Reports

Abstract

<media 13043>This research</media> is aimed to forecast the energy demand of the interconnected and non-interconnected zones to the main grid supply in Colombia by the application of SARIMA models. This forecasting is designed per region of Colombia to provide information for public planning and policy. Based on the results, this research is meant to assess the social and economic impact of forecasting the energy demand in residential and rural zones.

Abstract: 

Cocoa is mainly grown by smallholders on up to two hectares of land and provides a source of income for over two million smallholders and their families in Ghana as a major producer of cocoa globally. The aim of the field research was to conduct both expert interviews to identify major challenges for local value addition, as well as to conduct individual farmer interviews in order to explore opportunities and challenges for upgrading along different steps in the cocoa – chocolate value chain. Furthermore, two focus group discussions were conducted to generate authentic information and perspectives about opportunities and challenges for upgrading and local value addition. The field research was key to identify rural differentiation among cocoa producers (land owners, sharecroppers and day laborers) and challenges for value addition which were then confronted with hypothesis deduced from Food Regimes (macro), social and economic upgrading (meso) and peasant theory (micro level).

Download Florian Dörr's report <media 10324>here</media>.

Abstract:

After decades of Washington Consensus, the return of the developmental state in the 21st century in several countries in Latin America under governments declared new-leftists seems to break with neoliberalism. New-leftists governments claim that is essential the return of the state to tackle market failures and, at the same time, works as a democratic channel between the private sector and the civil society in order to create a virtuous circle of development: industries would be able to change to an export-profile of high-value added products, while enhancing human capabilities through social programs and job creation. Thus, the aim of the field research was to analyze the industrial policies developed during the government of the Workers’ Party (PT) in Brazil to understand if a more open-ended democratic relation advocated by the government between state- private sector- civil society is a feasible alternative to generate sustainable social and economic growth. The field research focus on expert interviews and took place at São Paulo city and Campinas, Brazil, in December and January 2016-2017 as an essential part of this research in order to have a broader picture of the post-neoliberal alternative in Latin America.

Download Juliana Gomes Campos' report <media 10526 - - "TEXT, MATRG-Juliana, MATRG-Juliana.pdf, 226 KB">here</media>.

Abstract:

Now a day empirical scientific knowledge of breastfeeding is very essential for every mother. Breastfeeding faces a big challenge in this global and rapidly changing competitive lifestyle. I was interested about the current situation and practice of breastfeeding in different culture. One part of my field research work for my Master Thesis was conducted in Bangladesh from November, 2016 to February, 2017. The aim of my current study is to identify the breastfeeding practices and observe the nutritional status of under two year babies and their mothers in two different nations. For evaluating the situation of breastfeeding all over Bangladesh; four divisions were selected for field research work. A structure coded questionnaire was conducted for data collection. Though it was a very big challenge for me to collect data from Bangladeshi mothers who are very sensitive to consult regarding breastfeeding issues; but at the end of my work my mind was fulfilled by satisfaction. The obstacles and barriers help me to learn how to work in the practical field. My overall field research work was very successful. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) for making possible the field research work in different areas of Bangladesh.

Download Kaniz Fatima's full report <media 10760 - - "TEXT, ICDD Field research report Kaniz 2017, ICDD_Field_research_report_Kaniz_2017.pdf, 0.9 MB">here</media>.

Abstract:

Mined mineral commodities are part of almost each product that we use. The biggest leverage-effects towards sustainability can be expected in the mining country (e.g. mining company). Considering Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) is highly relevant in developing nations to seize the sector’s development opportunities and to minimise social as well as environmental concerns. In this study, Institutional Theory is used as a theoretical anchor for conceptualising and empirically researching the governance of mineral supply chains and extractivism in South Africa. As a result, the empirical study connects the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM) with Institutional Theory and sustainability topics.
A three-month field stay yielded 39 transcribed semi-structured interviews with top management representatives and decision-makers. The study evaluates the structure of mineral Supply Chains (SC), the applied sustainability standards, and the actors that shape sustainability in the South African extractive industry. By building on the balanced sample of interview partners, this is done from the perspectives of 1) Industry and consulting companies, 2) Financial institutions 3) National government departments and 4) Unions and NGOs.
On-site visits at mines and mining affected communities accompanied the interviews. The overall experience is positive since the good interview realisation rate is a great contribution for my master’s thesis and this strategic topic.

