Arnis Sauka has spent years researching the shadow economy and determining its impact. Having developed a methodology, fostered relationships with both business leaders and government officials and measured the impact over time, Arnis may be the first to tell you that the only thing that’s clear is just how complex this truly is. While we tend to consider the shadow economy as something negative, it turns out that there’s more nuance than we might believe. The results may be interpreted differently depending on who you ask, but at least we can know the truth of what’s lurking in the shadows (and how some of it may be even be a good thing).
Arnis Sauka is a professor and director of the Centre for Sustainable Business at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. Arnis has been extensively involved in applied research for organizations like the OECD and European Commission, among others, and his work has been published in leading international journals and several books. He is co- author of the annual Shadow Economy Index for the Baltic Countries and author of the annual FICIL (Foreign Investors Council in Latvia) Sentiment Index and study on the Shadow Economy in the Construction Industry in Latvia.
Arnis has also been involved in management and consultancy activities, including serving as Vice Rector for Studies and Research at Ventspils University College and board member of FICIL and NGO BASE (Business Against the Shadow Economy). He has organized various academic and applied conferences, workshops, seminars, etc., as well as is a frequent speaker in the national media commenting economic and business-related issues.