Smallholder Market Systems: Understanding System Behavior and the Role of Relationships

This research examines the underlying nature of systemic change insmallholder market systems, market relationships as a key component of performance in a smallholder supply chain, and the effect of these relationships and market architecture on supply chain resilience. The first study, about mapping and monitoring systemic change for program design and evaluation in the development sector, develops an approach that identifies key dynamics in systems in international development. It can be a valuable basis for creating and evaluating systemic change. Its use in Uganda showed the importance of market and community relationships in shaping market system behavior, but little was known about how these relationships worked in this setting. Therefore, the second study is a qualitative analysis of supply chain relationships in Mbale, Uganda. This study offers insight into what relationship are valuable and why in a smallholder context. This study offered deep insight into relationships, but not their collective structure. The third study is a model that examines the impact of different structures of market relationships on supply chain resilience in a smallholder market. This research examines key components and leverage points in developing market systems, and from a supply chain perspective: the researchers fill gaps in the literature where smallholder settings have been largely excluded from the supply chain research, and show how supply chain relationships influence outcomes in these settings.

Author

• Peters, Megan

Language

• en

Keyword

• system mapping
• relationships
• supply chain resilience
• systemic change
• smallholder markets
• market architectures

Date created

• 2023

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Systems Engineering

Degree

• Ph.D.

Advisor

• Gralla, Erica L

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/ws859g49w