Social Inclusion of the Elderly as an Indicator of the Quality of Life
Author(s): Albena Nakova-Manolova / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 1/2023
Keywords: quality of life; elderly people aged 55+; social inclusion; objective and subjective indicators of quality of life
The article analyzes the quality of life of elderly people aged over 55 years in Bulgaria concerning their social inclusion in society; the analysis is based on a representative social survey of people aged 55+ entitled “Study on the Quality of Life of People Aged 55+ in Bulgaria”, conducted in 2022 by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. One thousand thirty respondents were surveyed. In the article, the quality of life of elderly people in terms of their social inclusion is studied through objective and subjective indicators. The survey results indisputably show that, by objective indicators of social inclusion of elderly people, the degree of social engagement of people aged 55+ in Bulgaria is not exceptionally high; such engagement consists, above all, of frequent social contact with close relatives, friends and neighbors, and assisting relatives, friends, and neighbors. The levels of social inclusion fall sharply regarding formalized social participation in volunteer activities for various organizations or even attendance at cultural events and interest clubs. However, we find that in terms of subjective assessments, the level of social engagement of elderly people corresponds fully to their needs and expectations for a whole and meaningful life, which thus makes satisfaction with the degree of social inclusion as a subjective indicator of the quality of social life, a factor that links the two levels of quality of life – individual and social. Thus, although objective indicators of social inclusion of elderly people in our country do not always indicate high levels of social engagement, subjective satisfaction with social inclusion points to a quality of life at the social level that fulfills the conditions for social cohesion and integration of elderly people in the life of society.
Labor Market Participation, Informal Caregiving and Quality of Life of Elderly People in Bulgaria
Author(s): Rumiana Jeleva / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 1/2023
Keywords: elderly; aged 55+; labour market participation; caregiving
The report focuses on the quality of life of elderly people (age 55+), studying the characteristics of their labor market participation and informal caregiving. The analysis is based on a nationally representative sociological survey conducted in 2022 by a team from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Science. The survey covers all age groups - 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and 74+, as well as informal forms of work such as caretaking for children/grandchildren and/or another dependent adult. The results show a change, although not yet very significant, in the quality of life of the elderly in Bulgaria. It is characterised by the fact that a large proportion of elderly people (47%) do not want to work as they get older, which is more pronounced the higher their income. There is also a minor change in the proportion of people caring for other household members. This change brings Bulgaria closer to European levels, shifting the focus of family care towards care and social services professionals provide.
Quality of Life and its Interrelationship with the Professional Community
Author(s): Valentina Milenkova / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 1/2023
Keywords: quality of life; profession; profession community; well-being
The present article examines the quality of life, its characteristics, and conditions of manifestation. Quality of life indicates the degree of well-being and satisfaction in individual and social terms. It relates to a set of factors representing well-being, physical condition, and health; material success and income; the social environment and contacts; emotional satisfaction; personal development. The article studies the professional community as one of the important prerequisites for quality of life because the profession and its related income, career, environment, and development opportunities a conditions for unfolding the objective and subjective dimensions of the quality of life in a personal and community plan. The professional community is also related to creating contacts and social capital, contributing to well-being. The analysis traces various types of inequalities that can reveal themselves in professional and social relationships and impact the quality of life. The article shows the activity environment as significant for the life characteristics of individuals and for their subjective evaluations and states, as well as for the perception of the quality of life as a complex variable measuring the status of individuals.
Disasters – Sociocultural Effects on the Quality of Life of Local Communities
Author(s): Albena Nakova-Manolova,Valentina Milenkova / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 1/2023
Keywords: quality of life; disaster; earthquake; flood; impact assessment indicators; social change; post-disaster model of social relations
This article presents an analysis of the impact of disasters on the quality of life of local communities. Its empirical basis is collected field material within the framework of a study conducted by the Institute for Еthnology and Folklore Studies with the Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences as part of the project "Local Disasters and Quality of Life: Cultural Strategies in Overcoming Natural, Technological and Biological Catastrophes", funded from National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science. The empirical data, on the basis of which the theoretical analysis is carried out, concern two natural disasters that occurred in Bulgaria - the earthquake in Pernik in 2012 and the flood in the Asparuhovo district in 2014. Research results show that the disaster affects, albeit to different degrees and in different ways, all components of the "quality of life" category, changing them at the moment or creating conditions for their later change. It has a powerful impact on the material and economic side of people's lives as the basis of their social well-being, which is entirely in a negative direction. Also negative is the impact of the disaster event on the affected person's physical and mental health, sense of security, tranquility, and mental balance. Unexpectedly, it turns out that disaster can also positively impact people's quality of life. This is most often in terms of their social connectedness and cohesion when the disaster event catalyzes social connections and support. Striving to restore the pre-disaster quality of life leads to social change that reflects the experience of survival through changes in local traditions and everyday life and the creation of new cultural memory and places of memory, thus building a new post-disaster model of social relations, accumulating gained experience and refracting it through the unique situation.
