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Globally, there have been significant efforts to develop new means of assessing progress beyond GDP in recent years. The recent publication by the UN Secretary-General of a policy brief (UN, 2023) is inviting member states to move beyond GDP by measuring what truly matters for sustainability and prosperity. The policy brief outlines the shortcomings of GDP as an indicator of summarizing everything too much and revealing too little to be able to adequately inform policy (UN, 2023; pp. 12). This paper will present a review of a number of recent documents (2019 - 2022) published by international agencies to explore their views on the role and types of growth to achieve their objectives such as reducing emission, improving resilience, protecting biodiversity and so on. The paper will discuss two approaches to growth and development. Most of the listed reviewed documents suggest approaches for governments to move towards sustainable, inclusive, and sustained economic growth. Second set of recommended approaches focuses on the importance of broadening the indicators used to describe economic growth, often referred to as "moving beyond GDP". The paper will provide details on each of the suggested approaches and potential linkages and win-win solutions to improve pressing global challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to make the transition to a low-carbon economy and sustainable transport system and solve environmental and climate problems, many countries are replacing traditional cars that run on petroleum fuels with electric cars. Unlike vehicles with an internal combustion engine (ICE), electric vehicles' emissions from the operation phase are practically zero, but this is not the case if we consider the full life cycle. In this paper, we briefly describe the electric vehicle market, examine the life-cycle emissions of electric cars and ICE cars. The novelty of this study is in a methodological approach to the economic assessment of the negative impact of emissions from road transport and in a comparative assessment of the external costs of cars that run on traditional and alternative fuels. We applied the methodology of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which allows calculating country-specific and time-adjusted value of a statistical life. In this paper the characteristics of Russia's energy balance and automotive market are considered. We came to results that, in general, in this country electric cars are more environmentally friendly and contribute less to climate change than cars with internal combustion engines. The external costs caused by life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of an electric car are lower than similar emissions from a traditional car. The external costs caused by emissions of pollutants from the electric car operation phase are lower than external costs caused by emissions from an ICE car. The proposed study could be of interest for policymakers in other countries to develop measures for sustainable transport system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal and external shocks and stresses have adverse impacts on the country's economy, hinder its development, and provoke stagnation. The global Covid Crisis of 2020 is no exception to this. However, one can assume that the kind of impacts and the consequences of the crisis can differ depending on the state and the development stage of national and regional economies. For instance, transition economies feel greater effects of the crisis in question due to the instability of their systems. Social and economic differences within a country may also affect the ability of regional economies to overcome crises. The authors believe that studying the impacts of the Covid Crisis on the economies of the Russian regions is a promising research area. The purpose of this research work is to identify the regions of Russia that suffered the most from the current crisis and describe the current trends and patterns of changes in the Russian economy. Besides, this article compares the effects of two crises, the Covid Crisis, and the 2008 Crisis, on the general trends in the Russian economy. Throughout the research, we used mathematical and statistical tools, such as dynamics analysis and cluster analysis methods. As a result, the authors make conclusions about the nature of differences in the effects of the crises in question and the observed trends in their impacts on regional economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost a decade now Europe has been striving to achieve smart, sustainable and integrative growth. Although virtually all resources have been involved in fulfilling it, it is more than obvious that smart growth has a leading role to play while education and science are strongly and unconditionally linked to it. This study seeks and analyses the need for quality education in Bulgaria, discussing whether it is possible and to what extent, as well as what could and should be changed to make it an integral part of the actual transition to a competitive economy. An attempt is being made to describe the actions in the Bulgarian educational system, as well as the adopted strategies and development plans. A critical analysis of the main development priorities for the next ten years has also been made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of the development of human resources at Russian enterprises of the rocket and space industry are considered. The parameters of the personnel potential of a typical enterprise in the industry are being developed. Approaches to assessing human resources and mechanisms for increasing it are investigated. The relevance of the topic is due to the transition of the Russian economy to a market model, which entailed negative changes in the domestic system of higher education, which, together with the decline in the prestige of engineering professions at the end of the twentieth century, caused a decrease in the influx of young specialists at the enterprises of the rocket and space industry. Thus, for many modern industrial enterprises, the agenda is to find ways to rejuvenate personnel and increase personnel potential. To do this, it is necessary to determine the parameters of personnel potential, the optimal mechanisms for attracting new employees, assessing the effectiveness of current personnel, and, as a result, identify factors that directly affect the development of human potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the issues of balanced survivability management as a rational set of tools in the transition to a closed-loop economy. The place of this set of management measures in the overall management system of the company is determined. An expanded generalized model of balanced management is proposed, taking into account the principles and objectives of the closed-loop economy. Thanks to this model, it is possible to form a universal set of management tools and technologies for the development of companies and identify areas for its improvement and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a successful transition to the digital economy, along with other tasks, it is necessary to form a digital twin of the national fund of standards - an electronic library of standards. Such a library should constantly provide relevant information, taking into account all possible changes in the reference tree of the standard, as well as the possibility of developing and transforming the form and content of the standard itself. On the basis of the ideas of German scientists who developed the ways of development of Industry 4.0, the possibility of informatization and the coherence of the information available in the standards fund was considered. In the process of research, the main functions of the electronic library of standards were determined and a set of tasks that must be solved when creating an electronic library of standards was formed. Based on the carried out functional analysis, a correspondence between the library controls and compliance components was established, the points of conformity assessment in different processes of the electronic standards library functioning were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consolidation of democracy in post-communist Europe and the political transformation of Central and Eastern Europe, always focuses on the fall of the communist regime and the democracies in transition. For the purposes of this paper it is worthwhile to turn