Transitions Online - Around the Bloc: Kyrgyzstan Puts Skids on Uranium Mining – 3 May
Anger over foreign exploitation of natural resources shocks authorities into action.
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Anger over foreign exploitation of natural resources shocks authorities into action.
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By blaming market players for the ‘food terror’ of high prices – instead of agricultural policy – the government plays an unsustainable game.
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The Hungarian premier is banking – in more ways than one – on strengthening ties with all the great powers.
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Few in Russian political circles will lose any sleep over incumbent Petro Poroshenko’s humiliating defeat.Clean oil could begin flowing by 29 April, unblocking supplies to Polish and German refineries.
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Authorities seemed taken aback by unprecedented outcry from the usually quiescent public.
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Estonian start-up Bolt, formerly known as Taxify, has been winning the battle of attrition with other ride-sharing apps.
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The disabled people are particularly susceptible to different forms of exclusion, both social and professional. Such troublesome situation not only triggers some changes in social politics, but also it diverts into finding new solutions in the realm of social economy. Data on the situation of disabled people on the labor market and the presented literature show that social economy entities are not an effective tool for activating disabled people in the labour market.
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The purpose of the paper is to analyse the impact of the social economy on the implementation of the neo-weberian model of public governance. Based on a review of the literature, a postulate of the relationship between social inequalities, trust and the possibility to change the public management system was formulated. Dysfunctions of the current model of the state have led to a limitation of its role in favour of markets, which resulted in a sharp increase in social inequalities and a decline in citizens’ trust towards the democratic state of law. The emerging neo-weberian model of public governance is to strengthen the position and role of the state. In conclusion, the paper indicated that a necessary element of a paradigm shift in public governance is to create mechanisms that will restore trust in in the institution of the state. In this context, development and support from the state for the social economy sector may be an appropriate way to meet this condition.
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Image is one of the most important intangible organizational resources. Non-governmental organizations competing for volunteers, sponsors or supporters. Increasing competition enforces professionalization of management’s as well as marketing activities supporting image creation. The aim of this article is to present public relations tools and techniques that can be used to maintain or build relations with specific target publics and to create positive image. The study presents the basic components of the image, public relations techniques used in communication with the internal and external environment as well as the results of the current third sector image research. The study shows that non-governmental organizations need to build and solidify their brand image.
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This article attempts to combine two issues: present for some time in the scientific discussion concept of social innovation with a topic that appeared relatively recently – city lab. The aim of the considerations is to show the essence of city lab in the context of implementing social innovations. For its implementation, the author made an analysis of the relevant literature on the subject. The article starts with a review of understanding of social innovations. Next, the essence of city lab is described, indicating the actors and their functions. Finally, the author points out the relationship between the title concepts. In the presented approach, the city lab is a platform for implementing social innovations. The latter relate to longterm urban development planning, implemented with the participation of various stakeholders, with the dominating role of the city users (residents) as the main innovators and local authorities, watching the reality and legality of the proposed solutions. The presented approach seems to be worth promoting both by representatives of science and public decision-makers.
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In the context of the “middle income trap” discussion and promotion of domestic enterprises, the paper proposes a method aiming at identification and calculation of benefits of national economy that are brought by an enterprise. Research method consists of identification of categories impacting value added created by a firm and of testing such a tool using financial statements of three public companies. Scoring an enterprise bases upon sum of taxes and remuneration of labour and capital, i.e. corporate income tax, salaries and other benefits of employees, as well as capital accumulation together with profit shared among domestic residents. In order to take into account the scale of an enterprise and to measure efficiency of production factors’ use, this sum is then divided by firm’s assets’ value. Conclusions cover the conformation of leaving aside the nationality of firm owners, inquiry into the degree of accuracy in which the method corresponds to the economic reality and potential inclusion of additional criteria of measuring social impact of an enterprise.
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Objective: The objective of the research is to study the link between drivers of the shadow economy and the demand level on the investment market. Research Design & Methods: Based on the Shapiro-Wilk test, the normality of capital investment distribution and the shadow economy level of the European Union countries and Ukraine are evaluated. Spearman and Shapiro-Wilk tests are used to identify the most relevant indicators of impact. Findings: The analysis of the changing dynamics regarding the capital investment volume and the shadow economy level in Ukraine and the EU countries during 2010-2016 shows that there is an inverse link between them – the growth of the shadow economy has a negative impact on the capital investment volume in the country. Implications & Recommendations: This research proves significant influence of the shadow economy on the demand level on the investment market and underlines the necessity to review the current state policy to stimulate the demand on the investment market from the viewpoint of the most relevant shadow drivers. Contribution & Value Added: The scientific contribution of the article is that existing research on the impact of shadow economy on the economic development of countries remains fragmented, as well as studies assessing its effect on a country’s investment attractiveness. The constructed econometric model may provide some insight into better understanding of the most influential factors affecting a country’s investment attractiveness and the immediate response to it.
