Suchergebnisse

Abstract
The article contributes to an ongoing debate in comparative political economy on the integration of the demand and supply sides in growth model (GM) analysis. In particular, the article focuses on the characteristics of export-led GMs in emerging economies and addresses questions of GM change. The article makes two contributions. First, for capturing differences between countries that adopt export-led growth, the article introduces the concept of a sectoral locus of growth. Second, the article links GM change to the interaction of politics and sectoral transformations that a country accumulated during the preceding GM. The article presents empirical support for its arguments from the cases of Estonia and Lithuania, which both recovered from the Global Financial Crisis by shifting from debt-led to export-led growth based, however, on different sectoral loci of growth: exports of low-quality manufacturing and services in Lithuania and exports of dynamic services in Estonia.

The paper contributes to further advancing research on the middle-income trap in the Baltic States. It argues, first, that while the Baltic States have already surpassed income levels associated with the middle-income trap and continue converging with advanced economies, they still might face risks of the middle-income trap defined as a difficulty to move into higher value-added positions of the value chain. Second, the paper demonstrates that over the course of recent transformations, growth models of the Baltic States have become increasingly divergent with differences between Estonia and Lithuania being most pronounced. Third, it is argued, that growth model differences also imply different risks associated with the middle-income trap. Estonia faces a risk that its leapfrogging into specialisation of ICT-based services remains premature and incapable to deliver productivity levels comparable to those of advanced economies. Yet, Lithuania faces a risk of being incapable to upgrade its large manufacturing sector. Instead, it risks continuously sustaining labour-intensive export-led growth and further taking advantage of cost-competitiveness by diversifying into new industries while still performing lower value-added activities in them.

The dissertation studies conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania. Five institutional spheres covering industrial relations, vocational training and education, corporate governance, inter-company relations and relations inside companies were analysed. The dissertation assumes that the institutional arrangement of the political economy of Lithuania is not stable and its change will be based on three possible scenarios. According to the first and second scenarios, the political economy of Lithuania, as postulated in the varieties of capitalism approach, will get closer to the one of the ideal types thus acquiring more and more institutional characteristics typical of a pure liberal market economy or coordinated market economy. According to the third scenario the political economy of Lithuania will remain mixed and complementary institutions characteristic of ideal types will not form. To study these scenarios methodological approach based on discourse was applied. According to it discourse produced by actors of political economy should be considered as a causal factor and an indicator of institutional change, though conditions for the change articulated in the discourse are shaped by existing institutional complementarity and path dependance. An empirical qualitative research of discourse was implemented. The results show that a "discrepancy" between priorities for the change articulated in discourse and opportunities for implementing them in the existing institutional reality are the characteristic features of the conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania.

The dissertation studies conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania. Five institutional spheres covering industrial relations, vocational training and education, corporate governance, inter-company relations and relations inside companies were analysed. The dissertation assumes that the institutional arrangement of the political economy of Lithuania is not stable and its change will be based on three possible scenarios. According to the first and second scenarios, the political economy of Lithuania, as postulated in the varieties of capitalism approach, will get closer to the one of the ideal types thus acquiring more and more institutional characteristics typical of a pure liberal market economy or coordinated market economy. According to the third scenario the political economy of Lithuania will remain mixed and complementary institutions characteristic of ideal types will not form. To study these scenarios methodological approach based on discourse was applied. According to it discourse produced by actors of political economy should be considered as a causal factor and an indicator of institutional change, though conditions for the change articulated in the discourse are shaped by existing institutional complementarity and path dependance. An empirical qualitative research of discourse was implemented. The results show that a "discrepancy" between priorities for the change articulated in discourse and opportunities for implementing them in the existing institutional reality are the characteristic features of the conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania.

The dissertation studies conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania. Five institutional spheres covering industrial relations, vocational training and education, corporate governance, inter-company relations and relations inside companies were analysed. The dissertation assumes that the institutional arrangement of the political economy of Lithuania is not stable and its change will be based on three possible scenarios. According to the first and second scenarios, the political economy of Lithuania, as postulated in the varieties of capitalism approach, will get closer to the one of the ideal types thus acquiring more and more institutional characteristics typical of a pure liberal market economy or coordinated market economy. According to the third scenario the political economy of Lithuania will remain mixed and complementary institutions characteristic of ideal types will not form. To study these scenarios methodological approach based on discourse was applied. According to it discourse produced by actors of political economy should be considered as a causal factor and an indicator of institutional change, though conditions for the change articulated in the discourse are shaped by existing institutional complementarity and path dependance. An empirical qualitative research of discourse was implemented. The results show that a "discrepancy" between priorities for the change articulated in discourse and opportunities for implementing them in the existing institutional reality are the characteristic features of the conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania.

