Дигиталните медии и промяната в публичната сфера

Author(s): Nikolay Mihaylov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 4/2019

The article deals with changes that have taken place in the public sphere as a result of the digital revolution in the dissemination and processing of information. The term “public sphere” is used here in the sense it has for Habermas. Habermas, however, bases his conclusions mainly on studies of the printed media. The digital media have radically changed the way in which information is perceived, systematized, disseminated, analyzed, etc. The changes brought about by the social networks, their impact on the public sphere, are particularly significant. The article attempts to describe the different dynamics of the connection between private and public in the context of the global digital networks, and addresses the question as to how these networks change the very content of the public sphere.

Capitalul în România postcomunistă [Capital in Post-communist Romania], by Florin Georgescu, Editura Academiei Române, Bucureşti, 2018, 3 vol., ISBN 973-27-2936-6

Author(s): Paul Dobrescu,Mălina Ciocea / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2019

This book is arguably the most comprehensive and detailed analysis of the crucial process of Romania`s post-communist transition. The author defines capital broadly, not just in terms of volume of money, but also as previously produced goods, that

КЪМ ЧИТАТЕЛЯ

Author(s): Ivan Roussev / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 1/2020

Метричната система в османското законодателство. Пазарни регулации и контрол

Author(s): Svetla Atanasova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2020

In the 19th c., the Ottoman state ushered in the metric system. The study researches the Law of the new measurements, kilograms and weights for longitude, volume and weight which was admitted and published on the 14th of September, 1869 by a Regional Vizier’s order from the 26th of October, 1869 and a Regulation about the conversion of the new weights and measurements from the 4th of May 1870. The biggest part of the texts was taken from the French trade law. The original decisions were a few and they were interpreted according to the specific conditions and religious procedures in the Empire. The law-makers envisaged that transition from the old to the new measurements should happen slowly and at certain stages. The state council recommended an intermediate period for adaptation of traders and servants from the local administrations from the 1st of March, 1871 until 1st of March 1874. The Regulation for viewing and comparison of the new measurements is clarifying the rules and duties of the civil servants in connection to these measurements; it is also giving directions to the traders and the trade assistants how to convert to the new measurements, as well as fixing the methods for tasting and control over the local markets. There are also penalties, taxes and fees envisaged in this Regulation and tables for conversion. The real work with the metric system bore some complications for the traders, in the form of losses, frauds and speculations. The revival-period newspapers announced some news about the difficulties while working with the new conversion tables and the misinterpretation of Turkish and French definitions. All these problems led to the return of the old order during the rule of sultan Abdul Hamid II. The metric system was admitted in Turkey on the 1st of January, 1934. In Principality of Bulgaria the Law for measurements and weights was postponed and finally admitted in 1889.

Околийските градски съветници като кредитори: по повод на една публикация на вестник „Дунав“ от 1872 г.

Author(s): Hristiyan Atanasov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2020

The article presents the Tanzimat (the reform period)–created municipality councils and their role in the Ottoman province administrative system. The focus is on the capitals that these councils successfully accumulated and managed. The employees will be presented responsible for the cash funds in the area and the amount of money. These financial assets were used for giving loans with interest. Yet another proof that when there is strong market demand, combined with feeble supply, the normative acts are usually ignored. The research is based on the published ten volumes of Ottoman statistical yearly editions on the Danube area chronologically comprising the period from 1868/1869 to 1877/1878. Besides, several materials have been used taken from the officious newspaper Dunav (Danube). These represent the administrative framework where municipality councils are located and function. Special attention has been paid to one publication of 5th January 1872, which proves that the municipality councilors used to lend money with interest.

Българският „капитализъм“ и митническата политика през 20-те и 30-те години на XX в.

Author(s): Petar Stoyanov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2020

Bulgaria in the period between the two world wars was one of the countries that make extensive use of customs and customs policy as a powerful instrument for influencing trade, production and public finances. In this sense, this report aims at presenting trends, developmental features and clarifying the main factors responsible for the problematic status of customs duties and the customs regime. The customs policy is a very good barometer of the state of national capital and one of the important tools supporting its formation, also revealing very well the actual specifics of the ruling socio-economic system. For this reason, with the present publication the author aims also to pay attention to the problems related to the adequacy of the terminology used to describe the economic system during that period.

The Dilemma over Washington Consensus Guidelines or Industrial Policy: Lessons from Croatia

Author(s): Sanja Franc,Antea Barišić,Zoran Wittine / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2020

During the 1990s Croatia went through the process of transition to market economy mostly following the Washington Consensus policy guidelines. Since the period before the last global financial crisis, Croatia has shown almost no convergence to developed European Union member states and has been among the least developed ones. This paper examines the causes of Croatian development lag, while providing an overview of contemporary development policies and international production fragmentation trends that affected them. The paper points out to several important factors that shaped the Croatian development path. Expectations from foreign capital were overrated, as the foreign direct investment consisted mainly of brownfield investment in large monopolistic companies and was rarely directed to export-oriented sectors. Accession to the World Trade Organisation was followed by stronger growth of imports than exports and joining the European Union did not bring economic growth as fast as expected. Lack of industrial policy implementation has led Croatia to deindustrialisation and increasing importance of the tourism sector as a form of the Dutch disease.

