Development and underdevelopment from the perspective of evolutionary socioeconomics in the post-COVID-19 era

Abstract. In economics, the problematics of development and underdevelopment is a field of conceptual controversies and constant “re-comprehension,” already since classical economists’ fundamental explorations. Nowadays, especially within the particularly pressing conditions caused by the global pandemic of COVID-19, it seems that this field of research and scientific knowledge must be profoundly re-fertilized in analytical and explanatory terms. The current crisis seems to function as a catalyst for various structural changes globally, leading to a necessary reorientation of the related thematics towards exploring the inner evolutionary “mechanisms” that will drive socio-economic development (and underdevelopment) in the future. This article aims to study the conceptual evolution of the notions of development and underdevelopment in the light of modern evolutionary economics, which we think could offer a foundational repositioning at the interpretative level in response to the new emerging conditions. More specifically, this article tries to respond to what development and underdevelopment mean over time, where analytical readjustments the evolutionary economics lead to nowadays, and whether it is possible to counter-propose a multilevel approach that enriches the theoretical background for an interdisciplinary and unifying understanding of the specific problematics at the dawn of the new global reality that appears in the post-COVID-19 era. At first, we look at essential development and underdevelopment concepts by critically exploring corresponding basic definitions throughout time. Next, we study the essential and associated elements of evolutionary economics, in the light of the problematics of development and underdevelopment of our days, intending to reach a synthesizing theoretical perspective. We counter-propose the multilevel “development web” approach and analysis as a useful repositioned perspective on addressing the developmental/underdevelopmental problem since the compartmentalization of social sciences between the “micro, meso and macro” approaches seems progressively inadequate and sterile.Keywords. Development, Underdevelopment, Evolutionary economics, Development web, Micro-meso-macro, Evolutionary microeconomics, Evolutionary mesoeconomics, Evolutionary macroeconomics.JEL. O40, B52

The growth and development analytical controversies in economic science: A reassessment for the post-Covid-19 era

Abstract. A repositioning of the theoretical instruments of development and growth in the context of economics and political economy that we have at our disposal to date seems necessary, especially after the structural transformation caused by the COVID-19 socio-economic and pandemic crisis. Specifically, the overcoming of the COVID-19 era of crisis seems to depend on how we will manage to re-perceive the theory of economic development and apply its proposals in new economic policies, in global terms. In this context, this article examines whether the conceptual and “therapeutic” foundations of development economics have today the necessary potential to cope with structural changes caused by the ongoing global socio-economic crisis. We assess the current debate in the literature of “economic development versus economic growth” and conclude that a new, comprehensive and evolutionary, orientation to understanding economic development seems necessary to respond to new global challenges for the post-COVID-19 era. We propose a multidisciplinary and evolutionary conceptual direction that suggests the multi-angle understanding of diverse historical configurations. We argue that all socio-economic mutations accelerated by the current pandemic crisis have systemic and evolutionary content and effects and cannot be reliably perceived as mere coincidences of “quantities” and growth “performances.” In this way, we can only disagree with any static and linear approach to the current crisis that directly or indirectly leads to reproducing the rigid enclosure of the analysis in partial specializations of economics. On the contrary, we counter-propose a theoretical response of evolutionary type to assess the contemporary theory of economic development and the political economy in the post-COVID-19 era as an interdisciplinary crossroads for all socio-economic sciences.Keywords. International political economy, Economic science, Economic development, Economic growth, Economic development versus economic growth, Social science, Socio-economic crisis, Post-COVID-19 era, Evolutionary economics.JEL. O10, O40, B52

Notes on prosperity, poverty, and inequality in the era of globalization

Abstract. A common question in academic debates is whether globalization exacerbates poverty and inequality on the planet. Many argue that globalization is indeed a force for adverse developments for humanity. The purpose of this study is to discuss the extent to which these approaches are valid. To achieve this goal, we first consider some valuable contributions to the study of the phenomena of poverty and inequality, and then we examine their statistical imprints throughout history by using available data. Empirical evidence does not show a dramatic increase in poverty or inequality, especially in the less developed countries on the planet: they reveal the opposite. In conclusion, we present some misconceptions in the articulation of a contemporary economic policy that appear to hinder effective solutions to tackle poverty and inequality.Keywords. Poverty, Inequality, Globalization, Misconceptions.JEL. I30, D63, F60

