The sources, types, and mechanisms of formation and tools for minimizing "unintended consequences" of economic reforms in Ukraine are considered. "Unintended consequences" are understood as unpredictable, unintentional, indirect, and incredible consequences of actions of initiators, organizers and executors of Ukrainian reforms, which were not included in their plans but happened in reality and had a decisive influence on the state of the national economy. The methodological basis of the study includes historical-genetic, comparative, statistical, and graphical analysis. The origins of the study of " unintended consequences" of human actions can be traced in the works of N. Machiavelli, J. B. Vico, B. Mandeville, A. Ferguson, W. Petty, A. Smith, J.-B. Sаy, K. Marx, С. Menger , W. Pareto, M. Weber, F. Hayek, and R. Merton.
Prerequisites for the "unintended consequences" of economic reforms in Ukraine include insufficient competence of initiators and organizers, errors in analyzing problems due to ignoring the specifics of the current situation, focus on achieving immediate results without the possibility to calculate long-term consequences of implemented measures, underestimation of the role of basic values of national culture and the impact of disclosure of predictions on the behavior of economic entities. The types of “unintended consequences” that affected the course of economic reforms in Ukraine include those that, while remaining functional for the system, rely on latent, unconscious and unplanned factors arising from latent dysfunctions. Varieties of mechanisms for the formation of "unintended consequences" of economic reforms in Ukraine include the manifestation of the results of latent functions, self-realization of social beliefs and self-destructive beliefs.
It is substantiated that the practice of mandatory preliminary testing at the local level on the basis of relevant information platforms makes it possible to eliminate shortcomings in advance, clarify and improve the implemented measures, determine their social effectiveness, and choose the best alternative. Conducting preliminary economic experiments avoids situations where, as a result of the reform, certain groups gain access to various types of rental income at the expense of society.
Keywords:digital economy, economic reforms, information (digital) platforms, sustainable development, unintended consequences
1. Hrytsenko, A. (2016) "Ukrainian economic wonder", or Where do the reforms lead?. Dzerkalo tyzhnia. Ukraina – Weekly Mirror. Ukraine, 22. Retrieved 18.05. 2021 from
zn.ua/ukr/macrolevel/ ukrayinske-ekonomichne-divo-abo-kudi-vedut-reformi-_html [in Ukrainian].
2. Vasilenko, V. (2013). Technological stakes in the context of the desire of economic systems to ideality. Sotsial'no-ekonomichni problemy i derzhava – Socio-Economic Problems and the State, 8 (1), 65-72. Retrieved 18.05. 2021 from:
sepd.tntu.edu.ua/images/stories/pdf/2013/13 vvoski. pdf [in Ukrainian].
3. Schwab, K. (2018). Shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Cologny: World Economic Forum.
4. Heyets, V. (2016). Economy of Ukraine: key problems and prospects. Ekon. prognozuvannâ – Economy and forecasting, 1, 7-22.
doi.org/10.15407/eip2016.01.007 [in Ukrainian].
5. Yaremenko, O. (2018). The controversial influence of institutional reforms on the functioning of the economy. Ekonomika Ukrainy – Economy of Ukraine, 11-12, 3-18.
doi.org/10.15407/economyukr.2018.11.003 [in Ukrainian].
6. Pustovoit, O. (2019). Intangible resources of economic growth. Ekonomika Ukrainy – Economy of Ukraine, 9, 44-67.
doi.org/10.15407/economyukr.2019.09.044 [in Ukrainian].
7. Lypov, V. (2011). Invisible hand that ... or who? From mutual adjustment to institutional complementarity. Ekon. teor. – Economic theory, 3, 21-35 [in Ukrainian].
8. Shumpeter, Y. (2001). History of economic analysis. Vol. 1. St. Petersburg: Ekonomicheskaya shkola [in Russian].
9. Smit, A. (1997). Theory of moral feelings. Moscow: Respublika. [in Russian].
10. Taleb, N. (2007). The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. New York: Random House and Penguin Books.
11. Taleb, N. (2014). Why many economic models make us fragile and destroy the economy. In: Taleb N. Antihrupacity. How to benefit from. chaos ( p. 660-676). Moscow: KoLibr. [in Russian].
