Business Commons^™

Los Porteadores Del Camino Inca: Conversaciones Y Perspectivas Sobre Los Efectos Del Turismo, Joshua Lipscomb

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio investiga las condiciones de trabajo, experiencias y percepciones sobre el turismo de los porteadores del Camino Inca. Para ello, se realizó trabajo de campo y entrevistas en profundidad a los porteadores. También se entrevistó a guías y ex-porteadores con el objetivo de conocer sus condiciones laborales: seguros, salarios, peso transportado, nutrición, equipamiento, oportunidades de empleo, sensación de trato justo e impacto sociocultural. En este trabajo se sostiene que todas las partes implicadas: el gobierno peruano, las agencias de turismo y los propios turistas, tienen una clara responsabilidad de mejorar las condiciones de estos trabajadores. La investigación ha puesto …

El Trabajo De Las Mujeres: Los Impactos Del Feminismo Socialista En La Organización Sindical De Buenos Aires Después De La Crisis Orgánica De 2001 / Women’S Work: The Impacts Of Socialist Feminism On Buenos Aires Union Organizing Following The 2001 Organic Crisis, Elise Williamson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En diciembre de 2001, en Argentina eclosionó una crisis orgánica en donde emergieron múltiples experiencias de participación social, política y cultural. En este período de dura inseguridad política y económica, se desarrolló una relación rejuvenecida entre la clase trabajadora de las fábricas que cerraban y despedían a sus empleados y los movimientos sociales (movimientos de trabajadores desocupados, asambleas de vecinos en los barrios de Buenos Aires y feminismo, entre otros). Poco tiempo después, con la recuperación económica, una nueva generación se incorporó a los nuevos empleos creados a la salida de la crisis. Esta generación, que había vivido las experiencias …

Building A Society Of Trust: Innovation And The Future Of Youth Employment In Jordan, Pierre Cativiela

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The word startup is perhaps an unlikely word that comes to mind when discussing shifting dynamics in the Middle East – this is rapidly changing. In the past two decades, Arab entrepreneurs have emerged from across the region as key players in the paradigm of national economic visions. Within these plans, innovation will become the epicenter for public-private partnerships. Such collaboration will contribute to tackling youth unemployment, the region’s most pressing contemporary problem, as well as diversifying local economies. The research delves into the complexities and history of entrepreneurship in Jordan as one of the region’s pioneering nations, examining the …

A Transition Point: The Role Of The Global Power Shift In Facilitating Saudi Internal Reforms, Aidan Aguilar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The increasing political and economic influence of China represents a pivotal point within international relations. This paper aims to explore the implications of this global power shift on Saudi Arabia’s attempted economic reforms. The Kingdom’s reliance on oil has created an unsustainable economic model, and this model is intrinsically linked to Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the United States. Its growing relationship with China could create change. As such, this paper analyzes the intersection of economics and security in relation to the Saudi Vision 2030. I argue that, not only does China serve as an important source of the investment necessary …

Investigating The Detriment Of Development Assistance: A Geopolitical Analysis Of Sino-Djibouti Relations Through The Lens Of China’S Belt And Road Initiative, Elizabeth Elenwo-Roger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper will evaluate Africa’s past with debt accumulation, focusing on the role of the Washington Consensus spearheaded by the Bretton Woods Institutions in its failed attempts to relieve the continent’s debt distresses and further aggravate Africa’s already fractured relationship with the West. It will highlight the goals of the Belt and Road Initiative, assessing China’s South-South cooperation approach to its relations with Djibouti and the Horn of Africa. Specifically, it will investigate claims of China engaging in debt-trap diplomacy and the extent to which this term infringes upon the agency of African leaders. The general research question investigates …

The Role Of Worker-Driven Regulation In The Global Fashion Industry, Jessie Wills

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The global fashion industry continues to exploit workers at the bottom of its supply chains. Multinational brands pressure manufacturers to churn out products at increasingly fast rates for increasingly cheaper costs. Severe problems persist in enforcing labor standards in these factories, and methods like voluntary corporate social responsibility are aspirational at best. A newer method of enforcement, worker-driven regulation (WDR), shows promise in its improved enforceability methods and focus on worker voices. The main research question of this paper is: What are the conditions that trigger and sustain worker-driven regulation at the factory level in the apparel industry?

