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Trust: a transaction cost influencing psychological mechanism
120-131Views:276Our world is more and more characterized by complexity and interdependency. In the developing New Economy it is expected that the role of information and knowledge transfer, along with the role of cooperation, are some of the most important issues. Some psychological mechanisms, such as trust, will be instrumental ingredients of the new economy. It is speculated that the functioning of such complexity-reduction and cooperation-aiding, such a psychological mechanism as trust becomes a focal point of interest. This paper aims to clarify the workings and influence of trust on economic transactions, prices, and cooperation.
Jorurnal of Economic Literature (JEL) code: D8, L14, P22
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Is the strategic thinking characteristic of SMEs in the North Hungarian Region? – experiences of a survey
88-100Views:326Regional differences can be observed in the economic importance of small and medium sized enterprises. The research covers the small and medium enterprises within the North Hungarian Region, based on a questionnaire carried out in the autumn of 2011. We examine the existence of a conscious strategic vision of the future and their innovative capability. The low economic activity, the low proportion of industrial enterprises, which is below the national average, and low professional skills are typical of the region. Those managers who have a conscious strategy reported above average profitability. We revealed a correlation between the depth of strategy knowledge and the existence of a formalized strategy, paying attention to the role of education and skills. The knowledge and the acceptance of innovational cooperation opportunities (innovational nets) are at a low-level in the region. Besides strategic thinking, one key element for strengthening the sector is continuous renewal, innovation, observing best practice, and imitating it.
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classifications: D220
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Mobilizing Social and Organizational Resources in Project Type Cooperation: A Case Study in Networking in Interactive Media Firms
25-40Views:367The paper aims at the identification and interpretation of specific coordination problems faced by project-based work organisations using the example of an interactive portal development for a leading
Hungarian economic weakly. The study provides a brief overview of the most important theoretical approaches concerning project-based work organisations and the characteristics of the new or interactive
media sector, which may act as a new model in the fast growing knowledge economy. The interactive portal development is typical of the so-called studio-model of project-based firms (PBF) characterised by
the novel and singular character of the product or service and by the uncertain and fluid nature of the necessary knowledge and skills. The study calls attention to the project manager’s key role in combining
formal and tacit skills and in the coordination of actors’ behaviour which is driven by different logics. In addition, the authors stress the importance of the client’s key role in designing and developing the
interactive media service.JEL classifications: L86; M54; Z13
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A non-stationary panel data approach for examining convergence in South Africa
42-74Views:477Economic convergence has received much attention since the 1980s when researchers tried to ascertain whether low-income countries would stay that way in the long run, or they would gain ‘developmental traction’ and become the affluent nations of the future. This article gives fresh insight on this topic from an African perspective by comparing 39 countries—South Africa, 32 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members and 6 Latin American countries. The author investigated their average steady-state equilibria and tested convergence trends from 1980 to 2019. The Solow–Swan model was tested. Furthermore, this study applies panel econometric modelling to determine the relationship between the variables analysed in the convergence analysis. This commenced with the Levin–Lin–Chu and Im–Pesaran–Shin panel unit root tests. Then, the Kao test and the vector error correction model were used to evaluate the cointegration and relationships between variables. The findings revealed that South Africa’s economic performance is significantly lower than the OECD average gross domestic product per capita with an annual growth rate of 0.54%, which falls below the ‘iron law of convergence’ hypothesis.
JEL classifications: C01, C32, C33, E13, F62, F63
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Analysis of Fiscal Policy in the Countries of the PaCifiCa
109-126Views:259Volatility has been a main factor in Latin America for decades, but these countries have managed to eliminate it more or less successfully by a series of reforms over the last few decades. Regional integrations have emerged in response to the challenges of globalisation. The most recently created integration is the PaCifiCa, and it is worth analyzing the current fiscal situation of its member states, which largely determines the success of future cooperation. Although the four countries observed managed to survive the 2007-2009 crisis with stable fundamentals, the downturn drew attention to the differences between these countries: while Chile and Peru are able to react easily to cyclical swings by applying countercyclical policy, the economies of Colombia and Mexico are much more vulnerable. The assessment of the welfare systems shows that although Chile has an extensive welfare system, the countries in the region still significantly lag behind the traditional concept of welfare state.
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) code: H50, H60
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Exploring the awareness of platform-based, demand-driven businesses in Hungary and Romania
73-100Views:337Platform-based, demand-driven business models, known as the sharing economy, emerged in the United States in 2008. Their emergence has been made possible by digital development, and their impact can be seen in both economic and social life, in the globalised nature of cooperation models. Since 2016, the European Commission has conducted three surveys on using the sharing economy in the EU Member States. Based on the 2018 survey, this study analyses Hungary's and Romania's relationship with the sharing economy. The survey results show that awareness of the SE is increasing, especially on the consumer side. However, a decreasing trend is observed on the service side. Demographic factors (age, gender, employment status) significantly influence the willingness to provide and use services. Respondents in the two countries are not homogeneous and have different perceptions of the opportunities and threats of the sharing economy.
