The emergence of open unemployment is an unavoidable consequence of postcommunist transition. Some countries - notably in the former Soviet Union - initially slowed economic contraction. But in the longer run slower reformers have generally sustained deeper and more prolonged recessions than faster reforming central European countries. Moreover, the initially low unemployment rates in the former Soviet Union are now rising, and may stabilize at higher post-transition equilibrium rates than in Central Europe. Across the region, real wages reacted in unexpected ways, with significant effects for employment. Productivity gains in Central European industry tended not to be passed along into proportional real wage increases, slowing inflows into unemployment. In addition, and contrary to some earlier assessments, the restructuring process affected not only wage structures, but also the level of unemployment over time. An important constraint on post-socialist countries' response to unemployment is the role served by EU social insurance and labour law standards as guides to countries' progress toward "normal" economic systems. When considering the possible impact of EU integration and ha

Trust is a critical component of our relationship with others. It forms a basis of not only social relations but also economic ones. Trust is necessarily linked to entrepreneurship because it is useful in conditions of uncertainty. An entrepreneur needs to gain trust of others who cannot obtain full knowledge on what is being introduced to the market as well trust others such as partners, employees, and suppliers to deliver on promises. Entrepreneurship as Trust aims to examine the role of trust in entrepreneurship. After reviewing the conceptualization of trust, the authors argue that trust should be seen in the context of a wider-set of entrepreneurship-supporting values. They explore different types of trust and their role in entrepreneurship, moving from particular trust to extended trust, ending with a discussion on how new technology is enabling entrepreneurs to create a new form of distributed trust between strangers.

This book, a third edition, has been significantly expanded and updated. It revisits the process of institutional change: its characteristics, determinants and implications for economic performance. New chapters address the significance of Post-Communist transition, the differences and importance of initial conditions in institutional building, and, social norms, values, and happiness. Other chapters have been expanded to include, for example, a focus on the Washington consensus, commentary on the 2008 financial crisis, state capacity and corruption, and new findings on redistribution and inequality. With specific focus on Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this revised edition examines the process of development, and its interdependence with institutions.