Download Nikolas Kelling's report <media 10323 - - "TEXT, Field Report NK 27Dez2016, FieldReport_NK_27Dez2016.pdf, 0.9 MB">here</media>.

Abstract:

In order to gain empirical knowledge and insights of the working conditions of the workers in the apparel and footwear industry in Albania I have conducted a field research from the middle of October until the middle of December 2015. The aim of my M.A. thesis research is to investigate how has the integration of Albania into the global networks of production of garment affected the chances and possibilities for social upgrading of workers in this sector. Further on it will be discussed whether we can relate to it as an upgrade or a downgrade. For this purpose I have carried out structured and semi-structured interviews with employers’ association representatives, trade unionists, government officials and civil society experts. During the field research I have also worked on the behalf of the Clean Clothes Campaigni, as part of a research team in cooperation with the Gender Alliance for Development Centerii (GADC). The focus of the research was to inquire the working conditions in the garment and footwear industry in Albania and to ascertain whether the international core labor standards and also national ones are met. Being part of this project enabled me to approach workers of several factories in order to conduct focus groups interviews with them also few informal interviews. The field research was successful in that it gave me the empirical data to develop my key research questions and also to further define the theoretical standpoint. The overall experience was characterized most of the times by positive outcomes despite few challenges faced which nevertheless contributed into strengthening my research abilities.

<media 8710 - - "TEXT, report Ljarja Artemisa, report__Ljarja__Artemisa.pdf, 69 KB">Download Artemisa Ljarja's report here. </media>

Abstract: 

The two-month field research in Uganda was conducted to explore the influence of the engagement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the ongoing Inspection Panel Case No. 981 (the Case). The Transport Sector Development Project2 (TSDP) which consisted of building a new road between Fort Portal and the district of Kamwenge was financed by the International Development Association3 (IDA) of the World Bank. The engagement of CSOs was triggered by the negative effects of the TSDP on the people living along the newly constructed road. The accountability mechanism of the World Bank, embodied by the Inspection Panel4 (IP) as an independent investigating body, allows negatively affected people to hold the World Bank accountable for their activities (cf. Treakle/Fox/Clark 2003: 246). Therefore, my research targets two objectives.

On the one hand, the research seeks to explore the role of campaigning CSOs as political actors, focusing on their empowerment strategies which enabled local people to address their complaints. On the other hand, it targets the research demand on the IP and its bridging nature (cf. Fox/Brown 1998: 3) as an accountability mechanism and a showpiece of democratic accountability for almost all development banks (cf. Hale 2008, Putten 2008, Anderl 2015).

Download Dustin Schäfer's report <media 10325 - - "TEXT, Research Report Dustin Schaefer 19 07 16 neu-1, Research_Report_Dustin_Schaefer_19_07_16_neu-1.pdf, 110 KB">here</media>.

Abstract:

During my study of sustainability management and economics one specific question kept rising up over and over again: Does the consideration of sustainability goals lead to economic limitations or advantages - respectively do tensions among these goals arise? Hahn et al. (2015) analyse tensions that occur when adapting sustainable business practices with a relatively new approach for corporate responsibility: the paradox approach. Due to its novelty the theoretical framework has not yet been elaborated with empirical studies. My master thesis aims at contributing to this practical application as well as extending it towards a supply chain perspective with the help of a field research stay in Uganda. 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted within the organic pineapple supply chain, as Ugandan pineapples are considered economically highly relevant.

Download Lena Schätzlein's report <media 8477 - - "TEXT, Report on Field Research in Uganda Lena Schätzlein-1, Report_on_Field_Research_in_Uganda_Lena_Schätzlein-1.pdf, 3.5 MB">here.</media>

Abstract:

Utilizing the Global Value Chain (GVC) Framework which has been elaborated by Gereffi et al. (2005) the aim of the thesis was to explore different modes of governance in pineapple supply chains in Uganda. In a second step shortcomings of the framework are pointed out and potential extensions are discussed. In order to collect the needed data, semi structured interviews were conducted with various actors, which are active in the pineapple sector in Uganda. These interviews and the following analysis, supplemented by rather informal field visits, provided a solid foundation for my thesis. The experience was overall enriching and very successful with regard to the aim of my thesis.

