Search
Search Results
-
Analysis of the Competitiveness in the Agri-food sector: The case of Latin America and the Caribbean Region
92-117Views:195Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries are among the global leaders in the production and exports of agricultural and fisheries commodities, accounting for 15% of the world’s average agri-food export from 1995 to 2019. With rising global market competitiveness, considering the agri-food sector, it is important to assess if the region can compete against other global rivals, and in what products. Accounting for regional potential economic power, remarkable agricultural food export and market expansion, this paper explored the LAC agricultural trade patterns and export competitiveness through the analysis of the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, and its modifications - SRCA (Symmetric Revealed Comparative Advantage), RTA (Relative Trade Advantage, and RC (Revealed Competitiveness) - in the agricultural sector for the period of 1995-2019. This paper contributes to the literature by presenting the export characteristics in Latin American developing countries, which can be an important instrument for decision-makers in the agricultural trade policy. Throughout the research period, the results indicated that Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico were the TOP agri-food exporters in LAC. The highest RCA, SRCA, and RTA were found in Guatemala, whereas the greatest RC was found in Argentina. At the product level analysis, oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit, industrial or medicinal plants, and straw and fodder (HS12) were the most exported items at the 2-digit level. Fruit and nuts, edible; peel of citrus fruit or melons (HS08) had the most competitiveness in the worldwide market, with the highest SRCA and RC indices, whereas coffee, tea, mate, and spices (HS9) had the highest BRCA and RTA values. The evidence suggests that among the TOP 10 exporters in LAC, all indices in the global agri-food trade are said to be relatively stable, whereas survival rates do not persist over time.
-
The international competitiveness of the domestic economy: interpretations, figures and a few considerations
20-41Views:100Although the (improvement of) international competitiveness of the Hungarian economy is in the foreground of both the proclaimed efforts of the economic policy and that of the discussions of the trade, the fact that competitiveness at national level is a less precise term of economics with various meanings. This paper first discusses whether competitiveness at national economy level is interpretable at all. Then it examines what this notion does not mean and what it might mean. After reviewing the possible interpretations, the paper describes some of the figure of competitiveness of the domestic economy relating to a few international comparisons. Finally, it draws up some considerations as to what might and what might not be (or only with limitations) the means for the economic policiy to improve domestic competitiveness in the short and long terms.
-
Trade Advantage and Competitiveness of Hungarian Agri-food Exports with the European Union
87-102Views:94The complementarities of trade advantage and trade competitiveness measures for Hungarian agro-food trade with the European Union are analyzed. The stability and duration of the trade measures over time is investigated by survival analysis using the nonparametric Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator and the consistency test between the trade measures is conducted by the stratified Cox proportional hazard model. Hungary experienced a greater number of products with relative trade disadvantages and a greater significance of one-way imports. Hungary also experienced relative trade advantages for bulk raw commodities, processed intermediates, and horticulture, with the greatest significance of successful quality competition and one-way exports, and the lowest significance of unsuccessful price
and unsuccessful quality competition. The duration of relative trade advantages is longer than the duration for the successful trade competition categories. Our results confirm that relative trade advantage is consistent with the one-way export and the successful price and successful quality competition categories in two-way trade on the one hand, and relative trade disadvantage with the one-way import and the unsuccessful price and unsuccessful quality competition on the other.Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification: Q12
-
Role of the organizational factors in the success of Hungarian SMEs
108-125Views:686This paper analyses the success of the Hungarian SME sector from the aspect of competitiveness, innovation, organizational background and the role of the leader/owner. The author summarizes the organizational innovation specialties of the SMEs based on four empirical researches and own case-study. The conclusion is the organizational innovation characteristically fades into the background of SME operation, development purposes and strategy. The role of the firm owner-leader is essential in these topics. Meanwhile the inflexibility of the organization, loyalty of the employees, labor market disadvantages, the knowledge level and competency of the human resources, its effect on the efficiency are often limit the expansion. These factors have significant influence on the success and competitiveness of the company. Therefore, the paper analyses the organizational innovation and background according to the company success, and the leader-based decision-making procedures, and processes, and evaluates the results of secondary research based on these. The novelty of the empirical research method is the search for GAPs between the leader and the organization and their correlation with success and attitude towards innovation.
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes: M14
-
Trends and Tendencies in the Development of HR Departments in Hungarian State Universities
115-146Views:274In the last couple years it has been fully accepted that human resource management plays an increasing role in the success of organizations, and also in the development and sustainability of national and international competitiveness (Gordon- Whitchurch, 2007). In the developed industrial countries – mostly the Anglo-Saxon pioneers – public institutions (including higher education) abandoned the normative and bureaucratic-controlled Taylor system (Karoliny et al, 2003). Beginning in the 70’s representatives of the New Public Management model, based exclusively on the effectiveness of business solutions, gained more ground. The early 80’s brought the widespread implementation of reform programs. These efforts have created models and experience that were applicable in the converging countries of Europe – including Hungary. After reviewing the latest professional literature and analyzing practices of eleven Hungarian universities we will assess the conversion of Human Resource Management and consider possibilities for modernization.
