Destructive Coordination

Mehrdad Vahabi

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 2009, vol. 68, issue 2, pages 353-386

Abstract: Polanyi (1944, [1957]1968) has distinguished three "patterns of social integration," namely, "reciprocity,""redistribution," and "exchange." This triad has provided the starting point for most subsequent discussion. Our purpose is to introduce a further type of coordination, the "destructive mode of coordination." This mode achieves coordination by intimidation, threat, and the use of non-institutionalized coercive means. Resources and human efforts are allocated in order to "appropriate" what other people produce. Two simple examples provide an introductory illustration: traffic circles (roundabouts) and prisons. Appropriation through pirating provides a further example of destructive coordination. More specifically, biopiracy (blood patenting) is discussed in order to clarify the relationship between destructive coordination and the institutionalization of property rights. Finally, we focus on the role of destructive coordination as a transitional mechanism that is supported by the institutional vacuum, ultimately yielding to other modes of coordination. Copyright © 2009 American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc..

Date: 2009

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/servlet/useragent ... &year=2009&part=null link to full text (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:ajecsc:v:68:y:2009:i:2:p:353-386

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0002-9246

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Economics and Sociology is edited by Laurence S. Moss

More articles in American Journal of Economics and Sociology from Blackwell Publishing
Series data maintained by Christopher F. Baum ().