Methodological approaches to the study of structural transformation in the development of economic systems

The article deals with theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of structural transformation from the view point of evolutionary development of structural changes, shifts and crises. The authors have revealed the influence of structural disproportions on the current transformational development processes in economy considering the solutions of this issue in scientific literature. The authors have made a conclusion that an integrated study of economic structures of various complexity levels is necessary to work out mechanism for the development control based on effective models of structural transformations at different time periods. In the study of structural transformation at the macro-level the authors have suggested a new approach to characterize the qualitative nature of structural changes as a primarily dynamic process; and structural shifts are characterized as the result of both the transformative-cumulative and structural crises, which are considered to be simultaneously the cause and the effect of the evolutionary development law. The authors’ definitions of the main concepts that characterize the structure of the integral transformation of an economic system considering the structural development demands have been generalized and grounded based on the analysis of modern theoretical and methodological concepts of the study of structural transformations of economy. The conducted researches of methodological approaches to the analysis of structural development of economic systems allow to claim that within the framework of this direction it is required next to develop a system of indicators and methods for assessing the structural changes, shifts and crises. These indicators and methods are necessary to improve the tools of the public administration of structural reorganization and economic reforms under the influence of constantly changing conditions of external and internal environment.