The Ph.D. thesis deals with the construction research methodology and performed research, and the analysis of business opportunities in the construction industry of the selected Central and Eastern European countries. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the description and specification of the main categories -- general market research methodology, the description and statistical methodology used by the Czech Statistical Office, and their comparison with our research methods (advantages, disadvantages, and benefits). This part also mentions specific features of construction industry which need to be taken into account when performing the research and evaluating the results for the purposes of the development of business opportunities in the construction industry. The second part of the thesis analyses the particular results of the construction industry research carried out in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary in 2006--2012 (with more than 2,500 research interviews). It brings a comparison of the Eurostat/statistical offices published data vs. the analysed developments in particular years predicted by the construction company top management (both the biggest and middle/small construction companies) throughout the analysed regions, and the impact of their predictions on the company behaviour in the selected spheres of the entrepreneur environment. The analyses bring the comparison of the methods by means of which the companies acquire new business orders, the extent of transparency and/or corruption in particular countries, changes during the economic crisis, the extent of company risk and key priorities on particular markets, as well as the comparison of the key limitations that have the main impact on the economic results of the construction company. Using the originally developed methodology and the model of research implementation, the thesis provides the analyses of considerably reliable information about the operation and behaviour of the construction companies on the market in the neighbouring countries, as well as the necessary insight which can facilitate the expansion of the Czech companies into the selected countries. At the same time, the construction research model has been verified in practice by regular construction research studies which assist construction companies in their decision making and orientation on the changeable construction markets both in the Czech Republic and in other selected countries. The outcomes and results of particular research studies have been presented and discussed during the regular 'Encounters of Czech, Slovak, and Polish Construction Leaders' by the construction company top management as well as by the representatives of the government of particular countries. The thesis outcomes prove that the originally developed methodology applied in the follow-up research can facilitate and provide relevant and high-quality predictions about the developments in construction industry, which can be successfully used by the top management in their decisions on the future prospects of their company business opportunities in Central and Eastern European countries. Currently, more than 4,700 users in the Czech Republic make use of the particular research studies on the developments in construction in the Czech Republic and in other selected countries. As results from the carried out research, it is possible for the Czech construction companies to make use of business opportunities and to expand to neighbouring countries, especially to Slovakia and Poland, and, with regard to geographical closeness of the researched markets and considerable similarity of construction works/applied technologies, thus compensate for a plunge in domestic orders by the export of construction works. Specialized construction companies with higher business value-added will have the biggest potential.

Chalupníková, K. Factors influencing the degree of trade openness of selected coun-tries. Diploma thesis. Brno: Mendel University in Brno, 2019. The main aim of this work is to identify and quantify factors influencing trade open-ness in CEEC countries. For this aim is used regression, correlation and panel data analysis. The dataset consists of 11 CEE countries in the period 2002-2017. A com-parison of territorial and commodity structure of selected countries is also per-formed. The empirical analysis showed that the real exchange rate, unemployment, GDP, price index and EU membership have a statistically significant impact on the degree of openness.

