Development Meets Organizational Economics, NBER, May 2013

This workshop brought together organizational economists and development economists to discuss productivity within and between firms (such as in supply chains) in low-income economies. The workshop was part presentations and part brainstorming. Most of the presentations distilled frameworks from organizational economics that have proven useful in studying productivity within and between firms in high-income economies—such as formal and relational contracting, as well as information, communication and decision-making within firms. Many of these frameworks are especially relevant for firms in developing countries, where weak institutional environments lead to challenges in making credible commitments to employees and trading partners alike. At the same time, new firm- and plant-level data from low-income countries provides the opportunity to test organizational theories. You can find more information here.