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AHP analysis of key success factors for enterprise transformation; From the viewpoint of project management process
Full text linkNowadays, project management, instead of operations, has become the main operation mode of an enterprise, while plenty discussions on using project management to help transformation of enterprises can be easily found in the existing literature. However, only a few stages of the project management process were applied in current frameworks, which could not provide an effective and comprehensive solution for an enterprise in crisis. In view of this, this study aimed to explore enterprise transformation from the perspective of project management process, proposing a whole transformation plan more coherent and complete. It would also suggest a fresh approach for exploring this research topic. The study found that the two phases of "planning" and "execution" are the most important ones for enterprise transformation. Therefore, it should be bold but cautious when formulating a transformation plan, and the plan should be precisely executed when being implemented. More importantly, this study connected the project management process with the enterprise transformation planning process, so that the enterprise transformation can be carried out more smoothly and have better probability of success.Keywords. Enterprise transformation; Project management process; Analytical hierarchy process (AHP).JEL. C52; L25; M14
Economies of depth: Technology, market structure and vertical integration
Full text linkIn this paper, a formal model of technology-based vertical market structure is interacted with different environments of downstream and upstream strategic behavior. The research is innovative on four grounds: on the one hand, it explicitly establishes mathematical conditions for the assessment of vertical arrangements at the firm level, rigorously defining – as a peculiar production (in)externality - economies of depth. Secondly, it provides equilibrium and welfare comparisons of vertically integrated and non-integrated or decentralized market structures under different assumptions on the intervening productive agents competitive behaviour – final output producers, intermediate product suppliers, and primary factor owners. The exercises highlight transmission mechanisms of market power through intermediate product industries. The consequence of each particular market failure is studied independently (or in absence) of the others, considering ceteris paribus deviations of conduct relative to the competitive paradigm of each side of a transaction. Thirdly, the analysis shares a common well-defined representation of the underlying technologies, relying on duality and other production theory properties with respect to factor prices and usage – allowing for substitutability as for complementarity. Finally, the role of pre-commitment or contractual arrangements – vertical restraint clauses - is discussed in connection to the sequencing or hierarchy of the decision process. A final qualification of the effect uncertainty in upstream markets on equilibrium outcomes is suggested.Keywords. Economies of depth; Internalities; Vertical integration; Vertical mergers; Intermediation; Intra-industry trade. Economic (mechanism) design: Short and long-run reaction functions; Pre-commitment; Vertical restraints; Trade unions. Monopsony in primary factor markets.JEL. L14; L22; L42; D23; D62; D40; J50; J42
Technology ethics
Full text linkAbstract. Technology ethics is a topic at the frontier of the modern day development. Mostly because due to the fact that our our reliance on technology increases as we become more accustomed to the pace of technological development. Hence, it is important for us understand the ethical implications that arise with these advances. Therefore, this article provides an introduction and foundation for technology ethics, data protection and artificial intelligence.Keywords. IT ethics, Data protection, AI, GDPR.JEL. H20, E40, M15
Democracy crisis: Decline of rule of law
Full text linkAbstract. World Justice Project (WJP) measures the respect for rule of law globally. Its 2021 report establishes a decline compared with earlier years. For the US the ranking is really down.What does ìt all mean?Keywords. Dictatorship; Crisis of democracy; Looting; Principal-agent.JEL. A10; A22; A23; B10; E10
The Burma currency board
Full text linkAbstract. We provide a spreadsheet data series and legislative history of the Burma Currency Board (BCB) from 1948 to 1952. The paper assesses the level of orthodoxy exhibited by the board through analysis of legislation and statistics from quarterly bulletins. We also do a comparative analysis of economic health during and after the currency board era through use of economic markers. This paper makes various balance sheet data available in machine-readable form in a companion spreadsheet workbook.Keywords. Burma, currency board, Myanmar.JEL. E58; N15
What is structure and mechanisms of governance of agro-ecosystem services in Bulgaria
Full text linkAbstract. The products and the variety of direct and indirect benefits that humans receive from nature and the various ecosystems (agricultural, forest, grass, mountain, river, marine, etc.) are commonly known as ecosystem services. Agricultural ecosystems of different types and their specific “agro-ecosystem” services are among the most widespread in the world. In recent years increasing attention is given to the system of (“good”) governance as a key to achieving public, collective, corporate, and private goals in relation to conservation and improvement of (agro)ecosystem services. Nevertheless, in Bulgaria, like in many other countries, there are few studies on the amount and importance of agro-ecosystem services, and the specific mechanisms, modes, factors, and efficiency of their management. This article tries to fill the gap and presents the results of a large-scale study on the structure and governance of diverse ecosystem services of Bulgarian farms. Firstly, it identifies the type, amount, and importance of various (provisional, economic, recreational, aesthetic, cultural, educational, supporting, water and air purification, biodiversity preservation, climate regulation, etc.) ecosystem services maintained and “produced” by the Bulgarian farms of different juridical type, size, specialization, and location. The study has found out that country’s farms provide a great number of essential ecosystem services among which provisioning food and feed, and conservation of elements of the natural environment prevail. Secondly, it identifies and assesses the efficiency and complementarities of specific modes and mechanisms of governance of ecosystem services used by the Bulgarian farms. The study had found out that a great variety of private, market, collective, public and hybrid modes of governance of farm activity related to agroecosystem services are applied. There is significant differentiation of employed managerial forms depending on the type of ecosystem services and the specialization of agricultural holdings. Furthermore, the management of agroecosystem services is associated with a considerable increase in the production and transaction costs of participating farms as well as big socio-economic and environmental effects for agricultural holdings and other parties. The factors that mostly stimulate the activity of Bulgarian agricultural producers for protection of (agro)ecosystems and their services are participation in public support programs, access to farmers' advice, professional training, available information, and innovation, received direct subsidies from EU and national government, personal conviction and satisfaction, positive experience of others, long-term and immediate benefits for the farm, and integration with suppliers, buyers, and processors. The suggested holistic and interdisciplinary framework for analyzing the system of management of agro-ecosystem services is to be further extended and improved, and more widely and periodically applied in the future. The later requires systematic in-depth multidisciplinary research in this new area, as well as the collection of original micro- and macro information on ecosystem survives, and forms, efficiency, and factors of their management. The accuracy of analyzes is to be improved by increasing representativeness through enlarging the number of surveyed farms and related agents, applying statistical methods, special "training" of participants, etc. as well as improving the official system for collecting agricultural, agro-economic, and agri-environmental information in the country.Keywords. Ecosystems, Services, Governance, Efficiency, Agriculture, Farms, Bulgaria.JEL. Q10, O31, O33, Q01, Q16, Q18
Determinants in the emergence of viral agents: the SARS-CoV-2
Full text linkAbstract. The objective of this paper is to clarify, whenever possible, the determinants in the emergence of biological agents to improve aspects connected with public health and biosecurity. Case study of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is investigated to assess the likely emergence from a wildlife spillover and/or scientific research in labs with unexpected accident. Using a meta-analysis, results suggest that a natural spillover of SARS-CoV-2 that has generated more than 5.2 million of deaths, in analogy with natural disaster, seems to have a remote probability, instead a lab accident in the process of scientific research has a probability of occurrence of about 15-30%. These results here are important to support decision making of policymakers for global biosecurity strategies with appropriate responses to prevent the future diffusion of vital agents similar to SARS-CoV-2 in environment and society.Keywords. Viral agent; Biological agent; SARS-CoV-2; Novel coronavirus; Zoonoses; Natural disaster; Lab accident; Laboratory biosafety; Biosecurity risks..JEL. C52; L25; M14
