Informal Sector Innovations: Insights from the Global South

Book Details

• Publisher: Routledge

• Author: Mammo Muchie

• Language: English

• Edition: 1st Edition

• ISBN: 9781138091290

• Pages: 180

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches

• Weight: [Not Provided]

About the Book

In The Informal Sector, Knowledge Generation, and Innovation, Mammo Muchie examines the rapidly growing space of informal economic activity, a phenomenon that has been particularly pronounced in the least developed and developing countries. This growth has accelerated following the rise of neo-liberal policies and the retreat of the welfare state. Muchie shifts the academic focus away from solely critiquing the exploitative nature of labor in the informal sector, instead highlighting its significant contributions to employment generation and economic growth.

The book presents a novel perspective on the informal sector, addressing the increasing relevance of knowledge generation and innovative practices within these economic activities. With the retreat of the welfare state and the rise of contract labor in the formal sector, many of the challenges once associated with the informal sector—such as poor labor conditions and occupational hazards—are now also found in the formal economy, especially in less developed countries.

This volume, originally published in the African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, delves into the core issue of how knowledge generation and innovation contribute to the sustained competitive advantage of informal sector activities. Each chapter in this insightful book provides a rich analysis of the ways in which innovation in informal economies can foster growth and development, ultimately offering a new lens for understanding the informal sector's role in global economies.