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Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to study the process of evolution of modern business systems, to distinguish its main stages, and to determine the peculiarities of the modern stage of this process. For compiling a fuller dynamic model of evolution of modern business systems, this research is performed by the example of modern Russia – which is one of the most vivid representatives of countries with transitional (forming) economy and which is thus peculiar for very intensive transformation processes in business as compared to the countries that implement the concept of market economy.

Methodology: The methodology of the research is based on the method of logical analysis (analysis of causal connections) and the method of comparative historical analysis, with the help of which regularities of development of modern business systems are distinguished and stages of their evolution are determined. The method of formalization is used for graphic presentation of genesis of modern business systems.

Conclusions: As a result, four stages of evolution of modern business systems are distinguished: paternalism (1991–1997), commercialization (1998–2007), balancing (2008–2017), and technologization (since 2018). Each of the distinguished stages has its peculiarities, and the following regularities and tendencies of development of modern business systems are observed in the process of their evolution: increase of competition in business environment, increase of regulation of business from the state and society, and growth of size of business systems, which leads to complication of their structure, with increase of flexibility of business culture. Sufficiency of adaptation means with modern business systems is substantiated.

Originality/value: The determined outlines of the current stage of evolution of modern business systems allow compiling two following forecast scenarios of their further development, oriented at the period until 2025: scenario of well-balanced development of modern business systems and scenario of increase of disproportions in development of modern business systems. Implementation of these scenarios is possible in any socioeconomic system. Depending on strategic goals and priorities, each system may select the most optimal scenario and conduct the corresponding management of development of modern business systems.

Attempts to discover an internal logic in the high‐speed events taking place in the former Soviet Union. In addressing the problems of the country′s disintegration, examines the issue in its socioeconomic, political and territorial‐administrative aspects. Analyses, for this purpose, the nature of Soviet society prior to Gorbachev′s reforms, its present transitional stage and its probable direction in the near future.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a retrospective analysis of the Russian criminal legislation in the field of protection of economic relations in the transitional period of the economy.

Based on historical, as well as general scientific research, methods (induction, deduction, analysis, synthesis and historical) and private scientific methods for studying criminal law phenomena (formal-logical, statistical and document research method), the author managed to identify a number of patterns in the development of the Russian criminal legislation in the context of the chosen economic model.

In particular, it is noted that during the period of the destruction of the planned economic model and the choice of ways for the development of the economy, as well as at the initial stage of the transition period of the economy in Russia.

The author singles out the following patterns of development of criminal legislation in Russia: a) under the influence of a sharp change in the economic model, risks in the sphere of protection of economic relations; and b) the tasks of criminal law in the field of protection of economic relations are changing significantly: from protecting the state monopoly in most areas of economic activity to protecting market economic relations.

Burgeoning consumerism in transitional economies has significant implications for both multinational corporations and local companies. Based on a survey of four cities in mainland China, this research examines consumer attitudes toward marketing, and compares the findings with those of previous studies of other economies. The results suggest that consumers in mainland China are less critical of marketing than their counterparts in advanced economies. Furthermore, consumer attitudes toward marketing, beliefs about business, and their interactions have significant effects on consumer satisfaction. The implications for marketing operations in transitional economies and avenues for future research are explored.

Transitional entrepreneurship in distressed economies is a fairly new concept with respect to new ventures in such challenging economic environments. Formal institutional voids are sometimes held up as a reason for the difficulties present in distressed economies, along with exogenous shocks and other upheavals. In this research, the authors seek to contribute empirically and theoretically as to ways in which formal institutions voids can be filled by a culture developed by transitional entrepreneurs. Indeed, in transition economies, formal institutions need to be enhanced by informal institutions to control corruption and other misbehavior by authorities. Iranian economists emphasize these essential reforms to be able to manage current difficulties, yet top down policies cannot help transitional entrepreneurs benefit from the country’s value-adding cultural heritage to informally address this. To study this, qualitative research methods were used to interpret transitional entrepreneurs’ ideology and ethical routines as the ingredients of a commercial culture that can establish soft law that substitutes for formal institutions. This helps to reduce the disfunctionality of formal institutions in distressed economies.

A thematic analysis interviewing key Iranian entrepreneurs and economists is conducted. Also based on an interpretive paradigm, a hermeneutic cycle has been carried out on selected texts. Results have been verified throughout related literature as to come up with a solid synthesized interpreted outcome.

