Ekonomika
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SELECTED REFLECTIONS ON EXTERNAL SUPPORT AND ENDOGENIZATION – WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION
No full textThe paper starts with a brief discussion of two aspects of convergence hypothesis. The first one (theoretical) refers to standard growth theory, the second is of normative character and pertains to axiological aspects of socio-economic policy, also including the EU cohesion policy. Not aiming to provide any comprehensive evaluation of that policy from the viewpoint of its actual effect on elimination of differences in social and economic development among the European regions, the paper provides selected reflections concentrated on:• an attempt of formulating a viable interpretation of cohesion policy (CP) as a form of ‘regulated capitalism’; the attempt in question refers to the normative approach towards public regulation in a market economy but defines the general rationality and fundamental objective of cohesion policy in terms of setting activities directed towards provision of the public goods that stimulate and facilitate exchange of goods and services among regions, thus contributing to the dynamization and endogenization of growth in poor or less developed regions;• the need of growth endogenization as the main objective (and main condition) of effective implementation of cohesion policy, provided that the definition of such endogenization is broader than that employed in the new growth theory. In particular, not rejecting the new growth theory definition of endogenous growth, the author pays special attention to the necessity of maximizing the regional value added through raising the level of processing broadly understood region-specific economic, social and others factors and resources;• correlations between the effects of distribution and growth within the scope of cohesion policy. It is analyzed from the perspective of three important questions: (1) Are the aims of social cohesion and growth competitive, or mutually complementary and reinforcing? (2) Why the hypothesis of regional convergence fails to explain the EU perspective, despite two decades of ongoing efforts of implementing active cohesion policy and regional policy? (3) Whether, and to what degree, the elimination of differences in the level of regional development is a legitimate strategy in the light of the controversy ‘equality vs. effectiveness’
WELFARE REFORMS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE: A NEW TYPE OF WELFARE REGIME?
Get PDFThis paper discusses some recent socio-economic achievements and losses in Central and Eastern Europe from a comparative perspective. Yet, the paper examines whether the economic-social-political restructuring of Central and Eastern Europe and the ensuing social policy reform has brought new forms of welfare regimes into focus. The paper demonstrates that, despite an increase in poverty and inequalities in many Central and Easter European countries during the last 18 years, the social policy systems have not experienced a radical dismantlement throughout the entire region and still show more comprehensive solutions to social problems than residual ones. Furthermore, the Central and Eastern European region is very diverse regarding the scope and depth of social problems encountered, and some countries have implemented more successful policy solutions than other ones. Nevertheless, the experience of the communist regime, the relatively lower fiscal capacity of the states as well as the higher share of GDP produced in the shadow economy allow the Central and Eastern European countries to group into a distinct post-communist regime. The current global economic crisis, which is felt in the CEE region much more than in the rest of the globe, can reinforce the features of the post-communist welfare model: still quite comprehensive in its structures, but weak in its performance to ensure a decent standard of living for its citizens
BANKING SECTOR EFFICIENCY: A DEA AND TIME SERIES APPROACH
Get PDFThe paper provides a new approach to modeling bank efficiency. Unlike previous bank efficiency studies, the present paper employs the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method on quarterly data to construct the efficiency frontiers. The Malaysian banking sector is used for a case study. The results show that the Malaysian banking sector has exhibited the mean technical efficiency of 97.3%, suggesting the minimal input waste of 2.7%. The empirical findings suggest that the pure technical efficiency outweighs the scale efficiency in determining the Malaysian banking sector’s technical efficiency. The results imply that, although the Malaysian banking sector has been efficient in managerial terms, it has been operating at a non-optimal scale of operations.p
A MODEL OF USING IPA FUNDS FOR PROJECT REALIZATION IN PRE-ACCESSION COUNTRIES: THE CASE OF SERBIA
Get PDFDuring the process of enlargement, the European Union established a mechanism to develop institutions and to support transition process in the EU, through financial help, for potential candidates and candidate countries. This foreign aid is operating throughout different EU funds. The instrument for the pre-accession assistance (IPA) has replaced all other financial funds for the budget period 2007–2013. The aim of this article is to give suggestions for a more efficient use of IPA funds. The article presents a case of Serbia by showing the empirical results from a questionnaire survey of 108 organizations evaluating a range of issues. A model of IPA funds’ use has been created. Risk points have been determined and divided into three groups: informing of potential beneficiaries, their education, and assistance in the realization of all project phases. Improvement could be achieved through the implementation of a new idea for setting up “project centres” which would support the process. Thus, civil society would be involved into the monitoring system
EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION IN CEOCOMPENSATION ACROSS CONTINENTAL EUROPE AND UNITED KINGDOM
