Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 61 ISSN 2071-789X

Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Mamedov, O., Movchan, I., Ishchenko-Padukova, O., Grabowska, M. (2016),
Traditional Economy: Innovations, Efficiency and Globalization, Economics and
Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, pp. 61-72. DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2016/9-2/4

Oktay Mamedov, TRADITIONAL ECONOMY:

Southern Federal University,
Rostov-on-Don, Russian INNOVATIONS, EFFICIENCY
Federation, AND GLOBALIZATION
E-mail: oktaj-
[email protected]

Irina Movchan, ABSTRACT. North Caucasus is a diverse region at the

Southern Federal University, border of Europe and Asia that belongs simultaneously to
Rostov-on-Don, Russian the modern civilization and historical traditions, and is
Federation, populated with numerous multi-language, multi-
E-mail: [email protected] confessional nationalities that speak a variety of languages
and follow diverse traditions, carefully guarding their
Oksana Ishchenko- distinctiveness. Our paper sets up a goal of studying the
Padukova, processes and the mechanisms of modernizing regional
Southern Federal University, economy on the case study of this unique region.
Rostov-on-Don, Russian The paper confronts the typical view about the similarity
Federation, and differences of traditional economies supported by
E-mail: oaishenko- different economic research schools and opens
[email protected] opportunities for scientific (dialectical) analysis of a
mechanism, non-customary in the modern society, of
Monika Grabowska, modernizing traditional economies inevitably present in
Wroclaw University of Economics, the “pore spaces” of the global economy. We substantiate
Wroclaw, Poland, a special methodology for studying traditional economies,
E-mail: characterizing their essence, showing the methodological
[email protected] difficulties of analyzing traditional economies, exposing
the specifics of their system-wide organization, studying
the non-economic sphere in a traditional economy, and
Received: January, 2016
describing the mechanism of modernizing a traditional
1st Revision: March, 2016
economy.
Accepted: May, 2016

DOI: 10.14254/2071-
789X.2016/9-2/4

JEL Classification: O11, Keywords: traditional economy, modernization, society,

O31, P30, R10 innovations, globalization, North Caucasus.

Introduction

When analysing traditional economies with regard to their innovation, efficiency and
modernization, the researchers can hardly find more diverse and interesting example then the
North Caucasus region (Barrett, 1995; Kolesnikova and Malovichko, 2004; Mamedov, 2004;
Gerasimov et al., 2014; or Kolesnikov, 2014). Sandwiched between Europe and Asia, the
regions boast both wild and breath-taking sceneries, a blend of modern civilizations and

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 62 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
historical traditions, as well as traditional versus modernized economy riddled with
innovations and investments (Kolossov and Toal, 2007; O'Loughlin, 2011; or Tatuev, 2014).
If raising anthems for the subject of our study in a biblical-style language, it might
look as follows: “and God made a secluded firmament enclosed with mountains and
populated it with many nations, and called this Babylon the “North Caucasus”, and gave the
created “laboratory for integrating languages, cultures and the economy” to social
scientists”.
The economic analysis algorithm raised in our paper is not too complicated. It is
centered on revealing, registering, and proving the main trends typical for a particular historic
period. Then, it proceeds to trying to detail how such trends are embodied in local social
communities (Höschle et al., 2015). This is where researchers face the most difficulties: like
tailors, they attempt to “dress” different nations and economies at different development
stages in these trends, and squeeze their customs and traditions, sometimes exotic, in the
general social formats. However, as a fashion designer does not see а “standard body”, a
sociologist does not see “standard” nations, economies and cultures. Only then a researcher
proves to be a true professional: does she or he manages to distinguish the general historic
trends in a patchy exotics of the daily life? If so, then the study is within the scientific
boundaries. If no – it sinks in tons of ethnographic features.
The scientific novelty of the subject of the paper is determined by the “overlapping” of
the research area and the relevancy of the traditional economic enclaves for innovative
development of the North Caucasus, all-round beset by the globalizing Russian national
market economy. The purpose of our paper is to identify the reasons underlying sustainability
of this traditional economy within the surrounding space of the modern economic system in
Russia. The objective is to outline the specifics of modernizing the traditional economy along
the three aspects of its transformation: innovativeness, efficiency, and globalization.
Methodology: comparative analysis, abstract-logical pattering, and ethnical economics. The
main constraints of the study are geographic, time-related, and economic. The major
characteristics of the source base include the specifics of the North Caucasian social-and-
economic works known predominantly in the local professional environment.
This paper is organized as follows: the first section outlines the basic premises. The
second section details the changes that take place under the impact of innovations, increasing
efficiency and involvement of the North Caucasus economy in the processes of globalization
(Mamedov, 2010). The third section brings in an empirical analysis of the innovation and
modernization of the North Caucasus traditional economy using the apparatus of the Okun’s
law. Finally, the summary conclusions highlight the main results and findings and implicate
the pathways which can become the “starting points” for further studies in this field.