This paper contributes to theory from a new perspective by discussing transitional entrepreneurship and navigating a distressed economy; in which, ideology and ethics as the ingredients of soft law (Newman and Posner, 2018) are discussed as the base to further develop a commercial culture that fills voids of formal institutions. The formal–informal institutional cycle in distressed economies as the major difficulty entrepreneurs face (Peng and Luo, 2000) is important, because they try to increasingly enhance their move toward a market orientation (Bruton et al., 2008). The authors contribute as to how transitional entrepreneurs can complete this process of adaptation and also the fact that those informal institutions do actually respond to those adaptations. The other contribution is to enrich theories about institutions from the point of view of culture. Knowing these facts helps transitional entrepreneurs, because in distressed communities, formal institutions’ function has an important effect on economic performance (Amorós, 2009). This research’s contributions shed light to help government leaders understand the pros and cons of their actions forced on the industry. As it has been characterized in this research, it can turn in to new formal set of legitimacies (Ahlstrom et al., 2008) to root out corruption and help set the economy on a path to innovation and new venture creation.

Transitional entrepreneurs can depend on the less formal cultural-cognitive aspect of ethics and ideology. These entrepreneurs can be working on the burgeoning private sector, who want to connect with the outside effectively to overcome an economy in distress. Transitional entrepreneurs may face governmental institutional intermediaries as a barrier. Formal intermediaries tend to benefit from inefficiencies caused by hierarchal orders and will improve informality in order to overcome difficulties. In this research, institutional theory from the third pillar of the cultural-cognitive sheds light on transitional entrepreneurship in distressed economies, where inquiry is to fill voids of formal institutions as a process of possible linking between new generated soft law derived by beliefs, ideology and professional morality in order to influence (old) legitimacies. The research’s focus evolves on values transitional entrepreneurs utilize to build informal institutions and then impact further on formal institutions to handle distressed communities. This theoretical background expands on subsections to define conceptual building blocks for the study, essential aspects such as individuals as transitional entrepreneurs, the values they utilize to generate soft law, informal institutions and soft law, to manage voids in formal institutions and legitimacy building aspects in policy agenda setting for transitional entrepreneurship in distressed economies.

The purpose of this study is to examine how the adaptive nature of market orientation (MO) and the risk-taking nature of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) might be integrated for a complementary and reinforcing synergetic effect on firm performance within transitional economies.

The paper suggests links between the EO and MO concepts and develops propositions informed by prior research and reasonable assumptions. The propositions aim to spur future research to uncover further evidence that validates the testable hypothesis.

In particular, the study calls for investigating the interaction effect of EO with MO on new product entry, market intelligence collection and processing competence. In addition, the study proposes research studies on whether EO’s interaction effect with MO will tend to mitigate risk in the development of breakthrough innovation and whether the interacting strategic orientations are creating a synergetic effect towards firm performance. Finally, the study recommends that research models should be tested and understood in consideration of conditions and circumstances from varying contexts, such as the small and medium enterprise sector within transitional economies and the media industry.

Whilst the performance implications of EO and MO, when modelled separately, have been extensively studied in developed and diversified market economies, studies are in the early stages of investigating the joint effect of EO and MO on firm performance, especially within transitional economies.

As former communist countries have proceeded with market reforms, they have become more enmeshed in the international economy and their involvement in economic globalisation continues to grow. While economic theory suggests that this should bring several economic advantages to transitional economies (such as greater diversity of choice of commodities, lower costs as a result of greater economic specialisation, enhanced economic growth as a result of liberalization of capital and technology transfers), the social and environmental consequences of globalisation have in many cases not been favourable so far. Unemployment is emerging as a major problem in some transitional economies, social safety nets (especially for women, children and the elderly) have been breached, and basic needs are no longer being met across the board as in communist days. In most cases, inequality of income has increased and a bimodal distribution may be emerging in many other economies. Those on the low welfare‐ (income‐) side of the bimodal distribution are casual workers, those in the informal sector, the unemployed and the handicapped, including the elderly. Those on the right‐hand bulge of the income distribution curve seem to be the permanently employed (a declining proportion of population) and rich entrepreneurs and capitalists. The paper suggests that structural adjustment policies may be altering the shape of the Kuznets curve of income distribution from an inverted‐U to a bimodal form in both capitalist and former communist‐counties. Transitional processes have failed to overcome many of the environmental problems experienced by former communist countries. This is particularly so in transitional economies which have experienced negative economic growth, such as Russia. It is partly a consequence of lack of investment in capital stock. Lack of economic growth makes it difficult to implement environmental reforms and maintain social services. It is also noted that economic globalisation in terms of trade and capital inflows (including aid) makes transitional economies more dependent on the rest of the world. They can therefore be more easily subjected to external strategic economic bargaining or threats.

The purpose of this second part of this special issue is to contribute to a better understanding of the nature of Soviet society. It is not possible to analyse such a society in all its complexities within the space of one study. There are, however, some economic relations which determine society's major features. We believe that commodity‐production relations in the Soviet Union are of this type.

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.