The considerations of the operations of transnational East Center Europeans (ECE)entrepreneurs who dwell in between the post-communist world with its “baggage” of accustomed outlooks and behaviours that represent at the same time characteristic features of the dependent late-capitalism development of peripheral regions.
Three basic resources from the soviet-style fit the conditions of late capitalism very well: (1) deeply habituated beat-the-system/bend-the-rules modes of operation in the pursuit of their desired purposes; (2) accustomed reliance on patronage and informal networks; and (3) consumption-oriented, rather than production-oriented capital accumulation whereby immediate or short-term rewards take priority over long-time deferred gratification.
The collapse of the Soviet regime in Eastern Europe opened the door for the accelerated incorporation of that region into the global system, The East-West international migrations have been short-term and back-and-forth “shuttling” cross borders travels of arbeits (workers) or handelstouristen (quasi-tourists) who remain abroad and engage in work without appropriate immigration documents.
The core Western economies have already nearly completed what the post-communist ones have only begun, that is, post-industrial restructuring, or a shift to short –term production of services based on small and variable companies. The migrant-workers employed in western informal economies accept much lower wages than those paid in to the natives and save employers significant contributions to social welfare.
The majority of indocumentado male tourist-workers find employment primarily in construction, agriculture, and in a wide variety of service trades. Ethnic parishes and foreign-language newspapers in the host country have served as a popular source of employment information, contacts, and references for announcements boards or in papers.
The overall effects of the activities of transnational migrants who make “work in motion” their occupation have been ambiguous. Instead the economic society pervasive under the previous regime that has survived it demise and thrives in the perestroika era is based on the bend-the-law/corrupt its officials syndrome of orientations and practices.
", type="journal" }