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The purpose of the work is to study the essence of conflict as an economic category through the prism of the existing conceptual issues.

The authors use the systemic approach for comprehensive, structured, and dynamic study of socio-economic systems. Within this approach, the method of classification is used, with the help of which the existing conceptual approaches to treatment of the essence of conflict as an economic category are determined and limited, and the method of comparative analysis, with the help of which the distinguished approaches are compared to each other. The information and analytical basis of the research is materials of the works of international authors on the issues of conceptual study of the essence of conflict as an economic category.

As a result of the research, it is determined that conflict – as an economic category – is described in detail by the concepts of the modern economic theory (e.g., the concept of state regulation of economy, the concept of innovations, and the concept of economic cycles) and is the object of a lot of research. At the same time, conflict – as an economic category – is studied fragmentarily within three alternative approaches – inter-subject, adaptive, and crisis, each of which focuses on a certain manifestation of conflict in economy: contradiction of interests of economic subjects with their interaction, lack of desire of economic subjects to adapt to changes, and failure in the socio-economic system. Within each of the above conceptual approaches to treatment of the essence of conflict as an economic category, reasons and consequences of conflicts are given, and specific managerial tools are offered.

Systemic study of conflict as an economic category, which unified all distinguished approaches, allowed determining conflict as a negative reaction of the economic system or its economic subjects to changes in economic reality, which is expressed at all levels of this system and is subject to management. The offered definition allows specifying the essence of the conflict of economic category and ensuring its systemic research.

The purpose of the research is to classify conflicts in socio-economic systems.

It is determined that the existing narrow classifications of conflicts in socio-economic systems within various conceptual approaches partially cross and sometimes contradict each other – so they have to be systematized. For that, the methods of structural and functional analysis and analysis of causal connections are used, with the help of which the author determines criteria of classification of conflicts and their forms for obtaining the most precise system of their classification.

The expanded classification of conflicts in socio-economic systems according to such criteria as form of manifestation of conflict, level of manifestation of conflict, character of causes of emergence of conflict, source of conflict sources, sphere of management of conflict, and expected dominating consequences of conflict is offered. Due to this, it is possible to determine the type of conflict and to select the corresponding managerial measures.

The offered classification possesses the following advantages, as compared to the existing narrow classifications of conflicts in socio-economic systems within conceptual approaches to treatment of the essence of conflict. The first is universal character: the offered classification cannot be used as to all socio-economic systems. Due to this, it will be in demand by systems of various levels – regardless of their specifics. The second is connection to management: the offered classification allows determining the type of conflict and offers recommendations for its management. Due to this, classification of conflicts will be in demand by subjects of conflict management, which will allow increasing effectiveness of this management.

The purpose of the chapter is to determine specific and common features of social conflicts and economic crises and substantiate the necessity for their complex research within the theory of economic conflicts.

For determining the differences between social conflict and economic crisis, the authors use the methods of deduction and comparative analysis; for determining the common features of conflict and crisis of socio-economic system, the authors use the method of induction, synthesis, analysis of causal connections (logical analysis), and the methodology of the systemic approach. Also, the method of formalization (graphic presentation of authors’ conclusions) is used.

Comparative analysis of conflict and crisis of socio-economic system according to the existing scientific ideas is performed, and it substantiates that traditional differentiation of social conflicts and economic crises contradicts the scientific ideas on integrity of socio-economic systems in the integrity of the public and economic components. Based on the theory of systems, common features of conflict and crisis of socio-economic system are determined. It is shown that conflict is a wider notion than crisis, which is a private manifestation/example of conflict. An algorithm of conflict’s transition into crisis of socio-economic system is presented.

The universal scientific category should be “economic conflict,” which has the features of social conflict and economic crisis. The offered notion specifies the categorical tools of economics and provides a possibility to study previously neglected social effects of crises of economic systems as manifestations of conflicts in them. The obtained conclusions allowed for systematization of scientific knowledge in the sphere of contradictions of socio-economic systems. Due to this, it is possible to study cyclic fluctuations of these systems within multi-disciplinary studies at the joint of social and economic science and within the economic theory.

The purpose of the chapter is to classify socio-economic systems from the positions of manifestation of conflicts in them and to substantiate the scientific and theoretical concept “conflict-free” as a characteristic of the process of development of socio-economic systems.

