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Digital Games as a Cultural Phenomenon: A Brief History and Current State

Author(s): Ivan Rokošný / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

Digital games are one of the biggest cultural phenomenon of our time. From the first primitive devices, throught milestones of age, which inherited cultural status, to the newest technology – every part has its own meaning and proves that humans are playful creatures. But in digital games lies much greater potential, which can be used outside of the gaming industry, because games have an irredeemable place in the majority of the population. In current times we can even talk about gaming society and the author of this overview study sees his goal to process the historical development of digital games, analyse its current state and therefore this study could serve as the theoretical framework for further exploration, such as the future development of this area.

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Търновската конституция – собственост, финанси, икономика

Author(s): Milko Palangurski / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

The 1879 Constitution of Turnovo gives liberal direction to the economic development of Bulgaria. The constitutional text proclaims equality of ownership and its inviolability. Citizens are not limited in their right to economic initiative and association. The state regulates taxation and the allocation of budget funds using the modern European practices. The economic backwardness has pushed the country's political elite to create and speed up the modernization process through a system of economic ministries.

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Парламентът, стопанските и професионални организации и приемането на Закона за насърчение на местната индустрия (1928 г.)

Author(s): Rumyana Parvanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

In the period from 1894 to 1928 Bulgarian governments passed four acts of encouragement of local industry. The researchers usually have negative attitude to these acts as protectionist measures, which are controversial to free market. The aim of this paper is to show the “kitchen” of passing the 1928 act. The author reveals the positions of parliamentary parties towards industrial protection in general. Some MPs and business organizations played the role of a lobby for proposal of some perspective productions, but some of them gave their support to the branches, which were in crisis. Against tax concessions there were protests from the political opposition, but also from MPs of the governing party. Only two years after passing the act was revised.

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Подкрепата за предприемачеството в България през вековете – някои аспекти

Author(s): Veneta Hristova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

The development of entrepreneurship generates many positive effects for society – it leads to the formation of new economic structures, contributes to higher employment, accelerates the processes of innovation, increased welfare, supports economic development and competitiveness. That is why the question of how best to support the positive energy of entrepreneurship is at the center of a series of micro and macro measures to help remove barriers to its development and to help create a specific culture of entrepreneurship, initiative and creative search for economic opportunities. This paper examines the measures taken at national level in Bulgaria to support entrepreneurship from the Liberation to the present day, focusing on key points in this direction.

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Политиката на Българската комунистическа партия за модернизиране на селското стопанство в Добруджа (1951 – 1956)

Author(s): Tsvetolin Nedkov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

The article reveals the policy of the Bulgarian Communist Party for modernization of agriculture in Dobrudzha from 1951 to 1956. The main goal of this policy was to solve production problem in the country. The study is based on archival documents and available historical literature.

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The Role of Computer Animation in Mathematics Teaching

Author(s): Sergey Larin,Valeriy Mayer / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2018

The article is devoted to the role, importance, and use of animated drawings created on computer screens in GeoGebra platform for Mathematics teaching at schools and Universities. The use of this platform introduces a new kind of visibility in Mathematics learning, which entails not only an increased interest to the subject, but also promotes understanding and stronger perception of abstract material. In addition, an opportunity appears to remove computing difficulties, since the calculations are done by the computer. The user becomes a manager of computing and this saves time, but also allows acquiring new competence in useful digital technologies in education. Animated graphics help to realize experiments, to notice new patterns, to suggest solutions of mathematical problems and to illustrate them successfully. All that is of great importance for the formation of the new generation, called upon the development of the Russian digital economy.

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Управление на софтуерно дефинираните мрежи с Floodlight Controller

Author(s): Rumen Todorov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 6/2018

The basic idea for software-defined networks (SDN) is the separation of systems that control the network from systems the data plane. This defines a layer of program control and control of the whole network (control layer). The SDN controller manages the entire network, receives instructions and instructions from the application layer and relays them to the network components. The controller retrieves network infrastructure information – a infrastructure layer – and returns it back to the application layer. In this article we will present the basic architecture and features of the Floodlight controller. We test different topologies of the Mininet network simulator, interaction between virtual machines, adding and intercepting OpenFlow flows from the Wireshark network analyzer.

