Andrew Spicer

Multiple Paths to Institutional-Based Trust Production and Repair: Lessons from the Russian Bank Deposit Market

We propose and test the proposition that state ownership represents an important mechanism of institutional-based trust production in market development that requires analysis in its own right, particularly following periods of financial crisis when the state’s role as a regulator is often viewed as ineffective or corrupt. To test the proposition that state ownership and state regulation act as distinct sources of institutional-based trust production, we examine individual choices of market participation and avoidance in Russia’s market for bank deposits. To analyze the consequences of institutional-based trust, we look at individual preferences to keep savings in a private bank, in a state bank, or in cash outside of the banking system. To analyze antecedent conditions, we measure an individual’s trust in political actors and government agencies. Our results support the proposition that the state produces institutional-based trust in the Russian banking system through its roles as both an owner and a regulator.

Does one size fit all in microfinance? New directions for academic research

We are confident that the Wal-Mart concept is “exportable.”…If Wal-Mart had been content to be just an Arkansas retailer in the early days, we probably would not be where we are today. State borders were not barriers, and people and ideas moved freely from one area to another…We believe the successful retailers of the future will be those that bring the best of each nation to todays consumer. We call it “global learning.” We are committed to being a successful global retailer and we believe the attributes that made us successful in the United States will also lead to success internationally.– David D. Glass, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Govindarajan & Gupta, 2001)

Walmart’s Emergent Low-Cost Sustainable Product Strategy

This article traces the strategic initiatives that Walmart undertook over the last decade to implement its ambitious vision of selling more sustainable products. This effort has been characterized by a gradual shift away from customer-facing initiatives aimed at labeling sustainable products toward supplier-facing initiatives targeted at improving environmental or social performance without raising customer prices. It highlights the role of institutional intermediaries, transaction costs, and experiential learning in shaping firms’ capabilities to translate ambitious sustainability goals into operable, mass-market initiatives.

Measuring the political context of entrepreneurship in the developing world: Lessons from the state fragility literature

While the international entrepreneurship literature has begun to expand its scope to include the world’s poorest and least-developed countries, it has not yet reached a consensus about how to devel...