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This book explores globalization as actually experienced by most of the world's people, buying goods from street vendors brought by traders moving past borders and across continents under the radar of the law. The dimensions and practices of 'globalization from below' are depicted and analyzed in detail by a team of international scholars. Topics covered include the 'New Silk Road', African traders in China, street hawking in Calcutta and pirate CDs in Mexico. The chapters provide intimate portrayals of routes, markets and people in locations across the globe and explore theories that can help make sense of these complex and fascinating case studies. Students of globalization, economic anthropology and developing-world economics will find the book invaluable.

Research has demonstrated that psychological strengths have important influences on entrepreneurial behavior. The current study explored the interaction between entrepreneurs' positive psychological capital and startup capital in leading to entrepreneurial success. Focus is on how owners of small scale enterprises use their psychological strengths to achieve their business goals. Using a sample of 384 entrepreneurs selected from the two leading business districts in Uganda, we observe that optimism is the component of psychological capital that significantly moderates the relationship between startup capital and entrepreneurial success. Both startup capital and psychological capital are significant predictors of entrepreneurial success; however, psychological capital is the better predictor. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings on entrepreneurial behavior, success and entrepreneurship promotion interventions are discussed.

Businesses come to life as owners are allowed to speak in their own words in this first in-depth examination of self-employment told from the perspectives of low-income microentrepreneurs. The book systematically analyzes a range of issues, including who chooses to open a micro business, and why; what resources do they bring to their business venture; how well will their venture fare; and what contributes to the growth or decline of their business. The authors conclude that most microentrepreneurs believe self-employment offers a range of monetary and nonmonetary benefits and argue it would be more advantageous to view microenterprise as a social and economic development strategy rather than simply as an anti-poverty strategy. Based on this observation, a range of strategies to better promote microenterprise programs among the poor is advanced, with the goal of targeting the most promising approaches.

La competitividad empresarial ha sido objeto de estudio y debate dentro de la literatura económica, estableciendo diferentes factores determinantes para el desarrollo empresarial. En este trabajo, desde el enfoque de la Economía Industrial, la Nueva Economía Industrial y la Teoría de Recursos y Capacidades, se elabora un modelo econométrico de panel con 2 671 microempresas mexicanas a lo largo de cuatro periodos, que detalla la relación de ventajas competitivas de la microempresa con factores externos e internos como la estructura sectorial y los activos tangibles e intangibles de la unidad económica. Los principales resultados encontrados sugieren que la generación de las sinergias adecuadas para el desenvolvimiento del sector productivo de pequeña escala se logra principalmente a partir de las capacidades intangibles. Business competitiveness has long been a subject of study and debate in the economic literature, which has pointed to various drivers of business development. Drawing on the Industrial Economics, the New Industrial Economics, and the Theory of Resources and Capabilities approaches, this paper sets forth a panel data econometric model with 2 671 Mexican micro-enterprises over four time periods, detailing the relationship between the competitive advantages of micro-enterprises and external and internal factors, such as the sectoral structure and the tangible and intangible assets of the economic unit. The principal results obtained suggest that the synergies needed for the development of the small-scale productive sector are primarily generated by way of intangible capabilities. La compétitivité des entreprises a été un sujet d’étude et de débat dans la littérature économique, et il a été établi différents facteurs déterminants pour le développement de l’entreprenariat. Dans ce travail, à partir de la perspective de l’économie industrielle, de la nouvelle économie industrielle et de la théorie des ressources et compétences, est élaboré un modèle économétrique de panel avec 2 671 micro-entreprises mexicaines au long de quatre périodes, qui détaille le rapport entre les avantages compétitifs de la micro-entreprise et des facteurs externes et internes comme la structure sectorielle et les actifs tangibles et intangibles de l’unité économique. Les principaux résultats obtenus donnent à penser que la génération de synergies adéquates pour l’essor du secteur de la production à petite échelle est atteinte principalement à partir des compétences intangibles. A competitividade empresarial foi objeto de estudo e debate dentro da literatura econômica, estabelecendo diferentes fatores determinantes para o desenvolvimento empresarial. Neste trabalho, desde o enfoque da Economia Industrial, a Nueva Economia Industrial e a Teoria do Recursos e Capacidades, se elabora um modelo econométrico de panel com 2 671 microempresas mexicanas durante quatro períodos, que detalha a relação de vantagens competitivas da microempresa com fatores externos e internos, como a estrutura setorial e os ativos tangíveis e intangíveis da unidade econômica. Os principais resultados encontrados sugerem que a geração das sinergias adequadas para o desenvolvimento do setor produtivo de pequena escala se logra principalmente a partir das capacidades intangíveis. 企业竞争力向来是经济类文献的探讨及辩论重点, 各类研究都会给出决定企业发展的不同因素。在文本中, 我们从产业经济学、新兴产业经济及资源能力理论出发, 建立了包含四个时期、2671家墨西哥微型企业的计量经济学面板数据模型, 把微型企业的竞争优势与外部及内部因素的关系作为经济单位的产业结构及有形及无形资产。研究的主要结果表明, 适用于小规模生产部门发展的协同效应主要产生于无形能力。

Informality has important implications for productivity, economic growth, and the inequality of income. In recent years, the extent of informal employment has increased in many of Mexico's states, though highly heterogeneously. The substantial differences across states in terms of informal employment can be helpful in explaining differences in economic growth outcomes. This paper studies the determinants of informal employment using states' diverging outcomes to identify causal factors, taking into account potential endogeneity. The results suggest that multiple factors explain differences in informal employment across states, including per capita income, the quality of labour skills, differences in the prevalence of microenterprises, the cost to start a business, restrictions on foreign investment, the rule of law and incidence of corruption.

