IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/lawdev/v11y2018i2p333-369n5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Demand for Law in the African Private Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Finnegan David L.

    (Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, WMU-Cooley Law School, 300 South Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI48933, USA)

Abstract

This article develops a model for explaining private sector response to law reforms in developing countries. The dependent variable in this model is the demand for law – the extent to which business owners and firm managers engage the formal legal system and attempt to mobilize the law to their advantage when making market decisions. Demand for law is a crucial micro-connection in the causal chain linking law and law reform to market expansion and economic development. The theoretical framework developed here focuses on the interplay between informal and formal social institutions in influencing market decisions made by private sector actors. The article tests hypotheses generated by this framework by analyzing survey data collected from business firms in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The results support the hypothesis that demand for law is shaped by informal market institutions, particularly the informal business networks developed and maintained by firms. The analysis further suggests that these “demand-side” variables matter more than “supply-side” variables identified in the social science literature. These findings have important implications for law reform initiatives in developing countries and suggest avenues for further social science research on the relationship between law and economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Finnegan David L., 2018. "Demand for Law in the African Private Sector," The Law and Development Review, De Gruyter, vol. 11(2), pages 333-369, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:lawdev:v:11:y:2018:i:2:p:333-369:n:5
    DOI: 10.1515/ldr-2018-0023
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/ldr-2018-0023
    Download Restriction: For access to full text, subscription to the journal or payment for the individual article is required.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/ldr-2018-0023?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marcel Fafchamps, 2004. "Market Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Theory and Evidence," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262062364, April.
    2. Silvio Borner & Aymo Brunetti & Beatrice Weder, 1995. "Political Credibility and Economic Development," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-24049-4, December.
    3. Marcel Fafchamps, 2001. "Networks, Communities and Markets in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Implications for Firm Growth and Investment," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 10(suppl_2), pages 109-142.
    4. Schauer, Frederick, 2003. "Legal Development and the Problem of Systemic Transition," Working Paper Series rwp03-025, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    5. Claude Menard & Mary M. Shirley (ed.), 2005. "Handbook of New Institutional Economics," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-0-387-25092-2, February.
    6. Gindis, David & Hodgson, Geoffrey M. & Huang, Kainan & Pistor, Katharina, 2017. "Legal institutionalism: Capitalism and the constitutive role of lawAuthor-Name: Deakin, Simon," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 188-200.
    7. Greif,Avner, 2006. "Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521480444, October.
    8. Berkowitz, Daniel & Pistor, Katharina & Richard, Jean-Francois, 2003. "Economic development, legality, and the transplant effect," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 165-195, February.
    9. Milhaupt, Curtis J. & Pistor, Katharina, 2008. "Law & Capitalism," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226525273, October.
    10. Andrews,Matt, 2013. "The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107016330, October.
    11. Sunstein, Cass R, 1999. "Behavioral Law and Economics: A Progress Report," American Law and Economics Review, American Law and Economics Association, vol. 1(1-2), pages 115-157, Fall.
    12. Aron, Janine, 2000. "Growth and Institutions: A Review of the Evidence," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 15(1), pages 99-135, February.
    13. North, Douglass C, 1994. "Economic Performance through Time," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(3), pages 359-368, June.
    14. Sherwood, Robert M. & Shepherd, Geoffrey & De Souza, Celso Marcos, 1994. "Judicial systems and economic performance," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(Supplemen), pages 101-116.
    15. Mary M. Shirley, 2008. "Institutions and Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12524.
    16. Mary M. Shirley, 2008. "Institutions and Development," Springer Books, in: Claude Ménard & Mary M. Shirley (ed.), Handbook of New Institutional Economics, chapter 24, pages 611-638, Springer.