Research methods …

Rural Microfinance And Business Ownership Outcomes A Case Of Tanzania Educational And Micro Business Opportunity (Tembo) Loan And Non-Loan Recipients In Longido District, Tanzania, Owen Conlin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The study takes place in a rural area of Tanzania with gender barriers that are extremely difficult to overcome on a cultural level. This research examines outcomes for women in Longido District, Tanzania along the lines of MFI participation, education levels, financial variables, and empowerment variables. This study intends to elaborate this theory by examining the role that education plays in the success of Microfinance Institutions (MFI’s). It was found that MFI participation is correlated with increased financial and overall independence. Higher levels of education are found to be correlated with increased income, financial independence, personal empowerment, and overall independence. …

Seeking Independence A Second Time: Fdi In Uganda’S Development, Halle Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper aims to examine the characteristics of foreign direct investment in Uganda and its impacts on development. The paper will look at the current neoliberal paradigm in the international political economy and its role in the developing world.

A practicum-based internship with the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute Uganda (SEATINI) guided independent research and provided information through interviews with various organizations and government ministries.

This paper found that neoliberal policies limit development opportunities of FDI. Examples of successful economic growth in various countries provide significant evidence of the importance of government intervention and strategic development …

Aid For Ed: An Analysis Of Rwanda’S 12-Year Basic Education System And Its Relationship With Government-Channeled Aid, Gabriel K. Anzeze

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The field of foreign aid has been widely explored, particularly as relates to economic development of developing states. This paper however delves into the specific utilization of foreign aid within the education sector in Rwanda and the effects it bears not just on the recipient state in general, but also on its financial practices with regard to aid. By exploring trends in financial expenditure by aid agencies and government, it appears that foreign aid does not necessarily influence government budget allocations and this absence of ‘crowding-out’ gives Rwanda an upper hand in managing foreign aid. Education also appears to be …

Finding A “True Morocco:” How Tourists Change Moroccan Economies, Infrastructure And Cultures, Emily Federico

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The overall purpose of this study was to research the effects of adventure tourism on rural towns and villages, notably their financial cultural and physical aspects. Issues such as the commodification of lived experiences in a post-colonial context will be examined. The study was conducted via interviews from hotel workers and guides in major tourist cities (Fes, Rabat and Merzouga). I found that most international tourists hailed from Western countries; thus, English or French were the primary languages used in the tourism business. Also, significant modes of craftsmanship that faced a cultural extinction, such as folk music, rugs, and pottery, …

Why Is Las Vegas Busy Everyday? A Behavioural Analysis Of Impact Investors’ Attitude And Decision-Making Process, Isha Shah

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Remarking a discrepancy in the statistics of a growing influence of impact investment and yet its restrictive inclusion in the financial market has encouraged this inductive research to take an alternative approach to address the impact investment market. In an emic perspective, this study aims to assess the factors motivating individuals and institutions to pursue impact investment. Further, it also investigates some elements that guide the decision making of the investors in this field. The qualitative nature of the research demands exceptional secondary sources and it is rendered more credible with the inclusion of three relevant primary sources. The analysis …

Un Análisis Histórico De La Respuesta De Organizaciones Sindicales A La Pandemia De Covid-19, Rachel Hodes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La historia social de los últimos ciento cincuenta años de Ecuador ha contribuido únicamente a las acciones de organizaciones sindicales durante la pandemia del COVID-19. Un análisis de los medios sociales de varios sindicatos durante la pandemia y las protestas del 1 de mayo 2020 revela desarrollos claves en cuatro áreas: la afiliación política, la construcción de solidaridad con el movimiento indígena, el enfoque en la educación, y la lucha contra la corrupción gubernamental. Patrones mayores incluyen la priorización continua de la educación por obreras incluso cuando enfrentan nuevos desafíos, la unidad de centrales sindicales contra el neoliberalismo y la …

A Comparison Of Entrepreneurship: Uganda And The United States Of America, Jordan Killen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this preliminary research assignment I compared and contrasted entrepreneurship and what it means to be an entrepreneur or small business owner in the United States and Uganda as well as offer suggestions that could potentially strengthen the Ugandan economy using American business practices and solutions. I utilized both secondary sources and my own experiences and knowledge about small businesses and entrepreneurs in Uganda. This data is compared to both my own experiences in the United States as well as information provided by scholarly articles to provide a more complete and well-rounded comparison of the two countries. Uganda, being a …

El Socio No Tradicional: Un Análisis De Las Inversiones Chinas En La Argentina Y La Articulación Bilateral Argentino-China / The Nontraditional Partner: An Analysis Of Chinese Investment In Argentina And The Argentine-Chinese Bilateral Articulation, Lucy Hale

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación se enfoca en la relación comercial bilateral que tienen Argentina y China. Se analizan las inversiones extranjeras directas (IED) chinas en Argentina en el período 2003 hasta 2019 y trata de entender las dos siguientes preguntas: ¿Qué revelan las inversiones chinas en la Argentina sobre la relación de estos dos países en términos de oportunidades políticas y económicas para cada uno de ellos? Y ¿de qué tipo de articulación bilateral son indicativas estas inversiones? Esta investigación cuenta con una base de datos agregados de varias fuentes académicas, gubernamentales y periodísticas. Además, cuatro entrevistas fueron llevadas a cabo con …

Islands In A Sea Of Aaruul: Globalization And Mongolian Cheesemakers, Pearse Anderson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite being a sparsely-populated country with less than 2% of its land arable, Mongolia has developed a rich and complex food culture, notably for its meat and dairy products, which could soon be at an historic high thanks to the tens of millions of animals on Mongolian pastureland. Many Mongolians and non-Mongolians view the countryside as a sea of milk that is currently being underutilized for economic exploitation. Various projects, whether funded and organized by international NGOs, the Mongolian government, or private companies, have tried to use Mongolian’s dairy resources to fill Mongolian demand, with more recent private ventures also …

Spun Truths: Outcomes Of Mongolia’S Cashmere Program In Domestic Processing Facilities And Supply Chain, Daniel Strodel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since Mongolia’s transition to a market economy cashmere goats' population quintupled and their share of the nation’s total live-stock doubled. Cashmere is Mongolia’s third largest export and herders’ primary source of cash income. However, Mongolian cashmere processing facilities operate well below capacity because they cannot compete with high prices paid by Chinese traders. The latest intervention in a series of industry reforms is the four year Cashmere Program, which is being implemented by the Mongolian Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry. In order to increase the amount of cashmere processed and exported from Mongolia, the program invests in domestic processing …

Transnational Sharing Economies & Neoliberal Urbanism: Airbnb In The City-Region Of Tangier, Jack Spector-Bishop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the early 1980s, Morocco’s strategies of urban governance have been decidedly neoliberal, focusing on entrepreneurialism, market liberalization, and privatization in order to make Moroccan cities more competitive in a global capitalist market (Bogaert 2010; Kanai & Kutz 2011). Within this context of neoliberal urban restructuring, I examine the case of Airbnb in the rapidly globalising city-region of Tangier. Airbnb is an online “sharing economy” platform which allows property owners to rent out living spaces to short-term travellers, usually tourists. In the Moroccan urban context, Airbnb is part of a broader trend of entrepreneurial development, influx of international capital into …

Río Muchacho: La Interacción Entre Agricultura Orgánica, Educación Ambiental Y Ecoturismo, Tatum Contreras

