TY - JOUR
T1 - When do institutional transfers work? the relation between institutions, culture and the transplant effect
T2 - The case of Borno in north-eastern Nigeria
AU - Seidler, Valentin
PY - 2014/9
Y1 - 2014/9
N2 - Little is known of why institutional transfers have been largely disappointing. Berkowitz et al. (2001) have argued that because of what they call the transplant effect, imported law lacks effectiveness unless there is an initial level of familiarity or the imported law is successfully adapted to local legal norms. Yet, history shows that institutional transfers are possible: Why have some countries been more successful than others in importing foreign institutions? The paper introduces a framework for the analysis of the transplant effect, which is based on institutional economics. In the second part, we investigate the case of Borno State in northeastern Nigerian where institutions transferred during colonial rule and upon independence have been largely ineffective. In the case of Borno, the lack of a European educated bureaucratic class, low commitment of the political leadership, generally low levels of education and urbanization contributed to the low effectiveness of imported institutions.
AB - Little is known of why institutional transfers have been largely disappointing. Berkowitz et al. (2001) have argued that because of what they call the transplant effect, imported law lacks effectiveness unless there is an initial level of familiarity or the imported law is successfully adapted to local legal norms. Yet, history shows that institutional transfers are possible: Why have some countries been more successful than others in importing foreign institutions? The paper introduces a framework for the analysis of the transplant effect, which is based on institutional economics. In the second part, we investigate the case of Borno State in northeastern Nigerian where institutions transferred during colonial rule and upon independence have been largely ineffective. In the case of Borno, the lack of a European educated bureaucratic class, low commitment of the political leadership, generally low levels of education and urbanization contributed to the low effectiveness of imported institutions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84905593872&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1744137414000046
DO - 10.1017/S1744137414000046
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84905593872
SN - 1744-1374
VL - 10
SP - 371
EP - 397
JO - Journal of Institutional Economics
JF - Journal of Institutional Economics
IS - 3
ER -