Download Jonathan Trenk's report <media 8029>here</media>.

2018

• Renata Moreira: <media 13051 - - "TEXT, Field Research in Brazil Renata Moreira 02, Field_Research_in_Brazil_Renata_Moreira_02.pdf, 205 KB">Inequality in the Labour Market: The Role of Women in the Process of Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Brazil</media>
• Nikola Walz: <media 13044 - - "TEXT, 2019-03-20 Nikola Walz Report 2, 2019-03-20_Nikola_Walz__Report_2.pdf, 100 KB">Impact 360° approach” of the imug consulting company for social-ecological innovations – Case study of an Ethiopian garment company</media>
• Gifawosen Markos Mitta: <media 13047 - - "TEXT, 2018-11-22 Field Research Report Gifawosen 02, 2018-11-22_Field_Research_Report_Gifawosen_02.pdf, 164 KB">Labor Rights, Working Conditions and Workers Power in the Emerging Textile and Apparel Industries in Ethiopia: A Case of Hawassa Industrial Park</media>
• Radmir Khajbakhteev: <media 12048 - - "TEXT, Report MA Research Thesis Grant Radmir Khajbakhteev, Report_MA_Research_Thesis_Grant_Radmir_Khajbakhteev.pdf, 68 KB">Is an Infrastructure the New Development Agenda: In the Case of the AIIB and the NDB</media>
• Caroline Jansen: <media 12035 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Carolina Jansen, Field_Research_Report_Carolina_Jansen.pdf, 63 KB">Green Energy Markets in Emerging Economies – The case of the Wind Power Industry in Brazil</media>
• Jiali Zhou: <media 13045 - - "TEXT, 2018-03-13 Jiali Zhou- field research report 01, 2018-03-13_Jiali_Zhou-_field_research_report_01.pdf, 217 KB">Empowerment Perspective of Chinese Female Labour Migration: A qualitative research of women’s rural-urban migration in Hangzhou</media>
• Thiago Costa: <media 13050 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Thiago Souza da Costa Feb 2018 For Publication 04, Field_Research_Report_Thiago_Souza_da_Costa_Feb_2018_For_Publication_04.pdf, 253 KB">Promoting Development in the Global South: Innovation, Business Engagement and Capitalism in Brazil</media>

2017

• Mahmood Salam: <link http: www.uni-kassel.de einrichtungen fileadmin datas icdd field_report_sea_buckthorn_sc_in_pakistan_1_.pdf>Sustainability in sea buckthorn supply chain in the Karakorum Mountains of Pakistan.
• Kholmati Kholik: <link http: www.uni-kassel.de einrichtungen fileadmin datas icdd kholmati_kholik_report.pdf>The impact of the Russian economic crisis to the Tajik migrant households and their coping strategies.
• Jahnavi Rao: <link http: www.uni-kassel.de einrichtungen fileadmin datas icdd financial_inclusion_and_access_to_credit_field_research_in_bangalore_jahnavi_rao.pdf>Financial Exclusion and Access to Credit for India’s Urban Poor.
• Roman Hinz: <link http: www.uni-kassel.de einrichtungen fileadmin datas icdd field_research_report_icdd_hinz_2017_02.pdf>Analysis of potential conflicts between “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) under different “Shared Socioeconomic Pathways” (SSPs) in India.
• Hagos Niguse:<link http: www.uni-kassel.de einrichtungen fileadmin datas icdd reports> Social media and the discourse of hate speech in Ethiopia: The case of Facebook.
• Erik Siems: <link http: www.uni-kassel.de einrichtungen fileadmin datas icdd logos logos_partner_universities>Stakeholder Management in Bioenergy Supply Chains: The Case of Chile.
• László Szerencsés:<link http: www.uni-kassel.de einrichtungen fileadmin datas icdd logos logos_partner_universities> Kosovo and the World Bank Inspection Panel: Can the subaltern speak?