The dissertation studies conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania. Five institutional spheres covering industrial relations, vocational training and education, corporate governance, inter-company relations and relations inside companies were analysed. The dissertation assumes that the institutional arrangement of the political economy of Lithuania is not stable and its change will be based on three possible scenarios. According to the first and second scenarios, the political economy of Lithuania, as postulated in the varieties of capitalism approach, will get closer to the one of the ideal types thus acquiring more and more institutional characteristics typical of a pure liberal market economy or coordinated market economy. According to the third scenario the political economy of Lithuania will remain mixed and complementary institutions characteristic of ideal types will not form. To study these scenarios methodological approach based on discourse was applied. According to it discourse produced by actors of political economy should be considered as a causal factor and an indicator of institutional change, though conditions for the change articulated in the discourse are shaped by existing institutional complementarity and path dependance. An empirical qualitative research of discourse was implemented. The results show that a "discrepancy" between priorities for the change articulated in discourse and opportunities for implementing them in the existing institutional reality are the characteristic features of the conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania.

The dissertation studies conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania. Five institutional spheres covering industrial relations, vocational training and education, corporate governance, inter-company relations and relations inside companies were analysed. The dissertation assumes that the institutional arrangement of the political economy of Lithuania is not stable and its change will be based on three possible scenarios. According to the first and second scenarios, the political economy of Lithuania, as postulated in the varieties of capitalism approach, will get closer to the one of the ideal types thus acquiring more and more institutional characteristics typical of a pure liberal market economy or coordinated market economy. According to the third scenario the political economy of Lithuania will remain mixed and complementary institutions characteristic of ideal types will not form. To study these scenarios methodological approach based on discourse was applied. According to it discourse produced by actors of political economy should be considered as a causal factor and an indicator of institutional change, though conditions for the change articulated in the discourse are shaped by existing institutional complementarity and path dependance. An empirical qualitative research of discourse was implemented. The results show that a "discrepancy" between priorities for the change articulated in discourse and opportunities for implementing them in the existing institutional reality are the characteristic features of the conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania.

The dissertation studies conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania. Five institutional spheres covering industrial relations, vocational training and education, corporate governance, inter-company relations and relations inside companies were analysed. The dissertation assumes that the institutional arrangement of the political economy of Lithuania is not stable and its change will be based on three possible scenarios. According to the first and second scenarios, the political economy of Lithuania, as postulated in the varieties of capitalism approach, will get closer to the one of the ideal types thus acquiring more and more institutional characteristics typical of a pure liberal market economy or coordinated market economy. According to the third scenario the political economy of Lithuania will remain mixed and complementary institutions characteristic of ideal types will not form. To study these scenarios methodological approach based on discourse was applied. According to it discourse produced by actors of political economy should be considered as a causal factor and an indicator of institutional change, though conditions for the change articulated in the discourse are shaped by existing institutional complementarity and path dependance. An empirical qualitative research of discourse was implemented. The results show that a "discrepancy" between priorities for the change articulated in discourse and opportunities for implementing them in the existing institutional reality are the characteristic features of the conditions for institutional change in political economy of Lithuania.

The paper conceptualises labor relations from the new institutionalist perspective. Labor relations are described as formal and informal institutional rules and practices. The following institutions are analysed: formal regulation of hiring, firing and working conditions; informal institutions of hiring, firing and working conditions; wage setting; representation of the employee collective; and labor market policy instruments. It is argued that the discourse of development of labor relations is a necessary although an insufficient condition for institutional change, and that studying the discourse helps us to understand some of the important characteristics of change. For this purpose empirical qualitative research was conducted. The research was based on interviews with actors within the fields of institutional change, policy making and the production of knowledge. The research attempted to unveil what the institutionalist actors thought of the issues of institutional performance, priorities of institutional change and chances for a change to be implemented. The results showed that the main problems concerning labor relations in Lithuania, as emphasized by the actors, were the rigidity of formal regulations and their weak enforcement, which results in the expansion of informal institutions. The main priorities of change are flexibility in labor relations and the development of collective bargaining. The findings reveal that, firstly, finding solutions to the problems and the implementation of the priorities conditioned by the interaction among the different labor relations institutions were limited. Secondly, the priorities of change represent an ideal picture labor relations and are weakly linked to the objective conditions of the institutional reality.[.]