Efter upplösningen av Sovjetunionens starka maktkontroll över sina satellitstater den 9:e november 1989, kunde de Centrala och Östeuropeiska länderna (förkortning CEEC på engelska) påbörja sin övergång till marknadsekonomi. Sättet att närma sig en fri marknad är indelat i två olika tillvägagångssätt – chockterapi och gradualism. Den förstnämda metoden genomförs med fokus på snabbhet och en samverkande engångsförvandling av de ekonomiska sektorerna medan den sistnämnda beaktar en grad- och stegvis omvandling. Omvandlingsprocessen i sig består av flera variabler, exempelvis privatisering av statligt ägd egendom, makroekonomisk stabilitet samt liberalisering av priser och handel. Beroende på vilken metod som valdes genomfördes de ovan nämnda variablerna vid olika tidpunkter och med varierande hastighetsgrad. Åsikterna bland ekonomer rörande vilken metod som uppnått bäst resultat är omdebatterad. Följaktligen är syftet med denna uppsats att undersöka vilken av omvandlingsmetoderna som har uppnått högst BNP per capita tillväxt i de valda CEEC under perioden 1992-2003. Tio CEEC valdes ut för att få en rättvis delning mellan de två tillvägagångssätten, med tillhörande fem länder i varje grupp. Därtill valdes fem referensländer ut, för att i en grafisk analys kunna relatera utvecklingen i omvandlingsländer till redan etablerade marknadsekonomier. De erhållna resultaten visar att val av tillvägagångssätt inom omvandlingsprocessen inte har någon signifikant inverkan på BNP per capita utvecklingen. Ländernas grundförutsättningar samt i vilken ordning variablerna implementerades visar sig troligen ha större inverkan på BNP per capita tillväxten. Dessutom visar de empiriska resultaten klara indikationer på att det finns en skillnad mellan CEEC och referensländerna. / After the resolution of the Soviet Unions strict control over its satellite with beginning on the 9th of November 1989, the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) began their transition towards a market economy. How to approach the economic system of a free market has been divided into two major policies – shock therapy and gradualism. The first policy is implemented with speed and one-shock change within the economic sectors as a focus while the second constitutes of slow and gradual implementations. The transformation process in itself consists of several variables, for e.g. privatization of state-owned properties, macroeconomic stabilization and liberalization of prices and trade. Depending on what policy chosen, the variables were implemented at different times and with different speed. The views among economists regarding which of the two models that achieve the best result when transforming differs widely. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate which of the two models that have had the best effect upon the GDP per capita growth in the chosen CEEC. Ten CEEC were picked to have a fair representation for each policy, with five countries representing each policy group and the years measured were 1992-2003. In addition, for a graphical analysis to be performed and to distinct CEEC from already established market economies, five reference countries were included. The results obtained indicate that the policy choice has no impact on average GDP per capita growth. Instead we concure with earlier research that claim that preconditions and sequential order of the market reforms have a larger impact on GDP per capita growth. Additionally, empirical results indicated that there is a significant difference in the GDP growth over the last decade between our CEEC and the reference countries.

<p>Efter upplösningen av Sovjetunionens starka maktkontroll över sina satellitstater den 9:e november 1989, kunde de Centrala och Östeuropeiska länderna (förkortning CEEC på engelska) påbörja sin övergång till marknadsekonomi. Sättet att närma sig en fri marknad är indelat i två olika tillvägagångssätt – chockterapi och gradualism. Den förstnämda metoden genomförs med fokus på snabbhet och en samverkande engångsförvandling av de ekonomiska sektorerna medan den sistnämnda beaktar en grad- och stegvis omvandling. Omvandlingsprocessen i sig består av flera variabler, exempelvis privatisering av statligt ägd egendom, makroekonomisk stabilitet samt liberalisering av priser och handel. Beroende på vilken metod som valdes genomfördes de ovan nämnda variablerna vid olika tidpunkter och med varierande hastighetsgrad. Åsikterna bland ekonomer rörande vilken metod som uppnått bäst resultat är omdebatterad. Följaktligen är syftet med denna uppsats att undersöka vilken av omvandlingsmetoderna som har uppnått högst BNP per capita tillväxt i de valda CEEC under perioden 1992-2003. Tio CEEC valdes ut för att få en rättvis delning mellan de två tillvägagångssätten, med tillhörande fem länder i varje grupp. Därtill valdes fem referensländer ut, för att i en grafisk analys kunna relatera utvecklingen i omvandlingsländer till redan etablerade marknadsekonomier. De erhållna resultaten visar att val av tillvägagångssätt inom omvandlingsprocessen inte har någon signifikant inverkan på BNP per capita utvecklingen. Ländernas grundförutsättningar samt i vilken ordning variablerna implementerades visar sig troligen ha större inverkan på BNP per capita tillväxten. Dessutom visar de empiriska resultaten klara indikationer på att det finns en skillnad mellan CEEC och referensländerna.