Conference: Entrepreneurship and Employment in the Global South
Conference Theme
Generating sufficient employment for growing populations is a key concern in much of the global South and a prerequisite for sustainable development. Despite some countries experiencing high levels of economic growth, this is rarely accompanied by corresponding levels of employment creation, leading to ‘jobless growth’. As highlighted by the 2013 World Development Report, ‘Jobs are the cornerstone of economic and social development’ and ‘development happens through jobs’ (WDR 2012: 2).
The vast majority of employment is created in the private sector, which in the global South is characterised by high levels of informality. Many individuals, especially young people, have to create their own employment opportunities, requiring a degree of entrepreneurship. Job creation through entrepreneurship is currently being promoted by international organizations, governments and NGOs as a key solution to unemployment despite there being a dearth of knowledge about entrepreneurship in the global South.
This interdisciplinary conference will focus on the nature of entrepreneurship and employment in the global South and the ways in which the world of work is constantly evolving in response to demographic shifts, urbanization, technological progress, globalization and the impact of the financial crisis. We welcome papers that adopt a critical perspective on a range of themes including, but not limited to:
- Conceptualising entrepreneurship, employment and informality
- Impact of globalization and urbanization on entrepreneurship and employment opportunities
- Employment avenues in urban and rural areas, especially for young people
- Influence of age, gender and ethnicity on entrepreneurship and employment
- Challenges of under- and unemployment
- Sustainability and Entrepreneurship
- Role of social and collective entrepreneurship
- Role of formal and informal vocational/entrepreneurship education
- Policies and programmes to support entrepreneurship and employment
The Conference is organized by
The Centre for Business and Development Studies / Department of Intercultural Communication and Management / CBS