1. Traditional economy and North Caucasus methodology

This theoretical discussion focuses on the category of “traditional economy”,

understanding which determines the ultimate success of the undertaken analysis. Traditional
economy means an economy where customs, traditions and believes prescribe the principles
of economic organization for production of goods and services; in other words, traditional
economy is built up around traditions, according to which a particular society lives. The
sectors of economic activity include agriculture, hunting, fishing and gathering; primitive
barter trade is used instead of money; there is no sustainable excess (surplus) product; the
social organization in a traditional economy is represented by local family-tribal
communities; while mobility is determined by herd run or soil fertility depletion. The next
possible development of a traditional economy is a farmer’s economy centered on stable
agrarian production structures (Rosser et al., 1999).

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 63 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Other traditional-economy features are no less important: scholars emphasize that
decision-making in such economies are based on traditions and a traditional economy is
doomed to confine within the bounds of primitive technologies, thus its members live in
poverty even if their daily needs are satisfied. As for the modern range of traditional
economies, it covers the “third world countries” (countries with emerging markets): Africa,
Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, although pockets of traditional economy can be
found across the entire world. Since the modern economy historically stems from the
traditional one, experience shows that a traditional economy has only three scenarios of its
future: the market, command or mixed economies. If competition is present in traditional
economy, it is rivalry for scarce natural resources. The need in trade is extremely limited
because traditional economies, being identical practically anywhere in terms of technology
and sectoral structure, produce roughly the same range of goods. Trade in a traditional
economy is a consequence of the initial production specialization (for instance, between tribes
of hunters and fishermen). In the modern world traditional economy is being destroyed by its
interaction with the market. Still, changes in the environment are more destructive for it. For
this reason, traditional economies are forced to limit even the population growth (traditional
Economy: definition, examples, pros, and cons).
Methodological difficulties in analyzing traditional economy emerge because with all
legitimacy of the above characteristics of traditional economy it is hardly possible to deny
their inherent piecemeal approach that registers only particular, albeit important aspects of its
functioning. In our opinion, here a scientific approach is reduced to a majoe point: it is
impossible to understand “traditional economy” on the basis of it alone. This is a rare case
when economists have to go beyond the boundaries of the subject of their science, – a heroic
deed equal to an outer space walk by a human.
Why do we find a system-wide (interdisciplinary) approach expedient and why do we
consider it as a “heroic deed” of economists?
Economy as a socially-organized sphere of creation is a unity of two elements:
efficient costs-outcome ratio and equivalent-compensation exchange of the results of social
labour with different utility. These are some sort of X and Y axes, in the space of which the
“rest of the economy” forms: economic interests, contradictions and institutions. All of them
are intra-economic elements, intrinsic to the economy.
The name of the system in question – “traditional” economy shows that here the
economy is controlled through “noneconomic” regulators, which appear and exist outside the
economy. To reconstruct, recreate this amazing link between the economy as an object and
noneconomic phenomena (cultural, moral traditions, traditional values) as the subjects is an
exceptionally complex intellectual process that can be actualized only through integration of
various fields of social sciences rather than their superficial combination, but it’s the only way
to make this process a scientific cognition (Jelínková & Jiřincová, 2015). Thence, there is no
surprise that being cut off from “funds” and “indicators” so dear to their hearts, economists
feel awkward among the “alien” conserved archaic characters. “Non-economists” (cultural
studies scholars, social psychologists, or anthropologists) remain in a similar “subject
perplexity”. However, they also attempt to map and to build up their research approaching
such a narrow field of social studies as economics and economy.

2. The “non-economic” sphere of traditional economy

Economic primitiveness does not mean “relevant” primitiveness of the non-economic

sphere regulating the economy. On the contrary, it is quite possible that under a primitive
economy the non-economic sphere (first of all, politics and culture) achieves an unthinkable

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 64 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
complexity and level, as the Ancient Greek society demonstrated. Therefore, attempts to
deduce non-economic primitiveness from a primitive economy are counterproductive.
When the non-economic sphere flourishes on the basis of a primitive (traditional)
economy, the main task for researchers is to find the major non-economic phenomena that
exercise the crucial influence upon a traditional economy.
A common feature of a traditional economy is that its regulators are not generated by
the “natural” economic course, but are brought from outside, which implies that they
originally have a completely different, noneconomic character, that does not change even
under an impact of “economization” – adapting to the economic imperatives.
Within the scope of the historical approach it can be affirmed: traditional economies
prove that societies built on their basis are at early stages of social development since an
alternative dependency is established at further stages when the economy regulates the non-
economic field.
Proceeding from the above, we can formulate the fundamental “law of traditional
economy”: this is the epoch when the non-economic dominates over the economic.
The next conclusion is no less important. When the non-economic field directly,
explicitly influences the economic sphere and they are not yet alienated through an
“intermediary” layer (distribution and exchange with various parts of the gross social
product), such an “interdisciplinary” study object requires a special interdisciplinary
approach.

3. Traditional economy modernization

How is it possible to measure the movement of a traditional economy (“primitive

society”) to the future? How can we evaluate its success in modernizing the foundations of
the society? How does it correlate to innovative transformations?
It should be noted that such movements and reinventions can be measured as one
desires; however, scientific analysis puts the single requirement: the modernization criteria
that bring traditional society closer to its future must be determined by the future! Regarding
traditional societies, there is the cognitive charm of a primitive (traditional) economy, its
uniqueness as an object of economic learning – the future of it is well known to us since it is
the only future that is reliable, because the future of a traditional economy is our present! Any
other interpretations of the future nature of a traditional economy would mean not only
absence of economic regularities, and, subsequently, the economic science, but also would
assert an arbitrary sequence of the stages of economic advance.
Now all that is left for us to do is to identify fundamental, objective, core
characteristics of the modern society and look at a traditional economy through the prism of
these fundamental regularities (trends), clarifying to what extent and in what form the
traditional economy mechanism is gradually subdued to the above trend imperatives. To put it
differently, it is necessary to find out how the “institution of traditions” is being forced away
and substituted with a genuine economic mechanism.

4. Growing efficiency and innovations

Social-and-economic efficiency of a society is determined by an extent, to which the

optimal costs/benefits ratio is achieved through market methods and developed institutional
forms (Ehrenberger et al., 2015). The integrated nature of social-and-economic efficiency is
not so much in satisfying the material needs of a particular society as in augmenting potential
for social development of a personality and satisfying the needs in civilized development of a
social medium. Under the established international scholarly tradition, social-and-economic