Southern and Eastern Europe in the Eurozone: convergence or divergence?

Author(s): Andrea Boltho / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

A number of studies have concluded that, contrary to expectations, European monetary union has not reduced income disparities among the 12 Western European member countries. In fact, incomes per capita between Southern and Northern Eurozone members have diverged since the Eurozone was created, in contrast to earlier trends which had seen rapid convergence in living standards across Western Europe. The paper revisits this issue and investigates whether something similar occurred in the five Eastern European countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia) which joined the Eurozone between 2007 and 2015. The conclusion is that, despite similarities with Southern Europe in some areas, overall developments in Eastern Europe were different and led to convergence rather than divergence. Important reasons for this were Eastern Europe’s relatively high levels of institutional quality, a politically motivated determination to anchor these countries to the West and, possibly, the legacy of pre-war history.

Digitalization and smartening sustainable city development:

Author(s): Tiago de Melo Cartaxo,Johana M. Castilla,Marcin Dymet,Kamrul Hossain / Language(s): English Issue: 01/2021

The European High North (EHN) region faces distinct challenges in terms of socio-economic, cultural and environmental infrastructure. As a peripheral region, it is usually characterised as being geographically distant, with a sparse population, relatively poor physical and economic infrastructure, and far from major administrative hubs located mostly in its southern areas. Integrating new technology as a well-established phenomenon, particularly digital innovation, in regional development strategies has been found enormously relevant and beneficial for the citizens inhabiting this region. In effect, the EHN’s sustainability depends on the efficient management of land use and natural resources, economic and human activities, and services and facilities. The expansion of digital technology and its appearance in many areas of the everyday lives of people and communities provide better efficiencies in the context of service design and infrastructural development. Given that the EHN is relatively better progressed than similar peripheral regions and has therefore set an example of modern development in the area of digitalisation, this paper analyses the realities of the cities of Tromsø in Norway and Rovaniemi in Finland as case studies of providing potentially ‘smarter’, efficient, and modern services that combine development, sustainability, and human wellbeing.

DIGITAL SERVICES AS A TOOL FOR CREATING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE BANKING SECTOR IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Author(s): Viktorija Stojkovski,Blagoj Nenovski / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

In the last few years participants of the banking sector in North Macedonia are facing big competition as a result of the increased innovations between these participants. The only way for banks to stay relevant with their operations is to create a sustainable competitive advantage. For an organization to hold out in a competitive environment, it needs to develop competitive strategies. One of the aspects of creating a competitive advantage in the banking sector is creating digital services. These services have a high impact on the banking sector and enable banks to have a competitive advantage in different manners. In addition to a theoretical approach to creating a competitive advantage in the banking sector, we conducted empirical research on how banks in North Macedonia create competitive advantage by offering digital services. This paper aims to describe the end-users attitude on digital banking services as well as the bank’s strategies on creating a competitive advantage by offering digital banking services.

Средства за постигане на потребителска лоялност – маркетингов подход с възвръщаемост

Author(s): Nadezhda Dimova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

In a world of fast-paced technology and the growing role of digital marketing, the importance of customer loyalty tools included in loyalty programs is increasing. But not only by its very nature as part of customer relationship management, but also through the prism of real return and achieving a sustainable business.

Теоретични основи на изследването на стейкхолдър мениджмънта в българските кредитни кооперации

Author(s): Ivan Boevsky,Krasimir Kostenarov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

Cooperatives as organizations seek their identity after the democratic changes in Bulgaria. Credit cooperatives appear to be underdeveloped compared to similar organizations in other countries. This study examines the theoretical concepts of cooperatives as well as the development of a legal definition of cooperatives. The intersection and the difference between the theoretical understanding of cooperatives and the normative definition of them are derived. The basic principles and values of the cooperative are presented, both historically and in the present moment. Various forms of organizational structure of credit cooperatives have been considered and on this basis the stakeholders in the credit cooperative have been identified.

Members’ Satisfaction as Main Element of Sustainable Cooperative Development in Bulgaria

Author(s): Krasimir Kostenarov,Angel Sarov,Ivan Boevsky / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

Decades after the establishment of the first modern agricultural cooperative in Bulgaria, we are observing a continuous increase in its number, then we see a decline until nowadays. We identified three historical periods for this development: pre socialism, socialism and post socialism. In periods, when the members’ satisfaction is higher, we notice increasing of the number of cooperatives and vice versa. In each period the relation between members’ satisfaction, cooperative values and principles and existing and operating governance structures differs seriously. This paper is concentrated on reasons for this development and tries to evaluate the influence and application of the governance structure and cooperative values and principles on members’ satisfaction. It our research we argue that the members’ satisfaction is higher when the governance structure of the cooperative fits with the cooperative values and principles. The methodology of the research comprises qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative method includes in depth interviews, observations and narrative analysis. We use Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as instrument for quantitative valuation of governance structures according to the cooperative values and principles as a criterion and will use it to measure member satisfaction in each historical period.

