World Institute for Development Economics Research

About: World Institute for Development Economics Research is a facility organization based out in Helsinki, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Poverty & Population. The organization has 110 authors who have published 525 publications receiving 17316 citations.

Globalization Crises, Trade, and Development in Vietnam

Abstract: Vietnam has been among the most successful East Asian economies, especially in weathering the external shocks of recent globalization crises—the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the 2008-09 great recession, financial crisis and collapse of global trade. Its success contradicts its characterization as an example of export-led growth and highlights the role of the state, particularly in maintaining and influencing investment. Examination of economic performance and policy responses shows rising dependence on foreign finance around each crisis, and actions by the government to counteract that dependence and bolster the domestic economy while continuing to restructure the economy toward greater emphasis on the private sector. Growth, employment and poverty alleviation have been maintained at the expense of renewed inflation, larger budget deficits, and currency depreciation. The ‘stop-go’ nature of present …

Time preferences and commitment devices: evidence from ROSCAs and funeral groups in Benin

Abstract: Drawing on first-hand data collected from a household survey in urban Benin, we examine membership in two types of informal groups that display the characteristics of a commitment device: R...

Changing Times, Testing Times: A Bootstrap Analysis of Poverty and Inequality Using the PACO Data Base

Abstract: Conclusions about poverty and the distribution of incomes are typically based on information obtained from sample surveys. However, sample surveys are subject to sampling and non-sampling errors. Statistical inference allows us to deal with sampling errors. In this paper, we demonstrate the usefulness of bootstrapping techniques for carrying out statistical inference for poverty and inequality measures. We analyse poverty and income inequality among pensioners in Hungary, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. We carry out comparisons of the living standards of pensioners across countries and over time. Our results have far-reaching policy implications for the reforms of public pension systems currently under way.

Informal institutions, transaction risk, and firm productivity in Myanmar

Abstract: In many low-income transition countries, where formal institutions such as courts do not function effectively, informal institutions are often used by firms to minimize transaction risks. We examine the role of informal institutions, in the forms of relational contracting and social networks, in determining the risks that firms are willing to bear in their transactions with their suppliers and customers, and whether firms that bear such risks have higher productivity. Our country context is Myanmar, a country which is making a transition from a socialist to market-oriented economy. Using a unique dataset of 2496 micro, small, and medium firms, we find that firms that engage in risk taking are significantly more productive than firms that do not, and such firms are more likely to utilize informal institutions, such as acquiring information from informal interaction with customers, and social networks, including information received from business networks by firms, talking to other suppliers of customers, and being a member of a business association. Our findings suggest that informal institutions can be effective substitutes for formal institutions that are often absent or not effective in low-income transition economies.