our attention to the political developments after 1989 to assess the factors that have contributed to the degree of consolidation of democracy in these countries. Political transformations in CEE should be seen as part of changes where democracy is in social harmony and has an impact on the forces of transition. Since the end of the Cold War, the EU has become increasingly involved in operations to install democracy in post-communist countries. My focus is the CEE countries. To implement the full range of its missions, the EU must be able to implement its plans that bring democracy to post-communist states through aid programs. Thus, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the EU's focus has been on regions where assistance and assistance programs are needed. Political processes in all CEE countries show a strengthening of democracy with the best result achieved in Slovenia. Most democratic institutions are unstable but positive trends are evident. These tendencies tend from the tendency towards European values. Democratic consolidation in Central and Eastern Europe must be seen as an integral part of the scale of far-reaching social transformations, which involve a fundamental change in these countries. Some scholars of democracy have paid attention to social factors that influence political outcomes. For Central and Eastern Europe, the ethnic composition of a society is considered important for democratic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economy of the whole world is transitioning into a new period, one in which environmental and social concerns will play a more important role in all actions carried out by business groups. The purpose of this research is to investigate the level of environmental management reporting in relation to the achievement of sustainable business practice, with specific reference to a number of non-financial businesses in Nigeria. In order to choose fifty nonfinancial companies that are listed on the main board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, a method called purposeful sampling was utilized. The selection was based on the availability of the companies' annual reports from 2014 to 2021. The data that was sourced included both quantitative and qualitative information. The gathered information was evaluated with the assistance of descriptive statistics like ratio, percentage, and graph. The study found that existing policies in place to encourage environmental management for existing policies in place to encourage environmental management for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 9.1%, 10%, 11.9%, 12.1%, 13%, 13.1%, 13.2% and 13.3% respectively; also 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 is 8.1%, 8.8%, 9.1%, 10.0%, 11.9% and 12.1% respectively; also environmental impact assessment during implementation phase of project for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 1.5%, 1.8%, 2.2%, 2.9%, 3%, 3.1%, 3.3% and 3.4%; company compliance with environmental laws by relevant authority for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 2%, 2.1%, 2.7%, 3%, 3%, 3.1% and 3.2%; and the aggregate percentage of change in the overall environmental index for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 20.9%, 23.6%, 28.3%, 31.2%, 32.6%, 33.1%, 33.9% and 34.5% respectively, indicating that the overall extent of environmental management reporting is low (below 50%) in Nigeria. The study recommended that business should be environmentally responsible and emphasize sustainable business practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is devoted to the selection of key performance indicators (KPI) of universities, as well as the development of the concept of using these indicators in assessing the effectiveness of universities in the scientific and innovative sector of Russia. The study used a combination of descriptive and deductive methods, as well as experiment. There were analyzed the data on financing, the number of publications indexed in the Web of Science, as well as the number of employees of 14 Russian universities that have been participating since 2013 in the state program "Project 5- 100". This program is aimed at the adaptation of Russian universities to international standards and incorporating them into international education environment. A system-dynamic model is constructed that allows, on the basis of the key performance indicators, to find new approaches and ways to achieve the goals set and to build an effective university development strategy in the transition to a digital economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term competitive identity of cities was introduced by Enholt [1] when considering the notion of territory marketing. Such an indicator is significant for determining the investment attractiveness of the territorial entity, and as a consequence of the opportunities for the development of the Territory and its directions. The assessment and prospects for the development of territories are determined by a set of indicators that are quite stable in time, then it is necessary to determine how to predict the directions for improving the efficiency of investment policy, including in the transition to the digital economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of renewable energy is discussed, monitored and regulated by organizations all over the world in the current context of transition to green economies. Moreover, the focus of the debates in the scientific world is targeted towards emissions reduction which has become one of the most significant impact assessment tool of the renewable energy use. By the extensive review of the publications regarding energy access and the monitoring of sustainable development around the world, it can be concluded that the data regarding the access to energy of the majority of countries (including developed ones) is superficial and the reports use inaccurate generalizations regarding what the European Union refers to as the right of its citizens to have their homes connected to the local electricity network. The results of researches conducted on the subject generally indicate that first poverty must be combated and education programs must be implemented before accessing renewable energy. This paper discusses the significant social issue which is disregarded in the current reports about the monitoring of energy at national levels, namely the access to energy, and proposes a shift in perspective from the purpose of on-grid connections of the households to accessing renewable energy resources which could represent the solution of this social issue worldwide. In order to sustain this proposal, data provided by the World Bank in the latest energy report is processed using Microsoft Power BI. Only by considering important dimensions other than the environmental or economical ones, which would seriously benefit from the use of renewable energy, a fair assessment can be made regarding the impact of transitioning to a green economy. Therefore, the discussion about the social dimension must start with emphasis on the assumptions which are made when assessing the status quo, which is one of the main discussion in this paper. By correctly identifying the social issues, the appropriate solutions can be then implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We investigate the impact of human capital, and its components -- family social capital and some aspects of cultural capital -- on entrepreneurial status in one socio-economic system, but at the different stages of its development from command to market. Using Polish Panel Survey (POLPAN) waves of 1998 and 2018 we study how different individual-level characteristics had impacted chances of entrepreneurial career in Poland under different conditions. In particular, we look at how human capital (operationalized as the level of education), social family capital (operationalized as father's occupation) and cultural capital characteristics (beliefs that characterize own responsibility values and the attitudes towards a strong state) impact the odds of an employed individual to engage in an entrepreneurial career. Our findings offer a nuanced view on how these different components of human capital impacted the odds of engagement in entrepreneurial activity in 1990ies and 2000s. While education and family social capital characteristics were significant and positive predictors of opening own business in the market economy, they did not turn significant in the transition period. The