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 65 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
efficiency combines efficient economic institutions, efficient social relations and efficient
public administration. In the economic systems with developed markets it is achieved though
robust implementation of genuine market tools, institutions and values in the mechanisms of
social development (economic freedom and competition in the economy, equality in social
relations, democracy and civil society in politics and the legal sphere). In traditional societies
an expanded reproduction of the described-above civilized forms of social-and-economic
efficiency is impossible due to their threat to the established socioeconomic paradigms and
political regimes. The force of traditions, frequently opposing not only the global direction
and trends in public development but simply the basic common sense, counters the goal of
achieving general social well-being. The North Caucasus represents a Russian enclave of a
traditional economy where social-and-economic efficiency is determined by anti-economic
and anti-social methods – preserves a high-level dependency on the preceding paradigms and
traditions.
The reality is that socioeconomic development of the North Caucasian region absorbs
some elements of market economy while maintaining multiple primitive production traditions
(Berezhnaya, 2014). Nevertheless, changes occur in nearly all areas where new modern values
and novelties penetrate through information technologies, education, pluralism of opinions,
ideologies as well as technological and competence innovations.
Still, on the one hand, the established traditions restrain expanded use of new
technologies and dissemination of modern groundbreaking information, and on the other the
omnipotent market relations have already infiltrated nearly every regional economy.
The North Caucasian regional economy is an example that substantiates the concept of
multi-paradigm production. Multiple paradigms are not an issue as such if lower-level
technological paradigms interconnect with the higher-level ones and are gradually substituted
with them (Bourov. 2006; Mamedov, 2014). A problem arises when obsolete techno-economic
paradigms are supported artificially and their reproduction decreases economic efficiency and
even hampers economic development. Economic science describes a multi-level economy as
interconnection between three elements:
Quantitative, that changes the scale of productive forces;
Structural, that changes the structure and composition of the elements of public
production;
Qualitative characteristics of particular elements of productive forces. Structural
improvement of productive forces is accompanied by spreading innovations across
products, technologies and production sectors.
Economic research carried out in the North Caucasus showed that the local Republics
are characterized by actively developing clusters with positive economic dynamics,
implementation of new and state-of-the-art technologies, emerging new marketplaces
(Kaluzhsky, 2003; Kalinichenko, 2011). These include, first of all, high-quality large-scale
agricultural production by regional communities and cooperatives employing innovative
technologies. It should be pointed out that the production and sales functions are specialized
like production of consumer goods with some ethnic flavor, for instance, footwear, knitted
garments, etc. Producers of such goods use modern equipment; actively novelize their
products; take part in national and international fairs and exhibitions. Their products are
supplied not only locally but also throughout the entire Russia, sometime under someone
else’s brand names. Distribution networks for supplying livestock products from the North
Caucasian districts to markets in large cities are expanding, which encourages upturn of that
sector in the region. Therefore, we believe, that currently the leading trend in the regional
development is transition from a traditional to an innovative economy.
This transition is shaped by the factors that are, firstly, conducive to conditions for a
transition to innovative development, and, secondly, related to emerging and creating

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 66 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
incentives for economic actors in the region to develop and implement innovations (Mamedov
et al., 2014).
The first group leads to establishing a new (innovative) sphere as a self-sufficient
sector of the economy while the second starts to conform directly to development of
innovative production.
Here lies a problem: rather than producing high-quality stand-alone product specimen,
a traditional economy is required to attain the high level of quality.
Slowly but steadily a traditional economy does begin to react to changing the model of
economic development – from the one based on raw materials to the model based on
innovations.
Nevertheless, the business practice in the North Caucasian economy proves that
certain issues remains: the poorly developed institution of intellectual property, which reduces
innovative activity of economic players; lack of effective competition that curtails producers’
incentives to modernize and their perceptiveness to innovations; practically absent markets of
innovations that are unable to commercialize novelties and spread them out at all levels and
spheres of public production.
Thus, innovative activity of economic participants is a condition for economic
development as the process of structural changes born within a traditional economy and
should be considered only provided the old goods and technologies compete with the new
ones that ultimately succeed them. Therefore, production activity will be path-breaking by
definition and in view of this will be a continuous source of competitive restructuring of a
regional economy, economic growth and development (Waligóra, 2015).
Talking about the innovative potential of a region, it comprises the regional resource
potential, which determines and directs opportunities for innovative activities. The matter is that
resources as a concept already embeds a possibility of being used in a particular socioeconomic
form, including traditional economies.
This way in the market economy innovative products created by regional actors become
an object of market relations.
Most innovative products embody the public basis, an ability to be a subject for others.
They are produced amidst a rapidly changing product mix and, subsequently, serve the purpose
of economic growth of the regional economy and its participants.
Obviously, regional advantages not necessarily generate an effect if the national
environment is not favorable for novelties. It can be due to the following reasons: difficulties
of finding capital; bureaucracy, high taxes; missing competitive ability as a result of the trend
towards dominance by large private and state-run or state subsidized companies.
Contrariwise, some accumulated experience in production of other innovations leads to
capturing new markets upon production of "new" goods (services) that generate high profit.
Rapid changing of one product with another requires considerable financial investments, so
mastering the manufacture of new goods is typically done by small and medium companies that
operate in sufficient numbers in the North Caucasian region. Those actors endeavor to capture
their market shares by commercializing new products.
Thus, innovative activity, crafts, products create the potential to gain a sustainable
advantage over competitors and entrench the leading position in the relevant sector.
Accordingly, one can assume that to enhance competitive ability an innovative
element in a region must: first, aim at investments in developing production resources;
second, lead to a high-level employment of the developed production resources; and, third,
endeavor to transform potential demand for the goods in this sector into the actual demand to
expand market access. It will require additional investments in sales, distribution and services,
as well as advertising and promotions to inform and make potential buyers aware of the
originality of the goods.