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classifications: I21; H19; M52;M53;M54
-
Corporate and state roles in Hungarian industrial development after the nineties
7-22Views:108In the nineties the development of Hungarian industry was first disappointing, but later it was definitely rapid and successful. Several publication have described the process of this industrial transition in general as well as in the light of the foreign market performance of Hungarian industry. However, the majority of the analyses were based on stistical surveys and the participants of the processes were somewhat neglected. For this reason the present study examines the influence of major corporate participants and that of the government on the development of the industry, as well as their behaviour, and conclusions are drawn as regards the strategic potentials of Hungarian industry after 2003 and 2004. First the study offers an overview of the most important corporate participants of the Hungarian industry, then it seperately discusses the peculiarities of the market presence of foreign industrial firms, in particular to what extent the European Union's ambitions, taking shape from the year 2000, aiming at improving competitiveness can be reflected in Hungarian economic policy. Thus the question is whether we can expect the revival, to some extent, of Hungarian industrial policy which has appeared to be lifeless since 1996, and whether we can expect state participation in the promotion of the development of Hungarian industry which should be of European standards and yet more active than round the turn of the century.
-
Integration of the CEE agri-food sector into the EU: What does trade theory and empirical evidence tell us?
62-77Views:135The article provides an overview on the main results of empirical research into the Integration of the CEE agri-food sector into the EU. Contrary to early expectations, countries in the region have not become major agri-food exporters. We can observe great diversity in trade specialisations, the patterns of intra-industry trade and price and quality competitiveness among countries and major product groups. These outcomes derive mainly from the differences in relative factor endowments and the different initial conditions of the countries concerned. The recent theoretical and empirical developments in international
trade may help us to better understand the agri-food trade integration of new member states.JEL classification: Q12
-
Some economic aspects of higher education quality
14-30Views:292Based on the world's most renowned university rankings, OECD annual reports and Eurostat data, this paper seeks to demonstrate that a competitive economy requires competitive (higher) education and that there is a significant correlation between the quality of higher education and economic development. Furthermore, in this process, the higher education quality assurance organization system has an outstanding task and responsibility through the formation of quality culture, guidelines, helpful research, summary of good practices and making constructive suggestions. Finally, it points out that close collaboration between universities and agencies with stakeholders is a priority area, which could contribute to a much more capability-based output system in the longer term. It also considers it desirable to make the relationship between universities and scientific research networks and research institutes closer and more vibrant (where it is not).
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes: H52, I22, I23, I25, I26, O15
-
Some characteristics of the connection between the economy and higher education - results of empirical research
149-178Views:107In this study we try to introduce some lessons drawn from an empirical research project which was made within the framework of the Gabor Baross Program's project, "Facilitation of Knowledge Transfer for Enhancement of Competitiveness of the North Great Plain Region by the Founding of the Innovation Knowledge Center". This part of the research tries to examine the demand for higher education among the actors in the economy. First the paper shows those results of the research which measured firms' knowledge of the Bologna process, and the main goals of the new form of education, and the knowledge structure and competencies connected to the creation of the individual education levels. Following this the article examines requirements from higher education, and the opportunity for developing the connections between educational institutions and the economy.
-
Sustainability of growth in countries with diverse backgrounds in the light of main international indices
145-168Views:108The paper tries to answer why fossil fuel abundant countries with diverse backgrounds perform differently depending on the dominance of the advantages or disadvantages accruing from natural resource wealth. With the contribution of the most popular competitiveness and institutional indices the determining factors are indentified. The distinctive factors are market efficiency, the quality of the business environment, innovative capability, the quality and efficiency of governmental, market and judicial institutions, the low level of corruption and the existence of political and civil freedom.
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes: O13, O17, Q32
-
An analysis of services for general economic purposes and universal services in the European Union
49-66Views:116A topic in the focus on debates on the European social model has been to define the future role of Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI). The European Commission launched a widespread public discussion on the public utility related objectives of SGEI, their impacts on the quality of life, on the environment and on the competitiveness of European firms, as well as on ways of organising and financing these services. This discussion has received an important input from rulings of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance in cases on Services of General Economic Interest. Although these court rulings lacked consistency in some cases, they still helped to obtain more accurate definitions of SGEI. Most member countries of the EU have started to elaborate the concept of universal services, but there are still serious loopholes in the field of monitoring, control, quality management and in terms of financing. To sum up, the EU member country level practice of universal services in the energy sector is still in the first phase of realisation.