Sallah, A. and Williams, C.C. orcid.org/0000-0002-3610-1933 (2016) Re-theorising the role of the informal economy in Sub-Saharan Africa : some lessons from Gambia. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business (IJESB), 28 (2/3). pp. 195-215. ISSN 1476-1297
Abstract
This paper aims to evaluate critically the rival representations of the role of the informal economy which is variously portrayed as a leftover from an earlier mode of production, a direct by-product of late capitalism, an alternative to the formal economy or a complement to formal work. Reporting evidence from a survey of 500 participants in Gambia, the finding is that although each and every representation of its role is valid in relation to particular populations and/or specific types of informal work, no one representation fully captures the diverse and multiple roles played by the informal economy in contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa. The consequent argument is that only by using all of them can a finer-grained and more comprehensive understanding of the multifarious roles of the informal economy be achieved. The outcome is a more multilayered and nuanced understanding of the role played by the informal economy in contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. |
Keywords: | informal sector; economic development; livelihoods; Gambia; Sub-Saharan Africa |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Management School (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 14 Aug 2019 14:00 |
Last Modified: | 14 Aug 2019 14:00 |
Published Version: | https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?ar... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Inderscience |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1504/IJESB.2016.076641 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:140064 |