Microlevel analysis of how itinerant immigrant entrepreneurs underwrite local economic development in an African city
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21540910 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ibrahim Abu Abdulai (0000-0002-5813-2386, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, corresponding author), Moses Naiim Fuseini (0000-0002-0830-5752, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies), Elijah Yendaw (0000-0003-0728-0204, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 1230-1251 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Development Southern Africa (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0376-835X • E-ISSN: 1470-3637 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0376835x.2024.2403417 |
| OpenAlex | W4402981022 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 41 |
Itinerant merchants are actively involved in various economic activities within and around African cities, albeit on a small scale. However, there remains a gap in understanding their contribution to host cities’ local economic development (LED). This research aims to fill this gap by examining how itinerant immigrant retailers support LED in host cities, using Wa in Ghana. Recognising their role is essential for informing location-specific development plans to boost local economies. Employing a qualitative research approach, we interviewed 52 participants, including itinerant immigrants, city residents, and officials from relevant state agencies. Thematic analysis using NVivo version 11 was employed to analyse the responses. Itinerant merchants play a crucial role in local economies by creating employment opportunities, providing income sources for residents, ensuring convenient access to goods and services, and contributing to market diversification. We discuss how these insights could inform LED policies and planning in sub-Saharan Africa
Demographic economics · Development economics · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Immigration · Political science · Local Economic Development and Planning · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy
Enterprise Restructuring in Transition
The Inconvenient Truth About Convenience and Purposive Samples
How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis
Prospect Theory
Itinerant labour
Stimulating and developing sustainable urban local economies
Designing Case Studies
Rational Choice Theory
Cross-Border Migration of Itinerant Immigrant Retailers in Ghana
Choices, values, and frames
Qualitative Case Study Methodology
How to Access Elites When Textbook Methods Fail? Challenges of Purposive Sampling and Advantages of Using Interviewees as “Fixers”
An Economic History of Tropical Africa
Planning local economic development
The State of African Cities 2010
Reading Rational Choice Theory
Rational Choice Theory and Explanation
Trade Patterns in Ghana at the Beginning of the Eighteenth Century
How Many Interviews Are Enough
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |