A10 - General Economics: GeneralNávrat zpět

The aim of our paper is to identify factors that influence the territorial selection and allocation of development aid of the Czech Republic. We applied random-effects probit and tobit models in our regression analysis which revealed that flows of Czech aid to individual developing countries are determined by variety of factors. Czech interests and mutual relations were mostly identified as statistically significant determinants, namely export volumes, closer historical relations and geographical proximity. The presence of Czech embassy in a country was not confirmed as a significant factor. The reflection of recipients' needs in Czech aid selection and allocation is rather ambiguous. While Czech aid flows depend positively on total population and negatively on per capita income of recipient countries, they are positively influenced by the recipients' level of social development. Similarly, the Czech Republic tends to give (more) aid to more democratic and freer countries with lower institutional quality.

Teachings of economic policy were present at the VŠE from its inception in 1953 needless to say that most activities were highly influenced by the ruling political climate. Despite all limitations there were some achievements of value, esp. works of prof. Olšovský and his team in 50s and early 60s. Till the economic reform of Ota Šik was real engagement people from the VŠE in economic policy limited (Kurt Rozsypal arrived to the VŠE years after his reform was already enacted). 70s were again years of high political infl uence characterized by creation of Institute of Marxism-Leninism where consisting of all original social science departments. 80s were characterized by the hidden duality of teaching when dominating teachings of political economy of socialism was supplemented by teachings of political economy of capitalism mostly in a guise of history of economic theories. In 90s a full renaissance of economic policy as a subject followed.

The article deals with socio-economic aspects of responsible behaviour of owners, entrepreneurs and managers in practice of economic transformation. As the starting point of defining the concept of responsibility serves the elaboration of basic theoretical economic, juristic, philosophical and ethical approaches. The validity of the hypothesis that private owner is invariably the responsible owner is examined. The article argues, that social responsibility isn't the bare result of private property and that it heavily depends on appropriate institutions. The study proceeds to the institution of liability as realized in basic forms of business organizations. The liability is studied and viewed upon as a constitutive element of the market order. The responsibility is examined in the framework of rights and liabilities of entrepreneurs, partners, shareholders, managers and directors of corporations and business organizations.

The paper deals with the thematic structure of journal articles according to the Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification system. For this purpose, three representative periodicals from 1999 to 2002 are analysed by examining the publications by Czech and European economists. The research methodology is as follows. First, the institutional affiliation of the journals' contributors is identified by examining the information provided by the authors in their articles. Second, the JEL classification stated in the journals is investigated with respect to co-authorship issues and the relative significance of the multiple JEL codes. The results indicate that when compared to the rest of Europe, Czech economists prefer macroeconomic problems to the microeconomic ones and have a strong bias for the methodology and history of economic thought, as well as for the mathematical and quantitative methods. On the other hand, Czech researchers exhibit a markedly lower interest in labour and demographic economics.

The command economy that the Czech Republic inherited from the communist system was considered unreformable. It seems as if the social and economic transition of ex-communist countries is necessary for their full inclusion among democratic countries with highly developed market economic systems. No new central European tiger has emerged since Erhard"s reform in the post-war West Germany, since welfare-statism also destroyed a genuine economic transition in the Czech Republic. Influential interest groups were able to interrupt the transition process and to stop it halfway in many areas. Political pressures to bring the Czech Republic closer to European Union's standards led to the passing of laws and government measures that were incompatible with the highly-regarded transition strategy. The development of public law at the expense of private law enforcement (in accordance with EU policy) led to the further expansion of bazaar capitalism in the Czech Republic.

The article is concerned with the economic theory and methodology of the most important representative of the younger German Historical School, Gustav Schmoller. His main economic work Grundriß der allgemeinen Volkswirtschaftslehre and his methodological ideas are discussed. Institutionalists welcome Schmoller's evolutionism, historism, empirism and interdisciplinary approach. His methodology provoked some interesting interpretations in philosophy, which most often give notice heritage of neo-Kantianism. Schmoller is significant especially for us - Czech economists - because he influenced not only the German economics but also the Czech economic tradition.