</p> / <p>After the resolution of the Soviet Unions strict control over its satellite with beginning on the 9th of November 1989, the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) began their transition towards a market economy. How to approach the economic system of a free market has been divided into two major policies – shock therapy and gradualism. The first policy is implemented with speed and one-shock change within the economic sectors as a focus while the second constitutes of slow and gradual implementations. The transformation process in itself consists of several variables, for e.g. privatization of state-owned properties, macroeconomic stabilization and liberalization of prices and trade. Depending on what policy chosen, the variables were implemented at different times and with different speed. The views among economists regarding which of the two models that achieve the best result when transforming differs widely. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate which of the two models that have had the best effect upon the GDP per capita growth in the chosen CEEC. Ten CEEC were picked to have a fair representation for each policy, with five countries representing each policy group and the years measured were 1992-2003. In addition, for a graphical analysis to be performed and to distinct CEEC from already established market economies, five reference countries were included. The results obtained indicate that the policy choice has no impact on average GDP per capita growth. Instead we concure with earlier research that claim that preconditions and sequential order of the market reforms have a larger impact on GDP per capita growth. Additionally, empirical results indicated that there is a significant difference in the GDP growth over the last decade between our CEEC and the reference countries.</p>

The paper investigates the formation of wages in the New Member States in Central and Eastern Europe, in particular the question what the relative role of national and sectoral factors is. While the labor relations in these countries are still in the process of change, some pattern and national differences have emerged. The question is thus to what extent these differences in labor relations are reflected in wage formation. The literature on Western OECD economies is unanimous that coordination of wage bargaining does reduce the wage spread, but disagrees on its effects on unemployment and inflation. The paper analyses wage formation in Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania by means of a panel analysis for manufacturing sectors. The average wage (in the total economy) serves as a national factor and sectoral productivity serves as a sectoral factor. In variations of the basic estimation equation the role of FDI and openness and of capital intensity and skill are also discussed. The results between countries are compared with the recent index of the coordination of collective bargaining by Visser (2005) and with cross country data on union density. (author's abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Den polska forskningspolitiken har efter statssocialismens fall 1989 stått inför omfattande förändringar. Transformationen från den sovjetiska modellen för forskningspolitiskt styre, till formuleringen och implementeringen av en ny forskningspolitisk modell, innebar att KBN (Komitet Badan Naukowych, ”Forskningskommittén”) blev huvudansvarig för utformningen av den nya forskningspolitiken och organiseringen av forskningssystemet. Kommittén skulle fungera som en mer eller mindre autonom instans i förhållande till den polska regeringen, och hade inte bara hand om ansökningsprocesser om forskningsanslag, utan även forskningspolitiken på makronivå för att försäkra vetenskapens ”frihet” i förhållande till den politiska styrningen. Politikens relation till den vetenskapliga kunskapsproduktionen gick därmed på kort tid från att vila på ideal och värden som handlade om hur vetenskapen i första hand skulle bidra till samhällsnyttan, till ideal som snarare erkände dess egenvärde, allt formulerat och utarbetat i just det forskningspolitiska sammanhanget. Detta ideal hade dessutom stark förankring i den politiska historien, och de strukturer och kultur den ”gamla” forskningssystemen, forskningspolitiken och intelligentian i Polen präglades av. Snart började dock omfattande reformer av den polska forskningspolitiken ta form. Det tidiga nittiotalets sönderfallande ekonomi, där behovet av mobilisering av offentliga resurser för uppbyggnaden av marknadsekonomin upplevdes som angeläget, och efter det, förberedelserna inför EU-inträdet 2004, bidrog till omfattande omförhandlingar och omtolkningar av den anti-politiskt orienterade forskningspolitiska modellen med akademisk självorganisering som grundval. Dessa omfattande omförhandlingar och omtolkningar är också utgångspunkten för den här studien. Fokus i analysen ligger på hur förändringsdynamiken tog sig uttryck i omtolkningarna och omförhandlingarna av idéer om och förväntningar och krav på, vetenskapens roll i den polska forskningspolitiken mellan 1989-2011. Det empiriska material som ligger till grund för studien består av dels den tidskrift som KBN utgav månatligen och som kom att bli arenan för forskningspolitisk diskussion i landet, dels styrningsdokument från hela den studerade perioden. Med hjälp av en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats visar studien