Regional Formation and Development Studies

This study assesses the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) by reviewing 39 recent significant studies. The theoretical foundation of the reviewed studies serves as the basis for the research instrument designed to assess CSR practices and their impact on the competitive advantage of SMEs. A pilot study involving 102 Latvian SME respondents was conducted to validate the research instrument’s reliability across four scales: competitive advantage, reputation and financial performance, CSR domains and impact, and CSR challenges. The results indicate very good or excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values between 0.846 and 0.923. The findings demonstrate that SMEs continue to adopt CSR practices, recognising their strategic benefits which include innovation, operational efficiency and improved reputation. However, challenges such as resource limitations and stakeholder pressures remain important. This validated instrument establishes a foundation for further large-scale studies to explore CSR’s influence on the sustainability and competitiveness of SMEs, emphasising the need for tailored strategies, government support, and effective tools for evaluating CSR impact.

In recent years, inter-municipal cooperation in solving various common problems has become more popular in Europe, and has become an important part of European regional policy. These trends can also be observed in Lithuania. However, after a few generally agreed on success projects, there have not been many more successful municipal cooperation projects. Lithuania has been regulating cooperation between state institutions through legislation since 2000, which was supposed to stimulate regional growth and reduce interregional disparities. Providing municipalities with the necessary legal powers to provide public management and public services, and providing financial incentives, including European Union (EU) funds, to promote cooperation can achieve good results. In waste management in the regions and in organising public transport in the Tauragė and Klaipėda regions, EU support helped municipalities to agree on cooperation, and the same cooperation remained after the end of the EU support, and also a higher standard of public management and public services for all the municipalities that participated in these projects. This article aims to analyze recent changes in public administration regulation in Lithuania, which are likely to complicate cooperation between municipalities and, accordingly, high-quality public governance and the provision of public services in regions, and increase the gap between regional municipalities.

This article analyses the theoretical foundations of consumer choice and equilibrium, emphasising the multifaced factors that influence consumer behaviour. Key factors such as individual preferences, income levels, pricing of goods and services, social media trends, advertising strategies, brand perception, and cultural influences are examined. The study aims to provide a comprehensive theoretical analysis of consumer choice theory, while identifying constraints like budget limitations, price fluctuations and substitution effects that impact decision-making. Furthermore, it explores consumer equilibrium within economic theory and its interplay with

The primary objective of this article is to analyse the international activities (paradiplomacy) of Polish voivodeships through the lens of the system for managing sustainable regional development. Paradiplomacy serves as both a tool for carrying out public tasks of a regional nature and an instrument for socio-economic and cultural development, for which voivodeship self-government is responsible in Poland. Another aim of the article is to present the geographical directions of voivodeships’ paradiplomacy, which, in addition to European regions, also includes partners from outside Europe. Thus, the article offers an academic reflection on the issue outlined

The EDUTECH STEAM lab, established at the Department of Pedagogy in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Klaipėda University, serves as an integral component of teacher training by implementing the principles of a Living Lab, a user-centered, open innovation ecosystem that fosters collaboration between educators, researchers and technology developers. This study explores the best practice case of how the Living Lab model, as implemented in the EDUTECH STEAM lab at Klaipėda University, enhances pre-service and in-service teacher training, facilitating the co-creation, experimentation and validation of emerging educational technologies. In particular, the EDUTECH STEAM lab plays a crucial role in preparing teachers to integrate AI-driven learning analytics, adaptive assessment models, and interactive STEAM education into real-world classrooms. The article was conducted using a systematic approach to identify and analyse relevant scholarly works on teacher education, STEAM integration, digital pedagogy, and Living Lab methodologies. The findings indicate that embedding a Living Lab approach in teacher training enhances technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), promotes formative assessment strategies, and supports personalised learning pathways

This study explores the determinants of tax revenue in eight post-transition European Union (EU) economies: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary. Despite the shared institutional trajectories and simultaneous EU accession in 2004, these countries continue to display significant variation in tax-to-GDP ratios. Using panel data from 2004 to 2022, and applying a fixed effects model with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, the study examines key macroeconomic and structural variables shaping tax revenue outcomes. The results indicate that financial inclusion and openness to trade proxied by debit card usage are positively associated with tax revenue, while rising public debt has a significant negative effect. Other variables, including foreign direct investment and inflation, show weaker or model-dependent relationships. The findings highlight the role of the financial infrastructure and macroeconomic openness in explaining tax revenue performance in post-transition economies. The paper contributes to the literature by offering region-specific empirical evidence and informing fiscal policy in structurally evolving EU member states.

STEAM education in schools is identified as one an educational priority. The aim of this article is to discuss the challenges faced by primary school teachers in implementing STEAM education. A semi-systematic analysis of scientific literature was chosen to conduct the study. Based on research findings, three key challenges faced by primary school teachers in implementing STEAM education were identified. The findings of the study suggest that teachers struggle to ensure inter- and transdisciplinarity. Most of the focus is on the integration of science and mathematics, while the inclusion of engineering, technology and the arts disciplines often remains insufficient. While digital technologies have great potential to enrich STEAM education for primary students, their

In recent years, crises affecting both the world and Lithuania have posed challenges to educational institutions, prompting them to adapt quickly. This article presents the results of a quantitative study that explores the well-being of Lithuanian teachers and influential factors during the organisation of remote learning in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey results (n=129) revealed that younger teachers with less work experience felt more comfortable and were more satisfied with remote teaching than their older, more experienced colleagues. Conversely, older teachers with longer tenure found remote teaching more challenging and anxiety-inducing. However, older teachers with longer experience rated their competencies in lesson organisation, emotional

The article examines methods for assessing the level of corporate culture in an enterprise, their characteristics, and their application in the modern business environment. The main approaches to evaluating corporate culture, including quantitative and qualitative methods, are analysed. Special attention is given to their role in improving management efficiency and shaping a company’s development strategy. The study highlights the importance of corporate culture as a factor influencing the competitiveness and sustainability of an enterprise. The findings may be useful for managers, analysts and researchers in the field of corporate governance.

The integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in the maritime sector has become an essential component in enhancing sustainable development and operational transparency. This article explores the growing importance of ESG frameworks in the maritime industry, focusing on the practical applications and comparative assessment of ESG performance among four major European ports: the Port of Rotterdam, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the Port of Klaipėda, and A. P. Moller-Maersk. The paper investigates ESG maturity through a set of defined indicators, such as emissions, renewable energy use, green investment, social performance and governance transparency, offering a critical evaluation of their implementation across different port management