While much has been written about the changing economies of the former Soviet states, this casebook provides a rare in-depth look at how individual firms and managers in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Newly Independent States (NIS) behave in such an environment. The cases are a diverse group. Several depict large, previously state-run firms confronting the realities of a free market. There is also an entrepreneurial case (on an electronic news service in Moscow), an industry-wide case (on the auto industry in Eastern Europe), and two public-sector cases (on social welfare programs and funding for the arts). All of the cases show managers dealing with an unprecedented whirlwind of change. Yet many of the challenges they face - such as restructuring, mergers, and shifts in government policy - are common to managers everywhere. The growing interdependence of nations and the pressures of world trade demand that various economic systems and firm behaviors are studied. While the focus of this book is on CEE and NIS, lessons can also be drawn about differences from China, Singapore, South Korea, India, Latin American countries, and even less-developed West European countries such as Portugal and Spain. Managers and research scholars will find this book useful in understanding more fully emerging market economies.
