Formation of the theoretical framework for the comparative analysis of post-socialist countries

Abstract

The beginning of the 90s was accompanied by revolutionary changes in the world economy. Newly created incentives for the comparative economics/economy were tackling, inter alia, the post-socialist countries, that were already exposed to the transformation and reform processes. Models of economic systems formed in this period have initiated a great discussion among the relevant stakeholders. This fruitful discussion has led to the creation of a number of model approaches, focusing on the definition of a common theoretical framework for the comparative analysis and its further applications within the surrounding of particularly advanced concrete modern economies. The presented paper contains newly emerged approaches, the so-called varieties of capitalism. The aim of the paper is: To explore the approaches typical for "the varieties of capitalism", that could be considered as the mainstream over the last 25 years, and to deliver their review; then to map the approaches how the models of economic systems of post-socialist countries are defined, and to answer a question, whether the varieties of capitalism can be used for the comparative analysis of economic systems of these countries.