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2026
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18811830 |
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| _version_ | 1866901891550543872 |
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| author | Zakhidov Azizbek Rustamovich |
| author_facet | Zakhidov Azizbek Rustamovich |
| contents | <p>This article develops a conceptual and philosophical reassessment of wage determination in transitional labour<br>markets. Rather than concentrating solely on empirical estimation or econometric modelling, it examines the ontological<br>and epistemological foundations underlying dominant theories of wage formation—particularly human capital theory,<br>skill-biased technological change, and institutional approaches to labour markets. The study seeks to clarify what wages<br>represent as economic phenomena and how they should be understood within structurally transforming economies.<br>The analysis revisits the classical human capital framework, including the Mincer earnings function, alongside contemporary<br>perspectives that emphasise digitalisation, artificial intelligence, labour market segmentation, and institutional mediation.<br>However, instead of treating these frameworks merely as technical tools for regression analysis, the article interrogates<br>their implicit assumptions about productivity, causality, equilibrium adjustment, and the role of institutions. It evaluates<br>how concepts such as nonlinearity, structural heterogeneity, digital divides, and institutional rigidities challenge the view<br>of wages as purely competitive market outcomes determined exclusively by individual productivity.<br>Special emphasis is placed on transitional and structurally volatile economies, where wage formation often reflects the<br>coexistence of market mechanisms, institutional legacies, regulatory constraints, and uneven technological diffusion. In<br>such contexts, wages emerge not simply as the price of labour in equilibrium but as institutionally embedded outcomes<br>shaped by bargaining structures, sectoral composition, digital access, ownership patterns, and exposure to economic<br>shocks. The article argues that wage determination must be conceptualised as a multi-layered process mediated by<br>institutional design, structural transformation, and evolving technological regimes.<br>Methodologically, the study adopts a structured analytical and philosophical review approach. It contrasts theoretical<br>propositions with micro-level empirical evidence from transitional economies while clarifying the ontological status of<br>wages and the epistemological strategies used to study them. Within this framework, wages are conceptualised as<br>observable monetary outcomes that reflect deeper structural and institutional mechanisms rather than as direct proxies<br>for marginal productivity alone.<br>The contribution of the article lies in reframing wage determination within a coherent philosophical perspective that<br>integrates human capital theory, digital transformation, and institutional economics. By synthesising theoretical debates<br>and methodological considerations, the study establishes a rigorous conceptual foundation for future micro-level empirical<br>modelling and policy-oriented research aimed at promoting equitable and productivity-enhancing wage structures in<br>economies undergoing digital and structural transformation.</p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_18811830 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | THE ONTOLOGY OF WAGES: HUMAN CAPITAL, DIGITALISATION, AND INSTITUTIONAL MEDI ATION IN A TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY Zakhidov Azizbek Rustamovich <p>This article develops a conceptual and philosophical reassessment of wage determination in transitional labour<br>markets. Rather than concentrating solely on empirical estimation or econometric modelling, it examines the ontological<br>and epistemological foundations underlying dominant theories of wage formation—particularly human capital theory,<br>skill-biased technological change, and institutional approaches to labour markets. The study seeks to clarify what wages<br>represent as economic phenomena and how they should be understood within structurally transforming economies.<br>The analysis revisits the classical human capital framework, including the Mincer earnings function, alongside contemporary<br>perspectives that emphasise digitalisation, artificial intelligence, labour market segmentation, and institutional mediation.<br>However, instead of treating these frameworks merely as technical tools for regression analysis, the article interrogates<br>their implicit assumptions about productivity, causality, equilibrium adjustment, and the role of institutions. It evaluates<br>how concepts such as nonlinearity, structural heterogeneity, digital divides, and institutional rigidities challenge the view<br>of wages as purely competitive market outcomes determined exclusively by individual productivity.<br>Special emphasis is placed on transitional and structurally volatile economies, where wage formation often reflects the<br>coexistence of market mechanisms, institutional legacies, regulatory constraints, and uneven technological diffusion. In<br>such contexts, wages emerge not simply as the price of labour in equilibrium but as institutionally embedded outcomes<br>shaped by bargaining structures, sectoral composition, digital access, ownership patterns, and exposure to economic<br>shocks. The article argues that wage determination must be conceptualised as a multi-layered process mediated by<br>institutional design, structural transformation, and evolving technological regimes.<br>Methodologically, the study adopts a structured analytical and philosophical review approach. It contrasts theoretical<br>propositions with micro-level empirical evidence from transitional economies while clarifying the ontological status of<br>wages and the epistemological strategies used to study them. Within this framework, wages are conceptualised as<br>observable monetary outcomes that reflect deeper structural and institutional mechanisms rather than as direct proxies<br>for marginal productivity alone.<br>The contribution of the article lies in reframing wage determination within a coherent philosophical perspective that<br>integrates human capital theory, digital transformation, and institutional economics. By synthesising theoretical debates<br>and methodological considerations, the study establishes a rigorous conceptual foundation for future micro-level empirical<br>modelling and policy-oriented research aimed at promoting equitable and productivity-enhancing wage structures in<br>economies undergoing digital and structural transformation.</p> |
| title | THE ONTOLOGY OF WAGES: HUMAN CAPITAL, DIGITALISATION, AND INSTITUTIONAL MEDI ATION IN A TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18811830 |