Naslov
Powerful Ingroups in Eastern European Transition Societies: Legacy or Opportunism? - Informal Networks as a Reflection of Informal Institutions -

Autori
Šimić Banović, Ružica

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
"Old Rules & New Traditions: Generational Divides in Central and Eastern Europe" - 13th International Postgraduate Conference on Central and Eastern Europe, University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies / - , 2014

Skup
"Old Rules & New Traditions: Generational Divides in Central and Eastern Europe" - 13th International Postgraduate Conference on Central and Eastern Europe, University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies

Mjesto i datum
London, Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo, 19.02.2014. - 21.02.2014

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
informal networks; institutional interaction; transition

Sažetak
Only recently the influence of culture on economic development has been increasingly discussed among theoretical economists (Roland, 2004 ; North, 2005, 2008 ; Pejovich, 2003 ; Aligicia, 2006 ; Guiso et al., 2006 ; Aoki, 2011 ; Jellema & Roland, 2011). Besides observing culture through cultural traditions inherited from ancestors, current social interactions are also considered as an influential factor (Tabellini, 2008 ; 2010). Over a long period of time, the research on Eastern European transitional societies has been focused on formal institutions. Throughout that period, informal networks many of which originating from previous socio-political system, have mostly strengthened their position in society and gained power in the formal structures. They helped building the new capitalist states and therewith had positive effects by speeding up the transition process. Yet, in medium- and long term their activities typically resulted in state capture. This paper explores the persistence of tight informal and mostly inefficient formal business-government-society relations in Eastern Europe. It emphasises the influence of informal networks in the interaction of formal and informal institutions and questions the possibility of new generations to make a turnaround in the functioning of networks. Newly emerging social interactions are contextualised in the cultural dimensions: Power Distance and Collectivism versus Individualism (Hofstede, 2010). This paper argues that even when informal communities solely serve their own opportunistic purposes, the prevailing collectivist culture in the society provides tacit support to their existence and therewith delays the transformation from relation-based to rule-based governance. The empirical findings confirm the oversocialised view of society and networks suggested by economic sociologists. Additionally, the changes in transitional institutional environment are deemed to be in line with the claims of institutional economists on durability and impact of informal institutions.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Ekonomija, Sociologija

POVEZANOST RADA