Industries and Markets in Central and Eastern Europe

The introduction to this book has two main purposes. First, the information it introduces as contained throughout these chapters, should inspire new research emerging from careful, thorough and consistent reading of these arguments, which emanate and evolve due to our commitment to answering still lingering questions many have regarding what really is happening at all levels of the transformation process. Second, the introduction carefully diagrams for the reader and describes, using measured doses of each chapter, those parts by the author or co-authors, which offer readers an ethical reason to pursue the chapters in their entirety. A new approach to development is what supports the overall argumentation and documentation behind each of the unique and primarily business oriented approaches to understanding and, above all, appreciating the transition process from beginning to end. In fact, transition economics is inextricably linked to business and economics, as both impact and influence each other at all times throughout any development process, whether transition related or not. One cannot simply assume that a development process ever contains the perfect balance between needs and interests (people and politics), as it is humanly impossible to create a perfect development blueprint both meeting needs of the populations and their ruling and governing politicians, while claiming scientific and quantitative validity. Any attempt by any group of reformers at any stage of a transition development process to make such a claim, must immediately invite deep suspicion and skepticism on the part of any and all readers. Thus, the uniquenesas of the effort regarding this book and the following chapters is that the reader is in the hands of true experts in many varied fields from many varied countries and related regions, thereby offering readers true expertise in several difficult, technical and traditionally confusing areas of transition realities.