Keywords: dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models; microeconomic optimisation; first order conditions; intermediate producers
The paper is the second of three on methods for building the Dynamic General Equilibrium model. The presentation includes details of microeconomic optimisation problems for intermediate goods producers that play a key role in the process of the inflation dynamic. Profit maximisation behaviour at the microeconomic level is included in the inertial mechanism that allows macroeconomic persistence to be achieved. The mechanism restricts the frequency of intermediate goods price decisions and, as a consequence, the model is able to mimic observed inflation inertia. The final part of the paper sums up the structural equations of the model and stochastic processes which govern the time path of the variables. The key equation in the model, which is obtained on the basis of the production sector, is called the New-Keynesian Phillips curve and defines the relationship between aggregated output and the interest rate and inflation.
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Keywords: competencies; organisational environment; knowledge workers
The aim of this paper is to present the concept of the turbulent environment of organisations and its influence on employee competencies. The competency set of today’s professionals must adapt to turbulent times. These new environmental changes are exemplified mainly by the computerisation and intellectualisation of work. There are new types of organisational structures, omnipresent uncertainty and hyper-competition – these are what make innovation important. Most importantly, the approach to human capital has changed significantly during the last decade; it is no longer considered an expense, more an investment that will allow a company to profit in future. It is indisputable that the way work is done has changed significantly during the last 50 years, and resulted in changes in today’s model of an employee, who is described as knowledge workers.
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Keywords: welfare state; economic freedom; equity; efficiency
The issues of efficiency and equality are key in the discussion of the state’s role in the economy and every day life of citizens. The discussion takes on greater importance in times of economic crisis, when it is more common to exert pressure on raising the commitment of public money in the economy. Adherents of the essential role of the state say that it is necessary to raise all donations, benefits and transfers for the most needy while liberals disagree, saying that the less the state interferes in the economy, the better off the people will be. The aim of this article is to show each side’s arguments and to make an effort to find a consensus in the discussion of efficiency and equality.
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Keywords: enterprise; model; public organisations; management in public administration
The article aims to present the features of an enterprise upon which public administration units are patterned. The booming developing economy and society have brought about new challenges for the public sector. On the one hand, public organisations observe the need for far-reaching reforms and improvement in their structure, which in turn results in their departure from a bureaucratic model of administration. On the other, the country’s citizens expect high quality and professional services. In order to satisfy these expectations, public sector entities more frequently apply methods employed by enterprises. A new concept of management in administration places emphasis on the division of tasks, the appropriate establishment of goals, analysis and monitoring of results and effective financial management, and providing managers with more independence in action. Such solutions enable public institutions to attain certain standards in the public sector and make them citizen-friendly.
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Keywords: flexicurity; labour market; flexibility; security
Flexibility is a model of labour market policy initiated in Denmark. This strategy includes the liberalisation of labour laws and the spread of more flexible forms of employment. This model integrates the increased flexibility of employment with a simultaneous enhancement of employee security. The article presents the flexicurity model and attempts to assess its implementation in the Polish labour market.
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Keywords: growth; development; factors; determinants; theoretical models; eco-development; knowledge; modern economy
The paper consists of three parts. The first discusses the meaning of the concepts of economic growth and development. In the second part, factors of economic growth have been classified (in the traditional and modern approach) and the role of qualitative factors is stressed. Determinants of growth in different theoretical models including the classical, Keynesian, and neoclassical ones (R. Solow, T. Swan et al.) are also presented, with particular emphasis on endogenous growth theory initiated by P.M. Romer. The third part of the paper discusses types of economic growth including extensive, intensive, permanent and sustainable – with stress placed on the role of eco-development and the knowledge-based economy). The article looks at the main changes occurring in the modern economy.
More...Keywords: Euro Area; economic integration; political cooperation;
In this paper I analyze (a) if a solution for the economic crisis of the Euro Area depends on the active involvement of the EU political system and (b) how can this involvement be made. My hypothesis is that the present crisis in the Euro Area can be solved by deepening the economic integration. The recovery of the European economic system (represented in particular by the Euro Area) depends primarily on the capacity of the EU political system to reach this objective through political cooperation in the economic field.
More...Keywords: binomial; Euro-Atlantic security; threats;terrorism;regional conflicts;security strategy;
The main hypothesis of this paper is that the EU and NATO are part of a binomial that represents a solution for fighting against the threats to the Euro-Atlantic security. The challenges of the 21st century are many and complex: the terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the cybernetic attacks, the irregular migration, the climatic changes (global warming), the regional conflicts, the failed states. In order to face these threats, NATO and EU founded a partnership so that they can work together. The cooperation relationship between the two of them was not constant; it has been influenced by many events that affected them in a positive or a negative way. This paper aims to demonstrate that, despite all these events, the NATO-EU binomial is a functional one and that, nowadays, it represents the guarantee for the Euro-Atlantic security.
