Research approach
At the Department of Pluralist Economics we study economic phenomena from the perspective of different paradigms and with different methods. The thematic focus of our research is on the causes of global inequality, the effects and institutional characteristics of current globalization dynamics, the determinants and consequences of technological change and international competition, and the paths towards a socially just and ecologically sustainable socio-ecological transformation of our economic system. In addition to plurality, our research approach is also characterized by interdisciplinary openness.
Furthermore, we deal with the philosophical and scientific foundations of a pluralistic economy. The central question is whether, and if so, how, the triangulation of different theories, methods or paradigms is useful for scientific progress. The analysis of the status quo of economics is also part of our work: we investigate empirically whether we can still identify different paradigms in modern economics, and in which areas economics can be considered more or less plural.
Research Projects
The green transition and economic polarization in Europe
This project, carried out by a team of German and Polish researchers, examines how the policies of the European green transition may affect regions and member states, and whether heterogeneous impacts carry the risk of fueling socio-economic polarization within the EU. Based on the results, the project will draw implications for the "strong policy response at all levels" sought by the European Commission.
Research articles
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & B. Strunk (2023). Degrowth and the Global South: The twin problem of global dependencies. Ecological Economics, Vol. 213: 107946 [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch, T. Hager & A. Hornykewycz (2023). Competing for sustainability? An institutionalist analysis of the new development model of the European Union. Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 57(2): 676-683 [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & B. Strunk (2023). Degrowth and the Global South? How institutionalism can complement a timely discourse on ecologically sustainable development in an unequal world. Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 57(2): 476-483. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch, D. Tamesberger, P. Heimberger, T. Kapaleri & J. Kapeller (2022): Trade models in the European Union, Economic Annals, Vol. 67(235): 7-36. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller, M. Landesmann & B. Schütz (2022): The evolution of debtor-creditor relationships within a monetary union: Trade imbalances, excess reserves and economic policy, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Vol. 62: 262–289.
J. Kapeller & C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch (2021). Standortwettbewerb und Deindustrialisierung: Das Beispiel MAN als Lehrbuchfall. WISO - Wirtschafts- und sozialpolitische Zeitschrift, Vol. 44(4): 34-52. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner & A. Hornykewycz (2021): Capability accumulation and product innovation: an agent-based perspective, Journal of Evolutionary Economics, im Erscheinen. [Link (OA)]
C. Cordes, W. Elsner, C. Gräbner, T. Heinrich, J. Henkel, H. Schwardt, G. Schwesinger & T.-Y. Su (2021): The collapse of cooperation: The endogeneity of institutional break-up and its asymmetry with emergence, Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Vol. 31(4): 1291-1315. [Link (OA)]
M. Aistleitner, C. Gräbner & A. Hornykewycz (2021): Theory and empirics of capability accumulation: implications for macroeconomics modelling, Research Policy, Vol. 50(6), 104258. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller & F. Springholz (2021): Understanding economic openness: a review of existing measures, Review of World Economics, Vol. 157(1): 87-120. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, W. Elsner & A. Lascaux (2021): Trust and Social Control. The Sources of Stability in Informal Value Transfer Systems, Computational Economics, Vol. 58: 1077-1102. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner & B. Strunk (2020): Pluralism in economics: its critiques and their lessons, Journal of Econmomic Methodology, Vol. 27(4): 311-329. [Link (OA)]0178X.2020.1824076
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger & J. Kapeller (2020). Pandemic pushes polarisation: the Corona crisis and macroeconomic divergence in the Eurozone, Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Vol. 47(3): 425-438. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller & B. Schütz (2020): Is Europe disintegrating? Macroeconomic divergence, structural polarization, trade and fragility, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Vol. 44(3): 647-669. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller & B. Schütz (2020): Structural change in times of increasing openness: assessing path dependency in European economic integration, Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 30(5): 1467-1495. [Link (OA)]