    17. Kali, Raja, 1999. "Endogenous Business Networks," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 615-636, October.
    18. Tomz, Michael & Wittenberg, Jason & King, Gary, 2003. "Clarify: Software for Interpreting and Presenting Statistical Results," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 8(i01).
    19. North, Douglass C. & Weingast, Barry R., 1989. "Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century England," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(4), pages 803-832, December.
    20. Gans-Morse, Jordan, 2017. "Demand for Law and the Security of Property Rights: The Case of Post-Soviet Russia," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 111(2), pages 338-359, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aboal, Diego & Noya, Nelson & Rius, Andrés, 2014. "Contract Enforcement and Investment: A Systematic Review of the Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 322-338.
    2. Mike, Károly, 2016. "Merre vezessen a magyar kapitalizmus útja?. Látkép Ronald Coase világítótornyából [Which course for Hungary s capitalism?. A view from Ronald Coase s lighthouse]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 597-614.
    3. Ilia Murtazashvili & Jennifer Murtazashvili, 2015. "Anarchy, self-governance, and legal titling," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 287-305, March.
    4. Sebastián Fleitas & Andrés Rius & Carolina Román & Henry Willebald, 2013. "Contract enforcement, investment and growth in Uruguay since 1870," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 13-01, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    5. Brigitte Evelyne Granville & Carol Scott Leonard, 2006. "Do institutions matter for technological change in transition economies? The case of the Russia's 89 regions and republics," UCL SSEES Economics and Business working paper series 70, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES).
    6. ROUGIER Eric, 2015. ""The parts and the whole”: Unbundling and re-bundling institutional systems and their effect on economic development," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2015-12, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    7. Boettke, Peter J. & Coyne, Christopher J., 2009. "Context Matters: Institutions and Entrepreneurship," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 5(3), pages 135-209, March.
    8. Choi, Jongmoo Jay & Lee, Sang Mook & Shoham, Amir, 2016. "The effects of institutional distance on FDI inflow: General environmental institutions (GEI) versus minority investor protection institutions (MIP)," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 114-123.
    9. Granville, Brigitte & Leonard, Carol S., 2010. "Do Informal Institutions Matter for Technological Change in Russia? The Impact of Communist Norms and Conventions, 1998-2004," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 155-169, February.
    10. Sanchez-Pages Santiago & Straub Stéphane, 2010. "The Emergence of Institutions," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-38, September.
    11. Buchen, Clemens, 2010. "Emerging economic systems in Central and Eastern Europe – a qualitative and quantitative assessment," EconStor Theses, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 37141, September.
    12. Clark, Gregory, 2014. "The Industrial Revolution," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 5, pages 217-262, Elsevier.
    13. Claude Ménard & Mary M. Shirley, 2010. "The Contribution of Douglass North to New Institutional Economics," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00654327, HAL.
    14. Baland, Jean-Marie & Moene, Karl Ove & Robinson, James A., 2010. "Governance and Development," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4597-4656, Elsevier.
    15. Jens Prüfer, 2016. "Business Associations and Private Ordering," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 306-358.
    16. Peter Foldvari, 2017. "De Facto Versus de Jure Political Institutions in the Long-Run: A Multivariate Analysis, 1820–2000," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 759-777, January.
    17. Robert C. Allen, 2008. "A Review of Gregory Clark's A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(4), pages 946-973, December.
    18. Aktoty Aitzhanova & Shigeo Katsu & Johannes F. Linn & Vladislav Yezhov (ed.), 2014. "Kazakhstan 2050: Toward a Modern Society for All," Books, Emerging Markets Forum, edition 1, number kazakh2050, May.
    19. Cingolani, Luciana & Crombrugghe, Denis de, 2012. "Techniques for dealing with reverse causality between institutions and economic performance," MERIT Working Papers 2012-034, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    20. Bat Batjargal & Michael Hitt & Anne Tsui & Jean-Luc Arregle & Justin Webb & Toyah Miller, 2013. "Institutional Polycentrism, Entrepreneurs' Social Networks, and New Venture Growth," Post-Print hal-02276709, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:lawdev:v:11:y:2018:i:2:p:333-369:n:5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.