Using a unique dataset collected in 59 rural Gambian villages, we study how ethnic heterogeneity is related to the structure of four economic exchange networks: land, labor, inputs and credit. We find that different measures of village-level ethnic fragmentation are mostly uncorrelated with...

Using a unique dataset collected in 60 Gambian villages, I study six social and economic networks: (i) land exchange, (ii) labor exchange, (iii) tool and fertilizer exchange, (iv) credit exchange, (v) matrimonial relationships and (vi) kinship relationships. A variety of measures gleaned from...

The existing theoretical analysis of microfinance focuses on the nature of the loan contract such as group liability. We draw attention to the role of missing or imperfect labor market in understanding some of the important `second generation' debates in microfinance. Our analysis helps explain...

Using two surveys from Bangladesh, this paper provides evidence on the effects of microfinance competition on village moneylender interest rates and households’ dependence on informal credit. The views among practitioners diverge sharply: proponents claim that MFI competition reduces both the...

The linkage between the formal and informal credit markets has long been of great interest to development economists. This paper addresses one important aspect of the linkage by empirically investigating the impact of the microfinance program expansion on the moneylender interest rates in...

Recently, microfinance has come under increasing criticism raising questions of the validity of iconic studies which have justified the microfinance phenomenon. This paper applies propensity score matching (PSM), which has become widely used for the analysis of observational data, to the study...

The paper analyses if monetary rewards to continuative Italian volunteers decrease their intrinsic motivation undermining the satisfaction of psychological needs for autonomy and competence. It uses a Survey on Employment in the Social Care and Educational Services conducted by FIVOL-FEO in...

Social interaction combined with social conformity spreads attitudes and behaviors through a society. This paper examines such a process geographically for compliance with the norm that good citizens should vote. The diffusion of conformist behavior affects the local degree of conformity with...

This paper investigates the determinants of job satisfaction in Italy with particular emphasis on social relations. Our econometric analysis is based on four waves (1993, 1995, 1998 and 2000) of the Multipurpose Household Survey conducted annually by the Italian Central Statistics Office. The...

The aim of the paper is to analyze how corruption contributes to the spread of shadow economy and damages viable economic development of any country. The unfreedoms that are created under the conditions of illegal transactions and corrupt practices considerably limit the opportunities of...