Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Business
Evaluating The Persistence Of Subsistence Work In Contemporary Economies: Some Lessons From Moscow, Colin C. Williams, Peter Rodgers
Evaluating The Persistence Of Subsistence Work In Contemporary Economies: Some Lessons From Moscow, Colin C. Williams, Peter Rodgers
Colin C Williams
Purpose – Contrary to the view that the subsistence economy is some minor residue persisting in
only a few peripheral enclaves of modern economies, the purpose of this paper is to begin to chart the
importance and prevalence of subsistence work across the contemporary economic landscape and the
reasons underpinning engagement in this form of non-commodified labour.
Design/methodology/approach – To do so, the extent of, and reasons for, subsistence production
amongst those living in contemporary Moscow is evaluated using face-to-face interviews with
313 households in affluent, mixed and deprived districts.
Findings – It was found that subsistence work is a …
Entrepreneurship In The Informal Economy: Commercial Or Social Entrepreneurs?, Colin C. Williams, Sara Nadin
Entrepreneurship In The Informal Economy: Commercial Or Social Entrepreneurs?, Colin C. Williams, Sara Nadin
Colin C Williams
Recent research has revealed that a large proportion of entrepreneurs startup
their ventures operating on a wholly or partially off-the-books basis. Until now, it
has been commonly assumed that those who operate in the informal economy are
exclusively commercial entrepreneurs. They are assumed to be rational economic
actors who weigh up the benefits of operating off-the-books against the costs of
being caught and decide to operate in this manner. The aim of this paper is to
evaluate critically this a priori assumption. Reporting evidence from a 2005/6 survey
involving face-to-face interviews with 102 informal entrepreneurs in Moscow in
Russia, the …