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Diagnosis of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index Methodology on the Example of Poland’s Position on the Tourist Market

Author(s): Małgorzata Januszewska,Daria Elżbieta Jaremen,Elżbieta Nawrocka / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The purpose of the article is to assess Poland’s position on the international tourist market taking a comparative approach, in the light of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF), and also critical analysis of the TTCI methodology used in the years 2009–2016. The countries (Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) indicated by the Polish Tourism Organization as the most important competitors were selected for the comparative analysis of Poland’s position on the tourist market. The research proved that in the analyzed period the position of Polish tourism against the background of competitors is growing as a result of the significant improvement of the Travel & Tourism regulatory framework and infrastructure. The WEF methodology is not yet perfect due to the selection and number of respondents, whereas the modification of competition factors, consistent with the evolution of theoretical concepts and also keeping up with the progress in business practice, deserves a positive assessment.

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Conceptual Model of a Tourism Cluster in Armenia

Author(s): Maria Sahakyan,Arzik Miqael Suvaryan / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

Nowadays, the cluster approach is also applicable in the sphere of services, especially in tourism. Clustering allows the increase of competitiveness of a national or regional tourism product, productivity and profitability of the industry. In addition, clusters stimulate innovativeness and cooperation between the main stakeholders of the industry. The article analyzes the theoretical basis and practical approaches in this area. Additionally, it describes different models of clustering in tourism and tries to propose a conceptual model for clustering in tourism in Armenia taking into account its peculiarities.

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The City Assessed by Residents and Tourists a Year after a Religious Mega-Event (Study Case: World Youth Day in Cracow, Poland)

Author(s): Agata Niemczyk / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The purpose of this article is to recognize the assessment of Cracow from the perspective of the residents and tourists a year after a religious event, the 2016 World Youth Day (2016WYD). Bearing in mind that the image of a city is created by an individual and their socio-demographic features, ones that differentiate the assessment of the city were identified and their direction and strength were highlighted. It was also checked whether the assessment of the city declared by tourists (the experimental group) was different from the assessment of the residents (the control group). Analogically, significant differences were recognized between the tourists and residents who took part in 2016WYD; tourists who participated and did not participate in 2016WYD, and also the residents who participated and did not participate in 2016WYD. Theoretical considerations relating to the city, its recipients and mega-events were conducted on the basis of subject literature review. In the statistical part non-parametric tests and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used in order to achieve the assumed objectives. The results allowed us to observe how the improvement of the city image a year after the mega-event is more often declared by the inhabitants than by tourists and out of socio-demographic features of an individual, gender (both in the case of inhabitants and tourists) determines the assessment of the city image to the greatest extent.

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Sustainable Development of Health Resorts in Poland

Author(s): Sebastian Bernat / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The objective of this article is to prove the legitimacy of implementing sustainable development in health resorts. The main focus is on health resorts in Poland, but the European context was also taken into account. Particular attention is devoted to public space and landscape that have been changing in recent years primarily as a result of measures described as revitalization or regeneration. Furthermore, examples of pro-environmental initiatives conducted in Polish health resorts over the last five years are presented. With the responsible use of the considerable natural, cultural and landscape assets health they are usually “equipped” with, health resorts can be a model for sustainable development. The article is based on an analysis of literature, source documents (legislation, reports, revitalization programmes, development plans) and websites as well as field observations (direct inventory). It is important, however, to implement remedial measures and build and maintain the image of health resorts as tranquil places with unique landscapes of therapeutic value and attractive public spaces.

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Network Model of Revitalization in the Cittaslow Cities of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship

Author(s): Elżbieta Strzelecka / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The aim of this article is to present a network model of a revitalization of small towns unique in Poland and even in Europe . Fourteen small towns in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship, thanks to their membership in the Cittaslow City network and the establishment of the Polish Cittaslow Association, received significant funds for their development under the Supralocal Revitalization Program of the Network of Cittaslow Cities for 2014–2020. This program is based on a hybrid model of urban development, which was created from the overlap of financial models (ERDF, ESF funds, own funds) and the so-called “social” revitalization model on developing in Poland Cittaslow model oriented to a good quality of life. This is an example of the efficient use by the network of cooperating cities of economies of scale in competing with other urban centers for development measures. Thanks to the unified diagnosis of existing problems in the physical, economic and social space of these cities (delimitation areas, delimitation indicators: unemployment rate and share of people using social assistance in the area revitalized in relation to the entire city), differentiated urban activities were undertaken in integrated financial projects that concerned the restriction of various social dysfunctions, including the problem of unemployment.

