Наука Красноярья (Apr 2016)
FORMATION OF THE CONCEPT OF TRANSACTION: HISTORICAL-GENETIC APPROACH
Abstract
Evolution of the theory of transactions represents the difficult, uneven process including stages of metaforization, conceptualization and operatsionalization. From vague understanding of a role of transactions in division and cooperation of labour in society, economists have passed to measurement of transaction costs on micro- and macrolevels of economy. At the same time, the basic for institutionalism category of transaction remains insufficiently precisely and is still unstable and unambiguously certain, also its classifications are open for discussions. In article the analysis of various concepts of transactions is carried out, the corresponding approaches, their achievements and areas of discussions are allocated. It is revealed that during the development the theory of transactions has accepted a little unilateral character connected with the narrowed interpretation of transactions as market exchanges of property titles, and also their negative interpretations from positions of transaction costs. It is shown that transaction can be understood in a broad sense as an exchange of its parties of various actions; such broad approach allows to consider complexity and interdisciplinary nature of transactions. The transactional paradigm is considered as set of the concepts and theories united by the general focusing of the analysis on non-material aspects and elements of economic systems, including roles of transaction and economic relations. Within a transactional paradigm there is possible an accounting of those concepts which don’t belong to the theory of transaction costs, and also have other disciplinary nature. Purpose – systematization of evolution of views and approaches within the theory of transactions as fundamental components of the institutional and evolutionary economic theory. Methodology: methodology of research includes the descriptive, comparative and evolutionary analysis. Results: analysis of evolution of the transaction theory is carried out, its achievements, directions and problems are revealed; the concept of a transactional paradigm for the generalized characteristic of concepts of the transactions which aren’t connected with the theory of transaction costs is entered; expediency of use of broad interpretation of transaction for the accounting of interdisciplinarity of this phenomenon is proved. Practical implications: methodological positions proved in article can be used by economists-theorists for developing of economic theory of transactions and general institutional theory.
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