1. Mahima Saxena, PhD Assistant Professor I-O Psychology Illinois Institute of Technology I/O Psychology and the ILO: Exploring work- experiences of informal workers and promoting decent work for all John Scott, PhD Chief Operating Officer APT Metrics

2. Outline Project motivation and funding Study (brief) Barriers to field research What can we do?

3. What is it about? Humanitarian Work Psychology project SIOP funded research

4. Motivation Informal economies >60% of the working population Are our theories valid for ALL types of work?  What sort of questions should we ask?

5. Project I/O Psychology and the ILO: Exploring work-experiences of informal workers

6. Where are they?

7. Who are these “informal workers”? Highly skilled (versus unskilled) Skills transferred from generation to generation through “centuries” Integrated with social identity & personal narratives Largely entrepreneurial

8. Artisan weavers, potters, craftsmen, and so on

9. Current Study Raw sample products to be handed out later

10. Barriers to field research Language Climate-related, Natural & Medical barriers  Weather  Earthquake  Vector-borne communicable diseases Rural & Remote Cultural Nuances Subcultural Unfamiliarity  Grounding research within cultural milieu

11. Study Phase I - Exploratory Interviews Focus group discussions

12. Study Phase II - Empirical “Experience sampling method” (ESM) or “Ecological momentary assessment” (EMA) Capture “in the moment” snippets of informal work experience

13. Why is it important? Improve economic, work & health environment for this sector  Poverty alleviation  Recognition of skill-set  Supply chain, lack of demand (Plastic?), lack of infrastructure, environmental sustainability, coffee shops?  Physical ill-health, extreme physical labor, onset of chronic fatigue Enhance research – science, theory, & knowledge  Expand our field to know about the informal sector

14. Implications and next steps… Supply chain set-up Provide empirical evidence based findings to relevant governmental and non-governmental bodies Follow-up trip

15. Thank you! Suggestions, feedback, collaborations welcome! Questions? Msaxena1@iit.edu JScott@APTMetrics.com