Keywords: NEETs; rural development; young people; Romania
In recent years, the problem of young people has become a dominant one both in the scientific literature, being analyzed from different perspectives, as well as at the level of leaders from various European and national institutions, being interested in the identification of measures, and policies to support young people. The problems that today's young people face are increasingly complex, and the decisions they make and the solutions they identify have a significant impact not only on their own lives but also on the community and the society they belong to. Our study aims to answer the following questions: what are the expectations of young Romanians vis-a-vis their educational, professional, and family future? What are the actions they undertake to achieve their proposed objectives? From a theoretical point of view, we will use a multiple trajectories perspective. From a methodological point of view, we will use quantitative data collected in 2022-2023 in Romania at the level of the South-West Oltenia region. The results confirm the fact that young people are uncertain about their future mainly because the socio-economic and political situation is unstable; that they have a great capacity for adaptability that allows them to change their strategies to obtain the best result for their future; coherence in the development of plans has a close connection with the level of education and qualification of young people.
Work inequalities for Romanian women during COVID-19 pandemic
Author(s): Valentina Marinescu,Anca Anda Rodideal,Ramona Marinache / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 1/2023
Keywords: work inequalities; Romanian women; COVID-19 pandemics; gender differences; Romanian educational system
Inequalities between women and men in the labor market intensified during the pandemic, wiping out at least two years of progress over the past decade, accordingly to recent reports (European Commission, World Bank, etc.). The existing analyses estimate a "COVID-19 gap" that compares job losses with the increase in employment expected before the pandemic, finding that there are 5.1 million more women unemployed and 5.2 million fewer women working now, compared to what would have happened if the pandemic did not occur. According to Global Gender Gap Report 202," Romania was placed in the 88th position in The Global Gender Gap Index 2021 rankings, with the most significant decrease in Eastern Europe, as compared with the previous year. Our article is focused on the situation of Romanian gender inequalities. As methods of research, we used secondary analysis of data and focus groups. Our study's results discuss the situation of women's inequalities in the Romanian workforce market, particularly in the educational system. Our conclusions point out the necessity of solutions for Romanian women to ease their work's existing double and triple burdens.
Philosophical Aspects of the Concept “Quality of Life”
Author(s): Bogdana Todorova / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 1/2023
Keywords: philosophy of quality; image of life; cultural construct; value characteristic
Nowadays, the problem with the quality of life concept is in the center of attention for all who want not only to model the best society at the theoretical level, but also to ensure the positive development of modern society. At the same time, there are several certain qualities of life, but there is no consensus on what its basic characteristics are. Philosophical approach is very important when assessing quality of life, as it presupposes a thorough qualitative study of its individual aspects. The report explores the cultural dimension of the phenomenon quality of life in modern society and the cultural environment as a factor in improving the quality of life of people. As a methodology, activity approach to culture and a system-functional analysis, are used. As a philosophical category, quality carries a great spiritual potential and should be considered as a value characteristic of the person and society. The construction of “common values” plays an important role in citizens’ participation in democratic life. It is impossible to develop adequate indicators of the quality of life, if the cultural component of the quality of life is ignored.
The modern era ushers in significant changes in the conventional method of achieving economic growth, bringing us to eco-efficiency in economic growth. Nowadays, eco-efficiency is becoming a measure of progress in green growth and an increasingly preferred way of using resources. Ecoefficiency has become a practical approach for businesses to contribute to sustainable development. The focus of the paper is on eco-efficiency and sustainable development in the agriculture sector. In this context, sustainability in the agricultural sector depends on the existence of ecoefficient production models. A number of parameters were researched with the aim of determining and comparing the development level as well as the level of realisation of sustainable development goals (SDG) in Central and Southeast Europe (CSEE). We used the method of a comparative analysis of SDG indicator values between different CSEE countries in order to assess the effectiveness of countries in advancing the goals of sustainable development. Since this is a relatively unknown indicator in Serbia, we also research to what extent the concept of eco-efficiency is implemented in the Serbian agricultural policy and strategic development documents. The research gave a basic framework for the answers to the question of how to improve Serbian agriculture based on the postulates set within the EU in order to comply with the SDG.
This article considers the benefits of constructivist approaches to the history of audio forensics. It is argued that science and technology studies (STS) open up a new avenue of research on historical uses of sound recordings in the communist security apparatus and offer a perspective that is considerably different from the mainstream historiographical treatment of the state audio surveillance. This claim serves as a basis for discussing the Czechoslovak programme of audio forensics (1975–1989).
