Explaining participation in the informal economy: An institutional incongruence perspective

Williams, Colin C.; Horodnic, Ioana Alexandra; Windebank, Jan

doi:10.1177/0268580915578745

Cited by 84 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Therefore, a general acceptance (tolerance) to corruption was considered one of the main causes behind widespread informal payments in health care . Other causes can be suggested by the degree of asymmetry between the codified laws and regulations of the formal institutions and the unwritten socially shared rules of informal institutions or the grade of un‐alignment between formal and informal institutions, which tends to strongly associate with participation in the informal economy …”

Section: Introduction Explaining Informal Payments In Health Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers behind widespread informal payments in the Romanian public health care system: From tolerance to corruption to socio‐economic and spatial patterns

Horodnic

Mazilu

Oprea

2018

Health Planning & Management

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In order to explain informal payments in public health care services in Romania, this paper evaluates the relationship between extra payments or valuable gifts (apart from official fees) and the level of tolerance to corruption, as well as the socio-economic and spatial patterns across those individuals offering informal payments. To evaluate this, a survey undertaken in 2013 is reported. Using logistic regression analysis, the findings are that patients with a high tolerance to corruption, high socio-economic risk (those divorced, separated, or with other form of marital status, and those not working), and located in rural or less affluent areas are more likely to offer (apart from official fees) extra payments or valuable gifts for health care services. The paper concludes by discussing the health policy implications.

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Section: Introduction Explaining Informal Payments In Health Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers behind widespread informal payments in the Romanian public health care system: From tolerance to corruption to socio‐economic and spatial patterns

Horodnic

Mazilu

Oprea

2018

Health Planning & Management

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“…; Williams ; Williams and Padmore ; Williams et al . ; Flórez and Perales ). In an evaluation of cross‐national levels of informal employment in the European Union, Williams (, p. 491) found that reducing informal employment required, among other things, higher expenditure on labor market interventions and social protection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Job search inefficiency and optimal policies in the presence of an informal sector

Flórez

2018

Int J of Economic Theory

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In this paper I use a search and matching model to analyze efficiency in an economy with an informal sector, defined as unregulated self‐employment that cannot be observed by the government. Initially I show that the market solution for this kind of economy is inefficient. Subsequently I introduce various government policies that could correct this inefficiency. These policies include social security payments, severance payments, formal taxes, and job creation subsidies. According to this analysis the most effective policy, which restores efficiency while at the same time reducing informality levels in the labor market, is a tax credit. In this model a tax credit provides incentives for informal workers to participate in the formal sector by reducing the tax burden they have to pay as formal employees. As a consequence these workers have a higher probability of finding a higher‐productivity job in the formal sector, which in turn increases the overall efficiency of the economy. This finding is interesting in so far as it provides a theoretical rationale for anti‐informality policies that reduce informality through more rather than less social protection. The paper is therefore a modest contribution toward a policy paradigm in which reducing levels of informality and poverty and providing social protection for workers are seen as complementary rather than contradictory goals.

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“…Institutional theory recognises the coexistence of both formal and informal markets (Williams, Horodnic and Windebank 2015) and when applied to a changing PRS provides a useful framework for understanding how markets fragment to cater for and/or exploit different segments and needs. Institutional theory also posits that governments will act to minimise the adverse impact of markets through regulation, direct subsidises and programs which support people to participate in or access markets rather than fundamentally replacing them to meet welfare needs.…”

Section: Conceptualising Prs Intermediary Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating a changing private rental sector: opportunities and challenges for low-income renters

Parkinson¹,

James²,

Liu³

2018

Preprint

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iii AHURI AHURI is a national independent research network with an expert not-for-profit research management company, AHURI Limited, at its centre.AHURI's mission is to deliver high quality research that influences policy development and practice change to improve the housing and urban environments of all Australians.Using high quality, independent evidence and through active, managed engagement, AHURI works to inform the policies and practices of governments and the housing and urban development industries, and stimulate debate in the broader Australian community.AHURI undertakes evidence-based policy development on a range of priority policy topics that are of interest to our audience groups, including housing and labour markets, urban growth and renewal, planning and infrastructure development, housing supply and affordability, homelessness, economic productivity, and social cohesion and wellbeing. AcknowledgementsThis material was produced with funding from the Australian Government and state and territory governments. AHURI Limited gratefully acknowledges the financial and other support it has received from these governments, without which this work would not have been possible.AHURI Limited also gratefully acknowledges the contributions, both financial and in-kind, of its university research partners who have helped make the completion of this material possible.We are indebted to each of the individuals who generously shared their experiences of renting, as well as their insights into how the sector can be improved from a consumer perspective. We thank the community providers and tenancy managers who provided an in-depth understanding of the practice and policy issues faced by low-income renters for sharing their practice innovation and also for assisting with the recruitment of renters for the research. The responses from investors/landlords to our survey is greatly appreciated and has provided much needed background on the motivations for investing and receptiveness to different policy scenarios in providing more affordable rentals.Sincere thanks is also extended to Dr Farnaz Zirakbash for providing invaluable research assistance with entering interviews into NVivo. Finally, we would like to thank Professor Terry Burke, who graciously shared his wisdom on earlier drafts of the introductory and future directions policy chapters, as well as providing advice on the landlord survey.

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Explaining participation in the informal economy: An institutional incongruence perspective

Cited by 84 publications

References 68 publications

Drivers behind widespread informal payments in the Romanian public health care system: From tolerance to corruption to socio‐economic and spatial patterns

Drivers behind widespread informal payments in the Romanian public health care system: From tolerance to corruption to socio‐economic and spatial patterns

Job search inefficiency and optimal policies in the presence of an informal sector

Navigating a changing private rental sector: opportunities and challenges for low-income renters

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