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Objective: The aim of the article is to present and exemplify the mechanisms of changes in defining and influencing the new imperative of corporate value creation. It is implied by the impact of the sustainable development concept. Research Design & Methods: The research focused on the concept of corporate value creation in the context of the challenges connected to sustainable development. In the article, both inductive and deductive ways of reasoning were adopted, which makes it possible to combine the results of the detailed research. Findings: The publication indicates the emerging need for a change in the manner of perceiving and thinking about values – ‘from grasping value for today – towards the value of the future.’ This is related to the need to formulate the new imperative of corporate value creation. Implications & Recommendations: The reasonable profit concept can also be the basis for the formulation of the postulate of ‘reasonable speed of corporate value creation.’ Therefore, there is a need to redefine the existing imperative of corporate value creation and implement a new imperative based on the idea of the responsibility for the existence and long-term development of the enterprise. Contribution & Value Added: The result is the disclosure of the emergence of a hybrid concept of sustainable value-based management. The added value of this article is the proposal to create a new imperative of corporate value creation based on the foundation of the restitution of the idea of responsibility.
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Objective: Assessing and comparing growth promoting effects associated with productivity determinants and external environment determinants in 34 emerging market economies. Research Design & Methods: The study is based on growth regression research design. Two different modelling frameworks – panel OLS and Arellano-Bond GMM estimator – are exploited. The study operates with a unique dataset, covering 34 emerging market economies over 11 years (2007-2017). A traditional set of growth regressors is enriched by the measures of productivity determinants. A set of country-specific measures of the external environment stance are computed and exploited in the modelling framework. Moreover, for capturing numerous attributes of growth promoting effects, the study considers alternative measures of economic growth. Findings: Both productivity and external environment determinants are meaningful for growth in emerging market. However, external environment determinants dominate in explaining short-term growth, while productivity determinants are more important for long-run sustainable growth. Implications & Recommendations: The importance of external conditions for emerging markets should not lead us to incorrect belief that productivity fundamentals do not matter anymore. Changes in the external environment are more likely to generate relatively short-term growth rate fluctuations. Hence, a country aiming to secure sustainable growth should still first of all think about productivity fundamentals. Contribution & Value Added: The study allows to explain recent signs of decoupling between productivity gains and output growth without challenging the foreground role of productivity for generating growth.
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Objective: The aim of the article is to present the issue of mergers and acquisitions of universities with reference to academic entrepreneurship. Research Design & Methods: The research methodology in the article was based on comparative analysis of case studies of universities mergers. The article is of an illustrative nature and constitutes a starting point for further in-depth research in the field of university mergers and academic entrepreneurship. Findings: One of the consolidation motivations in France was to build strong links between universities and enterprises, which is supposed to fuel economic, scientific and technological development. Key mechanisms to drive a wave of strategic mergers in the public university sector that is sweeping through the world are global rankings. Implications & Recommendations: Consolidations of HEIs should also based on effective human capital management and entrepreneurial organisational culture. Nowadays, in the process of university merger research, we are at the induction stage, where hundreds of case studies and few comparative studies have been gathered that draw a complex picture of mergers and can serve as a source of practical guidance. Contribution & Value Added: International comparison of mergers of Polish and French public universities that lead to recommendations on macro level of public policy and on mezzo and micro level of university management.
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Objective: The purpose of the article is to investigate positive deviance as a mediator in the effect of high performance indicators on organisational entrepreneurship. Research Design & Methods: The research was carried out on a representative and random sample of 406 enterprises using multi-source cross-sectional design. The main analytical technique is structural equations modelling. Findings: The impact of high performance indicators on positive deviance is somehow ambiguous. Some of the factors influence positive deviance in a positive way (continuous improvement, openness and action orientation, management quality) and some in a negative way (workforce quality, long-term orientation). Positive deviance has a positive effect on all three dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation. However, rather unexpectedly, the effect is the weakest for innovativeness. The study revealed general indirect effect of high performance factors on dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation with the mediation of positive deviance. Implications & Recommendations: The study has implications for research and practice. It partly explains the effects of high performance indicators for organisational entrepreneurship. Companies that are in pursuit of higher organisational entrepreneurship can use it as a good way of supporting it. Contribution & Value Added: The study contributes to research on high performance and entrepreneurship mainly by drawing attention to positive deviance as a mediator in the effect of high performance factors on organisational entrepreneurship.
