Foreign firm operations and skills development of local employees in violence-hit countries

Abstract

This paper addresses the skills development of local employees, following the operations of foreign firms in violence-hit and fragile countries. Despite being high-risk countries, such countries receive the attention of foreign firms, which in many cases offer services that are vital for daily life and improve local productivity. Within the overall conceptual focus of peace engineering, we analyze the operations and activities of six Turkish firms operating in the violence-hit and fragile countries of Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Morocco (the Western Sahara region), Somalia, and Sudan. The findings indicate that foreign firms operating in fragile and conflict-affected countries, along with achieving business goals, contribute significantly to the skills development of local employees and establish legitimacy through forging social connections and adopting corporate social responsibility activities. Their support for skills development resulted in career advancement opportunities and, in some cases, entrepreneurial ventures that were initiated by local employees. We argue that, despite precarious and unpredictable conditions, the operations of such firms can provide economic incentives as well as increased well-being and long-term stability in such contexts. Thus, the findings of this study have important implications for post-conflict recovery and local economic development through skills formation and entrepreneurial start-ups.