The small-scale pepper producers in the El Roble settlement Costa Rica face a monopsonistic market. Only one processing firm is buying the fresh pepper bunches. The processor has all bargaining power to decide on the price paid to the farmers and the quality selection criteria. The rejection...

Costa Rica has been successful in attracting high-tech foreign direct investment (FDI). An aggressive FDI-assisted development strategy was pursued by the country in the 1980s as a response to the economic crisis; yet there are serious concerns about the effectiveness of such strategy from a...

This paper presents an analysis of the contribution of some institutional innovations to a more inclusive growth in the coffee and the palm oil sectors. The paper presents an historical approach, considering the concepts of growth and sustainable development, but specially the notion of...

The classic dual economy models of developing countries hold minimum wages (among other institutions) accountable for persistent dualism. They note that applying or enforcing minimum wage laws in only one sector of the economy will create wage differentials which will not be eroded with labor...

This paper investigates the effects of legal minimum wages on wages, employment, hours worked and monthly earnings among workers covered by minimum wage legislation as well as those for whom it does not apply (the uncovered sector) in Costa Rica. This country’s large uncovered sector and...

Erstmalig seit der Unabhängigkeit der lateinamerikanischen Staaten herrscht in der Region � mit Ausnahme Kubas � ein einziges politische Regime ohne ernsthafte Alternative: die Demokratie. Entgegen der Vorhersagen der Pessimisten und Skeptiker der Demokratie zu Beginn der 1990er Jahre hat...

The thesis analyzes the changing employment and economic situation of females when they become mothers. Two major questions are focused in the thesis: First, when do mothers return to their previous employment after bearing a child? Secondly, what are the individual economic consequences after...

This thesis shows that women's labour market participation, macroeconomic growth and family policies are closely linked to each other. Whereas there exists clear theoretical and empirical evidence that female labour market participation unambiguously promotes GDP growth, the inverse impact of...