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Objective: In this article, we intend to contribute evidence in regard to going public motivation on a sample of companies that launched an IPO at the Prague Stock Exchange between 2004 and 2017. Research Design & Methods: In order to evaluate the prevailing motives for the IPO launch, we design and apply a set of composite indicators the values of which may be understood as an indication of the extent to which IPO launch motives originate in the zone of the issuing company’s needs or in the zone of interest of its owner (owners). Findings: Our main conclusion is that the dominant going public motivation is to allow current shareholders to cash out and to enhance the company´s publicity and image. Implications & Recommendations: Since the study disclosed that the prevailing motive of primary issues at the Prague Stock Exchange was the exit of investors and enhancing publicity and image we suggest that companies launching the Prague Stock Exchange in recent years were predominantly determined by non-financial aspects. Thus, the research findings represent substantial implications for issuers, investment bankers, the stock exchange, and macroeconomic policy makers when the concept of incentive schemes how to increase the attractiveness of the local capital market will be proposed. Contribution & Value Added: Our set of composite indicators allows to assess not only the predominant IPO motive zone, but also measure the intensity of the motives. This helps to understand better the urgency of the needs of the issuing companies satisfied by the IPO implementation.
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Objective: The aim of this article is to analyse the relation between some aspects of reflexive actions and routinisation within the internationalisation process. The article provides a new insight into the phenomenon of early internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises. Research Design & Methods: The qualitative research offers an alternative approach to the problem of how enterprises explore foreign opportunities in the realms of daily performed activities. The research is based on the practice-based orientation. That perspective explores the concepts of everyday actions and practice in the realms of routine dynamics field of studies. Findings: The qualitative research provides a framework of the relation between various types of reflexive actions, and their routinisation, as well as the internationalisation of everyday practice. Implications & Recommendations: This study explores the practice-based perspective on IE and the early internationalisation process of textile and apparel enterprises. This work contributes to the deeper understanding of the early internationalisation process and it sheds some new light on its potential explanatory categories. The notion of daily activities may be perceived as important units of analysis in management. Contribution & Value Added: The analysis of everyday activities of early internationalisation of SMEs may comprise here a promising research area and therefore, a ‘theoretical bridge’ between the practice-based perspective and IE may develop.
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Objective: The article aims at the description of the internationalisation process of an entrepreneurial e-commerce trading firm, depicting the course and mechanism of the process. Research Design & Methods: The explorative research is a single case study of three internationalising e-stores managed by a firm. The qualitative analysis is based on in-depth interviews with the entrepreneur covering six years of the firm’s operation. Findings: The increasing international involvement of the e-commerce firm follows the development of knowledge derived from the interrelationships between inward and outward internationalisation. The evolution of internationalisation forms is limited to trade (importing/exporting) and contractual cooperation. The role of entrepreneur in the internationalisation process of e-commerce firm is crucial. Implications & Recommendations: The simultaneous involvement in the inward and outward forms of internationalisation enhances the development of knowledge necessary for further internationalisation of e-commerce firms. Contribution & Value Added: The study presents a holistic description of the internationalisation process of an entrepreneurial e-commerce firm, revealing the mechanism of the process.
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Objective: In the article, we address the nexus between neighbourhood externalities and house prices using stated preference data. The impact of neighbourhood amenities generating positive externalities and disamenities generating negative externalities on property prices has been studied since the 1970s. Most of the studies to date applied the hedonic methodology and assumed that the effect is homogeneous. The article aims to address the potential heterogeneity of housebuyers’ preferences. Research Design & Methods: The article uses logistic regression models on stated preference data regarding the sensitivity to three spatial amenities (public transit, urban green area, and retail and services) and three spatial disamenities (railway line, noisy road, petrol station). The dataset comes from six editions of the survey on housing demand and preferences in Krakow conducted annually from 2012 to 2017. Findings: Empirical results show the relation between household lifecycle and household wealth and willingness-to-pay for spatial amenities and willingness-to-accept spatial disamenities. We did not observe the difference in preferences dependent on the purchase motive. Implications & Recommendations: The results can be interesting for planners and policymakers, but also in the business environment in case of residential development. Contribution & Value Added: The article fills the gap in the economic literature on factors affecting housebuyers’ sensitivity to certain positive and negative externalities that manifest in stated willingness-to-pay and willingness-to-accept.
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