role of different aspects of cultural capital, at the same time, lacks clear interpretation and further research into the mechanisms how individual values and beliefs play out for entrepreneurship in both market and transition economies is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agenda 2030 imposes calls on businesses and countries to engage in sustainable consumption and production. This is supported by the emerged view of the circular economy. Proponents of the circular economy argue for businesses to shift from the use of the linear model (take, make and dispose of) to circular business model based on reuse, resource efficiency, sharing economy and closed-loop. This is critical in the pre-production, during production and post-production and consumption of e-waste. Ghana is one of the world's leading recipient of e-waste. The paper focuses on the technical, legal and policy interventions and their impact of e-waste management. Using mixed methods, the paper concludes there are four major impacts of e-waste including social, health, economic and environment. Majority of the SMEs in the e-waste business are unregistered. An avenue for continuous capacity building for the businesses in this sector and investments in technologies could help improve the current works processes of the venture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization has become a prominent phenomenon within the European Union. This concept resonates significantly in the realm of science, and its transformative potential for intense economic growth is substantial. Digital capital, comprising fundamental digital assets, sophisticated digital systems, online communication platforms, social networks, and artificial intelligence integration, plays a pivotal role in driving business digitalization. In the Czech Republic, characterized as a typical representative of transitional economics, there exists a wealth of highly qualified IT professionals. The industry continues to expand both domestically and internationally. Notably, small and medium-sized organizations in the Czech Republic exhibit remarkable flexibility and openness to innovation. The critical question lies in their awareness of the importance of digitalization in relation to the potential for success in foreign markets. Furthermore, exploring whether the incorporation of digital capital positively influences an organization's acceptance in international markets remains an intriguing inquiry. The research sample contains 398 valid records, obtained through online questionnaire surveys conducted with organizations in the Czech Republic. To explore relationships, statistical tools such as linear regression and large sample tests with confidence intervals for proportions were employed, along with the t-test for means. It has been observed that the increasing saturation of digital capital within organizations correlates with their success in foreign markets (internationalization). Statistically, this relationship exhibits a fairly robust regression. From the results, we can infer that higher digital capital saturation positively impacts organizational internationalization. Managers, armed with this insight, are more likely to recognize the critical importance of digital capital and exhibit a stronger inclination toward enhancing digitalization within their firms. The concept of digital capital has gained prominence recently. Given the diverse levels of digitalization across companies, it is reasonable to assume a certain relationship with market success. However, the originality of this research lies in linking digital capital to revenue growth for domestic firms in the export domain. The Czech economy, characterized by openness, particularly in sustaining pro-export focus, is significantly influenced by the saturation of digital capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to identify the features of Higher Education Institutions in the transition to the digital economy and the active introduction on this basis IT in the educational process. The changes that are now being implemented in leading universities have been identified. The core concepts of digital economy, information and communication technologies and the result of their pedagogical implementation are considered. It is defined that the active use of information and communication technologies within pedagogical process is one of the conditions for the formation of a harmoniously developed person. The paper contains the results of the research conducted by the authors in the framework of the international project “Excellence in Engineering Education Russia and Tadjikistan / EXTEND” of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building Program in Higher Education. The aim of the study was to estimate the National Research Mordovia State University maturity level in the field of introduction and use of educational and ICT technologies and to identify opportunities for improvement. The methodology of self-assessment of teaching approaches in engineering training programs at the University is proposed. For the self-assessment 3 levels were distinguished: the Institutional level of selfassessment, the level of the educational program, the level of stakeholders. The survey was conducted by the case of more than 300 respondents from different levels of the University. The results of the selfassessment allowed to identify strengths and areas for improvement related to the use of modern educational and ICT technologies and to develop recommendations for solving the problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of corporate governance in transitional economies has become important topic and usually it is connected with the ownership structure, ownership concentration and principleagent problem. The role and importance of different types of owner and their concentration have changed throughout period of 25 years of privatization in Croatia. The changes in the ownership structure directly reflected on the changes in corporate governance processes. The paper examine the ownership structure of publicly traded companies and the role and influence of specific type of investors (owners) on monitoring power and better corporate governance practice of companies. The main objective of this study is to identify and provide detail analysis of ownership structure and ownership concentration in Croatian companies, and for that reason, we observed 154 companies that were continuously listed at the Zagreb Stock Exchange in the period from 2007 and 2016. Further, the authors discuss the relationships between ownership structure, ownership concentration and a number of consequences for the company's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper investigates foreign banks impact on financial stability in transition countries during the boom-bust cycles, especially their contribution to the evolution and realization of systemic risk.The purpose of this study is to carry out theoretical pros and cons of foreign banks presence in post-soviet countries based on empirical evidence from their activity and risk profiles under different economic conditions and regulatory regimes. A comprehensive retrospective study of global bank capital entries into transition economies, reasons of foreign capital outflows and the dynamics of banks key financial indicators was carried out, as well as a comparative analysis of foreign versus local bank groups due to systemic financial sustainability. The results of this study indicatethat foreign banks appeared more solvent during economic crises in transition countriesin comparison with local private banks, despite great financial losses and required capitalization. The differences in default levels and response to the crisis among foreign and local banks were found. Instead of cross-border contagion channel strengthening, foreign banks presence, higher customer loyalty and capital support from parent institutions reduced deposit outflows and smoothed the potential impact of financial instability during the crises. On the contrary, the need of modern early warning monitoring system of foreign banking still exists because of possible rise of concentration and potential non-financial risks related to geopolitical motives and strengthening of compliance requirements. Main findings of empirical analysis contribute to a deeper understanding of the ownership influence on the systemic risk formation in theCEE and post-soviet banking sectors during the previous booms and crises. Grounded on