paper starts to fill this gap by evaluating informal entrepreneurs' motives in sub-Saharan Africa. Reporting the results of face-to-face structured interviews with 80 informal entrepreneurs in Ghana, the finding is that the majority, especially the women informal entrepreneurs, are predominantly necessity-driven while those who are principally intentional participants in informal entrepreneurship are men. However, many women who initially entered informal entrepreneurship out of necessity have over time become more opportunity-driven entrepreneurs. The outcome is a call for wider research in other global regions on informal entrepreneurs' motives and whether similar gender variations prevail.

scholarly journals AN INSTITUTIONAL THEORY OF INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: SOME LESSONS FROM FYR MACEDONIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (03) ◽  
pp. 1850019 ◽  
Author(s):  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS ◽  
SLAVKO BEZEREDI
Keyword(s):  
Informal Sector ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Social Actor ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Values And Beliefs ◽  
Informal Entrepreneurship ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Formal Rules

In recent years, a new institutionalist theory has emerged to explain the prevalence of informal sector entrepreneurship. This argues that formal institutional failures lead to the emergence of an asymmetry between the formal rules (laws and regulations) and the norms, values and beliefs of entrepreneurs regarding the acceptability of participating in the informal sector, which in turn leads to the prevalence of informal entrepreneurship. The aim of this paper is to evaluate this social actor approach by reporting evidence from 453 face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of entrepreneurs in FYR Macedonia. This reveals not only a significant association between participation in the informal economy and the non-alignment of entrepreneurs’ views with the formal rules, but specific formal institutional failings that are significantly associated with the acceptability of informal entrepreneurship, namely poor quality public services, a lack of tax fairness, corruption and instability in the formal institutions. The theoretical and policy implications are then discussed.

EVALUATING ENTREPRENEURS’ MOTIVES FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR IN EUROPE

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150002
Author(s):  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Informal Sector ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Liberal Theory ◽  
Economic Decision ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Formal Economy ◽  
Structuralist Theory ◽  
Economic Necessity ◽  
Do So

Informal entrepreneurs have been viewed variously as reluctant participants in such endeavors doing so out of economic necessity because of their exclusion from formal work and welfare (structuralist theory), or as willing entrepreneurs who voluntarily exit the formal economy either as a rational economic decision (neo-liberal theory) or as social actors who do not agree with the formal rules and regulations of the state (neo-institutional theory). The aim of this paper is to evaluate these competing theorizations of entrepreneurs’ motives for participating in the informal sector. Reporting evidence from a 2019 Eurobarometer survey involving 27,565 face-to-face interviews in 28 European countries, the finding is that five percent are reluctant participants, twenty percent are willing participants doing so as a rational economic decision, 21 percent are willing participants doing so because of their disagreement with the rules and 54 percent do so for a mixture of these motives. A logistic regression analysis reveals who is more likely to engage in informal entrepreneurship and who is significantly more likely to do so for each motive. The theoretical and policy implications are then discussed.

scholarly journals Public Perceptions of the Stigmatization of Wrongly Convicted Individuals: Findings from Semi-Structured Interviews

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Blandisi ◽  
Kimberley Clow ◽  
Rosemary Ricciardelli
Keyword(s):  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Gainful Employment ◽  
The Public ◽  
South Central ◽  
Research And Education ◽  
Public Views ◽  
Insight Into

Many exonerees report stigmatizing experiences and difficulties securing gainful employment post-incarceration. Although researchers have begun to investigate public perceptions of wrongful conviction, there remains a dearth of knowledge about public perceptions of exonerees. To provide insight into how the public perceives exonerees, face-to-face interviews were conducted with members (n=30) of a suburban city in South Central Ontario. Data analysis included a constructed grounded approach to reveal emergent themes in the transcripts. All interviewees acknowledged that wrongly convicted individuals are stigmatized by the public and that this can have negative effects in many of their lived experiences. In addition, findings of this exploratory study suggest that some interviewees, indirectly or directly, stigmatize exonerees in their responses while being interviewed—lending insight into how the public views and reacts to exonerees. Findings and policy implications are theoretically framed in Erving Goffman’s (1963) seminal work on stigma. Implications include the potential role of research and education in informing community members, and all levels of government, about wrongful convictions in general, and the negative implications of stigma, in particular.

scholarly journals MARKET READINESS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR GREEN BUILDINGS: CASE STUDY FROM HONG KONG

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhonghua Gou ◽  
Stephen Siu-Yu Lau ◽  
Deo Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Green Construction ◽  
Green Development ◽  
Building Market ◽  
Technology Level

This study is to assess developers' market readiness to green construction including their ideas on green construction, their understanding of current green building policies, their awareness and familiarity with green building and related industries, and the barriers they are facing for implementing green building projects. By eleven face-to-face semi-structured interviews with locally-based developers, the study finds that the Green Building Market in Hong Kong is basically ready in technology level. However, the motivation for green development is confined to commercial buildings for lease. Legislation is agreed by developers as an effective motivator to green building development. An effective mechanism to provide incentives for market players to adopt green voluntarily is explored in this paper. Expedited permits and density bonus are thought to be major incentives.