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The Loyalty of Travel Agency Clients. An Empirical Study

Author(s): Izabela Michalska-Dudek / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The article presents a client loyalty model which may be used in the process of managing an optimum portfolio of clients by means of identifying and selecting key clients of a tourist enterprise. There are also described results of the author’s own research allowing us to identify the key factors determining the occurrence of behavioral loyalty of travel agency clients. The analysis covered real data from the booking system of one of the Polish nationwide franchise networks consolidating 44 travel agencies, referring to 3 923 tourist services reservations. In the study of the occurring relationships a non-parametric method of MLP (Multi-Layer Perceptron) neural networks was applied. The following variables turned out to be the most important determinants of behavioral loyalty: duration of the tourist event, number of purchased offers and time between the booking date and the date of tourist event commencement. The customer loyalty prediction model was used to carry out in-depth customer segmentation which, in turn, allowed the development of a loyal customer portrait. A loyal client of travel services is a family-oriented client, travelling for a period of two weeks or longer, accompanied by the family, very often with children under 14, planning and booking holidays well in advance, attached to the place of making the booking (i.e., the travel agent).

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Differences in the Standard of Living among the Populations of the Cittaslow Network Towns in Poland

Author(s): Marcin Janusz / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The purpose of this study has been to analyze differences in standard of living among residents of the towns which implement the Cittaslow concept in Poland. The research covered two years: 2006 (the year when first Polish towns joined the Cittaslow network) and 2016 and comprised 28 Polish towns involved in this initiative. Hellwig’s development pattern method (a multi-dimensional analytical approach) was employed in these investigations. In addition, similarities in standard of living in the above towns were assessed using Ward’s method. The research showed relatively large changes between the two years in the rankings of the towns based on a synthetic standard of living level measure, although the top-ranking towns remained in quite stable positions. The highest standard of living among the analyzed towns was detected in Rzgów, Murowana Goślina, Pasym and Olsztynek. The results may inspire further studies into the living conditions of inhabitants living in Cittaslow towns, with a focus on quality parameters.

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Cooperation between Convention Bureaus in Light of Empirical Research

Author(s): Natalia Latuszek,Monika Dembińska / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The stakeholders’ cooperation in region (micro level) is recognized the basic source of cities’ competitive advantage in the meetings market. Though the cooperation also occurs between destinations (at the mezzo level), the existing studies rarely present it from this perspective. Cities on the meetings market are represented by specialized organizations, namely convention bureaus (CBs), whose function is to build and develop relations. The article aims to identify the significance of this function in the CBs operation, in face of progressive competitive processes. To achieve the research goal, an internet survey was conducted, addressed to the managers of the convention bureaus. The obtained data has been analyzed applying the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method. The results of the study indicate a low priority for cooperation with other convention bureaus.

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Who Are the Tourists Booking Their Accommodations Online? A Segmentation Study of the Cracow Market

Author(s): Szczepan Kościółek,Karolina Nessel,Ewa Wszendybył-Skulska,Sebastian Kopera / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

Internet and related technologies have revolutionized the distribution process in the accommodation sector, giving priority to big, online intermediaries, often at the expense of the direct booking channels of small and medium independent hotels. In order to regain their independency and flexibility in distribution strategy, hotel managers need to learn more about the profiles of contemporary online bookers visiting their region. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of similarities and differences between consumers choosing among various online distribution channels for their tourist accommodations, and therefore help accommodation providers better manage their distribution and marketing strategies. The study is based on primary data that were collected among tourists in Cracow using a convenience sampling. The collected data was sorted, grouped and analyzed using basic statistical tools. The analysis led to determination of the size, as well as socio-demographic, and consumption features of four groups of tourists according to the online accommodation channel they used: booking.com, airbnb.com, other online channels, or online directly. The findings confirm the important role played by OTAs in the distribution of accommodation services, whereas the rate of direct online bookings recorded was lower than expected. Given the predominance of Booking.com in the market, its clients represent the typical customer in Cracow. Nevertheless, some differences among the four groups are observed in terms of age, travel party composition, first vs. repeat visitors, country of residence, length of stay, daily accommodation expenditure, and type of accommodation.