att idéer om och förväntningar och krav på vetenskapens roll omförhandlats och omtolkats dramatiskt under den studerade perioden, men också hur omförhandlingarna och omtolkningarna gått till. / In 1989, Polish research policy underwent transformation in the context of a broader societal transition from state socialism to democracy. KBN, Komitet Badan Naukowych (”The State Committee for Scientific Research”) was primarily responsible for the design of a new research policy and organization of the research system. In order to allay concerns about lingering state control, the Committee was to operate as a more or less autonomous body in relation to the workings of the Polish government. The Committee not only had responsibility for administering research grants, but also for research policy at the macro level to ensure academic freedom from political control. As a result the ambition of science policy was rather abruptly transformed from an instrumental view of science tied closely to societal progress under the Soviet regime to one recognising the intrinsic value of scientific knowledge. This transformed view of the role of science was not entirely new. It had strong roots in the political history and the structures and culture of the "old" research system, and more broadly among the Polish intelligentsia. However, several contextual factors acted to undermine the heralded ambition of autonomous scientific governance.  In the 1990s, economic conditions in Poland worsened.  In response mobilisation of public resources for the development of the market economy became an urgent imperative as did planning and preparation for the Poland’s accession to EU in 2004. These factors contributed to a yet another comprehensive reinterpretation and renegotiation of the role of science in Poland.  The empirical material that forms the basis for the study consists of both KBN’s periodical journal Sprawy Nauki that became the arena of science policy debate in the country and various governance documents from the study period. Using a social constructionist approach, this study analyses these transformational moments by focusing on how the dynamics of change found expression in the reinterpretations and renegotiations of the role of science in Polish research policy between 1989 and 2011.

Den polska forskningspolitiken har efter statssocialismens fall 1989 stått inför omfattande förändringar. Transformationen från den sovjetiska modellen för forskningspolitiskt styre, till formuleringen och implementeringen av en ny forskningspolitisk modell, innebar att KBN (Komitet Badan Naukowych, ”Forskningskommittén”) blev huvudansvarig för utformningen av den nya forskningspolitiken och organiseringen av forskningssystemet. Kommittén skulle fungera som en mer eller mindre autonom instans i förhållande till den polska regeringen, och hade inte bara hand om ansökningsprocesser om forskningsanslag, utan även forskningspolitiken på makronivå för att försäkra vetenskapens ”frihet” i förhållande till den politiska styrningen. Politikens relation till den vetenskapliga kunskapsproduktionen gick därmed på kort tid från att vila på ideal och värden som handlade om hur vetenskapen i första hand skulle bidra till samhällsnyttan, till ideal som snarare erkände dess egenvärde, allt formulerat och utarbetat i just det forskningspolitiska sammanhanget. Detta ideal hade dessutom stark förankring i den politiska historien, och de strukturer och kultur den ”gamla” forskningssystemen, forskningspolitiken och intelligentian i Polen präglades av. Snart började dock omfattande reformer av den polska forskningspolitiken ta form. Det tidiga nittiotalets sönderfallande ekonomi, där behovet av mobilisering av offentliga resurser för uppbyggnaden av marknadsekonomin upplevdes som angeläget, och efter det, förberedelserna inför EU-inträdet 2004, bidrog till omfattande omförhandlingar och omtolkningar av den anti-politiskt orienterade forskningspolitiska modellen med akademisk självorganisering som grundval. Dessa omfattande omförhandlingar och omtolkningar är också utgångspunkten för den här studien. Fokus i analysen ligger på hur förändringsdynamiken tog sig uttryck i omtolkningarna och omförhandlingarna av idéer om och förväntningar och krav på, vetenskapens roll i den polska forskningspolitiken mellan 1989-2011. Det empiriska material som ligger till grund för studien består av dels den tidskrift som KBN utgav månatligen och som kom att bli arenan för forskningspolitisk diskussion i landet, dels styrningsdokument från hela den studerade perioden. Med hjälp av en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats visar studien att idéer om och förväntningar och krav på vetenskapens roll omförhandlats och omtolkats dramatiskt under den studerade perioden, men också hur omförhandlingarna och omtolkningarna gått till. / In 1989, Polish research policy underwent transformation in the context of a broader societal transition from state socialism to democracy. KBN, Komitet Badan Naukowych (”The State Committee for Scientific Research”) was primarily responsible for the design of a new research policy and organization of the research system. In order to allay concerns about lingering state control, the Committee was to operate as a more or less autonomous body in relation to the workings of the Polish government. The Committee not only had responsibility for administering research grants, but also for research policy at the macro level to ensure academic freedom from political control. As a result the ambition of science policy was rather abruptly transformed from an instrumental view of science tied closely to societal progress under the Soviet regime to one recognising the intrinsic value of scientific knowledge. This transformed view of the role of science was not entirely new. It had strong roots in the political history and the structures and culture of the "old" research system, and more broadly among the Polish intelligentsia. However, several contextual factors acted to undermine the heralded ambition of autonomous scientific governance.  