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What If There Are No Conventional Price Mechanisms?

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  • Tae-Hee Jo

Abstract

Inspired by Frederic (“Fred”) S. Lee’s theoretical contribution to institutional-heterodox economics, I make the case that the neoclassical price mechanism is not only flawed, but also irrelevant for the study of actual coordination mechanisms, hence the price mechanism — as a theory as well as a way of thinking — should be discarded. While this position was addressed by early institutionalists, starting with Thorstein Veblen, later institutionalists have not completely rejected the price mechanism. The sympathy for the price mechanism has prevented institutionalists (and other heterodox economists) from fully developing an alternative theoretical framework concerning how actual economic activities are organized. I, therefore, provide an institutionalist-heterodox framework of the provisioning process focusing on business enterprise activities. This framework shows how institutional economics becomes more refined and useful when it is married to other traditions in heterodox economics, in particular, Marxian, social, and post-Keynesian economics. Such an integrative approach is what Fred Lee showed through his work toward producing a better theory and policy for the underlying population.

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  • Tae-Hee Jo, 2016. "What If There Are No Conventional Price Mechanisms?," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(2), pages 327-344, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:mes:jeciss:v:50:y:2016:i:2:p:327-344
    DOI: 10.1080/00213624.2016.1176474
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    Cited by:

    1. Tae-Hee Jo, 2016. "Frederic S. Lee and His Fight for the Future of Heterodox Economics," PSL Quarterly Review, Economia civile, vol. 69(278), pages 267-278.
    2. Jo, Tae-Hee, 2016. "The Social Provisioning Process and Heterodox Economics," MPRA Paper 72384, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Jo, Tae-Hee, 2016. "A Heterodox Theory of the Business Enterprise," MPRA Paper 72426, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Tae-Hee Jo, 2019. "The Institutionalist Theory of the Business Enterprise: Past, Present, and Future," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(3), pages 597-611, July.
    5. John F. Henry, 2018. "Reflections on the New Deal: The Vested Interests, Limits to Reform, and the Meaning of Liberal Democracy," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_905, Levy Economics Institute.
    6. Charles J. Whalen, 2020. "Post-Keynesian institutionalism: past, present, and future," Evolutionary and Institutional Economics Review, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 71-92, January.
    7. Valentinov, Vladislav & Roth, Steffen, 2022. "Chester Barnard’s theory of the firm: An institutionalist view," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 56(3), pages 707-720.

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