the empirical data analysis, important patterns in cross-border funding and systemic risk channels were found. It allows to forecast properlyfuture benefits and risks of foreign bank presence in transition countries for regulatory and business purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is the role of the leader becoming less relevant in the modern organization that's fighting for competitive position in VUCA environment? We do not think so. On contrary, we believe that the role of good leadership is probably more important than ever in history, especially in so called traditional industries. Leaders who inspire others to follow, and who incarnate the desired vision with virtue, are in demand. After transforming to market driven economy Croatian textile and clothing industry lost more than 100.000 jobs mainly because flawed privatization process, incompetent management, unclear ownership structure, short-term political focus, loss of traditional markets and many other reasons. The expected contribution of this paper is in the development of new theoretical insights on different aspects of leadership competencies in transitional economy. Leadership used to be about power, status and position and now it is about skills and knowledge but also experience, set of values, attitude and capabilities. Without defining competencies of modern leader, our ability to define and describe who, what, why and how of leadership is constrained. Competence model described in this paper help us do this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are a very important driver of the economic development of every economy, and the entrepreneurial orientation of their owners plays an important role in achieving this task. Entrepreneurs' creativity, self-efficiency of entrepreneur, teamwork and knowledge management are among the most important elements of entrepreneurial activity that directly affect the profitability of an organization. Consequently, the paper analyzes the impact of entrepreneurial activities on the profitability of MSMEs in Serbia. For this purpose, a conceptual model of positive effects has been developed with four hypotheses. A sample of 1,338 respondents, ie entrepreneur-owner of MSMEs, was tested. The method of the questionnaire was used to collect data. Statistical data processing and modeling were performed using software programs SPSS v.17.0 and AMOS v.18. The hypothesis testing was performed using the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) methodology. Empirical results identify the most influential factors of entrepreneurial activity that directly affect the profitability of MSMEs in Serbia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the question, why do social scientists talk about "the ecosystem" now, why only now, and why has there been and still continues to be some resistance towards opening the social sciences this way, this paper embarks on a rhapsodic stroll through social sciences affairs with "the environment". It reveals some historic layers of co-production of disciplinary contexts as well as of structural ignorance. Beginning anecdotally with Goethe and von Humboldt to stress the importance of the imagination for the discovery of the connections in the web of life that entangle "the social", a case is made that the study and critique of the contemporary transition of the political economy to become a BioEconomy (sic!) requires a different take on the sociological imagination in general and on environmental sociology in particular, both a product of the "Euromodernity of Empire". It is the task of this essay to merely trace some of the lines of emergence of and resistance to any serious engagement with environment, ecology, and the ecosystem in the social sciences, to parcel out some of the consequences of these lines of flight, and then recontextualize them in the current challenge presented by the transition to bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of social networks in increasing inequality through transferring resources has been discussed intensively in sociology. These theories focus mainly the structure and quantity of social ties, but leave the question of how people make sense of ties, or resources available through them, open. In this article, I argue that the embodied knowledge of how resources are defined and transacted is an essential element in the exchange process, and it varies across different types of networks. This knowledge is embodied because it can only be learned through active participation and is ingrained physically and emotionally. Through the qualitative case study of a group of small corn producers in Northeast China, I show that people's understanding of resources and how they are obtained are shaped by the ways they participate in economy. While corn producers rely on the state authority to obtain resources, those who participates li liberalized markets rely on business network started from scratch. Transition to market economy therefore also means a transformation of the embodied knowledge of what makes market and participation. The differential in this embodied knowledge eventually leads to differentiation in market opportunities for small producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of empirical studies reveal the benefits for organizational outcomes if gendered organizational stereotypes such as male-dominated leadership are broken free at workplace, focusing on the processes, mechanisms, and consequences of gender inequality in developed economies and the relatively mature markets. However, this recent scholarship pays less attention to the practices of gender discrimination in transitional economies and developing contexts where women suffer from pervasive and deep-seated gender discrimination in both societal and organizational realms, while simultaneously having to fight with the absence or deficiencies of formal institutions in carrying out business activities on a regular basis. In this study, we analyze a nationally representative sample of Chinese private companies and examine how a firm's female top-manager shapes firm innovativeness and interacts with the firm's social ties as well as its institutional environment in affecting firm innovativeness. We find a positive association between female top-management and firm innovativeness, but the positive effects of female leadership in promoting firm innovativeness are weaker among the firms with more social networks, showing clear evidence for the network penalties facing women in the business world. Moreover, we find that female management plays a stronger role in promoting the firm's innovation output in the regions with a higher degree of marketization. It suggests that although increased marketization is often associated with more competition and higher uncertainty, the advancement of formal institutions in the developing contexts helps reduce gender disadvantages for women who can enjoy their outsider status in a more diverse, open system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is dedicated to the problem of interaction between regional geological practices and geological education in the classical university exemplified by Siberian educational entities. Turning to real geological works in classical universities can reveal new aspects of geological knowledge for historians and methodologists of geology. It is important to emphasize that regional works are fundamental for all types of geological practices. It was proved that decline in funding for regional geological works that resulted from Russia’s transition to a market economy, negatively affects geological education development in classical universities of our country. Decline in funding for regional geological works forces students to attend professional retraining after graduation. This tendency can be dangerous for the economy as it can result in serious economic losses and lack of explored resources portfolio for mining. It will be impossible to avoid crisis both in classical geological education and in our economy, if strategic regional geological research is not resumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to explore the relationship between the economic strategy of an oil-exporting country and the organizational and economic structure of the oil sector and oil companies on the example of some countries - significant net exporters of oil, primarily Russia and Saudi Arabia, as well as the specifics of environmental protection measures within the oil industry of these