BEYOND THE MARGINALIZATION THESIS: AN EVALUATION OF THE PREVALENCE, CHARACTER AND MOTIVES OF INFORMAL SECTOR ENTREPRENEURS IN KOSOVO

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150003
Author(s):  
ARDIANA GASHI ◽  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Informal Sector ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Marginalized Populations ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Heterogeneous Groups ◽  
Informal Entrepreneurship

The conventional depiction of the prevalence, character and motives of informal sector entrepreneurs, here termed the ‘marginalization thesis,’ has been that informal entrepreneurs are a small, insignificant minority of all entrepreneurs, are more likely than formal entrepreneurs to belong to marginalized groups and are more likely to be necessity-driven entrepreneurs. To evaluate critically this marginalization thesis, evidence is here reported from a 2017 survey of entrepreneurs in Kosovo. This reveals that 42.5 percent of entrepreneurs are informal entrepreneurs, that only some characteristics of marginalized populations are more prominent among informal than formal entrepreneurs (e.g., low educational level, deprived households) but others are not significantly associated (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity), and that although informal entrepreneurs are more likely than formal entrepreneurs to be necessity-driven, only fourteen percent of informal entrepreneurs are purely necessity-driven. The outcome is a call to recognize the prevalence of informal sector entrepreneurship, the heterogeneous groups engaged in informal entrepreneurship and the existence of opportunity-drivers among informal entrepreneurs. The theoretical and policy implications are then discussed.

Using Death Cafés as a method for discussing death and dying with third year student nurses

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 352-360
Author(s):  
Theresa Mitchell ◽  
Brian Nyatanga ◽  
Sue Lillyman ◽  
Mary Bruce ◽  
Sue Bryane
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Death And Dying ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
End Of Life Issues

Background: Death Cafés are increasingly being held to facilitate discussions around death and dying and end-of-life issues with the public. They are thought to provide a safe, confidential and interactive space in which sensitive and supportive conversations about death and dying and end-of-life are shared. Aim: To explore nursing students' experiences of participating in a modified Death Café and its impact on their learning about death and dying. Methodology: A qualitative interpretive approach was employed using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of third year student nurse volunteers. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. Findings: Students viewed the modified Death Cafés positively, reporting that they were stimulating, informative and worthwhile for discussing sensitive topics related to death and dying. Five themes were developed from interview data: anticipation of the Death Cafés; timing of the Death Cafés within the curriculum; facilitation; trust within the group and getting involved; and reflection on, and for, practice. Conclusion: Students voiced a preference to disclose their feelings about death to an expert facilitator in the more informal environment of a Death Café because they thought they might be judged by their nursing lecturers. Effective facilitation of a Death Café session is critical to encourage self-scrutiny and disclosure by students, and the modified Death Café sessions achieved this. Implications: It is expected that students may feel vulnerable while participating in a Death Café, but it is important that the sessions enable students to be open about their feelings about death and the reciprocal sharing of inner thoughts and feelings about death and dying.

scholarly journals What Do Australian Library and Information Professionals Experience as Evidence?

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Gillespie ◽  
Faye Miller ◽  
Helen Partridge ◽  
Christine Bruce ◽  
Alisa Howlett
Keyword(s):  
Public Library ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Many Sources ◽  
Library Professionals

Abstract Objective – This article presents the findings of a project which established an empirical basis for evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP). More specifically, the paper explores what library and information professionals experienced as evidence in the context of their professional practice. Methods – The project consisted of two sub-studies. The public library sub-study was conducted using ethnography. Over a 5-month period, a member of the research team travelled to a regional public library on 15 occasions, staying between 3 and 4 days on each visit. The researcher observed, interacted, and became involved in the day-to-day activities of this library. These activities were recorded in a journal and added to the researcher’s insights and thoughts. Additionally, 13 face-to-face interviews with staff in positions ranging from the operational to the executive were conducted. The academic sub-study was conducted using Constructivist Grounded Theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted either in person or via Skype, with 13 librarians from Australian universities. Interviewees were in a diverse array of roles, from liaison librarian to manager and library director. Results – The project found that the Australian academic librarians and the public librarians who participated in the project experienced six elements as evidence: observation, feedback, professional colleagues, research literature, statistics, and intuition. Each of these will be described and highlighted with examples from each of the two studies. Conclusions – The findings of this study revealed many similarities in the way that library professionals from both studies experienced evidence. Evidence was not hierarchical, with evidence from many sources being valued equally. In contextualizing evidence and applying to the local environment, library professionals were able to draw upon more than one source of evidence and apply their professional knowledge and experiences. In this way evidence was more nuanced.

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