Publication Date

1970

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Surányi-Unger, Theo, 1898-||Martellaro, Joseph A.

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Economics

LCSH

Pricing--Soviet Union; Pricing--Great Britain

Abstract

For many years the topic of convergence has been one of the most widely discussed issues in the field of comparative economic systems. The discussion, however, has been limited mainly to the economies of the United States and the Soviet Union, since they represent the two extreme economic systems of today's world. This thesis views the question of convergence as a cardinal problem with respect to the economies of Great Britain and the Soviet Union and concentrates on their methods of price formation. The pricing processes in the two countries prior to their respective reforms--1945-55 in Great Britain and during the 1960's in the Soviet Union--are discussed as are the functions and types of prices in each of the economies. The shortcomings of the Soviet Union's pre-reform pricing system and the events leading to the revision of pricing in Great Britain are then analyzed, and the amended methods of price formation are surveyed. Moreover, based on past trends and current indications, a prediction concerning the future trends of the pricing processes in Great Britain and the Soviet Union is suggested. Evaluation of the pricing systems and their revisions over the years gives evidence that some convergence of the methods of pricing in the U.S.S.R. and Great Britain have taken place. In the future further convergence of pricing methods appears probable as the Soviet Union continues to expand the role of the enterprise and to utilize profit and more accurate estimates in pricing and as Britain continues to extend government influence in the area of price formation. However, past observations also reveal that neither the British nor the Soviets have abandoned the fundamental beliefs on which their economic systems were founded. Thus, little of the convergence of the British and Soviet systems of price formation which has taken place in the past is due to a convergence of basic beliefs. Furthermore, until the underlying philosophies of the two nations become more similar, the convergence which is expected to take place in the near future will be largely limited to a convergence of methods.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.||Includes illustrations.

Extent

60 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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