Title: State regulation or state capitalism?: a systems approach to crisis prevention and management

Authors: Yuri Yevdokimov; Mikhail A. Molchanov

Addresses: Department of Economics, University of New Brunswick, 7 MacAulay Lane, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ' Department of Political Science, St. Thomas University, 51 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5G3, Canada

Abstract: The recent economic and financial crisis of 2007-2009 and the ongoing recession in Europe have shown the inadequacy of classic concept of capitalism. The rationality of economic agents and self-regulation of markets have been questioned. Views on the future of capitalism range from its fine-tuning to the complete overhaul. This paper argues that economic regulation might be a better option if a systems approach is used as its underlying methodology. To illustrate the point, we analyse the financial sector from the viewpoint of a network organisation. Without a systems administrator, the network effects, including the systemic risk, cannot be internalised by the markets themselves. Markets are living systems, similar to complex biological systems. Just as full spontaneity is absent in the world of living beings, so it is absent in the world of the economy. The sustained regulation of collective behaviour of economic agents is needed for capitalism to survive.

Keywords: state capitalism; state intervention; laissez-faire; systems approaches; financial networks; evolution; state regulation; crisis prevention; crisis management; economic crises; financial crises; recessions; economic agents; self-regulation; markets; economic regulation; financial sector; network organisations; systems administrators; network effects; systemic risks; full spontaneity; sustained regulation; collective behaviour; management concepts; management philosophy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCP.2013.052828

International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 2013 Vol.7 No.1, pp.1 - 12

Published online: 05 Apr 2013 *

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