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This paper introduces the readers to Neo-Transitional Economics – a volume which aspires to reinvigorate scholarly interest in transition economics research. The classical transition storyline is briefly revisited, and new directions for empirical and policy-relevant research that target post-transition economies in the post-crisis paradigm are highlighted.

How are we to make sense of the attitudes of Social Democratic parties towards decentralisation? What do they think about what is a legitimate territorial allocation of power? What factors shapes this view? And what makes Social Democratic parties change their minds? This article addresses these questions by way of competing ideological traditions, the external strategic incentives and internal constraints. Empirically, the article presents a comparative case-study analysis of Social Democratic parties in four countries (Belgium, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom). On the basis of this analysis, I argue that the positioning of Social Democratic parties on decentralisation is influenced by strategic incentives created by the structure of political competition, whereas the policy shifts are more often produced by factors that are internal to the party. A decentralist policy shift is always associated with the capacity of regionalist parties to set the agenda by exerting pressures on Social Democratic parties. In addition, Social Democratic parties tend to shift their policy while in opposition to distinguish themselves from their centralist mainstream rival in government. The dominant mechanism found across four countries was one in which regional branches persuade the central party leadership to adopt a pro-decentralist position. This chapter illustrates how Social Democratic parties have an instinct for ‘adaptation and control’ in the face of social-structural changes, and it demonstrates that the prevalence of different ideological traditions will vary according to external strategic incentives and, crucially, by the party's internal ability to follow those incentives.

This paper seeks to assess the hierarchical tendencies among direct recruit managers, managers promoted from supervisory grade and supervisors in a large bureaucracy in India using an instrument developed in India.

The instrument assesses hierarchy on three dimensions of “tendency for personalized relationship with superiors”, “status consciousness with superiors” and “dependence on superiors”.

The paper concludes that in the Indian bureaucracy, 15 years of liberalization and more than 50 years of democracy have not brought about differential hierarchical tendencies between younger employees who joined the bureaucracy less than two years ago, and older employees who joined the bureaucracy roughly 25 years ago. Employees in Indian bureaucracy continue to be dependent on their superiors and continue to be conscious of the status of their superiors. However, they do not feel the necessity of developing a personalised relationship with their superiors. Further, employees exposed to higher managerial responsibilities are less dependent on their superiors and less conscious of the status of their superiors than employees exposed to supervisor level responsibilities.

The paper provides empirical evidence to managers dealing with Indian bureaucracy about which dimensions of hierarchy need to be carefully handled by them. It also indicates the extent to which the Indian bureaucrats will be amenable to participative management practices espoused in the West.

The paper makes an in‐depth empirical study of the well‐established hierarchical nature of Indians in an Indian bureaucracy. Thereby, this paper identifies the specific dimensions of hierarchy that are still prevalent in the Indian bureaucracy.

The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the economic development of ASEAN countries during the period 2000-2014 (after the crisis) with the aim of detecting the convergence and divergence of trends over this period and of providing a framework that could be used for subsequent studies in the future.

Based on the models developed by Solow (1956) and Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1991), the authors estimate absolute and conditional β-convergence through OLS, pooled OLS and pooled OLS with time period effect. The absolute β-convergence can be modelled by the relationship between the log of the compound annual growth rate of GDP per capita (GDPC) (or per worker) and the initial level of GDPC (or per worker). The conditional β-convergence is modelled by the same relationship, supplemented by other factors potentially affecting the growth.

The findings indicate an average annual rate of σ-convergence per annum of approximately 1 per cent, and of 0.4-0.6 per cent for β-convergence, over the period 2000-2014. Compared to other macro-regions (e.g. the European Union), these rates of convergence among ASEAN countries are relatively low.

The ASEAN roadmap should address two interlinked challenges: the first one is to achieve coordination of the macroeconomic, institutional, legal and social policies within the area. The second one is to address the specific microeconomic drivers of each member state to achieve increased sustainable development.

This paper identifies the contradictory results found in previous studies on ASEAN convergence and attempts to clearly determine the optimal sample, sample time period and estimation approaches to obtain sound results regarding convergence processes.

Drawing on research in the worlds of advertising, magazines and fashion, this paper discusses how celebrities mediate between different fields of cultural production. By focusing on celebrity endorsements in advertising, it also outlines how film actors and actresses, athletes, models, pop singers, sportsmen and women mediate between producers and consumers via the products and services that they endorse. As economic mediators, celebrities’ actions have important strategic and financial implications for the corporations whose products they endorse. As cultural mediators, they give commodities personalities and perform across different media, linking different cultural fields into an integrated name economy.

Examines how French teenagers have reacted to the replacement of France’s national currency by the euro, comparing their attitudes six months before the change with those afterwards. Aims to show how a new social representation is built up from individual attitudes shared by many, referring to the work of Durkheim, Moscovici, and more recent theoretical approaches. Concludes that the introduction of the euro in France and simultaneously in 11 other member countries of the European Union has produced a much wider feeling of territoriality, a change in socialisation which appears as a European feeling of belonging.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of emotional valence and intensity on sport sponsorship attitudinal outcomes, across two culturally different samples from Australia and France.

Based on a multidisciplinary literature review of the emotional phenomenon, research hypotheses are proposed and empirically tested against two samples exposed to two comparable major sport events in Australia and France.

Data reveal that Australian and French spectators' emotional responses differ in terms of valence, but not in terms of intensity. This initial difference, in turn, impacts the effect of emotional responses on sponsorship attitudinal outcomes. The more positive are sport‐related emotions, the stronger their impact on the sponsorship persuasion process. The proposed mediating effect of attitude towards the event is partially supported.

The results are limited by the small sample size and the inherent bias of the verbal measurement of the emotional phenomenon.

Despite omnipresence in sports events, emotions and their influence on sponsorship outcomes have not been clarified yet, once simply disregarded by many scholars. This paper provides evidence that emotions can contribute to the formation of attitudes towards sponsors, in some cases mediated by attitude towards the event. In addition, in line with the global reach of sports and sports sponsorship a comparison of results between samples from Australia and France creates a valuable contribution of this paper to marketing theory and practice.

Examines the role of institutional change in post‐Communist transition, notably in the sequence of transformations. Explains the reasons for the strategic role of institutional change, the major elements of such change, a rationale explaining why, to create maximum effect, these changes should occur early in the sequencing process, prior to liberalization, marketization, stabilization or economic restructuring and substantial privatization. Theoretical analysis is employed with supporting empirical illustrations.

Examines the sequencing of economic reforms in the post‐communist transition, focusing on Russia. Proposes a moderately expansionary stabilization, succeeded by gradual liberalization and marketization, followed by a more ambitious economic restructuring and privatization.