Get PDFThe article presents a detailed investigation of the top management / Chief Executive Officer (CEO) remuneration package and reveals why this is important to the economy. The goal of this paper is to examine the CEO pay (salary + bonus), wealth delta, cumulative value of options held and total compensation throughout Continental Europe and the United Kingdom across a number of various sectors during years 2005 and 2006. Attention is turned to the pre-crisis data analysis which might instigate the argument that CEO compensation was one of the main reasons which lead management to the excess risk taking and reckless decision making. Therefore, it might be concluded that the relationship between risk and executive remuneration can be more subtle and complex than it has been thought. The paper applies the multiple regression model supported by research hypothesis postulation tested by the correlation method and T-test approach
THE EFFECTS OF ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET PROGRAMMES ON UNEMPLOYMENT DURATION
Get PDFThis study estimates the effects of Active Labour Market Programmes on unemployment insurance (UI) benefit recipients in Denmark, depending on the time spent in unemployment before entry into the programme. I estimate two separate effects of the ALMPs in the duration model: a locking-in effect and a post-programme effect, and finally, the net effects of ALMPs on unemployment duration are calculated.The results in this study are in line with the findings of studies in other countries, i.e. I find that only one of ALMP types – Private Job training – reduces unemployment duration. Analysis leads to a conclusion in favour of activation of unemployed persons in their first year of unemployment; however, it does not support activation in the first 1–6 months of UI benefit spells
STATISTICAL SCORING MODEL OF LITHUANIAN COMPANIES
Get PDFIn the banking sector of Lithuania, the necessity to apply statistical scoring models has especially increased after the transposition of the New Capital Adequacy Directive into the national legal acts. According to them, banks are allowed to apply their own statistical models to calculate capital adequacy. However, banks‘ internal data are not allways sufficient for developing internal statistical models. The need to apply statistical scoring models increases not only for banks, but also for other institutions that grant credits. Until now, only several authors in Lithuania have proposed their own statistical scoring models for corporates; however, these models were developed using very small data samples and are suitable for specific types of companies for which they were developed only. The model proposed in this article solves these problems because it is appropriate for assessment of all companies, it is not industry-specific and has been developed using a large data sample. The objective of this study was to develop a logistic regression scoring model for assessment of corporates, using data of the external register JSC Creditinfo Lietuva1. In the proposed model, there are 19 variables characterizing all the features of a company: size, locality, age, economic sector, financial condition, past due payments, negative facts and claims from external debt collection institutions.p
CAUSES OF FINANCIAL CRISIS: THE CASE OF LATVIA
Get PDFIn this paper, we review how Latvia developed during the boom period and discuss the key structural features of the Latvian economy. We show that a combination of monetary and fiscal expansion contributed to a greater vulnerability to external shocks. We also show that the GDP growth was largely driven by capital deepening, while productivity gains played a significantly smaller role. As a result, one of the most important explanations for the exceptionally deep recession in Latvia should be distortions in the non-traded sectors of the economy. Finally, we give a brief analysis on policy measures that have been taken to correct the distortions and possible pros and cons of an external devaluation
RYANIZATION: HOW ONE EUROPEAN AIRLINE EXEMPLIFIES THE “MCDONALDIZATION” MODEL
Get PDFThe low-fare airline business has dramatically changed the face of commercial aviation in Europe. The main idea and strategy of airlines following this approach is to focus on cheap fares rather than comfort for passengers. However, the majority of low-fare airlines do not simply copy a given system of their competitors; rather, they design their own strategy by implementing various elements which can be considered as “low-fare”-related. The authors of this article seek to lay a theoretical groundwork in the analysis of low-fare airlines. We employ the “McDonaldization” model of economic sociologist George Ritzer, which was heavily influenced by the German economist and sociologist Max Weber, to analyze cost-saving methods of the Irish airline Ryanair.The authors show how McDonaldization is able to mirror and describe this current trend in the aviation business. According to the results of this study, ‘Ryanair’ (and not its American counterpart Southwest Airlines often used as a synonym for low-fare airlines) is the airline which has most radically applied the low-fare idea
MULTIFACTOR ASSET PRICING ANALYSIS OF THE BALTIC STOCK MARKET
Get PDFThis study investigates whether the Fama–French three-factor asset pricing model is applicable for explaining cross-sectional returns of stocks listed in the Baltic stock exchanges. Findings confirm the validity and economic significance of the three-factor model for the Baltic stock market: only investors who chose to invest in value stocks during the reference period achieved positive returns by matching or beating the returns of the stock market index. The monthly returns of 8 Latvian, 13 Estonian and 27 Lithuanian company stocks are analyzed for the time period from June 2002 till February 2010 by the methodology presented in Davis, Fama, and French (2000). Cross-sectional multivariate regression is calculated with stock portfolios representing the book-to-market and capitalization of companies as independent variables along with the stock market index. The study concludes that these three factors in the three-factor model are statistically significant, but, in line with earlier studies, regression intercepts are significantly different from zero and the model is not statistically confirmed.p