The Economic Impact of New Firms in Post-Socialist Countries analyses the emergence and contribution of new entrepreneurs in the transforming economies of Eastern Europe.Small firms and new enterprises are widely assumed to play an important role in the process of economic development and transformation. The contributors to this volume investigate how far small and newly founded enterprises have compensated for losses in employment and contributed to economic recovery in Eastern Europe. With analysis based on new empirical data, this extensive volume covers the situation in Russia, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia as well as East Germany. Issues covered include attempts to stimulate entrepreneurship, guidelines for successful bottom-up transformation and the prospects for new and small firms in Eastern Europe. The Economic Impact of New Firms in Post-Socialist Countries will be welcomed for its detailed, empirically-founded discussion of entrepreneurship, micro-level studies of transition, small business economics and comparative economic systems.

Research suggests that innovation and technological change are crucial for the economic recovery of the former centrally planned countries in Central and Eastern Europe. This book analyses the development of innovation systems and technology policy in this region from various perspectives, demonstrating not only its importance but also its complexity.Included in the book are discussions on: the process of transforming the innovation systems in Central and Eastern Europe a comparison of R&D between 'East' and 'West' gradualism versus 'Big Bang' as the preferable strategy for reform innovation at the firm level productivity and competitiveness the ability to identify and exploit external knowledge in adopting up-to-date technology The authors conclude that rebuilding innovation systems in Central and Eastern Europe will require considerable time, and that there is no 'best practice' or ideal strategy which can be clearly recommended. This book will be warmly welcomed by scholars working in the fields of transition studies, innovation and technology, as well as policy makers involved in designing technology policy in transition economies.

The Emergence and Evolution of Markets examines the development of markets based on empirical examples from Western economies and from the post-socialist economies of Eastern Europe. It provides an historical dimension to the present problems of transition. The Emergence and Evolution of Markets clearly demonstrates that liberalization, privatization and changes to formal institutions are not in themselves sufficient to create a successful market economy. In the first part, there is an analysis of general aspects of economic theory with regard to market evolution and an historical assessment of the development of markets. The authors then examine the experiences of some specific markets, including the telecommunications and stock markets to draw general conclusions. In part three they focus on the emerging market systems in post-socialist countries, particularly Kyrgyzstan and Bulgaria. In addition, the discussion offers an empirical analysis of the evolution of capital, currency and agricultural markets, emphasizing the importance of transaction costs and institutions in the development of these markets. This major book will prove invaluable to academics and policymakers interested in the areas of transition economics, political economy, and policy analysis.