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 67 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
If an economic actor produced traditional goods unsung technological novelties that
enhance the product quality and reduce the costs, the innovative strategy will originally target
the low-profit markets. At the next stages, entering high-profit markets is possible. However,
due to the advantages in the product qualities gained by the producer employing technological
novelties (Rosser et al., 1999).
Therefore, changing the current economic conditions rather than taking them as
constraints for their operations, innovative entities in the North Caucasus region become
dominant on the market through transforming the structure of industry costs, actively shaping
demand for their products and achieving a higher output rate than they would be able to sell at
lower prices in comparison with other producers in the industry.
It is important to note that the modern global world is developing in accord with the
“made in the world” model which implies integration in all spheres of socioeconomic
development. Although this phenomenon has been known long before, nevertheless, new
trends emerge: information technologies show in practice how the share of import in export is
increasing, which is indicative of the national economies integrated in the global production
chains. It means further deepening of labor division in the world economy, particularly,
fragmentation of production process based on which an economic player decides: what
production elements should be located in what country. If there are competitive advantages
(highly skilled but relatively cheap labor force, know-how, etc.) the regional economy is,
therefore, being integrated in the global economic relations.

5. Globalization in traditional economy

Globalization is one of the mechanisms enabling integration of a separate territorial

subdivision into the system of world economic relations. Globalization is a multidimensional
process, thus, it is expediential to analyze it along the four aspects: economic, social, political
and cultural. The economic essence of globalization is actualized in spreading out the most
efficient forms of social production, which in technological terms is demonstrated in the
speed, cost-cutting and reliability of production processes. It means that globalization is not
contained in changing only a particular field of social life but is rather a system of
comprehensive paradigm transformation. The economic impact of globalized transformations
initiates socio-cultural and political restructuring, reflecting all-inclusive integrative changes.
The concept of endogenous territorial development presumes expanding value-added
production, when the surplus formed in the local economy is realized in the national economy
and, to the extent that there is relevant demand, at the international level. Globalization is an
exogenous factor influencing territorial development since external-economic impacts
stimulate inclusion of a particular territory in the world economic relations based on the
liberal forms of market organization and trade.
On the one hand, globalization will bring traditional economies to a new level of their
development, supporting social, political and cultural transformations. And on the other,
modern regulatory tools will force to abandon the old social relations established in the
traditional society, which will lead to developing new elites of the society.
Political globalization infers establishing civil society institutions, developing new
political traditions and political culture.
Cultural globalization is displayed, first of all, in the polilyngual trend, peoples’
involvement in various cultural events through information-and-communications
technologies, ethno-cultural proximity between nations.
Social aspects of globalization are extensive and have diverse evidence, from unifying
the standards of living to cognitive awareness by human beings of the integrity of the world
system that shapes new priorities in the values of social development, “supra-ethnic

