ABSTRACT
The transition of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) can be interpreted on different levels, such as, as a process of social change directed toward the 'ideal type' of a 'Western'/modern society; in terms of organizational response to the new environment, constructed by new social realities; at the level of individual lreaction to the changing social fabric. At the organizational level, innovative adaptation seems to be the key to the successful management of change. The patterns of transition/transformation, i.e. the collective 'transitional' experience of CEE, should not be regarded just as 'stumbling' toward the more advanced stage of societal development. Symbolic interactionism is a sociological perspective founded upon the work of G. H. Mead, focusing on: understanding/interpreting the interactions among the actors; the manner in which symbols (representing the 'deeper' meanings of individual/group actions) are being leamed/shared through such interactions; how the meanings and the associated symbols change through the course of time.