2016

• Florian Dörr: <media 11643 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Doerr 2016 01, Field_Research_Report_Doerr_2016_01.pdf, 151 KB">The Political Economy of Cocoa - Rural Differentiation & Upgrade Strategies of Peasants in Ghana.</media>
• Juliana Gomes Campos: <media 11642 - - "TEXT, MATRG-Juliana 01, MATRG-Juliana_01.pdf, 226 KB">The Developmental State in the 21st Century: An Analysis of the Industrial Policies during the Workers' Party Government in Brasil.</media>
• Kaniz Fatima: <media 11641 - - "TEXT, ICDD Field research report Kaniz 2017 01, ICDD_Field_research_report_Kaniz_2017_01.pdf, 0.9 MB">Breastfeeding Practices & Nutritional Assessment of Under-two year children: A Cross-cultural and cross-national comparative study of Bangladesh and Germany.</media>
• Nikolas Kelling: <media 11640 - - "TEXT, Field Report NK 27Dez2016 01, FieldReport_NK_27Dez2016_01.pdf, 0.9 MB">Sustainable Supply Chain Management for Mineral Commodities - The Case of South Africa.</media>
• Artemisa Ljarja: <media 11639 - - "TEXT, report Ljarja Artemisa 01, report__Ljarja__Artemisa_01.pdf, 69 KB">Global Production Networks and Social Upgrading: The case of the garment industry workers in Albania.</media>
• Dustin Schäfer: <media 11638 - - "TEXT, Research Report Dustin Schaefer 19 07 16 neu-1 01, Research_Report_Dustin_Schaefer_19_07_16_neu-1_01.pdf, 110 KB">On the Role of Civil Society Organizations in the Inspection Panel Process.</media>

2015

• Lena Schätzlein: <media 11637 - - "TEXT, Report on Field Research in Uganda Lena Schätzlein-1, Report_on_Field_Research_in_Uganda_Lena_Schätzlein-1.pdf, 3.5 MB">Tensions on the sustainability of the pineapple supply chain in Uganda.</media>
• Jonathan Trenk: <media 11636 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Uganda Jonathan Trenk 2015 07 03, Field_Research_Report_Uganda_Jonathan_Trenk_2015_07_03.pdf, 170 KB">Governance Structures in Pineapple Supply Chains in Uganda.</media>

2014

• Anita Ansong: <media 11635 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Anita Ansong 2014, Field_Research_Report_Anita_Ansong_2014.pdf, 197 KB">Field Research Report For Master’s thesis Grant Programme Upper West Region, Ghana.</media>
• Joaquín Bernáldez: <media 11634 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Bernaldez 2014, Field_Research_Report_Bernaldez_2014.pdf, 92 KB">Disputes over the Appropriation of Nature in Argentina.</media>
• Oscar Mbella Ikome-Likambi: <media 11633 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report for MA Thesis Research Grant, Field_Research_Report_for_MA_Thesis_Research_Grant.pdf, 213 KB">The Role of Development Banks in Promoting Economic Development: Case of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and its Role in Promoting Municipal Infrastructure Service Delivery.</media>
• Mohd Raisul Islam Khan: <media 11632 - - "TEXT, Mohd Raisul Islam Khan field research report 2014, Mohd_Raisul_Islam_Khan_field_research_report_2014.pdf, 99 KB">Labour Conditions: A Case Study of the Readymade Garment Industry in Bangladesh.</media>
• Daniel Oberko: <media 11630 - - "TEXT, Master thesis Edited Mahnkopf kwabena, Master_thesis_Edited_Mahnkopf_kwabena.pdf, 1.2 MB">Understanding Informality in the Ghanaian economy: The Role of regulations and socia relations.</media>
• Marianne Schmid: <media 11631 - - "TEXT, Schmid M.A. Grant Report neu, Schmid_M.A._Grant_Report_neu.pdf, 66 KB">A resource and dynamic capability analysis of post-harvest losses in dairy supply chains in Kenya.</media>

2013

• Aylin Kaya: <media 11629 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Kaya JN, Field_Research_Report_KayaJN.pdf, 156 KB">A critical analysis of SEZs in India from a Neo-Gramscian and Post-Structural perspective.</media>
• Tamilla Tagieva: <media 11628 - - "TEXT, Tamilla Tagieva Abstract of report.sts, Tamilla_Tagieva_Abstract_of_report.sts.pdf, 152 KB">Indian Public Banks and Their Contribution to the Country's Economic Development</media>