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 68 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
communities are formed at the state level and then ethnosocial supersystems emerge through
institutionalization” (Kaluzhsky, 2003).
Enclave territories are the regions where old rigid economic and social structures
prevail, traditional oligarchic mechanisms and inefficient methods of industrial organization
dominate. Social capital in the form of personal contacts and mutually beneficial relations is
the ruling organizational-and-control mechanism in traditional systems. The processes of
globalization that bring unifying and standardizing production mechanisms, unhampered
access to information, low transaction costs destroy the established stereotypic individual
contracts transforming subject relationships.
Initially the globalization effects in the enclaves takes place through strengthening
economic relations between adjacent regions that perform the role of a conductor to more
robust international economic relations.
The least developed subsidized areas will not be attractive for direct foreign
investments unless they possess special resources; so at the macro-economic level the
regional policy should be designed to integrate the enclaves of a traditional economy in the
general globalization processes.
To evaluate how the main features of the globalized economy begin to appear in
spatial-territorial enclave entities, the specifics of their development should be analyzed. In
other words, will globalization processes be able to penetrate inertial peripheral regions?

6. Empirical model and main results

In this section, we will test the provisions of the Okun’s law for the North Caucasus
regional economy. Okun’s law represents a macroeconomic relationship that describes the
interdependence between output and unemployment. In other words, it measures the level of
activity in the market for goods and services to the level of activity in the labour market in the
time frame over the business cycle. Over the last decades, this relationship proved to yield an
empirical regularity in various countries around the globe (Silvapulle et al., 2004; Mamedov
et al., 2015).
Okun’s law remains popular amongst the labour economists of all genres and schools
of economic thought due to its robust empirical regularity as well as due to its importance as a
macroeconomic tool that finds its implementation in various fields. It can be shown that when
the Okun’s law is combined with Phillips curve, one obtains the aggregate supply curve.
Furthermore, Okun’s law has strong implications for macroeconomic policy, in particular
with regard to calculating the optimal rate of economic growth. This gains particular
importance with regard to the scope of our paper that sets a goal of understanding the
processes and the mechanisms of modernizing the “traditional” regional economy.
Further down this section, we will estimate the empirical value of Okun’s coefficient
which represents an indicator of the responsiveness of unemployment to output growth which
is crucial in understanding and yielding the cost of unemployment in terms of output (Abrhám
et al., 2015; Lelek, 2014; Jasinskas et al., 2015).
It can be shown that the empirical estimates of Okun’s coefficient are sensitive to the
selection and the specifications of the model (either a static or a dynamic model). Model
specification might also include the first-difference model or the gap model. If the first-
difference model is chosen, the output and unemployment variables are then yielded as the
growth rate. However, if the gap model is selected, the variables are expressed as the cyclical
components or deviations from long-term trends (Ball et al., 2015).
Our empirical model can be formulated as follows:

∆ui, t = ai + bgi,t + νi,t (1)

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 69 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

And

νi, t = λ ∑ ωj, t vj, t + ε i.t (2)

where u represents the rate of unemployment, g – is the regional product, b – is the Okun’s
coefficient and a, λ, and ρ represents the coefficients.
The model specified in (1) and (2) can be further modified and transformed into the
model with both endogenous interaction effects and interaction effects among the error terms
(SAC):

∆ui, t = ai +ρ ∑ ωj, t ∆ui,+ bgi,t + νi,t (3)

Table 1 that follows reports the results from the models specified in (1)-(3) using the
regional data on the North-Caucasus regions obtained from the Federal Statistical Service
(2015). The results are presented in the table using four main specifications of the model
including SAC.

Table 1. Log-likelihood weighted matrix of regional growth dynamics

Specifications
FE SAR SEM SAC
-0.102*** -0.016*** -0.015*** -0.015***
b
(0.008) (0.004) (0.007) (0.002)
-0.102*** -0.020*** -0.015** -0.016
Direct effect
(0.008) (0.004) (0.007) (0.004)
-0.055*** -0.077***
Indirect effect
(0.014) (0.025)
-0.102*** -0.078*** -0.015** -0.098***
Common effect
(0.008) (0.015) (0.007) (0.025)
0.354*** 0.435***
ρ
(0.018) (0.015)
0.354*** -0.302
λ
(0.015) (0.080)
R2 0.121 0.168 0.101 0.165
Log-likelihood 1775 2345 2148 2335
Note: *** – significant at 1% level, ** – significant at 5% level.
Source: Own results.

