A Behavioral Perspective on Informal Cross-Border Trading

Marcus Møller Larsen*, Rebecca Namatovu, Rajneesh Narula

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til bog/antologi/rapportKonferenceabstrakt i proceedingsForskningpeer review

Abstract

Informal cross-border trade (ICBT) involves trade that wholly or partly evades payment of duties and charges and is a highly prevalent business practice in developing countries. We focus on the persistence of ICBT despite government interventions to increase formalization, and explore how informal traders’ behaviors influence their appreciation or adoption of interventions for formalization. We argue that the potential for formalizing ICBT depends on how the informal traders evaluate the prospects of remaining informal versus changing to formality. Based on a qualitative case study of the introduction of a simplified trade regime (STR) at the Busia trading post between Uganda and Kenya, we find that informality persists due to a supportive, informal social network, skepticism of government/state programs, and perceived superiority of informal. We contribute by explicitly acknowledging the role of socio-economic behavior in explaining informality persistence even when simple formalization interventions are introduced.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelProceedings of the 65th Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business. AIB 2023 : International Business Resilience under Global Disruptions
RedaktørerKazuhiro Asakawa, Tunga Kiyak
Antal sider1
UdgivelsesstedEast Lansing, MI
ForlagAcademy of International Business
Publikationsdato2023
Sider128
StatusUdgivet - 2023
BegivenhedAIB 2023 Annual Meeting: International Business Resilience under Global Disruptions - SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Polen
Varighed: 5 jul. 20239 jul. 2023
Konferencens nummer: 65
https://www.aib.world/event/annual-meeting-aib-2023-warsaw/

Konference

KonferenceAIB 2023 Annual Meeting
Nummer65
LokationSGH Warsaw School of Economics
Land/OmrådePolen
ByWarsaw
Periode05/07/202309/07/2023
Internetadresse
NavnProceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business
ISSN2078-0435

Citationsformater