2012

• Özgür Genç: <media 7964 - - "TEXT, Özgür Genc-Report of the field research in istanbul, Özgür_Genc-Report_of_the_field_research_in_istanbul.pdf, 87 KB">Karatepe - Capitalism and Patriarchy in the Age of Neoliberalism: The home based women labor in Istanbul, Turkey.</media>
• Grigoryan, Lilit: <media 7965 - - "TEXT, Lilit Grigoryan report 21 01 2012, Lilit_Grigoryan__report_21_01_2012.pdf, 28 KB">The Barriers of Establishing Corporate Social Responsibility in Armenia.</media>
• Carolin Brix: <media 7966 - - "TEXT, Brix MA Grant Report, Brix_MA_Grant_Report.pdf, 58 KB">Aspects of Sustainable Supply Chain Management at the Base of the Pyramid - The case of water sachets in Ghana.</media>
• Valeryia Sashko: <media 7967 - - "TEXT, field research report Valeryia Sashko, field_research_report_Valeryia_Sashko.pdf, 103 KB">Upgrading in the Software Industry: the Case of Belarus.</media>
• Sisira Saddhamangala Withanachchi: <media 7968 - - "TEXT, Field research report Sisira, Field_research_report_Sisira.pdf, 754 KB">Challenges of Effective and Efficient Water Management and Governance.</media>
• Timm Benjamin Schuetzhofer:<media 7969 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Schuetzhofer, FieldResearchReportSchuetzhofer.pdf, 46 KB"> Towards Decent Work in Export Processing Zones?</media>
• Susanne Rabisch: <media 7970 - - "TEXT, Fieldwork Research Report Susanne Rabisch, Fieldwork_Research_Report_Susanne_Rabisch.pdf, 70 KB">Impact Assessment of Health Micoinsurance for the Social Protection of Informal Workers: A Qualitative Study for the Case of Kenya.</media>

2011

• Raja Usman Khalid: <media 7971 - - "TEXT, Raja Usman Khalid Report, Raja_Usman_Khalid_Report.pdf, 47 KB">Sustainability Performance in Fresh Vegetable Supply Chains in Pakistan.</media>
• Mona Meurer: <media 7972 - - "TEXT, Mona Meurer Report, Mona_Meurer_Report.pdf, 252 KB">Report of Field Research in Ecuador.</media>
• Dana Dülcke: <media 7973 - - "TEXT, Dana Duelcke Report, Dana_Duelcke_Report.doc, 46 KB">The Gendered Impacts of Transnational Migration on the 'left behind' in Guatemala.</media>
• Ai Xiao: <media 7974 - - "TEXT, Ai Xiaoduo Report, Ai_Xiaoduo_Report.pdf, 38 KB">Study on the Policy of Rural Land Transfer in China.</media>
• Bakhrom Radjabov: <media 7975 - - "TEXT, Bakhrom Radjabov Report ICDD, Bakhrom_Radjabov_Report_ICDD.pdf, 591 KB">Macroeconomic policies for the economic growth and poverty reduction in Central Asia: the Case of Uzbekistan.</media>
• Ganna Kvit: <media 7976 - - "TEXT, field research report - Kvit, field_research_report_-_Kvit.pdf, 38 KB">Governance of credit cooperatives in post-soviet region: case of Ukraine.</media>
• Nancy Lira: <media 7977 - - "TEXT, FIELD REPORT NANCY LIRA ICDD, FIELD_REPORT_NANCY_LIRA_ICDD.pdf, 59 KB">Encouraging Organic Agriculture as a Sustainable Instrument for Creating Employment and its Implications for Decent Work in Yucatan, Mexico.</media>
• Juliane Erbach: <media 7978 - - "TEXT, Report ICDD Erbach, ReportICDD_Erbach.pdf, 314 KB">Working Conditions of Women in the Peri-urban Dairy Production in Faisalabad, Pakistan.</media>

Abstract

Poorer households in Northern Ghana often depend on cash transfers from relatives living in other regions. Remittances reaching these households serve varying purposes. During my three months stay in Ghana, I interacted with households, migrants, NGOs and other researchers to gather information on how households take decisions on how to spend remittances received. Each household takes different decisions of how to utilize remittances received. These decisions may depend on factors such as the amount remitted, characteristic of the recipient and members of the household as well as the time and purpose for which the money was sent.
The aim of my research is to identify the characteristics of households that enable them to invest part of the remittances received into income generating activities.