12. Merton, R. (1936). The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action. American Sociological Review, 1:6, 894-904.
doi.org/10.2307/208461
13. Lal, D. (1998). Unintended Consequences: The Impact of Factor Endowments, Culture, and Politics on Long-Run Economic Performance. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/6996.001.0001
14. Merton, R. (1968). Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: The Free Press.
15. Merton, R. (1996). On Social Structure and Science. Сh. 15: The Unanticipated Consequences of Social Action. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
16. Pilipenko, A.N. (Ed.). (2017). Socio-cultural factors of economic development. Dnepr, NGU [in Russian].
17. Hofstede, G. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York: McGraw-Hill.
18. Mandybura, V.O. (1998). Shadow economy of Ukraine as an object of special scientific research. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
19. Soto, de H. (2000). The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else. London: Bantam Press.
20. Soto, de H. (1989). The other Path. The Economic Answer to Terrorism. London: Basic Books.
21. Braudel, F. (1982). The Wheels of Commerce. Braudel New York: Harper and Row.
22. Prodi, P. (2017). History of justice from pluralism of forums to modern dualism of conscience and law. Moscow: Izd-vo In-ta Gaydara [in Russian].
23. Dieieva, N., Khmurova, V. (2018). Public-Private Partnership: Interests of Stakeholders. Ekonomika Ukrainy – Economy of Ukraine, 9, 99-111.
doi.org/10.15407/economyukr.2018.09.099 [in Ukrainian].
24. Knir, M.O. (2018). Public-Private Partnership: World Experience and Experience of Ukraine. Naukovi zapysky Natsionalnoho universytetu "Ostrozka akademiia". Seriia "Ekonomika" – Scientific notes of the National University of Ostroh Academy. Series "Economics", 10 (38), 10-14 [in Ukrainian].
25. Kindzerskyi, Yu. (2016). Institutional trap of oligarchism and problems of its overcoming. Ekonomika Ukrainy – Economy of Ukraine, 12 (661), 22-46 [in Ukrainian].
26. Baranovskyi, O., Sidenko, V. (2004). Problems of ownership and legalization of capital and income in Ukraine. Natsionalna bezpeka i oborona – National Security and Defense, 2, 2-13 [in Ukrainian].
27. Sidenko, V. (2021). Challenges and risks of digital transformation: world and Ukrainian context. Ekonomika Ukrainy – Economy of Ukraine, 5, 40-58.
doi.org/10.15407/economyukr.2021.05.040 [in Ukrainian].
28. Makkej, Ch. (2015). The most common misconceptions and madness of the crowd. Moscow: Alpina pablishers [in Russian].
29. Melman, S. (1983). Profits without Production. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
30. Shih, S. (1996). Me-Too is Not My Style: Challenge Difficulties, Break through Bottlenecks, Create Values. Taipei: The Acer Foundation.
31. Lir, V. (2019). Search an antidote from Dutch disease. Dzerkalo tyzhnia. Ukraina – Weekly Mirror. Ukraine, 13. Retrieved 18.05.2021 from
zn.ua/ukr/energy_market/ resursne-proklyattya-307757_.html [in Ukrainian].
32. Venn, J. (1888). The Logic Of Chance Essay On The Foundations And Province Of The Theory Of Probability, With Especial Reference To Its Logical Bearings And Its Application To Moral And Social Science, And To Statists. London: Macmillan And Co.
doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.19044
33. Taler, R. (2018). Behavioral psychology. Kyiv: Nash format [in Ukrainian].
34. Kaneman, D. (2017). Thinking fast and slow. Kyiv: Nash Format [in Ukrainian].
35. Gajdar, E. (2012). Days of defeats and victories. In Collected Works (vol. 1, p. 23-324). Moscow: ID Delo [in Russian].
36. Lypov, V. (2014). G. Arrighi vs. P. Krugman: Fatal strategies and complementary leaks of the global financial crisis. Ekon. teor. – Economic theory, 1, 37-50 [in Ukrainian].
37. Naisbitt, J., Naisbitt, D. (2010). China's Megatrends: The 8 Pillars of a New Society. New York: Harper Business.