Our results show that the economic development of the region is mainly determined
by regional competitive advantages including such factors as the allocation of natural
resources, geographical location, agglomeration effects, and human capital. When it comes to
the competitive advantages, it becomes apparent that less independent and influential regions
might be the losers in this economic gain and modernization and innovations are not likely to
contribute to their development and economic growth.
Moreover, there appears to be no asymmetric adjustment to the increase of regional
growth rates dependent on the spatial interactions in the model (a regional buffer effect). Due
to the regional disparities there are regions with high unemployment slow dynamics of
economic growth. Our empirical analysis shows that these regions are dealing with the crisis
and economic turmoil due to the presence of spatial interactions.

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 70 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Conclusions and policy implications

In general, it seems that the modern society complies with and pursues three
fundamental trends: sustainable economic development, innovative behavior mechanisms,
and globalization of national economies. All other trends can be classified and pushed into
these three basic trends described and classified above.
The most amazing analysis that economic history can offer its researches is to consider
how a traditional economy makes steps towards its future (“innovative-industrial”,
“effectively liberalized”, and “globally supranational”) economic arrangements. Our paper
does it in the context and using the example of the North Caucasus, a region that is seemingly
“custom made”. Our results prove the objective trajectory for economic development of all
countries and to demonstrate the intellectual and forecasting power of economic science.
Traditional economy is the first and the last epoch when traditions have an overriding
priority in everything. Therefore, development of traditional economies is reduced to
developing traditions, and is represented in such development. Knowledge of this mechanism
of “renewing traditional society” enables to control and manage it, launching and
implementing new traditions.
Traditional economy is characterized by the primitive social and administrative
organization. This is the situation and the case when the social layer is formed with a
“modernized” mentality that becomes instrumental for “modernizing” a traditional economy.
One can conclude by saying that traditional economy poses traditional advantages and
shortcomings as well as traditional contradictions. Those include contradictions between
society and nature which puts the whole arrangement in contrast with the modern economy.
When it comes to modern economy, it becomes apparent that all contradictions that it
demonstrates typically become purely social between various groups of economic agents, or
participants engaged in production and distribution.

References

Abrhám, J., Bilan, Y., Krauchenia, A., & Strielkowski, W. (2015), Planning horizon in labour
supply of Belarusian small entrepreneurs, Economic Research – Ekonomska Istraživanja,
28(1), pp. 773-787, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2015.1084238
Ball, L., Jalles, J. T., & Loungani, P. (2015), Do forecasters believe in Okun’s Law? An
assessment of unemployment and output forecasts, International Journal of Forecasting,
31(1), pp. 176-184, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijforecast.2014.03.009.
Barrett, T. M. (1995), Lines of uncertainty: the frontiers of the North Caucasus, Slavic
Review, 54(3), pp. 578-601, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2501737.
Berezhnaya, N. (2010), Oriental ideas in the views on the history of the peoples of the North
Caucasus and the Middle Asia, Humanities Research Challenges, No. 11, pp. 1-13.
Bourov, А. (2006), Getting an insight into the cultural history of the Caucasus, Bulletin of
Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, No. 4, pp. 71-79.
Ehrenberger, M., Koudelkova, P., & Strielkowski, W. (2015), Factors influencing innovation
in small and medium enterprises in the Czech Republic, Periodica Polytechnica. Social
and Management Sciences, 23(2), pp. 73-83, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3311/ppso.7737.
Federal Statistical Service of the Russian Federation (2015), Statistical compendium,
Obtained at: http://www.gks.ru <accessed 20.05.2016>