Keywords: CAPM; Fama-French Five Factors Model (FF5F); Stock Returns; Borsa
This study aims to test the validity of the Fama-French Five-Factor Model (FF5F) for Turkey. Within the scope of the study, throughout 468 weeks between September 2009 and August 2018, the returns over the risk-free interest rate of 18 different intersection portfolios are used based on value, profitability, and investment factors. A total of 8424 portfolios (18 portfolios x 468 weeks) are generated in the study. As a result of the analyses, it is determined that the Five-Factor Asset Pricing Model is valid for Borsa İstanbul. Subsequently, it is concluded that the Fama-French Five-Factor Model has a higher explanatory power in describing the stock returns of the portfolios formed with stocks of small-scale companies compared to the portfolios formed with stocks of large-scale companies. The findings are consistent with the literature.
Author(s): Sara Pinheiro / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 1/2022
Keywords: field recording; political sound; sonic data; sound ecology; acoustic care; sound conscious;
The article focuses on the political implications of field recording (FR) in relation to sound ecology, education, art, and technology. On the one hand, it discusses how FR can protect us as a social tool in a paradoxical relationship between FR as an artistic practice and social networks that motivate alienation. On the other hand, it addresses the difference between what we perceive as sonic properties used for aesthetic purposes and what neural networks compute to create their internal structures in the process of artificial intelligence. This article adopts a preliminary approach to the above-mentioned topics while it seeks to raise questions and awareness. Drawing upon such theorists as Voegelin, Steingo and Sykes, LaBelle, and Agostinho, it adopts a pragmatic perspective on everyday life and its political implications.
The banking sector in India plays a crucial role in economic growth. A bank provides an opportunity for investments to encourage economic growth and the potential to yield higher returns. In this study, we develop a bankruptcy prediction model by using machine learning (ML) techniques, namely logistic regression, random forest, and AdaBoost, and compare these models with those developed using deep learning (DL) techniques, namely the artificial neural network (ANN). ANN results in the highest accuracy and the most favourable prediction model for bankruptcy. Data used in this study are collected from survived and failed private and public sector banks from India from March 2001 to March 2018. For bankruptcy prediction, we use the bank’s macroeconomic and market structure-related features. The feature selection technique ‘Relief algorithm’ is used to select useful features for the bankruptcy prediction model. Because failed banks in comparison with survived were less in the dataset, the issue of imbalanced cases may have arisen, in which case most ML and DL techniques do not perform well. Thus, we convert the dataset into a balanced form by using the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). The results of this study can help in performing financial analyses of banks and thus have significant implications for their stakeholders.
The aim of this article is to evaluate the nonlinear impact of ICT on the profitability of commercial banks in Vietnam and determine the ICT threshold for banks to gain additional profits from this investment. The research sample was selected by purposive sampling method, including 25 commercial banks in the period 2010-2020. The estimation results according to the 2-step system GMM indicate that ICT has a U-shaped nonlinear effect on profitability, and profitability will be lowest when the readiness index for ICT development and application reaches 0.6052 according to the derivative method, if this level is exceeded, ICT will have a positive impact on profitability and vice versa.
Human Capital for Sustainable Regional Development
Author(s): Alexei O. Verenikin,Anna Y. Verenikina,John T. Finley,Khanifa V. Tyrkba,Maria V. Melanina / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 4/2023
Keywords: principal components analysis; human capital; rating of regions
The research aimed at the construction of the ranking of the human capital index in the regions of the Russian Federation based on the available data on the significant factors of sustainable development. Based on the premise that the components of the Human Capital Index calculated by the World Bank coincide with the Sustainable Development Goals from Agenda 2030 “Transforming our world”, the authors construct a Regional Rating of Human Capital Development in Russia using measurable indicators for 85 Russian regions for Targets 3 and 4 from National Sustainable Development Goals Indicator Set. The indicators were grouped into three pillars (subsets): Health, Education and Living standard, each pillar consisting of 2-4 sub-pillars and 2-6 indicators. All data for the indicator’s calculation is taken from official statistics. No expert assessment is used. The research methodology is based on generalized modified principal component analysis (GMPCA), verified by the authors' previous research. The study reflects an integrated approach to assessing the efforts of Russian regional authorities in human capital development. The research lays the foundation for regular analysis of the rating and dynamics of its components in the Russian regions, which will allow for an assessment of the current state and potential of human capital development in Russian regions and can serve to improve regional socio-economic policy.
