92 UNU-WIDER articles, publications, projects, experts...
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Working Paper
Informality and firm performance in MyanmarUsing a novel panel survey of enterprises in Myanmar, we compare the performance of manufacturing firms by three different informality definitions. The first is binary, based on whether firms pay taxes...
firms Informality MyanmarJournal Article
Was Kuznets Right?: New evidence on the relationship between structural transformation and inequalityWe examine the Kuznets postulate that structural transformation leads to higher inequality using comparable panel data for a large number of developing and developed countries for 1960–2012...
Structural transformation Inequality KuznetsResearch Brief
Turnin’ it up a notch: Can foreign direct investment help South Africa increase the complexity of its exports?Since the end of apartheid, South Africa’s economic challenges have disrupted efforts to establish a society of inclusive growth and prosperity...
economic complexity Foreign Direct Investment FDIJournal Article
Corporate social responsibility in a competitive business environmentUsing a representative sample of more than 5,000 Vietnamese enterprises, we explore the firm-level productivity effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR)...
Business enterprises Corporate culture ManufacturingReport
Myanmar Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Survey 2019: Descriptive ReportThe 2019 descriptive report of the Myanmar Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Survey is the second quantitative report of the Myanmar Enterprises Monitoring System (MEMS) project...
SMEs Informal sector ManufacturingBook Chapter
Local content in Zambia—a faltering experience?From the book: Mining for Change
Industrialization Local content Economic linkagesBook Chapter
The construction sector in ZambiaFrom the book: Mining for Change
Industrialization Local content Economic linkagesWorking Paper
Turnin’ it up a notch: how spillovers from foreign direct investment boost the complexity of South Africa’s exportsCountries’ economic complexity, and the associated diversification and sophistication of their exports, is a key determinant of economic growth...
economic complexity Foreign Direct Investment FDIWorking Paper
Was Kuznets right?: New evidence on the relationship between structural transformation and inequalityWe examine the Kuznets postulate that structural transformation leads to higher inequality using comparable panel data for a large number of developing and developed countries for 1960–2012...
Structural transformation Inequality KuznetsJournal Article
The decline of the labor income share in Mexico: 1990–2015This article is currently available on early view. The paper studies the decline of the labor income share (LIS) in Mexico during the period 1990–2015...
Labour share Non-tradable sectors Tradable sectorsResearch Brief
Dancing with dragons: Can South African firms compete with Chinese imports?China’s growing edge in export manufacturing has caused concern for low-income and middle-income countries seeking to develop robust manufacturing sectors...
Capabilities Import competition ImportWorking Paper
Assessment of demand in agro-processing machinery in the SADC region: A case study of the maize-milling machinery value chain in South Africa and ZambiaThis working paper is the fourth in a series that forms part of the project ‘Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development’, a three-year partnership between UNU-WIDER and the South African government aimed at generating ...
Agro-processing Industrialization Agricultural industriesWorking Paper
Dancing with dragons: Chinese import penetration and the performances of manufacturing firms in South AfricaUsing firm-level tax administrative data from 2010 to 2017, we study the impact of Chinese import penetration on the performances of manufacturing firms in South Africa, and whether firms investing in capabilities development are more resilient to su...
Capabilities Import competition ImportLearning

Working Paper
Digital technologies and ‘value’ capture in global value chains: Empirical evidence from Indian manufacturing firmsThis paper examines whether digitalization can be a driver of ‘upgrading’ in global value chains and help developing countries move into higher value-added activities...
Technology Global value chains ManufacturingWorking Paper
Trade liberalization and South African manufacturing: Looking back with dataThis paper provides a retrospective assessment of the effects of trade policies on South African manufacturing since the transition to democracy, examining the differences and commonalities in the views of economists in favour of and against an accel...
Trade policy Manufacturing Trade liberalization