countries. In recent years, coordination between these two countries has played a major role in stabilizing the oil market and protecting the interests of OPEC oil-exporting countries, as well as Russia under the OPEC + agreement. However, for a broader understanding of the problem under study, the authors make a number of comparisons with the experience of the United Arab Emirates (the UAE), Iran, Norway, and in some cases the United States, since the North American structure of the oil industry is very different from the industry structure of the countries mentioned above. Although a number of authors from research centers in the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries considered the subject under study, and especially oil companies with state capital participation, we want to look more deeply and, in part, take a fresh look at the specifics of the organization of the oil sector and the activities of oil companies in selected OPEC countries and Russia. On the one hand, it is necessary to identify how important is the possibility of state control of the oil sector for transition economies of developing countries - oil exporters, what are the main mechanisms of the governmental economic strategy of these states in the oil sector. On the other hand, it is important for us to clarify what, at both the macro and microeconomic levels, are the advantages of the organizational and economic structure of the leading oil companies in Russia and in the OPEC countries concerned, and the relationship of this organizational structure with the mechanism of environmental impact and costs of environmental activities. The problem under consideration involves certain aspects of the study. In our opinion, these are, above all, objective macroeconomic aspects of a country's development, features of state regulation of the economy, historical factors of capital formation and companies, geological features of oil development and marketing, environmental policy within the oil industry. In the research the methods of macro and microeconomic analysis, structural analysis, statistical analysis, historical and political analysis are used. The results of this research can be used in further researches of Russia and OPEC states strategies in the oil sector and for the improvement of the international economic cooperation between oilexporting and oil-importing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, we are facing a very serious problem of air quality. It is particularly important in health resorts due to their main function. At the same time, economy is going through the process of transition to a low-carbon economy, related to systematic approach, taken mainly by governments. However, a success of these activities depends also on the involvement of other entities: self-governments, business, and households. The main goal of the paper is an analysis of actions to reduce so-called "low emission" in health resorts of Małopolska and identification the main barriers to their implementation. The basis for the study are the lowemission economy plans adopted by: Bukowina Tatrzańska, Rabka-Zdrój, Szaflary, Szczawnica, Zakopane, Krynica-Zdrój, and Piwniczna-Zdrój. The choice of this region is dictated by two factors: having the largest number of tourists and being one of the most serious air pollutants. The research method is based on analyses of documents, some data and author's visits to some of the listed health resorts. According to them, the importance of activities related to the main sources of low-emmision should be highlighted. Furthermore, there are more directed to habitants than to tourism. However, there are some obstacles, such as the level of financial support or a low level of social awareness, lack of comprehensive solutions in the area of communication infrastructure and traditional system of heating [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1990, Poland and later other Eastern European countries moved away from the centrally planned economy system by implementing a package of stabilization and structural reforms IMF and WB (SAPs). Poland with strong political support from the Solidarity Movement has decided for a radical break with the old system. The first half of the 90’s was marked by economic stabilization policies. High inflation, inefficient public enterprises sector, external debt threatened social explosion and chaos difficult to control. The political determination of the Solidarity movement and the strong desire of the society to break communism have contributed to the application of shock therapy to change the system. In our paper we present analysis of systemic changes in the first period of implementation of the principles of the Washington Consensus. We focus on structural policy aimed at modernizing the economic structure and creating competitive capacity on international markets in the ongoing globalization process. We consider changes taking place in the structures of economy in the period 1992-2008. Transition period can be divided into three periods. This first period till 1995 was stabilization phase. In the second period form 1996 till 2003 the elements of aqui communautaire set in the EU accession were consistently implemented. The third period contains years after accession 2004-2008. The aim of our analysis is to answer the question: what effects resulted from the implementation of a shock therapy in the sphere of productivity. The paper presents changes in labour productivity caused by structural changes and those that were the result of modernization of production technology. Authors used Shift-Share Analysis and decomposition equation for labour productivity growth. Labour productivity growth in an economy can be achieved by technological change, improvement of production process etc. (pure labour productivity growth) or by moving labour from low-productivity sectors to high-productivity sectors (structural labour productivity growth). The analysis shows that Poland improved both pure labour and structural productivity growth thanks to the changes and modernization of economic structures. In analysed period productivity increased in all sectors, however the most significant rise was noted in financial intermediation; real estate, renting and business activities. Simultaneously employment decreased the most in agriculture, hunting and forestry; fishing – the sector with the lowest productivity. In all analysed years pure productivity indicator was positive. However, structural productivity indicator was negative after first years after transition, that obtain the highest value after accession to EU. The research can be used by the Government agencies for industrial development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alongside with an extensive body of literature about determinants of entrepreneurial success, there is another direction in research about entrepreneurial failure and coping with difficulties that needs further exploration. Moreover, there are supported data that more than half of new businesses fail within their first years of operating. One of the important phenomena, related to dealing with entrepreneurial challenges, is grit. This construct was introduced in 2007, while the researchers of entrepreneurship started paying attention to it only recently. There is a clear need to study grit further, especially to determine specific grit tools for entrepreneurs and triggers of gritty behaviour. The current Ph.D. project is planned as a qualitative study to tackle the problems in the research around grit. The first part provides a literature review of grit and similar constructs, attempting to develop a theoretical model of grit tools. A case study method will be used for the second part to find evidence for the model, discover further tools in order to enhance the model and check if specific tools fit particular entrepreneurial problems. Finally, the third paper will explore the prerequisites and triggers of gritty behaviour in order to build a comprehensive model of grit for entrepreneurial teams. Transition economies and Belarus, in particular, was chosen as a stage to study grit tools as there one can often find an environment of challenge and uncertainty. At the same time, many success stories can be found in the IT sector in Belarus. Among IT businessmen there is even a saying: “If you have a mission-impossible IT project, send it to Belarus”. The study concentrates on entrepreneurial teams as the notion of entrepreneur is mostly plural. Moreover, studies