Internal Communication in Organizations: The Case of the Post of Kosovo
Author(s): Arben Fetoshi,Remzie Shahini-Hoxhaj / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 4/2023
Keywords: public enterprise; internal communication; efficiency; the Post of Kosovo
Effective and transparent communication among publicly owned organizations is considered crucial for enhancing the staff’s performance and accomplishing strategic priorities. The paper examines the Post of Kosovo, as a major public enterprise and looks at internal communication and its impact on employees' efficiency. Drawing on survey analysis and interviews, we find that the Post of Kosovo, as a public enterprise applied a closed type of hierarchical management, with no formal structure of communication in the organizational scheme. Our findings indicate that communication in the Post of Kosovo is characterized by a lack of transparency, control and manipulation, and centralized decision-making structures. It also indicates that communication has a direct impact on employee motivation and overall organizational performance. Thus, the findings of the study contribute to the existing literature on public enterprise management in transition societies and provide valuable insights into how internal communication can be used as an important tool for organizational success.
Keywords: human capital; R&D (research and development); qualification; higher and secondary vocational education; assessment; rating; weighting factors
The paper proposes a new approach to measuring the quality of human capital in chemical (petrochemical) industry enterprises. At present, various qualitative and quantitative methods are presented in academic literature. However, measuring human capital quality in the case under consideration is complicated due to certain industry-specific features including difficulties in obtaining statistics.The methodology presented in this research is an assessment of human capital based on the weighted factors that have the strongest impact on the formation of enterprise personnel according to the authors and further comparison of final indicators with the quality rating table. Thus, the given technique has a comparative nature and can be applied to rank enterprises that operate in the industry analyzed in the study. In general, the theoretical part of the methodology may include n factors. Thus, to test the methodology, the factors mostly affecting human capital formation as well as available in terms of collecting the statistical data are considered. Those factors include: the share of internal R&D expenditures, the share of personnel who attended advanced training, the share of personnel with higher education, and the share of personnel with secondary vocational education.
Analysis of the Effects of the Service Quality on Client Satisfaction in the Tourism Sector in Kosovo
Author(s): Ejup Fejza,Alban Fejza / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 4/2023
Keywords: tourism; service quality; client satisfaction; marketing; development
Service quality is essential to create client satisfaction by keeping existing clients and gaining new ones in any business and especially in the tourism sector. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between service quality and client satisfaction and to pinpoint key components of them in the growth and sustainable tourism. Data has been collected from foreigners who have visited hotels in Kosovo and also from domestic tourists. The distributed questionnaire is a mixed questionnaire, which includes a combination of open and closed questions. A total of 30 hotels, divided into seven regions have been chosen to send questionnaires. Participants included in the study were 300 clients who received services in the mentioned hotels. The data was collected from clients who visited hotels in Kosovo during 2020-2021. The hotels were selected mainly based on their categorization, insisting that in the research we have hotels categorized between 3-5 stars. Client data is obtained in two ways: from their hotel estimates, by e-mail, and from the visitors, we found at the hotel during the event. The collected data were processed in SPSS and presented in tabular form. Data were analyzed using quantitative techniques. The ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimator model is used to analyze the relation between dependent and non-dependent variables. Results – Clients choose the hotel mainly online or according to their experience during the preliminary visits. The main reason for the visit was rest and recreation, their treatment was friendly and efficient, the services were provided on time and the cleanliness and comfort were rated as excellent as the food and drinks. In the conclusion is stated that clients have made it clear that the quality of services and satisfied clients can greatly influence the development of sustainable tourism. Age, gender and origin don’t have a significant role to determine client satisfaction.
The increasing need for innovative ideas, technologies and products leads to the usage of new approaches and methods fostering innovative work. As it is found, the sharing economy covers not just consumption and customers’ behaviour, but finance (crowdfunds), research (co-creation areas), entrepreneurship (co-working areas) and etc. As academic entrepreneurship often is not given priority in the university policy and goals, the paper aims to present specific requirements of the specific open space inside the universities /open entrepreneurial academic centre/ that uses co-working and co-creation approaches. Thus, the paper is focused on the basics of open entrepreneurial centres (paragraph 1), indicators for their entrepreneurial success (paragraph 2) and organization of the crowd-working space (paragraph 3).
The Discount Rate in the Assessment of EU Funded Investment Projects
Author(s): Dochka Velkova,Yana Kirilova / Language(s): English
/ Issue: 4/2023
Keywords: discount rate; weighted average cost of capital; cost-benefit analysis; public infrastructure financing; revenue-generating projects
The article presents the effect of the financial discount rate on key financial indicators in the cost-benefit analysis used in the assessment of public investment projects – financial net present value, financial internal rate of return and financial gaps. It then estimates the Weighted Average Cost of Capital as an alternative approach for determining the discount rate. The model builds on the debt/equity ratio in the overall project investment portfolio and Capital Asset Pricing Model based on: (1) the return gained from investment in risk-free instruments; (2) the risk premium for the state (the so-called asymmetric state-related risk); (3) the business risk premium; (4) the project asymmetric risk premium. The model is then applied to an environmental investment project in Bulgaria.
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