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El enfoque principal de mi proyecto fue crear un documental sobre cómo Río Muchacho combinada lo orgánico, el ecoturismo y la educación ambiental. Hice mi proyecto en la provincia de Manabí cerca del pueblo Canoa. Documenté y entrevisté a todas las personas involucradas en Río muchacho- de los dueños, a los visitantes. Empecé mi proyecto el 8 de abril y terminé con la filmación y las entrevistas el 26 de abril. En la primera semana trabajé en la finca orgánica de 7 de la mañana hasta las 4 de la tarde. Las dos otras semanas trabajé de 7 a la …

The Process Of Conducting Socioeconomic Research In Vietnam: An Internship With The Development And Policies Research Center (Depocen), Kira Le

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As Vietnam continues its rapid development, its government and people will be increasingly reliant on research organizations such as the Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN) to study the socioeconomic issues that demand to be addressed in the interest of the sustainable development of the country. DEPOCEN is an independent research organization that has studied issues ranging from poverty and gender equality, to business & investment environment and trade liberalization. Since its establishment in 2005, DEPOCEN has developed collaborative relationships with many other research institutions like Oxford Economics and the Korean Institute of Economic Policy, and has offered its services …

The Path To Mainstream Finance: Exploring Complementary Currencies And Interest-Free Lending, Ema Di Fruscia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores elements of alternative finance including complementary currencies, credit clearing systems, and Islamic Banking practices. I begin first by outlining the issues created by the mainstream western banking model, including wealth inequality, socioeconomic discrimination, environmental degradation, and the collapse of small businesses and local economies. I go on to introduce and define the concepts of complementary currencies, Local Exchange Trading Systems, and credit clearing systems; I argue that these systems challenge the popularly held perceptions that currencies and mainstream banking practices in general are immutable, given, or ideal. To support this assertion, I transition into my research findings …

Shaping Our World For A Better Tomorrow: Sustainable Investing, Esg, And Industry Insight, Anna M. Ballate

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable investing is a relatively new field in the world of finance and banking. Even though there is tremendous growth in sustainable investments over the past few years, it is still a niche market that requires more transparency, standards, and incentives. Switzerland has become one of the leading countries for sustainable finance, exhibiting a growth in sustainable investments under management. Despite the vast amount of research and development on sustainable investing, there is still much confusion and negative perception in the professional banking world about the topic. This study is designed to fill the gap between the academic rhetoric behind …

Perspectives On Language From Street Produce Vendors In Cape Town: An Examination Of Education, Trading, And Development In The Informal Sector, Hannah Oldham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Language is vital for the functioning of societies, from education to economic interactions. Language of education presents challenges in Africa due to colonial linguistic legacies and the diversity of indigenous African languages. While education trains learners for work in the formal economy, the South African formal cannot absorb all the available labor. The informal economy therefore provides vital work and income to millions of South Africans and immigrants. Language use in the informal sector was studied, including the education and work traders had before working as street produce vendors.

Six interviews were conducted: two near the Cape Town taxi rank, …

Russia's Northern Rook: Nord Stream 2 On The European Energy Chessboard, David E. Wilson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline proposes to connect Germany to the world’s largest natural gas reserves in Russia, allowing the state-owned Russian energy behemoth Gazprom to double its export capacity through the ‘Northern Corridor’ transit route to Europe. This project has been the subject of sharp disapproval from Central and Eastern European countries, as well as the United States, which fear the prospect of increasing dependence on gas imports from a Russia perceived as politically aggressive and unreliable. This paper will identify the geopolitical and geoeconomic implications involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2 by adopting a geostrategic worldview …

An Abbreviated Leap: The Geopolitical And Geoeconomic Significance Of The China – Pakistan Economic Corridor To The New Silk Road, Emma Nichols