on teams also demonstrate a negative connection between relationship conflict in teams and firm performance that provides a promising setting to study grit. The results of the study will have a considerable contribution for practitioners, both entrepreneurs and those who teach, support and develop entrepreneurship. The research will contribute to the theory by structuring the terminology in the field and creating a model of grit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the study is to compare the formation of entrepreneurial capital in different economic systems, namely, in Poland and Ukraine. These two Central European countries are close mentally and culturally; they almost simultaneously abandoned the socialist system, but have achieved different socio-economic results. Poland is a country with a developed market economy. Ukraine is just starting to integrate into the European Economic Area and is a transition economy. The study proposes to consider entrepreneurial capital as an innovative component of human capital, the rational accumulation and use of which is one of the characteristics of a successful economic system. The components of entrepreneurial capital are not only the knowledge and skills, but also motivational and cultural characteristics of an entrepreneur. In addition, in different economic systems, terms and conditions for doing business may vary significantly, which will affect the characteristics of the entrepreneurial capital. In this paper we analyze the descriptive statistics of the survey, covering near 200 individuals, which was carried out among the students of economics and management in the universities of Poland and Ukraine, and address the following research question: How do the cultural and motivational environments in the two countries differ in terms of entrepreneurship perception, namely the readiness of graduates to carry out their own business and the choice of forms of its conduct? Our study revealed a number of significant differences in the prevailing entrepreneurial capital of the countries analyzed. In particular, there is a difference in the functioning of university education in the two countries in terms of providing the necessary entrepreneurial knowledge and skills to graduates. We also highlight the areas of knowledge the graduates lack to open their own business, including looking for investment to finance innovative projects and their willingness to acquire this knowledge. Our results demonstrate the differences in formation of the entrepreneurial capital in the countries with different types of economic systems. The results of the study will be useful for researchers studying the formation of the entrepreneurial capital, and contribute to the ongoing debates in the field of transition economies research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work grounds a variant of measurement of the impact of the international financial institutions on the transition countries. Based on the analysis of the world financial system, it presents the indicators characterising the sustainability of the economies of different countries. Due to the fact that the formalisation of these indicators is mostly troublesome, it is proposed to introduce some additional indicators based on the cenosis theory, according to which the economic system is considered as a cenosis and its changes allow measuring the impact of the international financial institutions on the structure of the economy of different countries. The possibilities of application of the cenosis theory to the research task are analysed in terms of terminology and diagrams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper aims at providing a scientific substantiation of the mechanism of integrated evaluation of the potential of sustainable development of Ukrainian companies in the modern conditions. The research methodology is based on a systematic approach and generalization of factors that influence the implementation of the potential of companies sustainable development. It is shown that a structured, integrated evaluation of the potential of sustainable development within a certain system, algorithm of actions embodied in the form of evaluation mechanism, contributes greatly to the success of the practical application of the management tools for the companies's sustainable development, enabling the adequate response to changeability of market environment and create the preconditions for long-term development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to study ways of the implementation of the strategy of the economic diversification in countries - major oil exporters. It is well-known that the expansion of non-oil sources of added value is the main guideline of the economic diversification and decreasing the dependency on oil revenues in the developing countries - oil exporters. Many economists recommend to such states rapid privatization and reduction of the government participation in the economy as almost the only way of the diversification. Meanwhile, the ways of implementation of the diversification strategy in the transitional economies of the Persian Gulf States, as well as in the other developing countries, have a specific character. In particular, progressive economic structure can't be formed here only due to market forces, which was confirmed even by the experience of new industrial states (South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan). In the context of the problems of transitional economies the article identifies and argues the ways of the implementation of the strategy of the economic diversification in the countries considered by the author. Special attention is paid to an analysis of the objective conditions of development, existing in these countries. During the research, the author used methods of economic and structural analysis, the method of analysis of national accounts. These results can be used in the implementation of economic policy in the oil-exporting countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to identify the most important issues in employer branding that make companies attractive to information technology talents, specifically in transition economies, viz. economies or countries that are in the long process of moving from a planned economy to a market-driven economy. We report on a survey in Poland, and based on 127 responses and exploratory factor analysis, we show what seem to be the important issues in employer branding in this transition economy. We also compare our findings with previously published finding from studies conducted in mature economies. Furthermore, we propose signaling theory as a possible explanatory context for employer branding in transition economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After 2004, many post transitions economies joined EU, which significantly differed in the level of development from the "old" EU countries. In literature, the concept of a two-speed Europe has become popular. Simultaneously in the global economy the gap between rich and poor countries keeps widening. Many scientific studies indicate that in the long-run increase in income inequality cause social, political and economic problems. One of the EU's priorities is to reduce disparities, for this purpose, cohesion policy is conducted. The purpose of the research is to answer the question whether income differences between old and new Members are increasing or diminishing over the last years. In the first part of the article Author will focus on income inequity problem described in literature. In the second part EU policy that aim to reduce inequality will be presented. Then paper highlights the key statistics about income inequality from Eurostat. The research period is from 2005 to 2015. In the last part of the article Author will analyze inequality gap between EU countries using various statistical methods. To show differences in income inequalities between countries the quintile analysis will be present. Author will focus also on GINI Index. Both disproportion between EU countries and intra countries will be examined. Research confirmed that inequity was changing with different speed and directions over all EU counties. Inequality was rising the most in Bulgaria and Cyprus. The Gini index also increased in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Spain. On the other hand, it was decreasing in Poland, Romania, UK and Portugal. The highest growth in disposable income was noticed in Bulgaria and Romania, but those