Changing attitudes to the future in Hungary

In the mid-1990s a theoretical definition of future orientation was elaborated by Hungarian futurists Nova´ ky, Hideg and Kappe´ ter to conduct empirical research on the capacity of human foresight under given historical conditions. Future orientation is a way human thinking is manifested, where thoughts are filled with preconceptions, imagination and expectations. Our research has shown that the following component parts characterise future orientation: thinking about the future, applying regular social techniques to limit its uncertainty, actions taken in the interest of the future, and expectations concerning the future. Based on these component parts the future orientation of Hungarian society was studied empirically in 1995 and in 2006. Comparative analysis of the findings of the two surveys is presented below.

The network structure of Hungarian business clusters

This article investigates the attitudes to inter-firm co-operation in Hungary by analysing a special group of business networks: the business clusters. Following an overview of cluster policy, a wide range of selfproclaimed business clusters are identified. A small elite of these business networks evolves into successful, sustainable innovative business clusters. However, in the majority of cases, these consortia of interfirm co-operation are not based on a mutually satisfactory model, and as a consequence, many clusters do not survive in the longer term. The paper uses the concepts and models of social network theory in order to explain, why and under what circumstances inter-firm co-operation in clusters enhances the competitiveness of the network as a whole, or alternatively, under what circumstances the cluster remains dependent on Government subsidies. The empirical basis of the study is a thorough internet research about the Hungarian cluster movement; a questionnaire based expert survey among managers of clusters and member companies and a set of in-depth interviews among managers of self-proclaimed clusters. The last chapter analyises the applicability of social network theory in the analysis of business networks and a model involving the value chain is recommended.