A socio-political approach to exploring the innovation culture in post-socialist countries: the case of Croatia. Issue 3 (3rd July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Švarc, Jadranka
• Is Part Of: Post-communist economies. Volume 29:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 359
• Page End: 374
• Publication Date: 2017-07-03
• Subjects: Innovation culture -- post-socialist countries -- Croatia -- crony capitalism -- socio-cultural factors -- moral economy; Post-communism -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; Russia (Federation) -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; 330.91717
• DOI: 10.1080/14631377.2017.1315001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1463-1377

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Innovation culture and the social determinants of national innovation capacities have rarely been empirically researched in innovation-weak post-socialist countries despite the fact that innovation is considered one of the main drivers of their economic growth and convergence. Applying an alternative approach to identifying the factors that shape a national innovation culture is challenging as there has been little empirical research in the area. Moreover, the global cross-cultural concepts of national innovation culture hold little relevance for post-socialist countries. The trans-disciplinary socio-political approach employed in this article relies on the qualitative analysis of the dominant concepts used in political economy and sociology to identify the socio-cultural and political aspects of Croatia's post-socialist transformation into a capitalist country. This is presented as one of the critical formative determinants of innovation culture. Croatia is chosen as a typical innovation-weak post-socialist country, where innovation remains weak. The analysis presented here suggests that transition-induced factors dominated by 'crony variance of capitalism' have an equal, if not a greater, suppressive impact on the current innovation culture than standard explanations based on the socio-cultural heritage of socialism and cultural inertia.