The Multiple Perception of Innovation: The Case of Micro and Small Enterprises in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

This paper explores how innovation is perceived, on the one hand, by the scientific literature and, on the other, by the everyday practice of small and micro enterprises operating in the less developed socioeconomic system of the Greek region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Our aim is to find out whether there are different perceptions of innovation from two different “worlds”, the theoretical and the practical. For this, we conducted an introductory and qualitative field research on a sample of small and micro enterprises in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. We found there is a notable distance in the perception of innovation between the scientific theory and the everyday practice of micro and small enterprises in this less developed region in Greece. Research paper Keywords: Innovation multiplicity; Innovation definitions; Micro and small enterprises; Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Vlados, C., & Chatzinikolaou, D. (2019). The multiple perception of innovation: the case of micro and small enterprises in the region of eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Economics, 7(1), 17–41

The Multiple Perception of Innovation: The Case of Micro and Small Enterprises in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

This paper explores how innovation is perceived, on the one hand, by the scientific literature and, on the other, by the everyday practice of small and micro enterprises operating in the less developed socioeconomic system of the Greek region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Our aim is to find out whether there are different perceptions of innovation from two different “worlds”, the theoretical and the practical. For this, we conducted an introductory and qualitative field research on a sample of small and micro enterprises in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. We found there is a notable distance in the perception of innovation between the scientific theory and the everyday practice of micro and small enterprises in this less developed region in Greece. Research paper Keywords: Innovation multiplicity; Innovation definitions; Micro and small enterprises; Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Vlados, C., & Chatzinikolaou, D. (2019). The multiple perception of innovation: the case of micro and small enterprises in the region of eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Economics, 7(1), 17–41

Towards a Restructuration of the Conventional SWOT Analysis

Today, the use of SWOT analysis is increasingly popular for the strategic planning of businesses. However, we argue that a traditional and conventional way of approaching the SWOT analysis contains an interpretative mistargeting which, in the background, derives from the absence of a comprehensive evolutionary methodological framework. Therefore, a conventional SWOT analysis that articulates lists of strengths-weaknesses and opportunities-threats in an absolute and non-correlative way is probably inappropriate to give answers to the needs of strategic planning. In this direction, by also exploring elements from the criticism to the traditional SWOT analysis, we counter-propose a new conceptual framework that perceives SWOT analysis in a correlative and evolutionary way, for all the kinds of socioeconomic organisms

The competitiveness puzzle: Interpretations, misunderstandings, and conceptual reorientations towards integrated competitiveness policy approaches

Abstract. Competitiveness is a field of discord and controversies among economists from the very first moment it appeared in the theory and practice of economic policy. This article aims to identify how the concept of competitiveness evolves and find out possible points of convergence, divergence, and synthesis in contemporary scientific dialogue. It first presents older and recent approaches to competitiveness by identifying potential conceptual enrichments and reorientations at the meso-level of analysis. It finds that the rediscovery and deepening into the meso-economic approaches, which connect the micro and macro-economic levels of analysis dynamically, have the potential to offer new analytical content and interpretive potential on competitiveness. Growth poles, industrial districts, and innovation environments constitute such meso-level approaches. In conclusion, we propose a multilevel synthesis of competitiveness and an integrated form of industrial policy in the scheme of “competitiveness web” and “co-opetitiveness pole.”Keywords. Competitiveness, Micro-meso-macro analysis, Growth poles, Industrial districts, Innovation environment, Competitiveness web, Co-opetitiveness pole.JEL. L52, Β50

Crisis, institutional innovation and change management: Thoughts from the Greek case

Abstract. This article explores how the current global crisis and restructuring of global capitalism is related to innovation, in broad terms, and change management. The aim is to understand this relation by first presenting a synopsis of the approaches to the crisis of the Greek socioeconomic system, second focusing on the concept of innovation in institutional terms, and third examining the change management mechanisms that seem useful for the articulation of public economic policy in Stra.Tech.Man terms (synthesis of Strategy-Technology-Management). We suggest that to overcome actual structural crises -such as the Greek socioeconomic crisis- the implementation and valorization of well balanced and effectively implemented sets of institutional innovations is crucial, provided that integrated public policy change management mechanisms are in place.Keywords. Globalization restructuring, Greek crisis, Structural socioeconomic crisis, Institutional innovation, Public policy reform, Change management, Stra.Tech.Man analysis.JEL. O10, B52, O31