The Network Society: Economic Development and International Competitveness as Problems of Social

by Messner,Dirk

• ISBN13: 9780714644028
• ISBN10: 0714644021
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1997-10-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The globalization of the economy has become an irreversible, universally dominant trend. Industrialized and developing nations as well as countries in transformation have to face the challenge of building internationally competitive economic structures. One-sidedly liberalist economic policies do not lead to the emergence of 'systemic competitiveness'. What is called for are active development strategies. But how are they to be implemented, and what is the state of the political governance capacity of societies in the context of the new world economy? The author argues that the countries that will, at the end of the twentieth century, meet with the greatest economic, social, and ecological success will not be unleashed market economies but 'active and learning societies' that attempt to solve their problems on the basis of an organizational and governance-related pluralism. The book analyses its contours, functional logics, as well as creativity and blockade potentials. The narrow sets of categoriesoffered by traditional theories of the market and the state are not adequate to the task of depicting the far-reaching institutional-organizational processes of change facing modern and modernizing societies and economies. The book unfolds the picture of the 'network society'.

Author Biography

Dirk Messner is at the Gerhard-Mercator-Universitat, Duisburg, Institute for Development and Peace, Duisburg, Germany

Table of Contents

Preliminary Remarks	IX
Introduction and Formulation of the Problem	1	(9)
Part I The Concept of "Systemic Competitiveness" -- An Approach to the Development of National Competitiveness and Locational Advantages	10	(28)
1 The Four Levels of Systemic Competitiveness	10	(6)
2 Essential Requirements at the Macrolevel	16	(3)
3 New Demands at the Company Level	19	(2)
4 Shaping Structures in the Mesodimension -- The Relevance of Selective Policies	21	(12)
4.1 The Significance of the Mesodimension	21	(3)
4.2 State, Business Enterprises, and Intermediary Institutions in the Mesodimension -- Traditional Dichotomies under Attack	24	(6)
4.3 The National, Regional, and Local Dimensions of the Mesolevel	30	(3)
5 The Metalevel: Social Integration and Governance Capacity	33	(5)
5.1 Building Social Structures as a Condition of Economic Modernization	33	(1)
5.2 Social Organizational and Governance Capacity as a Dimension of Competitiveness	34	(4)
Part II Reconstruction of the Theories of Social Governance Capacity	38	(109)
Chapter 1 Preliminary Remarks	38	(9)
1.1 The Social Dimensions of Development -- A Neglected Field	38	(4)
1.2 Search Directions in Governance Theories in the Social Sciences -- An Initial Structuring of the Field of Research	42	(5)
Chapter 2 The State as the Governance Center of Society	47	(31)
2.1 The Modern Understanding of the State: The Internally and Externally Sovereign Leviathan	47	(2)
2.2 Discussions of the State, Planning, and Governance in the Framework of Traditional Theory of the State	49	(19)
2.2.1 Pluralism Theories, Elitist-democratic Concepts and their Proximity to Liberalist-economic Approaches	49	(5)
2.2.2 Welfare State, Planned Capitalism, and Keynesian Global Management	54	(4)
2.2.3 Limitations of Regulative Policy and Initial Approaches Seeking Solutions in the Project of "Rationalist Statism"	58	(10)
2.3 From the Planning Illusion to the Issue of the State's Governance Capacity: The First Relativization of the Modern Understanding of the State	68	(2)
2.4 The Neocorporatist Discourse on Patterns of Social Organization: Governance of Society via Networking be-tween State and Large-scale Organizations: The Second Relativization of the Modern Understanding of the State -- The Discovery of the Governance Potentials of Society	70	(8)
Chapter 3 Neoconservative and (Neo)liberal Discourses on the Crisis of the State: From the "Ungovernability Debates" to the "End of the Governance Illusion"	78	(21)
3.1 The Antipluralist Core of the Neoconservative Critique of the Modern State: An Attempt to Revitalize the Leviathan's Absolute Sovereignty	79	(2)
3.2 (Neo)liberal Models for Restructuring the Relationship between State and Society	81	(13)
3.2.1 Nozick: The Concept of the Minimal State	81	(3)
3.2.2 Olson: The "Decline of Nations" as a Result of the Organization of Social Interests	84	(10)
3.3 Resume	94	(5)
Chapter 4 The Systems-theoretical General Offensive against the Idea of any Governance Capacity of Societies	99	(21)
4.1 Luhmann's View of the Problem of Social Governance	99	(21)
4.1.1 Objections to Luhmann's Orthodoxy	107	(8)
4.1.2 The Complex and Fragile Relationship between Social Interdependence and the Self-referentiality of Subsystems	115	(5)
Chapter 5 Initial Responses to the "Demystification of the State	120	(27)
5.1 The New Modesty in the Discussion on Governance Theory Following the Ungovernability Debates and the Insecurities Generated by Luhmann	120	(5)
5.2 Policy Research in the Political and Administrative Sciences in Search of a Realistic Discussion on the State: Empirical Search Processes	125	(22)
5.2.1 From the Leviathan to the "Cooperative State"	125	(3)
5.2.2 A Differentiated View of Governance Activities	128	(3)
5.2.3 Partial Loss of State Sovereignty or the State as Primus Inter Pares?	131	(1)
5.2.4 The Discovery of the "Third Sector" by the Theory of the State	132	(6)
5.2.5 Institutional and Organizational Pluralism Instead of Market Versus State	138	(1)
5.2.6 The Palette of Governance Media	139	(4)