Methodology of the research includes dynamic modeling of the process of development of socio-economic systems. The author uses the conceptual model of conflict of socio-economic system as an analog of the model of economic cycle. Also, a complex of general scientific methods is used – induction, deduction, synthesis, and formalization.

Examples of “conflict-free” socio-economic systems of Turkey and Japan are analyzed through the prism of dynamics of their GDP in constant prices in 2006–2022, and features of their “conflict-free” nature are determined at different phases of the conflict.

It is substantiated that “conflict-free” nature is a capability of socio-economic systems to avoid conflicts (caused by internal causes) and, in the case of their emergence, to use conflicts in their own interests – for optimization of the model of development and intensification of economic growth in future. A socio-economic system is considered “conflict-free” only if it possesses all the corresponding characteristics at each phase of its conflict (through the prism of the economic cycle). An opposition to “conflict-free” socio-economic systems is “conflict” systems, which do not have the above characteristics and this cannot prevent conflicts, caused by internal reasons, and remain destabilized in case of a conflict (show stagnation and are subject to the second wave of the crisis).

The purpose of the chapter is to develop methodological recommendations and to determine criteria of measuring “conflict character” of socio-economic system.

Due to large diversity of conflicts of socio-economic systems, the authors compile common methodological recommendations for all economic conflicts, but criteria of measuring “conflict character” of socio-economic system by the example of crisis as a manifestation/example of conflict for which statistical and information bases are available and its precise, objective, and authentic evaluation is possible are offered. The methodological tools of this work are based on the method of systematization, the method of classification, the method of comparative analysis, and the method of formalization of authors’ conclusions and recommendations.

Methodological recommendations and criteria for measuring the “conflict character” of socio-economic system are offered – they allow classifying “conflict” systems. As to the value of the index of conflict character, socio-economic systems with reduced conflict level, moderate conflict level, high conflict level, and very high conflict level are distinguished. They differ as to the capability to oppose internal crises, reaction to external crises, and the model of development of economic conflicts. According to the developed methodological recommendations and offered criteria, “conflict” level of socio-economic systems of developed countries – the USA and Germany, and developing countries – China and Russia is measured in the period of the 2008 global economic crisis.

Based on the offered classification, it is possible to forecast development and management of conflicts of various “conflict” socio-economic systems.

The purpose of the work is to study the process of development of “conflict-free” socio-economic system from the positions of the theory of conflicts and the theory of systems.

The object of the research is development of systems according to the optimistic scenario from the positions of the theory of systems and development of “conflict-free” socio-economic system from the positions of the theory of conflicts. The methods include comparative analysis, dynamic modeling of systems, and formalization. The authors compare treatment of phenomena and processes that emerge during development of system from the positions of the theory of systems and the theory of conflicts and compare the model of development of “conflict-free” socio-economic system from the positions of the theory of conflicts and the theory of systems.

As a result of the research, due to founding on the theory of systems, the theory of economic conflicts receives meta-scientific conceptual and methodological substantiation, which ensures its advantages as compared to the existing theory of economic cycles and the existing theory of economic crises: complex consideration of economic and social effects of conflict, correct description of phases of conflict, and more precise classification of causes of conflicts.

Due to these advantages, the theory of economic conflicts may help to describe, model, and forecast the processes of development of modern socio-economic systems, as well as to classify them via differentiating “conflict” and “non-conflict” systems.

The purpose of the chapter is to study dynamics of development of economic conflicts and to develop a conceptual model of conflict of socio-economic system as an analog to the model of economic cycle.

The author compiles and analyzes the existing conceptual static model of conflict of a socio-economic system. The theoretical basis of the research includes the works of modern authors that reflect provisions of the theory of cycles and devoted to cyclic fluctuations of socio-economic systems. The methodology of the chapter includes the method of dynamic modeling of the process of development of socio-economic systems and the method of formalization (graphic presentation of the obtained results and conclusions). Also, the author uses the complex of general scientific methods within the systemic approach – induction, deduction, analysis, and synthesis.

It is substantiated that the existing conceptual static model of economic conflict, which treats it as a non-recurrent phenomenon in socio-economic system, contradicts its dynamic nature. Instead of this, similarly to the model of economic cycle, a conceptual dynamic model of conflict of socio-economic system is developed, which treats economic conflict as a process that develops according to a certain algorithm and is constantly repeated.