S. Flechtner & C. Gräbner (2019): The heterogeneous relationship between income and inequality: a panel co-integration approach, Economics Bulletin, Vol. 39(4): 2540-2549. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, B. Alvarez-Pereira, C. Bale, B. Alves Furtado, J. Gentile, H. Henderson, & F. Lipari (2019): Getting the Best of Both Worlds: Developing complementary Equation-Based and Agent-Based Models, Computational Economics, Vol. 53(2): 763-782. [Link (OA)]
T. Heinrich & C. Gräbner (2019): Beyond equilibrium: revisiting two-sided markets from an agent-based modelling perspective, International Journal of Computational Economics and Econometrics, Vol. 9(3): 153-180. [Link]
C. Gräbner, W. Elsner & A. Lascaux (2018): To trust or to control – Informal value transfer systems and computational analysis in institutional economics, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 51(3): 559-569. [Link] [Manuskript]
C. Gräbner, T. Heinrich, M. Kudic & B. Vermeulen (2018): The dynamics of and on networks: an introduction, International Journal of Computational Economics and Econometrics, Vol. 8(3/4): 229-241. [Link]
C. Gräbner (2018):How to Relate Models to Reality? An Epistemological Framework for the Validation and Verification of Computational Models, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Vol. 21(3), Artikel 8. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner (2018): Formal Approaches to Socio-economic Analysis - Past and Perspectives, Forum for Social Economics, Vol. 47(1): 32-63. [Link]
C. Gräbner (2017): The Complexity of Economies and Pluralism in Economics, Journal of Contextual Economics (Schmollers Jahrbuch), Vol. 137(3): 193-225. [Link] [Manuskript]
C. Gräbner (2017): The Complementary Relationship between Institutional and Complexity Economics: The Example of Deep Mechanismic Explanations, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 51(2): 392-400. [Link] [Manuskript]
B. Álvarez Pereira, H. Henderson, F. Lipari, B. Furtado, C. Bale, J. Gentile & C. Gräbner (2016): Errata in "The Political Economy of the Kuznets Curve", Review of Development Economics, Vol. 20(4): 817–819. [Link] [Manuskript]
C. Gräbner (2016): Agent-Based Computational Models - A Formal Heuristic for Institutionalist Pattern Modelling?, Journal of Institutional Economics, Vol.12(1): 241-261. [Link] [Manuskript]
C. Gräbner & J. Kapeller (2015): New Perspectives on Institutionalist Pattern Modeling: Systemism, Complexity, and Agent-Based Modeling, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 49(2): 433-440. [Link] [Manuskript]
Books
J. Kapeller, C. Gräbner & P. Heimberger (2019): Wirtschaftliche Polarisierung in Europa: Ursachen und Handlungsoptionen, Bonn: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Online: https://www.fes.de/wirtschaftliche-polarisierung-in-europa
C. Gräbner, T. Heinrich & H. Schwardt (Eds., 2008). Policy Implications of Recent Advances in Evolutionary and Institutional Economics. Routledge.
Book chapters
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch (2022): Elements of an evolutionary approach to comparative economic studies: complexity, systemism, and path dependent development, in: B. Dallago & S. Casagrande (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Comparative Economic Systems: 81-102. Routledge. [Open Access]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & J. Hafele (2022): Why Fostering Socio-economic Convergence in the EU Is Necessary for Successful Climate Change Mitigation, in Heinrich Boell Foundation, ZOE-Institute for Future-Fit Economies & Finanzwende Recherche (Hrsg.), Making the great turnaround work: Economic policy for a green and just transition, Berlin: Heinrich Boell Stiftung: 104–114. https://eu.boell.org/en/fostering-socio-economic-convergence
J. Kapeller & C. Gräbner (2021): Konzernmacht in globalen Güterketten, in: Fischer, K., Reiner, C., Staritz, C. (Hrsg.): Globale Warenketten und ungleiche Entwicklung. Arbeit, Kapital, Konsum, Natur, Wien: Mandelbaum: 195-213.
C. Gräbner & J. Kapeller (2017): The Micro-Macro Link in Heterodox Economics, in: T. Jo, L. Chester, C. D’lppoliti (Hrsg.): Handbook of Heterodox Economics, London et. al: Taylor & Francis: 145-159.
C. Gräbner (2017): Dealing adequately with the political element in formal modelling, in: H. Hanappi, S. Katsikides, M. Scholz-Wäckerle (Hrsg.): Theory and Method of Evolutionary Political Economy, New York: Routledge: 236-254.