Download Anita Ansong's report <media 8026 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Anita Ansong 2014, Field_Research_Report_Anita_Ansong_2014.pdf, 197 KB">here</media>.

Abstract

The field research for my M.A. thesis was conducted in Argentina for almost three months. It aimed at exploring the struggles for the appropriation of nature within the context of a developmental model based on natural resource extraction. I analyzed how social movements attempt to access natural common goods and the controversies and challenges they face. I have interviewed local scientists with knowledge on social movements and rural issues. I have also visited a rural area in the region of Mendoza
where I have observed and participated in social movement’s daily activities as well as conducted interviews with many of its members. The field research was successful in that it enabled to compare expert knowledge with ground knowledge and will allow me to finish my thesis. The experience on the field was very enriching with many positive outcomes as well as challenges from which I have learned the most.

Download Joaquín Bernáldez' Report<media 8027> here</media>.

Abstract

The aim of my field research in South Africa was to conduct semi-structured expert interviews with executives and employees of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Municipalities (clients) and the National Treasury (shareholder). The interviews conducted were helpful in broadening my understanding of the field of development finance and to analyze the bank´s role in the municipal (local government) space in terms of promoting service delivery. The experience gained in the course of the field research and the interactions had during interviews as well as informal discussions with experts in development finance and local government were beneficial to the scope and depth of the research. Though I was confronted with some challenges, the field research was relatively successful.

Download Oscar Ikome-Likambi's Report <media 6470 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report for MA Thesis Research Grant, Field_Research_Report_for_MA_Thesis_Research_Grant.pdf, 213 KB">here</media>

Abstract

In order to gain empirical knowledge for my master thesis on the labour conditions of the Readymade Garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh, I have made an extensive field research from October, 2014 to January, 2015 with the financial support from the International Center for Development and Decent Work, Kassel, Germany. The objective of my master thesis research is to investigate what has changed in the policies of national and international actors related to the Bangladesh RMG industry in improving the labour conditions after the two prominent accidents of 'Rana Plaza' and 'Tazreen Fashions' and how the much applauded 'Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety' (Accord) and the 'Tripartite National Plan of Action' (NAP) are working toward establishing workplace safety in the RMG sector. For this I have conducted structured and semi-structured interviews of the garment workers, owners, trade unionists, government officials and civil society experts. I have also observed the actual working conditions through extensive field visit at several RMG factories under the initiatives of Accord and NAP. Beside my field research my working as a research intern in ‘Updating the Occupational Safety and Health Profile of Bangladesh’; a collaborative research work carried out by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) and supervised by the International Labour Organization, Bangladesh Office has helped me a lot in finding my key empirical findings of my research questions. Despite a few negative experiences my overall filed research was a great success in finding empirical solutions to my key research questions along with strengthening my theoretical framing and conceptualizing my thesis work.

Download Mohd Raisul Islam Khan's Report <media 8028 - - "TEXT, Mohd Raisul Islam Khan field research report 2014, Mohd_Raisul_Islam_Khan_field_research_report_2014.pdf, 99 KB">here</media>.

Abstract

The informal economy in Ghana has grown in size since the 1980s and 1990s. While the size of employment in the informal economy in the 80s was twice the formal economy, it had increased to more than 5 times in the 1990s. As at 2012, the informal economy was about 7 times more than the formal. As to why the informal economy keeps growing, proponents of the free market economy hold a legalist view. To them it is existence of what they call burdensome labour regulations such as taxes and employment benefits among others. They call for the removal of such regulations as panacea for dealing with the size of the informal economy. This rather puts a burden on labour as more and more people lose their jobs and employment benefits. On the other hand, progressives such as trade unions hold a structuraslist view in response. They argue that it is not conclusive to attribute the size of the informal economy to regulations. They ascribe to social relations of the enterprises in the informal economy as a contributing factor. They also argue that the capacity of State institutions to enforce the regulations as well as the trust between the informal economy operators and those institutions play a role. It is therefore important to find out whether the claims made by both sides are valid, using empirical evidence from the informal economy operators themselves.