countries are still behind EU average. Moreover, difference between the country with the highest and the lowest income per capita is decreasing during research period. This research can be used by policy makers in to ensure proper policy is implemented to reduce income inequality and sustainable growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate governance as a relatively new creation appeared because of the need of multinational companies to govern in the best possible way, which would consequently improve the overall functioning of the companies and eventually result in achieving the governance objectives and increased profit as one of the main interests of capital owners. In the countries of the region which are in a process of transition, the concept of corporate governance is prescribed by law, as part of the external requirements, primarily by the European Union. Since we are talking about countries which abandoned the socialist economy of the past or countries that were relatively economically backward, the introduction of the corporate governance concept should contribute to a better organisation of the companies and more advanced business which would help achieve a better performance and higher profitability. This paper deals with the question whether the concept of corporate governance has been sufficiently accepted and applied in these economies. Furthermore, this paper discusses the issue whether corporate governance and internal control influence the appearance of corporate crime. At the end of this paper it has been established that internal control starts with corporate governance and as a result, effective fraud prevention techniques are founded on strong internal control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The matrix of transition probabilities between rating classes is a popular approach for predicting the future credit rating. This paper instead attempts to predict the future credit rating using a non-Markovian model. The prediction is done via the probability of the future credit rating given the ratings in the present and previous quarters. The estimation of the conditional probability of future credit rating is carried out by means of simulation after fitting the data with a multivariate power-normal distribution. The results based on the quarterly credit ratings of ten companies over 15 years taken from the database of the Taiwan Economic Journal indicate the need of extending the Markovian model to the non-Markovian model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to conduct further detailed studies on the practice of leadership has been long recognised. This has been based on limited studies especially within the educational sector and researchers and institutions have attempted to deconstruct the phenomenon into a universal set of measures, with the recent dominant of the transformational and transitional leadership. Due to the increasing competition in provision of educational services and technological advancements, most leaders are now being forced to strategise, using their competencies and capabilities, to be able to identify strategies and direction, and establishing institutional control. This would lead to effective change in the educational systems and being able to achieve better institutional outcomes. This paper therefore builds on the literature on leadership by investigating its impact on the educational setting in the Middle East, within the context of the Kuwait. This paper aims at critically evaluating the impact of leadership in the education sector, by adopting PESTLE analysis. This has enabled the development a conceptual framework for effective leadership within the research context. It is believed that this paper would enable identification of limitations and practical implications, particularly establishing the differences that exist between theory and practice of educational leadership in institutions. The researchers have suggested further empirical studies to allow for validation of the proposed conceptual framework, and to make policy recommendations for strategic leaders, decision makers and top management executives in order to address some of these factors - political, economic, social-technological, legal and environmental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Kazakhstan is rich in natural deposits, and has been recently opened to the global market, after the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Today, these factors made Kazakhstani economy highly dependable on export of raw materials. Dynamic development of the country goes through many changes and in order to sustain the economic development Kazakhstani strategy is focused on shifting from a resource-based economy towards free market economy. Being a non-trivial goal to achieve, this involves diversification of the economy, fostering of innovation, development of management and most importantly, attraction of foreign direct investments into the economy. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of major aspects of Kazakhstani management culture. To succeed in a highly competitive global environment of foreign companies establishing in Kazakhstan, one should be aware of how to deal with the market, how to deal with people, how to cope with cross-cultural differences. Based on the literature review about culture, this article is using the theoretical constructs developed by well-known researchers (Hofstede, Hall, House, etc.). Additionally, the empirical study component of this work is based on a qualitative research method and introduces a case study of a mining company in Kazakhstan. Cultural aspects have a lot of implications on management and governance. Specifically, decision making, bureaucracy level and configuration of the company, power centralization, formalization in the work setting, etc. The explanation of the Kazakhstani management culture is based on the observations and interviews from local managers of the mining company. It was found that there is a significant difference in mentality and professional approaches observed in management which used to practise in times of the Soviet Union and younger generations, whose carrier started during the times of independent Kazakhstan. The findings of this article indicate that the company of the industrial visit has a Western orientation in terms of its organizational practices and style of management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional timing analysis (FTA) overcomes the limitation of static timing analysis (STA) to allow distinction of false and true paths. Modern FTA methods exploit timed charac- teristic functions (TCFs) to implicitly calculate the longest true delay of a circuit. However, they are inadequate for the verification of timing exceptions, which is crucial for tim- ing signoff, due to their implicit enumeration of all paths rather than specific paths of concern. We present the first TCF-based FTA method for path-specific timing verifica- tion under both floating and transition modes of operation. Experiments demonstrate the unique benefit and scalability of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern universities are facing a variety of challenges from traditional issues of competition and budget cuts to calls for entrepreneurship and business support. A response to these challenges is to be addressed in the universities' strategies, which are designed based on the university subject focus, performance, governmental regulations and economic environment and sometimes lead to a conflict of interests. Our study aims to explore the strategic directions of HEIs strategy development. To achieve this goal, we run an exploratory research among twelve universities in developed country (Finland) and twelve universities based in transitional economy (Russia). Furthermore, within each country group we make a distinction between HEIs along two dimensions - subject focus and performance/ranking. Triangulating secondary data with the data of the interviews with university managers, we demonstrate a number of curious findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressive governments in Latin America have recently been examined as particular cases of what Antonio Gramsci described as passive revolution--specifically, as cases of transformism and ceasarism. I concur that a Gramscian framework is appropriate and that a systematic study of the region's unique context is overdue. However, I take issue with the direction that these analyses have