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Importance of Individual Characteristics of Entrepreneurs and Perception of Factors Determining the Start-Up of a Business in the Lubelskie Voivodship

Author(s): Ada Domańska,Beata Żukowska,Robert Zajkowski / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

Businesses are an important part of economic development in a region. Through business activity, new innovations are created which accelerate economic growth and structural change. It should also be said that entrepreneurship has a strong influence on the competitiveness of the area in which it operates and shapes the professional activity of the population. In addition, entrepreneurship absorbs development factors that are specific to the region such as natural resources, human resources, etc. Hence, it is important to build entrepreneurial attitudes that influence the establishment of enterprises. The main goal of this paper is to express the importance of creating an entrepreneurial attitude in the Lubelskie Voivodship. In the paper, we discuss how this attitude can be beneficial for creating businesses and thus for regional development. To achieve the main goal, we used data collected in April and May 2016 among small and medium enterprises operating in the Lubelskie Voivodship. After rejecting the large enterprises, incomplete responses, and those that did not respond, the research sample consisted of 186 entities. Using statistical methods, such as regression models and statistical tests we found out that features such as creativity, ambition, hard work and self-confidence are the ones that were recognized by entrepreneurs in the Lubelskie Voivodship as the most desirable. In order to improve the situation of the region by boosting the number of established enterprises, the authorities should take steps to build an entrepreneurial attitude based on these characteristics. Results indicate that self-discipline is not a desirable feature among potential entrepreneurs. It turns out that according to the opinion of entrepreneurs, the ability to control oneself is not a useful feature when you want to run your business. Likewise, risk-taking propensity is also an undesirable characteristic. It should be noted, however, that the research made for the purpose of the paper was conducted among entrepreneurs who decided to start their own company. Their answers give a better picture of the traits which a potential entrepreneur should have. So, the results of these studies are an interesting starting point for further in-depth research.

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Entrepreneurial Activity, Market Orientation, Investment Attractiveness and Transaction Costs for Enterprises in Local Development Context

Author(s): Tomasz Pilewicz,Niki Derlukiewicz,Anna Mempel-Śnieżyk,Małgorzata Zdon-Korzeniowska / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The goal of the paper is to explore phenomena of entrepreneurial activities and market orientation of local governments, and also to identify a relation between these phenomena and investment attractiveness of local units and transaction costs for entrepreneurs and investors that authorities of local units might impact. We performed Boolean key word and subject term searches of selected scholar databases between 21 and 24 July 2017. It enabled us to identify less proliferated aspects of local development, which we deepened our knowledge of through systematic literature review aiming to reach the purpose of the paper. Entrepreneurial activities and the market approach of local units are widely explored in scientific research literature, but investment attractiveness of local units and their impact on transaction costs for enterprises are less represented. We present relations between investment attractiveness and transaction costs for enterprises with entrepreneurial activities and market orientation. There are actions local governments can undertake to impact investment attractiveness of local units and transaction costs for enterprises to stimulate the local development process. This work indicates the importance of increasing investment attractiveness of local units by local governments and lowering transaction costs for enterprises in the local development process.

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Concept of Resilience and Development of Small Towns and Rural Area

Author(s): Elżbieta Strzelecka / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The aim of this article is to use a new research concept, referred to as resilience, in rural development (rural resilience) in the context of the often discussed concept of urban resilience. The concept of urban resilience is recognized as a tool for strategic diagnosis and monitoring of cities. In studies of urban resilience for cities of various sizes, quantitative research is most often used. The author, on the basis of literature discussions and own research, presents the use of qualitative research in the assessment of urban resilience for the national network of Cittaslow cities. The concept of urban resilience refers to “a resilient city”, especially in the case of a collective criterion (i.e., urban quality policy). Seven groups of criteria in the matrix of urban development self-assessment are the basis for the evolutionary changes in the resilience of individual cities and the entire network. In the case of Cape Clear Island in Ireland, qualitative research of rural resilience was based on global indicators of economic, social and environmental capital proposed by Wilson. Despite the subjectivism of respondents, results of qualitative research allow for making strategic decisions for the purposes of obtaining specific development balance points and selecting specific paths for the Island’s development. Both quantitative and qualitative research — their practical dimension — should be used to build community resilience.

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Using Airborne Laser Scanning Data to Assess the State Historical Garden Complexes

Author(s): Anna Dudzińska,Barbara Szpakowska / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

The aim of the study was to assess the possibility of applying GIS analysis for investigations into the state of preservation of a baroque garden complex. The article presents a method based on Airborne Laser Scanning data (LIDAR) which can be used for analysis of revalorization of historical garden complexes. The research was conducted in a rural park in Siemczyno, Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship, Poland. The analysis was made by means of the ENVI and ArcMap programs. The article presents an analysis of the terrain microstructure, which was used for assessment of changes in the terrain. It is a significant element used for planning public space. The research results were compared with the park inventory data of 1973. The research proved that LIDAR data analysis could be used for assessment of the state of preservation of historical garden complexes. It might also be used for preparation of park registration documentation or revalorization plans.

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