Given the range and nature of proposed research questions, the availability of data and the challenges of access that were expected, this research project chose a mixed-methods methodological approach. The selected design is part of a family of explanatory sequential mixed-methods designs. Specifically we deployed the following methods in the sequence described below:

1. Literature reviews and database searches
2. Extensive qual. & quant. scoping research (several months)
3. Large-N sample surveys of African workers in Angola and Ethiopia
4. Firm survey & interviews with company managers
5. In-depth follow-up qualitative research and ‘tracking’ with life histories

The research team completed extensive qualitative scoping research, desk reviews and two large-scale surveys of workers in Ethiopia (839 worker interviews) and Angola (682). Qualitative data collection continued until July 2018, firm management surveys were completed in 2018, and subsequently additional longitudinal data were collected through phone surveys in late 2018 and early 2019. Data were then processed, analysed and findings disseminated from 2019 onwards.

The core project was then followed up by a study of the localisation and upgrading of the management workforce in the textile and apparel industry of Ethiopia. This second study built on the first project as one of the key sources of background evidence, particularly on labour relations in Ethiopia’s foreign-owned factories and the role of localization of management jobs in the process. The main aim of this follow-up study was to develop a clearer picture of the constraints on, and opportunities for, filling low- and middle-level management or supervisory positions with Ethiopian staff in apparel industries. This study focused on the following questions:

1. What difficulties do firms in the export-oriented light manufacturing sector in Ethiopia face in finding and hiring suitable local managers?
2. How are organizational and managerial capabilities transferred to new local managers at factory level?

The research consisted primarily of qualitative research, with interviews with senior managers, Ethiopian middle managers, government officials, industry experts, as well as a firm survey.