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Søren Jeppesen

Associate Professor

Subjects
Industry Methodology Poverty Africa Entrepreneurship Social responsibility

Primary research areas

Firm prac­tices and (la­bour) codes of con­duct
I work on is­sues re­gard­ing loc­al factors which in­flu­ence the de­vel­op­ment and growth po­ten­tial of firms in the Glob­al South, pre­dom­in­antly in Africa. I fo­cus on how strategies of state agen­cies, labor and private act­ors im­pact how such firms un­der­take activ­it­ies of so­cial respons­ibility.
Up­grad­ing strategies in the South­ern Afric­an Gar­ment in­dustry
My re­search with a South Afric­an col­league con­cerns the im­port­ance of Codes of Con­duct for work­ing con­di­tions, growth and up­grad­ing in the tex­tiles and cloth­ing in­dustry in South­ern Africa. I in­vest­ig­ate how the in­dustry in South Africa, Leso­tho and Es­wat­ini has been and is chan­ging over time.

I in­vest­ig­ate how firms, gov­ern­ments and oth­er act­ors cre­ate jobs and in­dus­tri­al de­vel­op­ment in South­ern and East­ern Africa

My research concerns the development of firms in the Global South. I work on issues regarding local factors which influence the development and growth potential of Global South/ developing country firms (or lack of same). Focusing on SMEs, Social Responsibility, I address the driving forces (or lack of same) for growth strategies of SMEs in the Global South engaging in socially responsible practices  (or not engaging). 

Major research activities concern a) the importance of Codes of Conduct for working conditions in the textiles and clothing industry in Southern Africa, b) the interplay between so-called Successful African Firms and Institutional Change, and c) the role of Youth, Entrepreneurship and Employment in contexts like Uganda, Zambia and South Africa. 

Recent research projects

En­clave de­vel­op­ment. The im­port­ance of the South­ern Afric­an gar­ment in­dustry.

The re­search ad­dresses the im­port­ance of (Labor)Codes of Con­duct for work­ing con­di­tions, growth and up­grad­ing in the gar­ment in­dustry in South­ern Africa. A South Afric­an col­league (Prof. An­dries Bezuid­en­hout) and I have since early 2000s looked at how the gar­ment in­dustry in South Africa, Leso­tho and Es­wat­ini has been and is con­trib­ut­ing to loc­al de­vel­op­ment. Key sources of in­put are loc­al firms, gov­ern­ment en­tit­ies and labor or­gan­isa­tions.

Outside activities

FAU - The Association of Development Researchers in Denmark , 2005–ongoing

Board mem­ber

MUBS, Uganda, 2017–2020

Vis­it­ing Pro­fess­or