C. Gräbner (2017). Die Rolle des Gleichgewichtskonzepts in der mikroökonomischen Ausbildung, in: T. van Treeck & J. Urban (Eds.): Wirtschaft neu denken, Berlin: iRights media: 60–73. http://fgw-nrw.de/fileadmin/user_upload/WND_iRightsMedia_2Aufl_final-web.pdf
Further publications
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & B. Strunk (2023): Degrowth and the Global South: remarks on the twin problem of structural interdependencies, Developing Economics, 06.11.2023. Online: Link
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & B. Strunk (2023): Degrowth und der globale Süden, Blog Postwachstum, 23.10.2023. Online: Link
C. Gräbner & J. Hafele (2021): What are the Reasons for the Lack of Overall Convergence in the EU? A Structuralist View, Rebuilding Macroeconomics Blog, 08.04.2021. Online: Link
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller & B. Schütz (2021): Ökonomische Offenheit: Die Vermessung der Globalisierung, Oekonomenstimme, 22.02.2021. Online: Link
C. Gräbner & B. Strunk (2021): Pluralism in economics – its critiques and their lessons, Developing Economics, 03.02.2021. Online: Link
C. Gräbner & B. Strunk (2020): Kritik an der Pluralen Ökonomik – Was ist dran und warum ist das wichtig?, Oekonomenstimme, 16.11.2020. Online: Link
P. Heimberger, C. Gräbner, J. Kapeller & B. Schütz (2020): Die Vermessung der Globalisierung, Makronom – Online Magazin für Wirtschaftspolitik, 01.10.2020. Online: Link
J. Kapeller, C. Gräbner & P. Heimberger (2019): Wirtschaftliche Polarisierung in Europa: Ursachen und Handlungsoptionen, Bonn: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Online: https://www.fes.de/wirtschaftliche-polarisierung-in-europa
J. Kapeller, C. Gräbner & P. Heimberger (2019): Eine Strategie gegen die ökonomische Polarisierung Europas, Makronom – Online Magazin für Wirtschaftpolitik, 9.7.2019. Link
C. Gräbner (2019): Why Europe is drifting apart and what to do about it, Rebuilding Macroeconomics Research Blog, 15.04.2019. Link
P. Heimberger, C. Gräbner, J. Kapeller & B. Schütz (2018): Warum Europa trotz Aufschwung ökonomisch weiter auseinanderdriftet, Makronom – Online Magazin für Wirtschaftspolitik, 18.03.2018. Online: Link
Working Paper
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & J. Kapeller (2024). Systemism, ICAE Working Paper No. 155 [Link]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & J. Kapeller (2024). Path Dependence, IfSO Working Paper No. 36 [Link]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch & T. Hager (2021). (Mis)measuring competitiveness: the quantification of a malleable concept in the European Semester. ICAE Working Paper, 130. [Link]
C. Altreiter, C. Gräbner, S. Pühringer, A. Rogojanu & G. Wolfmayr (2020). Theorizing competition: an interdisciplinary framework, ICAE Working Paper No. 120 [Link]
C. Altreiter, C. Gräbner, S. Pühringer, A. Rogojanu & G. Wolfmayr (2020). Theorizing competition: an interdisciplinary approach to the genesis of a contested concept, ICAE Working Paper No. 117 [Link]
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger & J. Kapeller (2020). Do the "smart kids" catch up? Technological capabilities, globalisation and economic growth, IfSO Working Paper No. 9 [Link]
C. Gräbner & A. Lascaux (2020). When Trust Goes Bust: Social Control and Interfirm Collaboration in a Coopetitive Environment
C. Gräbner & J. Hafele (2020): The emergence of core-periphery structures in the European trade network: a complexity perspective, ZOE. Discussion Paper No. 6 [Link]
C. Gräbner (2019): Unrealistic models and how to identify them: on accounts of model realisticness, ICAE Working Paper No. 90 [Link]
C. Gräbner & A. Ghorbani (2017): Defining institutions – A review and a synthesis, ICAE Working Paper No 89 [Link]