The offered conceptual model of conflict of a socio-economic system as an analogue of the model of economic cycle allows specifying the methodology of studying economic crises, which are manifestations/examples of economic conflicts. This model emphasizes the dichotomic nature of economic conflict (its probable negative or positive consequences), which allows for more precise treatment of economic crisis – which is usually considered to be a negative phenomenon. According to the offered model, crisis is not a phase of economic cycle but socio-economic process that is characterized by cyclic fluctuations. As is expected, the developed model will allow describing the practice of development of modern socio-economic systems with higher precision.

The purpose of the work is to specify the fundamental treatment of causal connections between conflicts in socio-economic systems.

Treatment of causal connections between conflicts in socio-economic systems by the existing concepts is determined. Contradictions of the existing concepts are determined and the existing knowledge on causal connections between conflicts in socio-economic systems within the new (authors’) concept of economic conflicts is systematized.

It is shown that conflicts in economy are not necessarily of the social nature (emerge due to subjective reasons – influence of “human factor,” weakness and/or imperfection of the social institute of interaction of economic subjects, and their interest in conflicts), as they could be caused by objective reasons – deficit of resources and imperfection of the model of development of socio-economic system. Consequences of conflict in a socio-economic system are determined by the result of its solution and are related not only to participants of the conflict but to the system on the whole.

It is substantiated that the most preferable (connected to positive consequences) option is failure of both participants of the conflict, its quick overcoming, elimination of “human factor,” and involvement of third party into the process of solving of the conflict. Due to this, interest in conflicts will be reduced (undesired conflicts will be eliminated), the model of development of socio-economic system will be improved, its sustainability will be raised, and social institutes of interaction between economic subjects in the system will be improved. Further development of specified foundations of the developed concept of economic conflicts envisages its classification.

The purpose of the research is to determine peculiarities of development of modern “conflict-free” and socio-economic systems before, during, and after the 2008 financial crisis and to determine signs of “conflict-free” socio-economic system by the example of modern Turkey and Japan.

The methodology of the research is based on the method of regression analysis, which is used for studying dependence of the indicators that characterize the peculiarities of the process and consequences of the 2008 global financial crisis in various socio-economic systems on the indicators that reflect observation of the principles of “conflict-free” development as of 2018.

Signs of “conflict-free” socio-economic systems could be formulated in the following way: high quality of institutes, high ecological effectiveness, moderate digital competitiveness, moderate innovational development, low balance of the federal budget, and moderate globalization.

It is substantiated that a universal formula for high-precision determination of signs of “conflict-free” socio-economic systems cannot be created, as these signs are manifested differently in each country. That’s why during evaluation of the level of “conflict-free” nature of a socio-economic system, it is necessary to take into account specifics of its functioning and development. The determined signs allowed showing that observing the principles of “conflict-free” development of socio-economic systems does not mean achievement of global leadership in the corresponding directions of economic activities (and this is accessible for all countries of the world), but requires original solutions and balancing the existing alternatives in each separate case.

The purpose of the work is to determine the basic principles of “conflict-free” development of socio-economic systems.

The theoretical and methodological platform for the research includes the principles of crisis management of economic systems, proclaimed within the theory of economic cycles and the theory of economic growth – the principle of risk insurance, the principles of closed economy, the principles of post-crisis innovational development, and the principle of foundation on the real sector of economy. The author substantiates non-applicability of these principles to “conflict-free” socio-economic systems and determines the basic principles of “conflict-free” development of socio-economic systems, which differ from the existing principles of crisis management of economic systems. For this, the method of modeling of socio-economic processes and systems and the method of formalization are used.

As a result of the research, the basic principles of “conflict-free” development of socio-economic systems are offered – the principle of self-regulation of socio-economic system, the principle of sustainability, the principle of stability, the principle of balance, the principle of systemic management of conflicts, and the principle of moderate openness. Due to these principles, contrary to crisis management, “conflict-free” development remains accessible for any modern socio-economic systems.

The offered principles allowed determining the landmarks of development of modern socio-economic systems that strive for “conflict-free” character. Based on these principles, it is possible to develop a fundamental platform for studying “conflict-free” socio-economic systems.