In the 1990s, economic conditions in Poland worsened.  In response mobilisation of public resources for the development of the market economy became an urgent imperative as did planning and preparation for the Poland’s accession to EU in 2004. These factors contributed to a yet another comprehensive reinterpretation and renegotiation of the role of science in Poland.  The empirical material that forms the basis for the study consists of both KBN’s periodical journal Sprawy Nauki that became the arena of science policy debate in the country and various governance documents from the study period. Using a social constructionist approach, this study analyses these transformational moments by focusing on how the dynamics of change found expression in the reinterpretations and renegotiations of the role of science in Polish research policy between 1989 and 2011.

Cette thèse s’intéresse au défi que représente le rattrapage des niveaux de prix pour la stabilité macroéconomique des pays en transition d’Europe centrale et orientale, dans la perspective de leur future participation à la zone euro. A cet égard, une modélisation du taux de change réel d’équilibre suggère que l’appréciation réelle liée au rattrapage économique recouvre des évolutions de prix relatifs différentes suivant les régimes de change, dont témoignent des trajectoires d’endettement extérieur contrastées. Dans les économies en changes flexibles, la hausse du taux de change nominal favorise une appréciation endogène des termes de l’échange à moyen terme, en orientant les investissements directs étrangers et la réalisation des gains de productivité vers le secteur exposé de l’économie, ce qui se traduit par une appréciation du taux de change réel d’équilibre et une amélioration des comptes extérieurs. Dans les économies en changes fixes, les effets de valorisation liés à la hausse des prix relatifs domestiques tendent à orienter les investissements vers le secteur abrité de l’économie, entraînant une érosion de la compétitivité extérieure, dont témoigne le gonflement de la dette externe. Par ailleurs, l’intégration monétaire comporte des risques spécifiques pour la stabilité macroéconomique des économies en rattrapage, dans la mesure où elle s’accompagne d’un processus marqué de convergence des conditions de financement entre Etats membres, dès lors que la perspective de l’adhésion à l’espace monétaire commun devient crédible. Un modèle dynamique à anticipations rationnelles permet de montrer que face au choc de demande lié à une telle convergence financière, l’appréciation du taux de change nominal se révèle cruciale pour limiter la surchauffe de l’économie. A l’inverse, dans les économies en régime de change fixe, l’abaissement des primes de risque pays est susceptible de provoquer une montée de l’endettement extérieur, suivi d’enchaînements déflationnistes une fois dans l’union monétaire. / This research investigates the challenges of price level catching-up for macroeconomic stability in Central and Eastern European transition countries seeking to enter the Euro area. In this respect, an equilibrium real exchange rate model suggests that the process of real appreciation observed along economic catching-up in these countries can be ascribed to different relative price developments, depending on the exchange rate regime, as exemplified by contrasted external debt trajectories. In flexible exchange rate economies, the increase in the nominal exchange rate fosters an endogenous appreciation of the terms of trade in the medium run, by channelling foreign direct investment and associated productivity gains to the exposed sector of the economy, thus appreciating the equilibrium real exchange rate and strengthening the current account over time. In fixed exchange rate economies, positive valuation effects associated with the increase in domestic relative prices tend to divert investment to the sheltered sector, thus undermining external competitiveness and bringing about higher external debt. Furthermore, monetary integration entails specific risks for macroeconomic stability in catching-up economies, because it implies a process of rapid convergence in the financing conditions across member States, which takes place as soon as the perspective of accession to the common monetary area appears credible. A dynamic, rational expectations model shows that the appreciation of the nominal exchange rate becomes crucial to curtail the economic overheating triggered by the demand shock associated with financial convergence. By contrast, diminishing country risk premia under fixed exchange rate regimes are likely to cause ‘boom bust’ cycles, with an increase in external indebtedness followed by deflationary developments once in the monetary union.

