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Work and Wellbeing in Informal Economies: The Regulative Roles of Institutions of Identity and the State

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  • Harriss-White, Barbara

Abstract

Summary The larger part of the economy in most developing countries is outside the regulative control of the state. When defined in this way, it has two types of expression: first, self-employment (with some wage-work) in unregistered or unincorporated small enterprises; second, unregistered and unregulated activity and workers inside and around large registered organizations such as firms, public sector enterprises, and the state itself. This paper reviews the literature, mainly but not exclusively from India, with three objectives. First, it questions what brings order to such economic activity and how economic and social insecurity is instituted. Second, it examines the counter intuitive proposition that social security rights are de facto, if not de jure, dependent upon work rights. Third, it explores the dynamics of, and responses to, informalization.

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  • Harriss-White, Barbara, 2010. "Work and Wellbeing in Informal Economies: The Regulative Roles of Institutions of Identity and the State," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 170-183, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:38:y:2010:i:2:p:170-183
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jeemol Unni & Uma Rani, 2009. "Social Protection for Informal Workers: Insecurities, Instruments and Institutional Mechanisms," Working Papers id:1920, eSocialSciences.
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    4. Dercon, Stefan (ed.), 2004. "Insurance Against Poverty," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199276837.
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    7. Wade, Robert, 1985. "The market for public office: Why the Indian state is not better at development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 467-497, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Esther Salvi & Frank-Martin Belz & Sophie Bacq, 2023. "Informal Entrepreneurship: An Integrative Review and Future Research Agenda," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(2), pages 265-303, March.
    2. Friedrich Schneider & Mangirdas Morkunas & Erika Quendler, 2021. "Measuring the Immeasurable: The Evolution of the Size of Informal Economy in the Agricultural Sector in the EU-15 up to 2019," CESifo Working Paper Series 8937, CESifo.
    3. Isabelle Hillenkamp, 2015. "Solidarity Economy for Development and Women's Emancipation: Lessons from Bolivia," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(5), pages 1133-1158, September.
    4. Rothenberg, Alexander D. & Gaduh, Arya & Burger, Nicholas E. & Chazali, Charina & Tjandraningsih, Indrasari & Radikun, Rini & Sutera, Cole & Weilant, Sarah, 2016. "Rethinking Indonesia’s Informal Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 96-113.
    5. Brix-Asala, Carolin & Hahn, Rüdiger & Seuring, Stefan, 2016. "Reverse logistics and informal valorisation at the Base of the Pyramid: A case study on sustainability synergies and trade-offs," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 414-423.
    6. Yugank Goyal & Klaus Heine, 2021. "Why do informal markets remain informal: the role of tacit knowledge in an Indian footwear cluster," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 639-659, April.
    7. Jasmine Mondolo, 2018. "How do informal institutions influence inward FDI? A systematic review," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0218, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    8. Fallon, Kathleen M. & Mazar, Alissa & Swiss, Liam, 2017. "The Development Benefits of Maternity Leave," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 102-118.
    9. Pauline DIBBEN & Geoffrey WOOD & Colin C. WILLIAMS, 2015. "Pressures towards and against formalization: Regulation and informal employment in Mozambique," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 154(3), pages 373-392, September.
    10. Rashmi Venkatesan, 2019. "The UN Framework on Business and Human Rights: A Workers’ Rights Critique," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 635-652, July.
    11. Jasmine Mondolo, 2019. "How do informal institutions influence inward FDI? A systematic review," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 36(1), pages 167-204, April.
    12. Rajendra P. Mamgain & Shivakar Tiwari, 2017. "Regular Salaried Employment Opportunities in India: Nature, Access and Inclusiveness," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 60(3), pages 415-436, September.
    13. Boris Verbrugge, 2015. "The Economic Logic of Persistent Informality: Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in the Southern Philippines," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(5), pages 1023-1046, September.
    14. Ritchie, Holly A., 2016. "Unwrapping Institutional Change in Fragile Settings: Women Entrepreneurs Driving Institutional Pathways in Afghanistan," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 39-53.
    15. Cifuentes, Myriam Patricia & Doogan, Nathan J. & Fernandez, Soledad A. & Seiber, Eric E., 2016. "Factors shaping Americans’ objective well-being: A systems science approach with network analysis," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 1018-1039.
    16. Davidescu, Adriana AnaMaria & Petcu, Monica Aureliana & Curea, Stefania Cristina & Manta, Eduard Mihai, 2022. "Two faces of the same coin: Exploring the multilateral perspective of informality in relation to Sustainable Development Goals based on bibliometric analysis," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 683-705.
    17. Rajesh SN Raj & Kunal Sen, 2016. "Moving out of the bottom of the economy? Constraints to firm transition in the Indian informal manufacturing sector," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-20, December.
    18. Amanda Haarman & Marcus M. Larsen & Rebecca Namatovu, 2022. "Understanding the Firm in the Informal Economy: A Research Agenda," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(6), pages 3005-3025, December.
    19. Deepak K. Mishra, 2020. "Seasonal Migration and Unfree Labour in Globalising India: Insights from Field Surveys in Odisha," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 63(4), pages 1087-1106, December.

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