taken, specifically with the methodologies and the lack of empirical evidence. In this paper I encourage and continue this conversation, by examining some of the main arguments that are deemed problematic, and by offering a different Gramscian alternative. I challenge the most important claims and arguments that have been put forward recently--that Bolivia's 1952 Revolution and the current government of Evo Morales are cases of transformism (Morton and Hesketh 2013), and that all the progressive governments of Latin America are cases of progressive Caesarism (Modonesi 2014). Utilizing empirical evidence I offer an alternative Gramscian framework, understanding these governments as cases of anti-passive revolution engaged in struggles with the passive revolution of the dominant classes, in an ongoing process of state transition. As such, scholars need to investigate the forms that these transitions must take to provide the conditions for the development of a vigorous antithesis that will resist absorption and avoid the path of passive revolution; I examine some aspects of the Bolivian case as learning experiences. This is a more fruitful and hopeful approach than a blanket explanation that dooms progressive governments to failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits the natural experiment of German reunification to study the consequences of regime change for social mobility. I analyze whether the associations between social origin and labor market outcomes differ between German men and women who entered the labor market after reunification based on in which of the two German states they lived before reunification. I find no such differences, neither in the pure associations between social origin and labor market outcomes nor in these associations controlling for the moderating role of educational attainment. These findings imply that social origin is a valuable asset on the German labor market independent of in which German state someone grew up. More generally, these results suggest that the intergenerational transmission of advantage is largely unaffected by political change and economic transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the key factors influencing the successful e-Government adoption and investigating the level of e- Government adoption are important because of the huge efforts put into adopting e-Government. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the Delphi study and the survey questionnaire the critical success factors for and the level of state and local e-Government adoption in Poland were identified. Findings demonstrate that the factors are related to financial capabilities of government units, digital competences and awareness of government employees, quality of implemented information and communication technology, and information culture. It was also noticed that generally speaking the level of state e-Government adoption is not significantly different from the level of local e-Government adoption. Some differences appear mainly in information culture, i.e. government units at the state level are more advanced in creating the information culture leading to the e-Government adoption than local government units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of Strategic Management Accounting, is still vague and undefined idea after more than 30 years of development, and has a number of development areas lacking valuable researches. One of these areas is the public sector, which many authors believe has been overlooked in SMA researches and literature, and is thus viewed as an important future research direction. Given the fact that the public sector has been increasingly concerned with the issues of strategy and accounting, the usage of SMA core ideas and approaches should not be something completely new to organizations in this sector. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of the SMA treatment and implementation in public sector organizations in a (post) transitional economy, such as the understanding of the SMA concept - its ideas, scope and importance, SMA concept adoption, SMA usage process, SMA techniques usage. The field study research was carried out in several major public sector organizations in Croatia, and the results presented in this paper are an attempt to carry out the above-mentioned overlooked and valuable researches that are absent from the area of SMA usage in public sector organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trends in the changeover of transition economies into market-oriented economies is the implementation of the fiscal decentralisation that leads to a more efficient allocation of financial resources and to an increase of the efficiency of providing public goods even on a lower government levels. By analysing fiscal decentralisation in a selected country in the context of the new competencies of self-governments for the period of years 2005 - 2015, we identify the improving financial self-sufficiency of local governments. Assuming such a favourable development of financial self-sufficiency of local governments, it is interesting to analyse the effectiveness of original and transferred competencies that lead to optimal supply of public services. The main objective of this paper is by using the logistic regression model to analyse the impact of the original and transferred competencies of selected self-governments of the SR on the population in the selected self-government at the chosen critical significance level a = 0.1 and on the empirical data obtained by a questionnaire survey. With coefficients of determination pseudo R2 we support the outlined model that can assist the individual self-governments with the selection of competencies that affect the state of their population, while respecting the stable financial situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the processes of entrepreneurship emergence by studying a set of events encountered by prospective entrepreneurs. Set within the context of Chinese cashmere industry during the period of central-planned to market-oriented economy transition, lived experiences of focal entrepreneurs from six case stories were investigated. The practice theory, with its central focus on not only the situated doing of work, but also on shared practical understanding and actors’ positions within “fields” structure, has informed this study. In an inductive and open-end approach, this article develops the idea that the process of entrepreneurship emergence is governed by two seemingly contradictory dynamics, which are referred as “stand out’ and “fit in”. In contrast with existing studies, this article not only attends to the earliest moments of entrepreneurship emergence by highlighting the role of immediate contextual conditions, but also places the prospective entrepreneurs, who take the actual entrepreneurial practices, in broad structural contexts. Hence, this study contributes to emergent literature on entrepreneurial processes by providing a holistic view of how, when and where entrepreneurial practices may emerge at interaction of prospective entrepreneurs and multilevel dynamic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on one of the aspects that could affect the value of FDI flows between countries, namely human capital of country-recipient of FDI. The proxy for the level of countries human capital was calculated as the number of tertiary educated population in the country. Besides the factor reflecting human capital, the other factors are included in the model: gravity variables (GDPs of the host and importing countries, distance between them), multilateral resistance terms, openness of the host country, common language of the pair of countries and the level of economic freedom in the host country. The whole database includes ... The analyses was also implemented on two different subsets of countries: developed ones and with transition economies. The results show that for transition economies (here Albania, Croatia, Belarus, Georgia, Russia)) human capital factor occurs to be not significant while for the developed countries this variable is significant and has positive impact on the attraction of FDI. Moreover, in contrast to theanalyzed developed countries, for transition economies some other factors (GDP and openness of the host country, common language) become insignificant. What is more important for FDI attraction in transition economies is remoteness term and thelevel of economic freedom in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]