Leveraging emerging markets for global good.

Osei, Barnard, Derban, and Essuman show that giving rural Ghanaians free, mobile-enabled bank accounts and financial literacy training did not meaningfully increase account use. In a field experiment with 142 participants, only 2 percent used their accounts, typically when required to receive payments. The study found that usage depended less on access or knowledge, and more on income stability and concrete financial needs. These results highlight the limits of standalone literacy interventions and underscore the importance of linking financial inclusion strategies to broader efforts that raise incomes and enable purposeful transactions. For financial tools to work, the conditions for their use must exist.

Li, Cuypers, Ertug, Bapuji, and Liu reveal that not all political connections affect environmental outcomes equally. Using data from 6,758 private Chinese firms, the study finds that ties to national and provincial officials tend to reduce pollution, while ties to local officials often increase it, reflecting different governmental priorities. The authors show how owner social class and shifts in policy attention further shape these effects. Their findings underscore the need for coordination across government levels and strategic engagement by firms to ensure political ties promote, rather than undermine, sustainability and industrial accountability in emerging markets.

Nason, Vedula, Bothello, Bacq, and Charman explore how entrepreneurs in South Africa's informal economy balance the need to be seen with the risk of exposure. Through fieldwork in Cape Town's Delft township, they introduce the concept of “selective visibility,” showing that entrepreneurs reveal themselves strategically to customers or authorities based on social embeddedness. Older, locally rooted business owners often remain discreet, while younger or migrant entrepreneurs seek community visibility for legitimacy. The study highlights visibility as a calibrated practice rather than a binary choice and calls for policies that de-risk gradual formalization, promote trust, and support context-sensitive growth for informal firms.