CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2007
| Author | Dragicevic, Darjan |
|---|---|
| Title | The Political Economy of Shipbuilding in Post-Socialist Transition: A Comparative Study of Croatia and Poland |
| Summary | Almost two decades of post-communist transition in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have resulted in profound changes throughout the region. Among many tasks facing the governments of the newly democratic states, a particularly challenging one has been the restructuring of the industries originally developed on the principles of communist planned economy. Surprisingly, scarce academic coverage has been given to shipbuilding, a strategically important industrial branch considered to have been the engine of the impressive economic development programs of South Korea and post-war Japan. By focusing on Croatia and Poland, two countries with the longest tradition of shipbuilding in CEE and boasting remarkable international success of the industry, the thesis looks at how this important sector has fared in the transition process. More precisely, the aim is to provide an explanation for the international success of the shipbuilding industry, achieved despite the absence of transnational capital in the ownership structures of the shipyards. The main argument of the thesis is that the reasons behind the puzzling absence of transnational capital in shipbuilding, accounting for its unusual post-socialist trajectory, are industry-specific. Shipbuilding does not fit the model of a typical complex industry, both in the way it operates and the manner in which its role is perceived by the governments. Overall, the thesis offers a contribution to the understanding of state-led industrial restructuring in transition economies by exploring a complex industry of significant importance for economic development. |
| Supervisor | Bela Greskovits |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2007/dragicevic_darjan.pdf |
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