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 71 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Gerasimov, A. N., Gromov, Y. I., Levchenko, S. A., Grigorieva, O. P., & Oboturova, N. P.
(2014), Features of the spatial socio-economic systems development in the North
Caucasus Federal District, World Applied Sciences Journal, 29(5), pp. 699-705.
Höschle, F., Strielkowski, W., & Welkins, E. (2015), Spatial segregation of immigrants in US
cities: evidence from the United States Census, Theoretical and Empirical Researches
in Urban Management, 10(1), pp. 5-12.
Jelínková, E., Jiřincová, M. (2015), Diversity Management as a Tool of Managing Intellectual
Capital, Journal of Competitiveness, 7 (4), pp. 3-17,
http://dx.doi.org/10.7441/joc.2015.04.01.
Jasinskas, E., Emeljanovas, A., Bilan, Y. (2015), Features of qualification improvement of
human resources in public and private sector, Transformations in Business and
Economics, 14 (2B), pp. 462-480.
Kalinichenko, S. (2011), The issues of studying local history under the conditions of
globalization (as exemplified by the history of the North Caucasus), Social sciences,
No. 7, pp. 386-392.
Kaluzhsky, М. (2003), Social globalization system, ECO: All-Russian Economic Journal,
No. 4, pp. 38-58.
Kolesnikov, Y. S. (2014), Problems of modernizing the peripheral economy of the South
Caucasus, Studies on Russian Economic Development, 25(4), pp. 389-394, DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S1075700714040066.
Kolesnikova, М., Malovichko, S. (2004), New directions in regional history studies: history
of the frontier areas of the North Caucasus, Science. Innovations. Technologies, No. 39,
pp. 48-58.
Kolossov, V., & Toal, G. (2007), An Empire's Fraying Edge? The North Caucasus Instability
in Contemporary Russian Geopolitical Culture, Eurasian Geography and economics,
48(2), pp. 202-225, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2747/1538-7216.48.2.202.
Lelek, T. (2014), Trend Analysis of Human Resources Development Representing the Base
for Researchers in Selected Economies, Journal of Competitiveness, 6 (1), pp. 71-86,
http://dx.doi.org/10.7441/joc.2014.01.05.
Mamedov, O. (2004), Pros and cons of an enclave microcosm, Economic sciences, No. 6,
pp. 27-34.
Mamedov, O. (2010), Is the South of Russia to turn into the North of Italy? Journal of
Economic Regulation, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 17-22.
Mamedov, O. (2010), Seven «corners» of the North-Caucasian economy, Terra Economicus,
Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 5-12.
Mamedov, O. (2014), The North Caucasus needs a modern economy! Terra Economicus,
Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 6-12.
Mamedov, O., Ishchenko-Padukova, O., Movchan, I. (2015), An entrepreneurial factor in
development of the Southern Russian regions, The economy and the environment of
territorial entities, No. 4, pp. 14-20.
Mamedov, O., Ishchenko-Padukova, О., Movchan, I. (2013), Economic specifics of
peripheral regions of the southern Russia, Journal of Economic Regulation, Vol. 4,
No. 4, pp. 23-33.
O'Loughlin, J., Holland, E. C., & Witmer, F. D. (2011), The Changing Geography of
Violence in Russia's North Caucasus, 1999-2011: Regional Trends and Local Dynamics
in Dagestan, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria, Eurasian Geography and Economics,
52(5), pp. 596-630, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2747/1539-7216.52.5.596.
Rosser, M. V., Barkley Rosser Jr, J., & Kramer Jr, K. L. (1999), The new traditional
economy: A new perspective for comparative economics? International Journal of
Social Economics, 26(6), pp. 763-778.

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016

Oktay Mamedov, Irina Movchan, 72 ISSN 2071-789X
Oksana Ishchenko-Padukova,
Monika Grabowska
RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Silvapulle, P., Moosa, I. A., & Silvapulle, M. J. (2004), Asymmetry in Okun's law, Canadian
Journal of Economics/Revue Canadienne d'économique, 37(2), pp. 353-374, DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0008-4085.2004.00006.x.
Tatuev, A. A. (2014), Recessionary trends in development of Russian regions. Economy of
the North Caucasus: Problems, Diagnosis, Prospects, 1, pp. 43-50.
Waligóra, K. (2015), Developed societies = happy societies? Growth or development – BRIC,
Journal of International Studies, Vol. 8, No 1, pp. 114-125, DOI: 10.14254/2071-
8330.2015/8-1/10.

Economics & Sociology, Vol. 9, No 2, 2016