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The impact of digitalization on the financial sector
29-42Views:808Present-day consumer society increasingly satisfies its needs through digital channels, and financial products and services are no exceptions. The 4th industrial revolution is not only about the penetration of technology, but also the paradigm shift of business processes. The traditional members of the financial sector must adapt to the digitalized world to keep their positions in the market. The penetration of BigTech and FinTech companies influenced the expectations of consumers: customer experience became the main criteria of their decisions. In order to simplify and accelerate processes, banks use the methods of digitalization, and automatize the system to increase client satisfaction. In this article, we will introduce the three
bank types based primarily on the usage of innovative technology, the extension and depth of the cooperation with FinTech companies, and the status of a bank’s internal digital transformation. Also, we will introduce the current status of the banking sector evidenced by our SWOT-analysis and mention some of the existing payment solutions.
JEL Classification: G21, G23 -
Regional netwrok cooperation
115-130Views:250The current study aims to reveal the regional network cooperations - found primarily in the construction industry -, in particular in the Észak-Alföld Region. The study includes three main parts: after the industry analysis of the construction industry a short summary follows about the theoretical bases of today's business network cooperations, clustering, and such relationships especially among firms operating in the construction industry, and finally it is closed by a case study revealing the relationship network of a dominant construction company of the Észak-Alföld Region. The most important finding is that in Hungary clustering in the construction industry - that has already existed in several developed economies - has not started yet, however, networking - that can be the basis for the development of a construction industry cluster - has already began, and if it continues, it further increased the advantages already experienced.
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification: L140, L850
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Dual higher education is a form of education where students' training is provided jointly by a higher education institution and a partner organization. At the partner organization, students gain specific professional knowledge and work experience, which allows them to enter the labour market as more experienced and skilled professionals after graduation. The aim of our research is to assess the opinions of partner organizations involved in dual education on this type of training. The organizations involved in dual education operate in a wide variety of sectors. The examined database contains data on companies and institutions registered in Hungary that are involved in dual education, with the selection being made in such a way that the sample covers the widest possible range of dual education programs. Our aim is to examine the results of the introduction so far and to identify the factors necessary for further development opportunities. The questionnaire was completed electronically or by phone by the partner organizations, with the help of an interviewer, on a voluntary basis. The questions included formulated statements, which belong to the closed-ended question type group, within which several subtypes can also be found in the questionnaire. We formulated one-answer questions in the questionnaire and used Likert scale questions. When processing the questionnaires, we not only examined the answers to the individual questions separately, but also examined the relationships between the different variables. During the analysis, we used the ANOVA test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Wilcoxon test and the Dunn test to uncover the relationships.
49-82Views:606Dual higher education is a form of education where students' training is provided jointly by a higher education institution and a partner organization. At the partner organization, students gain specific professional knowledge and work experience, which allows them to enter the labour market as more experienced and skilled professionals after graduation. The aim of our research is to assess the opinions of partner organizations involved in dual education on this type of training. The organizations involved in dual education operate in a wide variety of sectors. The examined database contains data on companies and institutions registered in Hungary that are involved in dual education, with the selection being made in such a way that the sample covers the widest possible range of dual education programs. Our aim is to examine the results of the introduction so far and to identify the factors necessary for further development opportunities. The questionnaire was completed electronically or by phone by the partner organizations, with the help of an interviewer, on a voluntary basis. The questions included formulated statements, which belong to the closed-ended question type group, within which several subtypes can also be found in the questionnaire. We formulated one-answer questions in the questionnaire and used Likert scale questions. When processing the questionnaires, we not only examined the answers to the individual questions separately, but also examined the relationships between the different variables. During the analysis, we used the ANOVA test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Wilcoxon test and the Dunn test to uncover the relationships.
JEL codes: I21, I23, I25, J24, J62
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A comparison of efforts to set up cluster initiatives in two Hungarian regions – submitted cluster proposals in North Hungary and the Northern Great Plain
133-140Views:219The Hungarian government has taken the initiative to finance the formation of new entrepreneurial co-operations using the cluster theory. It is not certain whether or not the Hungarian economy is ready for an initiative such as this. In North Hungary and the Northern Great Plain (two Hungarian NUTS 2 regions) project teams set up fresh clusters to obtain the subsidy – as in other regions. Their level of cooperation, the number of submitted projects and the ratio of successful projects tell us if theory and the western practice fit with the local needs - if Hungarian companies want to work and can be successful in clusters or not. In this article I examine the willingness of regional business actors to cooperate and start new business networks in the framework of the 2008 regional cluster calls. The two regions have similar but not identical results.
JEL classification: R58, L2