Customary land-tenure systems, which can work well in the rural hinterland, cannot accommodate the high prices and complex land markets of large, modern cities. There are at least two key institutional features that present challenges to the land markets of African cities: a lack of property rights and minimal urban planning. Property rights are fundamental…
Urbanisation in Africa represents a huge opportunity for the continent. The increased concentration of people in urban spaces is good for workers and businesses alike, since economic density will bring gains in productivity and quality of life. There are 500 million people living in African cities with another 700 million expected by 2050. This population…
Investigating how meritocracy enables economic growth Socioeconomic inequality is on the rise across the globe, yet research suggests that citizens in unequal societies characterized by greater inequality are generally less concerned about inequality than those in more egalitarian societies. One possible explanation for this is that people may be more likely to accept inequality if…
Identifying the transmission mechanisms of global shocks for better business-cycle management in developing countries “The emergence of China as the largest official lender has far-reaching implications for developing countries. Understanding monetary spillovers from China makes policy makers better aware of the nature of international shocks in order to make better decisions.” Jinglun Yao, PhD candidate…
New research will help understand how innovations in technology are spread across regions, industries, occupations and firms to generate key data insights for businesses The development of novel technologies, the degree to which they affect jobs and the speed with which they spread across regions, firms and industries are key elements in the study of…
Promoting evidence-based practices to enable solutions scaling by business The operation of urban land markets in developing countries is critical to building sustainable cities. Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing rapid urbanisation, pressuring cities with limited institutional capacity. Challenges include inadequate provision of housing, a proliferation of slums and rising inequality. Many African countries suffer from weak…
How public science transforms drug-development efforts This project studies whether and how public science can promote innovation in the private-sector development of drugs and biologics, with particular attention to the oncology market. The work has policy implications for today’s health environment. For example, while the Covid-19 pandemic has affected every facet of our daily lives,…
Towards understanding how the consumption patterns of the wealthy sectors of society impact the poorer to better inform macroeconomic policy choices. “Understanding how different consumption patterns by the wealthy and the poor affect the economic cycle and its amplification can help policy makers target scarce resources to improve the livelihoods of the most vulnerable members…
Applications are now closed As part of the 2021 Trans-Atlantic Doctoral Conference (TADC) for PhD students from leading business schools in North America and Europe, we are inviting proposals with a deadline of Monday, 30 August 2021. About the Wheeler Institute The Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School aims to promote research that applies business…
The Wheeler Institute recognises Shikhar Singla’s research. Over the last few decades, economists have shown that different components of culture and economic institutions matter for economic and financial development. Attitudes and beliefs about groups can have important consequences for their economic performance. Strong economic institutions are a significant cause of long run while creditor rights,…