5.2.7 Results of the Reorientation in the Administrative and Political Sciences	143	(4)
Part III The Network Society: Further Development of Theories of Social Governance Capacity	147	(185)
Chapter 1 Network Theories: An Innovative Look at Altered Organizational Patterns in Societies Marked by a High Level of Division of Labor	147	(20)
1.1 Network Phenomena in Economy and Society as a Reaction to Processes of Social Transformation and a "Response" to Luhmann's Complexity Problematic	148	(5)
1.2 Network Phenomena and the Limits of Hierarchical Governance	153	(11)
1.2.1 The Complexity Trap as a Core Problem of Hierarchical Coordination	154	(2)
1.2.2 The State as the Agency of Social Integration? Remarks on the Demanding Normative Foundations of Hierarchical Governance	156	(8)
1.3 Social Integration in Societies Marked by Division of Labour: A Problem Rediscovered, not a New Problem	164	(3)
Chapter 2 Analytical Network Theories as a New Perspective on the Problem Posed by Social Governance	167	(23)
2.1 The Limited Contributions Provided by Descriptive Approaches to Networks	168	(3)
2.2 Strengthening Social Governance Potentials by Developing Network Structures -- (Partial) Answers to New Demands on Society and the (Partial) Loss of State Governance Autonomy	171	(15)
2.2.1 Networks as Organizational Patterns for Dealing with Reciprocal Dependence	171	(4)
2.2.2 Networks: Emergent Patterns of Organization and Governance beyond Markets and Hierarchies, or Hybrid Forms?	175	(3)
2.2.3 Social Modernization as the Motor behind the Formation and the Universalization of Networks	178	(3)
2.2.4 The "Art of Separation" and the "Art of Connection" -- Reflections on the Organizational Patterns Underlying "Network Societies"	181	(5)
2.3 Elements of a Definition of the Network Phenomenon	186	(4)
Chapter 3 Network Failure: The Problem Dimensions of the Organization of Networks	190	(38)
3.1 The Problem of Numbers	190	(3)
3.2 The Time Dimension of Decisions	193	(3)
3.3 Institutional Consolidation of Networks: Conditions of and Problem Facing their Operation	196	(6)
3.4 The Coordination Problem	202	(5)
3.5 The Bargaining Dilemma	207	(1)
3.6 Power in Network Relationships	208	(6)
3.7 The Tense Relationship between Conflict and Cooperation	214	(4)
3.8 Instead of a Resume: The Five Core Problems of Network Governance	218	(4)
3.9 Governance Problems Resulting from the Interaction between Networks	222	(6)
Chapter 4 Dimensions of the New Pattern of Organization and Governance Designed to Mobilize the Governance Potential in Network Societies	228	(104)
4.1 Interest Constellations, Action Orientations, Value Patterns, and Decision Styles in Network Structures	229	(34)
4.1.1 Conditions for Mastering the Dilemma Posed by Typical Interest Constellations: The Simple Cases (Prisoner's Dilemma and Chicken Game)	232	(3)
4.1.2 Conditions under which Complex Conflicts of Interest can be Mastered in Networks: The Difficult Case (Battle of the Sexes)	235	(3)
4.1.3 Three Decision Styles and their Effects on the Governance Behavior of Networks	238	(3)
4.1.4 The Problem of Justice in Network Structures: Reflections against the Background of the Studies of Rawls, Walzer, and Honneth	241	(17)
4.1.5 Resume: Action Orientations and Decision Styles Capable of Overcoming the Pitfalls of Network Governance	258	(5)
4.2 The Social Functional Logic of Networks	263	(23)
4.2.1 Reciprocity as the Functional Principle of Networks Geared to Problem-solving	264	(3)
4.2.2 Trust as a Functional Condition of Network Governance	267	(11)
4.2.3 Dimensions of the Strategic Capacity of Network Actors and Networks	278	(4)
4.2.4 The "Radical Individualist": A Network Actor Doomed to Failure -- The "Public-choice Society": Unsuited to Mobilizing the Governance Potential of Networks	282	(4)
4.3 Procedures and Institutional Mechanisms for Strengthening the Problem-solving Orientation in Networks	286	(8)
4.4 "Openness" of Network Structures as a Motor of Innovation	294	(3)
4.5 The Significance of Networks in Phases of the Policy Process	297	(11)
4.6 The Network Cycle -- The Efficiency of the Network Society with Reference to the Governance of Incremental and Radical Social Change	308	(17)
4.6.1 The Dynamic Phase of a Network Cycle	310	(3)
4.6.2 The Phase of Exhaustion of the Network Cycle	313	(2)
4.6.3 The Phase of Upheaval of a Network Cycle	315	(2)
4.6.4 Three Patterns of Acceleration of the Process of Change Leading to New Development Corridors	317	(8)
4.7 On the Complementarity of Network Coordination and State-level Governance in the Network Society	325	(7)
Part IV Social Governance Capacity and International Competitiveness	332	(36)
Chapter 1 Attempt at a Resume and an Outlook: Contours of a Synthetic View of a New Organizational and Governance Pluralism in Network Societies	332	(25)
1.1 The State of Governance Theory in the Context of the Network Discussion	332	(7)
1.2 An Enlightened Systems-theoretical View -- and its Black Holes: The Conception of Helmut Willke	339	(7)
1.3 Theoretical Search Process with an Eye to Jurgen Habermas and Bernhard Peters	346	(11)
Chapter 2 Conclusions Drown from the Governance Discussion on the Concept of "Systemic Competitiveness"	357	(11)
2.1 The Macrolevel as the Framework for the Development of Competitiveness: The Primacy of Hierarchical Governance	357	(3)
2.2 The Mesolevel as the Locus at which Dynamic Competitive Advantages are Created: The World of Network Governance	360	(5)
2.3 The "New Production Paradigm" at the Microlevel: The World of Clusters	365	(1)
2.4 Organizational and Governance Pluralism at the Metalevel: Social Governance Capacity as a Condition for Economic Efficiency and Development	366	(2)
Notes	368	(11)
Bibliography	379