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), p. 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), p. 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), p. 7-36. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller, M. Landesmann and 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, p. 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 und 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 and 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), p. 1291-1315. [Link (OA)]
M. Aistleitner, C. Gräbner and 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 and F. Springholz (2021): Understanding economic openness: a review of existing measures, Review of World Economics, Vol. 157(1), p. 87-120. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, W. Elsner and A. Lascaux (2021): Trust and Social Control. The Sources of Stability in Informal Value Transfer Systems, Computational Economics, Vol. 58, p. 1077-1102. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner and B. Strunk (2020): Pluralism in economics: its critiques and their lessons, Journal of Econmomic Methodology, Vol. 27(4), p. 311-329. [Link (OA)]0178X.2020.1824076
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger and J. Kapeller (2020). Pandemic pushes polarisation: the Corona crisis and macroeconomic divergence in the Eurozone, Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Vol. 47(3), p. 425-438. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller and B. Schütz (2020): Is Europe disintegrating? Macroeconomic divergence, structural polarization, trade and fragility, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Vol. 44(3), p. 647-669. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, P. Heimberger, J. Kapeller and B. Schütz (2020): Structural change in times of increasing openness: assessing path dependency in European economic integration, Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 30(5), p. 1467-1495. [Link (OA)]
S. Flechtner and C. Gräbner (2019): The heterogeneous relationship between income and inequality: a panel co-integration approach, Economics Bulletin, Vol. 39(4), p. 2540-2549. [Link (OA)]
C. Gräbner, B. Alvarez-Pereira, C. Bale, B. Alves Furtado, J. Gentile, H. Henderson, and F. Lipari (2019): Getting the Best of Both Worlds: Developing complementary Equation-Based and Agent-Based Models, Computational Economics, Vol. 53(2), p. 763-782. [Link (OA)]
T. Heinrich and 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), p. 153-180. [Link]
C. Gräbner, W. Elsner and 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), p. 559-569. [Link] [Manuskript]
C. Gräbner, T. Heinrich, M. Kudic and B. Vermeulen (2018): The dynamics of and on networks: an introduction, International Journal of Computational Economics and Econometrics, Vol. 8(3/4), p. 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), p. 32-63. [Link]
C. Gräbner (2017): The Complexity of Economies and Pluralism in Economics, Journal of Contextual Economics (Schmollers Jahrbuch), Vol. 137(3), p. 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), p. 392-400. [Link] [Manuskript]
B. Álvarez Pereira, H. Henderson, F. Lipari, B. Furtado, C. Bale, J. Gentile and C. Gräbner (2016): Errata in "The Political Economy of the Kuznets Curve", Review of Development Economics, Vol. 20(4), p. 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), p. 241-261. [Link] [Manuskript]
C. Gräbner and J. Kapeller (2015): New Perspectives on Institutionalist Pattern Modeling: Systemism, Complexity, and Agent-Based Modeling, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 49(2), p. 433-440. [Link] [Manuskript]
Books
J. Kapeller, C. Gräbner and 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 and 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 (p. 81-102). Routledge. [Open Access]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch and 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, p. 104–114. https://eu.boell.org/en/fostering-socio-economic-convergence
J. Kapeller und 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, p. 195-213.
C. Gräbner und 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, p. 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, p. 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, p. 60–73. http://fgw-nrw.de/fileadmin/user_upload/WND_iRightsMedia_2Aufl_final-web.pdf
Other 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 and 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 and B. Schütz (2021): Ökonomische Offenheit: Die Vermessung der Globalisierung, Oekonomenstimme, 22.02.2021. Online: Link
C. Gräbner and B. Strunk (2021): Pluralism in economics – its critiques and their lessons, Developing Economics, 03.02.2021. Online: Link
C. Gräbner and 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 and B. Schütz (2020): Die Vermessung der Globalisierung, Makronom – Online Magazin für Wirtschaftspolitik, 01.10.2020. Online: Link
J. Kapeller, C. Gräbner and 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 and 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 and 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 & B. Strunk (2022). Degrowth and the global South: the twin problem of global dependencies. ICAE Working Paper, 142. [Link]
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch, A. Hornykewycz and B. Schütz (2022). The emergence of debt and secular stagnation in an unequal society: a stockflow consistent agent-based approach. ICAE Working Paper, 135. https://www.jku.at/fileadmin/gruppen/108/ICAE_Working_Papers/wp135.pdf
C. Gräbner-Radkowitsch and Hager, T. (2021). (Mis)measuring competitiveness: the quantification of a malleable concept in the European Semester. ICAE Working Paper, 130. https://www.jku.at/fileadmin/gruppen/108/ICAE_Working_Papers/wp130.pdf
C. Altreiter, C. Gräbner, S. Pühringer, A. Rogojanu and G. Wolfmayr (2020). Theorizing competition: an interdisciplinary framework, ICAE Working Paper No. 120 [Link]
C. Altreiter, C. Gräbner, S. Pühringer, A. Rogojanu and 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 and J. Kapeller (2020). Do the "smart kids" catch up? Technological capabilities, globalisation and economic growth, IfSO Working Paper No. 9 [Link]
C. Gräbner and A. Lascaux (2020). When Trust Goes Bust: Social Control and Interfirm Collaboration in a Coopetitive Environment
C. Gräbner and 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 and A. Ghorbani (2017): Defining institutions – A review and a synthesis, ICAE Working Paper No 89 [Link]