Due to the research grant I received from the International Centre for Development and Decent Work (ICDD), I was able to travel to Ghana and back to Germany from the 10th of August to the 3rd of September 2014. Other two data collectors in Ghana supported me. I was interested in whether informal enterprises were registered, their relationship with labour regulations and the institutions of state. Additionally, their social relations. This information aided the thesis in understanding why enterprises operate in the informal economy. Twenty enterprises were interviewed using a questionnaire. Additionally, an officer of the Registrar General's Department (RGD) was interviewed, apart from interviews with other key personalities. The results indicated that in as much as the existence of labour regulations could influence the informal economy of Ghana, the presence of labour regulations could not explain the size of the informal economy. Apart from other factors that influence the size of the informal economy, such as education, what matters most is the capacity of the state to enforce regulations. Therefore, proposal to de-regulate the labour market to deal with the size of the informal economy does not suffice.

Download MA.-thesis <media 9349 - - "TEXT, Master thesis Edited Mahnkopf kwabena, Master_thesis_Edited_Mahnkopf_kwabena.pdf, 1.2 MB">here</media>

Abstract 

During my three months stay in Nakuru, Kenya, I had the opportunity to gather valuableinformation for my Master thesis with the title “A resource and dynamic capability analysis ofpost-harvest losses in dairy supply chains in Kenya”. The aim was to conduct semistructuredinterviews along the dairy supply chain, following the milk from farmers, traders,cooperatives until the processing at dairies. For this the first steps have been to identify theactors, mapping the different chains and an analysis of the market situation in the area.Although there also have been challenges, I was able to conduct a range of interviews withthe different actors making it a successful stay for my master thesis.

Download Marianne Schmid's <media 6083 - - "TEXT, Schmid M.A. Grant Report neu, Schmid_M.A._Grant_Report_neu.pdf, 66 KB">report </media>

Abstract

The experiences I gained during my two months field research in India and at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) cover a full range of emotions, both positive and negative.

The exchange with other students and experts in my research area and especially the interviews I conducted gave me deeper insights in livelihood of tribal communities in India and their role in the society as well as a local understanding of the power relations between tribes and the state government and state policies regarding displacement.

As a conclusion my field research in India and my stay at TISS was not only an enriching and inspiring experience for my life but also equipped me with important primary data for the finalization of my M.A. thesis.

Download Aylin Kaya's <media 5228 - - "TEXT, Field Research Report Kaya JN, Field_Research_Report_KayaJN.pdf, 156 KB">report </media>

In my MA thesis I analyze the Indian government intervention in the banking sector (state ownership of banks coupled with banking regulations) and its impact on the country’s economic development. The research question that the MA thesis attempts to answer is: to what extent and how did Indian public banks and banking regulations contribute to the country’s economic development?

I spent 2 months doing field research in India. My field research was relatively successful with regard to the overall aim of my MA thesis. I conducted interviews with the representatives from the Reserve Bank of India, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Industrial Development Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and others. Generally, I am satisfied with the outcomes of the interviews as I was able to find interesting ideas and opinions which I incorporated in my research. Also, I had a very good experience participating in the “Roles of Food, Work and Cash in Overcoming Poverty” Annual Thematic Conference at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai where I presented the theoretical part of my MA thesis. There I received useful comments and gained fresh knowledge on banking, inequalities and poverty.

However, while doing field research in India, it may not be so easy to reach out to potential interviewees working in banks or other entities in India. It may happen that an interviewee agrees for an interview on a certain day and time, but then disappears. Or interviewees may postpone interviews 2-3 times which in the end disrupts the plan and strategy of the field research. Thus, for the field research to be successful it may be helpful to enlist the support of senior researchers (especially if potential interviewees work in private organizations). Also, one could try to be politely and reasonably insistent when arranging and taking interviews. For example, if no reply was received from a person who had agreed for an interview, more emails or phone calls should be made.               

I am very grateful for receiving the International Centre for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) Master Thesis Research Grant which gave me the opportunity to carry out the field research in India. I am also thankful for the great help and support I received from the staff of the ICDD and TISS.