Les révolutions de l’Est ont induit la fragmentation des Etats qui s’est accompagnée, sur le plan interne par une renaissance des partis ethniques ; ce qui ne va pas sans poser de problèmes à la démocratie politique. Les transitions et a fortiori les consolidations démocratiques font émerger un double phénomène d’interaction entre les acteurs et le système, dans la recherche d’un nouvel équilibre. Les partis ethniques se politisent alors que le système s’ouvre à l’acteur ethnique. On assiste donc à un réajustement évolutif du système devant la nouvelle donne. Le système s’ouvre aux nouvelles demandes à caractère ethnique de différentes façons et à différents degrés : entre la légalisation et la tolérance. Côté acteurs, les partis ethniques rentrent progressivement dans le jeu politique ; de différentes façons et à différents degrés. Dans notre champ problématique les relations interactives se déploient entre acteurs multi-niveaux (partis-Etats) et dans les divers champs (politique, sociétal et juridique). Leurs connexions sont croisées entre l’espace étatique et internationale, public et civil, politique et sociétal ; avec les Etats d’accueil ou d’origine, mais aussi, les Etats-tiers. Ils sont à velléités indépendantistes ou simplement des lobbies politiques. Nous avons essayé de mettre en lumière les principaux aspects de la complexité de la question ethnique dans les jeunes démocraties politiques ‘‘en consolidation’’. La problématique ethnique des PECO peut-elle nous aider à compléter en actualisant certaines visions généralistes des sciences politiques ? Les acteurs impliqués sont ainsi invités à éviter les pièges des nationalismes perçus comme ‘‘mesquins’’, voire ‘‘chaotiques’’ tout en servant la cause d’une plus souple intégration politique alias la ‘‘paix démocratique’’. / The revolutions of Eastern induced fragmentation of States were accompanied internally by a revival of ethnic parties, which is not without its problems in political democracy. Transitions and even more democratic consolidation are emerging a double phenomenon of interaction between actors and the system in search of a new equilibrium. Ethnic parties then politicize the system opens the ethnic actor. We are witnessing an evolutionary adjustment of the system to the new situation. The system opens to the new demands ethnic ways and to different degrees: between legalization and tolerance. Side actors, are gradually returning ethnic parties in the political game, in different ways and to different degrees. In our problem the field deploy interactive relationships between multi-level actors (parties-States) and in the various fields (political, societal and legal). Their connections are crossed between the State and international space, public and civil, political and social, with host countries or origin, but also the third States. They are separatist ambitions or simply political lobbies. We tried to highlight the main aspects of the complexity of the ethnic issue in young democracies political '' in consolidation ''. The ethnic problem of CEEC can help us to complete updating some general visions of political science? The actors involved are invited to avoid the pitfalls of nationalism perceived as '' petty '' or '' chaotic '' while serving the cause of a more flexible policy integration to the ‘‘democratic peace’’.