Editors' Introduction

Abstract

This issue of Research in Economics and Business: Central and Eastern Europe includes three empirical research papers on different aspects of the economic integration and convergence in selected European Union countries.

The first paper, by Maciej Grodzicki, investigates productivity convergence in various manufacturing industries between the “new” and the “old” European Union member states. The paper suggests that only limited signs of convergence are evident in some of the manufacturing industries.

In the second paper, Krzysztof Beck explores the impact of structural similarities on business cycle synchronisation in the European Union countries. The author demonstrates that through the channel of specialisation, convergence may lead to higher synchronisation of business cycles as well as to more similar response to exogenous shocks.

The third paper by Lisa Wilder focuses on generational differences in attitude toward income redistribution in the Baltic States. Her study provides interesting insights into the evolution of related generational patterns over the transition period.

For this issue, the rate of acceptance for submissions was 21%. We are grateful to all the authors who submitted papers to our journal, and we are very thankful to the external reviewers for their kind assistance to the Editorial Board in the paper review process.