In Russia, small-scale entrepreneurship has emerged in response to the collapse of state-ownership and unemployment in the early 1990s. Small businesses typically lack adequate collateral and credit history, making them “unbankable” by the mainstream financial sector. To fund their businesses, micro-entrepreneurs are forced to rely on funds from family and friends, or money lenders. Microfinance institutions of four types have emerged to meet the unfulfilled financing needs of micro-entrepreneurs: commercial banks, specialized NGO-type microfinance institutions, membership-based institutions (such as rural cooperatives and credits unions), and public funds. All four types have enjoyed significant growth in Russia in the past five years, but the industry is still at an early stage of development. Demand appears to far outweigh supply. Microfinance in Russia provides an overview of microfinance in Russia to date, presenting industry trends and identifying key challenges to sustainable growth of the industry.

Street foods are sold in almost every country in the world. Many urban and rural people depend on them for one or more meals each day. This book explores this world of entrepreneurs in developing countries. When all of the participants in the delivery are counted, including local farmers, food processors, and street vendors, one realizes the enormous size of this `industry'. Research conducted by the authors with vendors, local community leaders, and public health officials, worked not only to collect data, but to raise the hygiene of the food that is sold

En forma tradicional se ha considerado, tanto desde la perspectiva teórica de las ciencias sociales como de su praxis política, a la microempresa informal como un lastre para el desarrollo. Sin embargo, desde hace algunos años, un sector de la literatura especializada ha presentado evidencia de que, a pesar de su baja productividad, la contribución de la economía informal11Dados los propósitos de este trabajo, los términos “sector informal”, “economía informal” y “sector no-estructurado”, se tomarán como sinónimos. como generadora de empleo y de ingreso a la economía de los países menos desarrollados es significativa. Dado que otros países han comenzado a desarrollar políticas para incentivar la productividad en el sector informal, el propósito principal del presente trabajo es entender, a través de la revisión de los reglamentos de apoyo a las microempresas y nuevos decretos y reglamentación, la posición actual de México en este debate. Micro-enterprises have traditionally been considered a burden for development, from both the theoretical perspective of social sciences as well as policy praxis. However, for some years now, some of the specialized literature has presented evidence that despite their low productivity, the contribution of the informal economy to job creation and income in less-developed economies is significant. Given that other countries have begun to develop policies to encourage productivity in the informal sector, the main purpose of this paper is to understand, through a review of the regulations that support micro-enterprises, as well as new decrees and regulations, the current position of Mexico in this debate. Traditionnellement, on a considéré la micro-entreprise non déclarée, autant sous la perspective théorique des sciences sociales que de la praxis politique, comme un boulet pour le développement. Cependant, depuis quelques années, un secteur de la littérature spécialisée a montré que, malgré sa faible productivité, la contribution de l’économie clandestine, en tant que génératrice d’emploi et de revenu, à l’économie des pays les moins développés est significative. Etant donné que d’autres pays ont commencé à développer des politiques pour stimuler la productivité dans le secteur clandestin, le but principal du présent article est de comprendre, à travers la révision des règlements d’aide aux micro-entreprises et des nouveaux décrets et réglementation, la position actuelle du Mexique est en débat. Tradicionalmente se considerou, tanto desde a perspectiva teórica das ciências sociais como da sua práxis política, à microempresa informal como um peso para o desenvolvimento. Contudo, desde há alguns anos, um setor da literatura especializada vem apresentando evidencias de que, apesar da sua baixa produtividade, a contribuição da economia informal como geradora de emprego e de renda nas economias dos países menos desenvolvidos é significativa. Já que outros países começaram a desenvolver políticas para incentivar a produtividades do setor informal, o principal propósito do presente trabalho é entender, através da revisão dos regulamentos de apoio às microempresas e novos decretos e regulamentação, a posição atual do México neste debate. 从传统意义上来看, 无论是社会科学的理论层面, 还是政策实施的实践层面, 非正规微型企业一直被视为发展的累赘。然而, 近些年来, 相关专业文献表明, 微型企业尽管生产力低下, 但是它们能够提供就业机会, 增加经济收入, 对发展中国家的经济发展贡献巨大。很多国家已开始制定政策刺激非正规企业的生产, 本文旨在通过对微型企业扶持政策、新的法令和条例的分析探讨墨西哥在这一进程中的位置。

Thirteen million people in the United States--roughly one in ten workers--own a business. And yet rates of business ownership among African Americans are much lower and have been so throughout the twentieth century. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, businesses owned by African Americans tend to have lower sales, fewer employees and smaller payrolls, lower profits, and higher closure rates. In contrast, Asian American-owned businesses tend to be more successful. In Race and Entrepreneurial Success, minority entrepreneurship authorities Robert Fairlie and Alicia Robb examine racial disparities in business performance. Drawing on the rarely used, restricted-access Characteristics of Business Owners (CBO) dataset compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, Fairlie and Robb examine in particular why Asian-owned firms perform well in comparison to white-owned businesses and black-owned firms typically do not. They also explore the broader question of why some entrepreneurs are successful and others are not.. After providing new comprehensive estimates of recent trends in minority business ownership and performance, the authors examine the importance of human capital, financial capital, and family business background in successful business ownership. They find that a high level of startup capital is the most important factor contributing to the success of Asian-owned businesses, and that the lack of startup money for black businesses (attributable to the fact that nearly half of all black families have less than $6,000 in total wealth) contributes to their relative lack of success. In addition, higher education levels among Asian business owners explain much of their success relative to both white- and African American-owned businesses. Finally, Fairlie and Robb find that black entrepreneurs have fewer opportunities than white entrepreneurs to acquire valuable pre-business work experience through working in family businesses.