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this analysis is to reveal the geopolitical and geoeconomic significance of the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative to its major stakeholders; Pakistan and China. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled one of the most ambitious international infrastructure plans in modern history. The plan, in its earliest stages, is currently underway with its first portion, the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Through careful preliminary analysis of the greater Belt and Road Initiative, the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor, and history of Sino-Pak relations, the motivations of the collaborating nations are …

Evaluating Frameworks For Multilateral Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Danielle Rosenthal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Utilizing both empirical studies of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) regimes and the accounts of both public and private practitioners of these processes, this study aims to inform public policymakers, multinational corporation leadership, and academic researchers on some of the key issues to consider when developing a multilateral friendly ISDS regime. By analyzing the procedural and functional details of both traditional arbitration (via the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) and investment dispute courts (via those proposed in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the EU Canada Comprehensive Economic and …

Formalizing Through Finances: A Case Study With Unics, Leah Kellenberger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper seeks to analyze the microfinance industry in Yaoundé, Cameroon through the lens of the microfinance institution UNICS. The main question guiding this study deals with whether or not the UNICS is encouraging a shift to the formal sector through their work with business people. Other questions relating to repayment rates and subsequently economic development also remain pertinent to the information found. In total, it is found that UNICS seeks to encourage formal sector growth through their work with businesspeople in the informal. Repayment rates however do not determine success of any aspect of a customer’s business or encouragement …

Foreign Business Entrepreneurship In Cape Town: How To Start A Business - Stories Of 6 Cape Town Based Immigrants, Aleksandra Bogoevska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

South Africa has become a shelter for immigrants from all over the world (Wilkinson, 2015). Combined with its internationally recognized economy, it is a tempting location for foreigners to establish a business (“Starting a Business in South Africa as a Foreigner – A Complete Guide”, n.d.). With this in mind, the intent of this study is twofold. First, this project aims at analyzing how foreigners establish businesses in Cape Town. Its objective is to trace the entrepreneurial process from the initial stages to its recent development. Second, it aims at outlining their experiences in Cape Town, thus serve as a …

Women In Microfinance And Its Social Effects On The Community: A Case Study In Hue, Vietnam, Madison Spigel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Microfinance, a form of micro lending with no collateral, has been used as a way to finance the poor since the foundation of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh by Muhammad Yunus in 1983. Since the Doi Moi period, the Vietnamese government has showed great interest in microfinance and has made this loan system available to both its rural and urban citizens through organizations like the Women‟s Union. Through detailed surveys and semi-structured in depth interviews of both women in the Union as well as related parties in Hue, I was able to study how microfinance is used by these women …

The Impact Of Geopolitical Factors On The Future Economic Integration Of Asean +3, Michael Corrigan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

East and Southeast Asia have benefited greatly from China’s growth and are gaining significantly more economic and political power in comparison to the West. The growing interdependence in this region has led to the continuing economic integration of the ASEAN Plus Three countries. The research paper analyzes the geopolitical factors that impact this integration, such as historical tension, regional security conflicts, social, cultural and economic differences, as well as economic rivalries. In addition, the strategic agendas of the main actors, including the U.S., are analyzed to provide a comprehensive argument concerning the impact these geopolitical factors will have on future …

Perspectivas Locales Sobre El Litio En El Salar De Uyuni: Niveles De Conocimiento Y Opiniones Regionales Sobre El Proyecto Que Puede Determinar El Futuro Del Litio En El Mundo, Gillian Greenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La combinación del aumento en la urgencia por hacer algo sobre el cambio climático y la popularidad creciente de los vehículos eléctricos sitúan al litio como un material clave en la transición de hidrocarburos en los próximos años. A causa de que la reserva más grande del litio en el mundo está ubicada en el Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia tiene la oportunidad de influir en esta evolución. El proyecto estatal para industrializar el litio en el Salar de Uyuni comenzó en 2008 y continúa trabajando hacia el objetivo de la producción de baterías de litio. Para las comunidades alrededor del …