Измерване на използваемостта на бета коефициента на капиталовия пазар в България

Author(s): Krasimir Kostenarov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

The present study aims to measure the usability of the beta coefficient of companies traded on the Bulgarian capital market over the past 10 years. The last decade has been specific to the Bulgarian capital market. After the two crises on the capital markets in the period, it seems that the capital market has failed to recover to the extent that the markets of other European countries have recovered. For this reason, we want to investigate whether beta coefficient of companies in Bulgaria has sufficient significance and can be used in practice.

Контрол върху изпълнението на бюджета на предприятието

Author(s): Ralitsa Dimitrova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

The purpose of this article is to consider budgeting and budgetary control as a tool to increase a company’s performance and achieve its strategic goals. Budgetary control compares actual revenue and expenditure with projected values, identifying variations and enabling corrective action to be taken.The main approaches and methods for the implementation of the budgetary control system in enterprises are presented. Discussed are the most common reasons for the existence of budget deviations of the actual from the planned indicators observed in the practice of economic units.

Bulgarian Economy and Banking as of Mid–2019: Results and Outlook

Author(s): Emil Kalchev / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

The global economic environment is becoming increasingly turbulent and risky – trade wars, trade sanctions, military conflicts, Brexit, over-indebtedness, competing cheap money policies, etc. For an EU peripheral economy and banking sector like the Bulgarian ones, this environment contains many risks and benefits. Thus, the results for the half-year for both economy and banking sector proved to be more favorable than expected before. What are the reasons and what should we expect for the entire 2019? This paper makes a descriptive analysis of the core macroeconomic indicator: the gross domestic product, and examines the contribution of its components on the supply and demand side to the economic growth during the first half of the year. Additionally the dynamics of further key macroeconomic indicators (inflation and unemployment) are briefly outlined. In a parallel line the banking sector is more deeply addressed due to it’s the crucial role in the structure of thecontemporary economy. Extrapolating the influence of the factors revealed in the retrospective analysis and taking into account the expectations of the managers (PMI) in the surveys of the National Statistical Institute the article gives outlook for the development of the economy and the banking sector by the end of the year.

Африканската континентална зона за свободна търговия: защо Африка се връща към мултилатерализма?

Author(s): Eduard Marinov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

The Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area entered into force on 30 May 2019 and on 9 July all countries on the continent joined it. If the massive deal works as hoped, it will connect 1.3 Billion people, create a 3.4 Trillion USD economic bloc, and heat up commerce within thecontinent itself. The article aims at tracing the process of economic integration in Africa, discussingthe rationale behind Africa’s current efforts to achieve multilateral trade liberalization, analyzing the main features and assessing the potential benefits of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

Международните валутни резерви и прилагането на икономическата политика

Author(s): Irena Nikolova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

Foreign exchange reserves are part of the assets of a central bank and a country that are used in case of external crises and to preserve the economy. In the paper is reviewed the role the foreign reserves in maintaining the foreign exchange rate stability and the influence they have on the financial and economic policy implementation.

Теория на индустриалната политика и нови измерения в контекста на глобалните промени

Author(s): Elena Spasova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

This study aims to analyze the evolution of the concept of industrial policy and to define its main components, both in theoretical and applied contexts. Theoretical overview of industrial policy-making provides the basis for analyzing and assessing the new dimensions of industrial policy in today’s dynamically changing global economy. Nowadays world economy is characterized by deeper servicification and financialization of output, free capital movement and ever-increasing multilateraland regional policy coordination. The prospects for adapting and implementing the tools of industrial policy to the new reality are analyzed.

От „червена“ икономика към „лилава“ икономика? Алтернативни стопански модели и нова ценностна парадигма

Author(s): Radosveta Krastanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

During the last two decades we have been witnessing the rebirth and the rethinking of economic models that contradict (either in a radical or in a reformative way) the dominating economic paradigm, and offer alternative ideas and paths to economic and social regeneration. Following the logic of sustainable development, they aim to give a more complex, more environmentally-friendly and more just answer to the needs of the societies and the people, as well as an economy that bears a ‘’human face’’. The article discusses alternative economic models through the prism of values and the culture they originate from and which, in turn, they determine. The concrete aim of this article is to introduce the value models of the status-quo paradigm and their alternatives (the Green economy, the Blue economy, the Social and Solidarity economy, the Purple economy) in juxtaposition, by revealing the paradigmatic differences between them.