The paper conceptualises labor relations from the new institutionalist perspective. Labor relations are described as formal and informal institutional rules and practices. The following institutions are analysed: formal regulation of hiring, firing and working conditions; informal institutions of hiring, firing and working conditions; wage setting; representation of the employee collective; and labor market policy instruments. It is argued that the discourse of development of labor relations is a necessary although an insufficient condition for institutional change, and that studying the discourse helps us to understand some of the important characteristics of change. For this purpose empirical qualitative research was conducted. The research was based on interviews with actors within the fields of institutional change, policy making and the production of knowledge. The research attempted to unveil what the institutionalist actors thought of the issues of institutional performance, priorities of institutional change and chances for a change to be implemented. The results showed that the main problems concerning labor relations in Lithuania, as emphasized by the actors, were the rigidity of formal regulations and their weak enforcement, which results in the expansion of informal institutions. The main priorities of change are flexibility in labor relations and the development of collective bargaining. The findings reveal that, firstly, finding solutions to the problems and the implementation of the priorities conditioned by the interaction among the different labor relations institutions were limited. Secondly, the priorities of change represent an ideal picture labor relations and are weakly linked to the objective conditions of the institutional reality.[.]

This article analyzes coordination that in the Varieties of capitalism (Voc) approach is described as ways in which firms and other actors engage in political-economic relations. it answers the question about the main conditions influencing the establishment of coordination and the achievement of particular coordination equilibriums in political economy. The Voc approach proposes two answers. firstly, coordination depends on institutions supporting its particular way. Secondly, particular actors' qualities called common knowledge are necessary. These qualities enable actors to estimate expected behavior of each other and predict equilibriums reached during coordination. While the support of political leadership can enable coordinating institutions and while coordination equilibriums are not achieved easily, common knowledge is an object of hegemonic support. in order to analyze the "openness" of coordination to hegemonic support, coordination is understood as a process of production and exchange of meaning. By applying analytical tools of discourse based on Paul ricoeur's discourse theory and roman Jacobson's discourse model, basic factors influencing the way meaning is established in discursive coordination are identified. These factors also refer to common knowledge that is specific to each way of coordination. market coordination is based on the common knowledge connected to the acceptance of market code and its application skills. Strategic coordination relies on actors' context, which includes trust and experiences of their past interactions. in both cases common knowledge related to market code and common knowledge related to context are the factors open to hegemonic influence.

This article analyzes coordination that in the Varieties of capitalism (Voc) approach is described as ways in which firms and other actors engage in political-economic relations. it answers the question about the main conditions influencing the establishment of coordination and the achievement of particular coordination equilibriums in political economy. The Voc approach proposes two answers. firstly, coordination depends on institutions supporting its particular way. Secondly, particular actors' qualities called common knowledge are necessary. These qualities enable actors to estimate expected behavior of each other and predict equilibriums reached during coordination. While the support of political leadership can enable coordinating institutions and while coordination equilibriums are not achieved easily, common knowledge is an object of hegemonic support. in order to analyze the "openness" of coordination to hegemonic support, coordination is understood as a process of production and exchange of meaning. By applying analytical tools of discourse based on Paul ricoeur's discourse theory and roman Jacobson's discourse model, basic factors influencing the way meaning is established in discursive coordination are identified. These factors also refer to common knowledge that is specific to each way of coordination. market coordination is based on the common knowledge connected to the acceptance of market code and its application skills. Strategic coordination relies on actors' context, which includes trust and experiences of their past interactions. in both cases common knowledge related to market code and common knowledge related to context are the factors open to hegemonic influence.

This article analyzes coordination that in the Varieties of capitalism (Voc) approach is described as ways in which firms and other actors engage in political-economic relations. it answers the question about the main conditions influencing the establishment of coordination and the achievement of particular coordination equilibriums in political economy. The Voc approach proposes two answers. firstly, coordination depends on institutions supporting its particular way. Secondly, particular actors' qualities called common knowledge are necessary. These qualities enable actors to estimate expected behavior of each other and predict equilibriums reached during coordination. While the support of political leadership can enable coordinating institutions and while coordination equilibriums are not achieved easily, common knowledge is an object of hegemonic support. in order to analyze the "openness" of coordination to hegemonic support, coordination is understood as a process of production and exchange of meaning. By applying analytical tools of discourse based on Paul ricoeur's discourse theory and roman Jacobson's discourse model, basic factors influencing the way meaning is established in discursive coordination are identified. These factors also refer to common knowledge that is specific to each way of coordination. market coordination is based on the common knowledge connected to the acceptance of market code and its application skills. Strategic coordination relies on actors' context, which includes trust and experiences of their past interactions. in both cases common knowledge related to market code and common knowledge related to context are the factors open to hegemonic influence.