More...Keywords: security relations; Eastern vicinity; protracted conflicts; common strategies and actions; relative power of negotiation; unequal influence; statehood issue;
My purpose in this paper is to analyze the way the European Union is involved in the management of security relations with post-conflict regions from its Eastern border. By using concepts from both the neofunctionalist theory of integration, as well as from the liberal intergovernmentalist theory, I present the main strategies and programmes in which the European Union is an active part in south-eastern Europe. In the final part of the paper, I present a case study concerning the involvement of the European Union in the resolution of the Transnistrian protracted conflict in the Republic of Moldova. I will point out the inconsistencies of the European Union’s involvement in the resolution of the conflict, as well as a series of recommendations for improving the results of the EU’s involvement.
More...Keywords: Council of the European Union; supranationalism; intergovernmentalism; multivariable analysis;
The following paper represents a detailed analysis of the Council of the European Union, the main purpose being to observe if this institution has either the characteristics of a supranational institution, either the characteristics of an intergovernmental conference, or it is in fact a hybrid institution, which combines features from both categories. By using concepts from the neofunctionalist theory, as well as from the liberal intergovernmentalist theory I elaborate a multivariable analysis model in order to observe elements which are specific to supranational institutions, as well as those elements that are representative to intergovernmental conferences. In the final part of the paper, I present a case study based on a decision taken by the Council of the European Union which is representative for the Council’s unique features.
More...Keywords: energy; gas; divide and rule; pipeline; Nord Stream; South Stream; Nabucco; Early warning mechanism; common interest;
The Russian Federation is one of the most important strategic partners of the European Union, however, the relationship between the two sides was not always productive, either because of (a) the Russian reluctance or (b) of the lack of a common position adopted by the EU Member States, either because of (c) third parties. Within this analysis I examine developments that have occurred in the years 2009-2010, taking as its starting point the two Summits that took place in May and November between the EU and Russia.
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Keywords: Ethics; Journalism; Communication; Strategies; Social Action; University
The study of social action through educational strategies inspires the weight of ethic factors to choose Communication studies. It allows aprioristic data about the ethics in the future journalists and mass media professionals. It also collaborates in the marketing strategies. In our study we analyze the impact of ethics and values in the students’ choice of Communication studies in the Spanish University. We analyze the impact degree of ethics and Christian values in the selection process. We observe a high influence of ethics (humanistic and holistic ethics in the training, religious orientation) as a factor considered to select the Communication studies.
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Keywords: migration; health personnel; policy; recruitment; brain-drain;
The phenomenon of international migration of healthcare professionals has increased in the last decade and, although it is not a reason for the world crisis of labour in area of healthcare in some countries, it is indeed a major element of human resource shortages. Romania is an example for a country where the significant scale of emigration of healthcare professionals has severely added to the crisis of the health system. So far, Romania has failed to formulate a comprehensive strategy to address the existing shortage of medical personnel and to retain medical professionals trained in the country. The analysis has shown that there is a need to improve the current policies to guarantee the access to healthcare services to everyone. This paper underlines the necessity of improving the Romanian existing policies in health system to address the problem of migration of health personnel, as it is fundamental for the functioning of the whole health system and also proposes some recommendations for future health policies.
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Keywords: Gilbert Ryle; behaviorism; mind/body; empiricism;
Published in 1890, William James’ manual, The principles of psychology, followed by Psychology (lectures) in 1892, form the foundation of behaviorism. The same year, Animal life and intelligence by C. Lloyd Morgan correlates with James' view, extending it to wildlife. The next step was taken by Lloyd Morgan, with the publication of an introduction to comparative psychology (1894), in which the issue of trial and error learning in animals receives a systematic approach, thus pointing research to a specific area and interpretive apparatus that will ultimately lead to the full crystallization of behaviorism’s ideas in the past century. The most prestigious version of behaviorism, that of psychological behaviorism, has strong historical roots; in this way, one can invoke the works of Aristotle (On Nature). Another version of behaviorism, like that suggested by Gilbert Ryle, is logical behaviorism. Long before that, however, classical British empiricists, led by John Locke (1632-1704) and David Hume (1711-1776), used associationist prescriptions to reveal cause-effect coupling in mental phenomena.
