Piotr Kozarzewski and Maciej Bałtowski analyse the causes and manifestations of Poland's recent shift in economic policy towards a more active role of the state, and use privatization policy as an example. The authors examine the effects of the privatization policy and point to a large...

In this paper, we analyze financial and operating data (1992 to 1995) for more than 6,300 industrial firms in seven countries of the region: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia. These countries have adopted different policies to encourage enterprise...

Worldwide, evidence is increasing that privatization improves firm performance. But in some institutionally-weak transition economies, ownership change has so far not delivered on its promise. Why? Mass and rapid privatization schemes turned over mediocre assets to people lacking the incentives,...

Transition requires the reallocation of resources across activities through closure of inefficient firms and the creation of new firms. It also requires restructuring of existing firms where improvements in performance are feasible. Both processes are closely tied together and are aimed at...

This paper explores the theoretical possibility of re-interpreting the conventional wisdom of the transition economy literature on privatization. Around 1989/90 the emphasis had been put on de-etatization and good corporate governance and little attention was paid to the necessity of integrating...

Privatization and market liberalization are widely considered to be complementary reforms in transition economies. This paper challenges this view and the closely related "big bang" approach to economic reform. Our analysis suggests that when pursued simultaneously, privatization may actually...

In their privatization programs, transition governments have frequently given away shares (so-called 'mass privatization'), while maintaining significant minority ownership. We explain the rationality of this behavior for an expected net-revenue maximizing government. Our argument rests on a...

Several transition economies have undertaken fiscal decentralization reforms over the past two decades along with liberalization, privatization, and stabilization reforms. Theory predicts that decentralization may aggravate fiscal imbalances, unless the right incentives are in place to promote...