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Keywords: nurses; vocational education; professional competences; socialisation; cultural capital; professional identity;
Limited resources and no research exist on the Romanian nursing educational programs during the last decades and on the consequences of the educational changes for the nurses profession and for the medical field. This qualitative research focuses on various forms of formal education that nurses attended in order to obtain professional competences in the last 70 years. The participants to the study were 10 senior nurses and leaders in nursing education from Iasi county and from national level with more than 20 years of clinical practice or involvement in negotiating nursing education in various phases. The study also investigated the characteristics of the social actors in relation to the mechanisms of constructing the cultural and professional habitus and acquiring cultural capital, the impact of the diversity of scolarization forms on the nurses collective identity and group cohesion, as well as the implications on the medical field from the theoretical perspectives of Pierre Bourdieu and Claude Dubar. The findings of this research may shed further light on the effects produced by the changing contemporary nursing education on the reconfiguration of the clinical practice and on the autonomy and internal coherence and cohesiveness of the nurses professional group.
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Keywords: primary qualification of the matrimonial regime notion; matrimonial property regime; Romanian private law; international law;
By adopting Law no. 287 of July 17, 2009 on the Civil Code republished by Law no. 71/2011 the new Civil Code is subject to the modern legislations tendencies to create a triple balance in terms of property relations between spouses by means of the matrimonial property regimes established: 1. between spouses: through the appearance of matrimonial agreements, which have led to the adoption of more flexible legal rules which allow spouses a certain freedom to choose the regime of patrimonial relations between them; 2. within the family: to protect the interests of the family, they resorted to mandatory rules providing for limitations and prohibitions (art.321-322 on the family home - a new notion in the Romanian law, art.316 on the acts of disposal seriously threatening family interests); 3. between family and society-third parties: by establishing formal requirements of legal acts, including matrimonial agreements to be concluded by notarial act that must be given to publicity afterwards. Also, considering the fact that Romania is a member state of the European Union and that more and more Romanian people are living abroad or marry foreigners, we consider the harmonization of legislation in order to determine the law applicable to such relationships as a highly important requirement. Given these issues we will devote the present study: to primary qualification of the matrimonial regime notion.
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Keywords: Romanian media; organ donation; attitude of the population; medical services; health policies
Numerous articles which have evaluated the sources of information regarding the organ donation observed that for a high percentage of the respondents, the first and the most important resource is the mass-media (Reese, 2003). The approached research problem in this study is the role of Romanian mass-media in building the attitudes towards the organs donations, starting from the idea that they have a formative role besides the informative role. Systemic references capture the most details, sometimes contradictory, related to the relation between the effort to raise donation cases in Romania and the institutional ability to respond efficiently to this goal. The image of Romania regarding the organs donation and transplant in the written press is characterised by: small rise of the donation rate, which still remains under the European average, the existence of some long waiting lists of patients who need a transplant, the very poor rate of donation from the patient found in cerebral death, the causes for this poor rate of donation are: the poor organization of the network of special medical services necessary in the process of organs donation and transplant, and the general attitude of the population.
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Keywords: Traits; Personality; Leadership; Secondary Level
Purpose – Teacher must act as a leader because his/her role is very effective in educational change. Influence of personality traits on leadership styles has been a significant topic in management but no research emphasis has been given to teacher’s personality influence on their leadership behaviors. This research investigates the correlation between these two aspects. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative research is done by means of survey to a convenient sample of 228 teachers of public elementary and high schools of Lahore. Findings – The dominant traits are associated with both leadership styles thus showing that both people and task oriented leadership styles are effective. Research limitations/implications – This research can be generalized to other areas. Practical implications – The research emphasizes the importance of traits and their influence on behavior. Further researches should examine the traits which are needed for an effective leadership styles. Originality/value – The major contribution of this paper is that it correlate personality traits with leadership styles and high light those traits which are associated with effective leadership styles i.e. people oriented so teachers become more aware to adopt those traits which produce effective behavior and change.
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Keywords: Christian; Muslim; religion; faith based organizations,education; health; religious/faith actors; Swahili;
This study contributes to the discourse on religion and development by studying the contribution of the faith organizations to socio-economic welfare in Kenya. The studystarts by exploring the history of Christian and Muslim religions in Kenya including their historicalpros and cons. It thenanalyses government datain the light of the contribution of faith actors in education and health in the country deposited at the Kenya Open Data project. Lastly, it presents case analyses of the works of the major umbrella religious organizations in Kenya. The study found that religious actors have contributed in significant ways to Kenya’s development despite the scourge of slavery and ultimate colonization. One major contribution was the promotion and development of Swahililanguage which enabled communication amongst different ethnic communities.Swahili language also became a medium which enabled education and trade to take place. Secondly religious actors have contributed immensely in the education, health and agriculture sectors. These actorshave also helped in tackling social exclusion of vulnerable populations, infrastructure building and also in promoting peaceful co-existence. This study attempts to demonstrate that religious actors are silent development actors complimenting government efforts whose work traverses all spheres of the economy.
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