Klaipėdos universitetas

The effective attraction of investments to the national economy is a key factor, which provides favourable conditions to perform structural changes in the national economy, regional development as well as promotes technical progress. Therefore, investments in the public and the private sectors conduce development of the national economy and provide conditions to increase the overall competitiveness of a country. The purpose of research is to evaluate investment processes in Latvia before and after the global financial crisis, revealing investment-related problems. Also, to calculate the level of the desired investment, which would ensure the Latvia’s average GDP growth of 5% per year, according to the target set by the NDP. The analysis employs different qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, such as: scientific literature and empirical research analysis, modelling tables, charts and schemes, calculations of average and relative values, grouping, comparison and other. Publications on investment and research by Latvian and international scholars are analysed seeking to define the investment role on the economic growth process. The authors use the data available in the Central Statistical Bureau of the Republic of Latvia and Eurostat data bases, reports by the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia, the World Bank, the OECD and other studies of international organizations, as well as information provided in the Internet. As a result of research there have been defined the investment policy directions and essential obstacles that delay investment attraction in Latvia.

Material deprivation has recently gained prominence as a topic of debate as its proliferation is reising throughout Europe in particular in the countries hit hardest by financial and economic turbulences what leads to the gap in material deprivation levels throughout Europe. The aim of the study is to analyze material deprivation in the regions of Latvia. Research methods used in preparation of the paper: scientific publication and previous conducted research results analysis, analysis of anonimised data of EU-SILC survey results and European Central Bank conducted survey on Household income and expenses survey results, results are compared with the results of other EU countries. Survey anonimised data are analyzed using indicators of descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations for regions of Latvia, for urban-rural living and analysis of variance – ANOVA are used. The results of analysis have indicated in what situation are regions of Latvia in the context of material deprivation especially in Latgale region and what are the challenges for decision makers to deal with – more attention for several approaches in reduction of income differences in regions of Latvia.

Die Entstehung und Formierung der litauischen Intelligenz und ihrer Gruppierungen während des 19, Jh. ist eine der aktuellsten Forschungsthemen der gegenwärtigen Geschichtsschreibung in Litauen. Die Ausbildungspolitik der Synode und ihre Auswirkung auf das Netz der Grundschulen der litauischer reformierten Kirche zwischen den Jahren 1832 bis 1863 wird in diesem Artikel als Teil dieser Problematik untersucht.

The social dimension is gaining an increasing importance in the fields of shaping our environment, such as territorial planning and architectural design. In order to create the living environment, which would be not only comfortable, but also aesthetic and psychologically acceptable, it is important to analyze the experience and possibilities of application of sociological research methods to physical and social environment of urbanized areas. In order to reach this aim, the article presents the review of experience of application of the sociological research methods to urban environment distinguishing the characteristic cases in this field and their analogies in Lithuanian practice and the distinguishing and classification of the types and aims of sociological research of urban environment based on the analysis of literature.

This article analyses inter-regional colloboration between Latin America and European Union (EU) in order to find out the processes of regional integration to international extent. Basic reasons of inter-regional collaboration between EU and Latin America which are related with social inequality and destitution, shortfall of democracy and growth of Latin America’s economical potential as well as appearance of various new markets are excluded in this text. EU encourages economical, social and institutional integration which is associated with regionalization processes in the area of Latin America. Inter-regional collaboration happens through international organizations such as Rio group, MERCOSUR, UNASUR, CAN. This article deals with general aims of inter-regional collaboration, various branches of it and relations between EU and Latin America in regional, sub-regional and bilateral level which are intermingled among themselves.

A substantial number of young people in Western countries are facing severe difficulties due to wider social, political and economic change. Using a review of the literature and a descriptive approach, this paper explores issues of youth education, training, employment and social capital on the Swedish welfare landscape, as important factors in the education of the social professions, to understand and meet the needs of young vulnerable populations. The research found growing uncertain conditions in young populations, growing socio-economic vulnerability, mental ill-health and insufficient access to the labour market. Furthermore, the results of the paper suggest shortcomings in the social services for disadvantaged young people, and current socio-political programmes seem to reinforce the existing pattern of inequality. The insights generated by this study have the ability to inform international, national and local evidence bases in this area. It may contribute to the support of reflective future practitioners who use research as an integral element of improving their holistic client-centred interventions. The article has been prepared in the frame of the project „Social Professions for Youth Education in the Context of European Solidarity“* with participation of Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Swedish universities that deliver programmes of training social professionals.

Skaitmeninimo ir naujų technologijų diegimo sparti plėtra bei COVID-19 pandemijos metu įvairiose valstybėse vykę įmonių veiklų ribojimai paskatino elektroninės komercijos plėtrą. Straipsnyje, taikant mokslinės literatūros palyginamosios analizės, sisteminimo ir apibendrinimo metodus, nagrinėjami elektroninės komercijos platformų sėkmę lemiantys veiksniai. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti, kurie veiksniai lemia elektroninės komercijos platformų sėkmę. Atlikta mokslinės literatūros analizė atskleidė, kad elektroninės komercijos sėkmę lemia: efektyvus elektroninės parduotuvės sistemos veikimas, patogi vartotojo aplinka, padedanti kurti puikią vartotojo patirtį, personalizuoti pasiūlymai, lengvai ir aiškiai pateikiama informacija, galimybė įsigyti prekę ar paslaugą atliekant kuo mažiau žingsnių, prekių nuotraukos ir vizualizacijos, vaizdo apžvalgos ir kiti veiksniai. Organizacijos, atsižvelgusios į minėtų veiksnių svarbą, gali tikėtis savo veiklos augimo, t. y. optimalaus klientų pasitenkinimo, didesnio jų srauto, pakartotinių ir daugkartinių pirkimų, kurie, tikėtina, lems augančią apyvartą ir pelną.

Preventing degradation of the natural environment is a duty that a contemporary society has to fulfil. Global threats include mainly: the greenhouse effect, destruction of the ozone layer, loss of biodiversity, non-sustainable use of resources and reduction of the planet’s capacity for absorption of pollution and waste. Preventing the negative impact of economic processes on the natural environment is one of the priorities of the EU policy. Despite their diversity, EU countries pursue their goals on their way to a green economy. An improvement in the natural environment largely depends on the pro-environmental measures taken by small and medium-sized enterprises. The aim of the study is to present and compare the present state and barriers experienced in implementation of pro-environmental policy in small and medium-sized enterprises in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

As competition is becoming more and more pronounced, the market entry for newly established companies is a complex task. This process becomes even more complicated if a company is small, because it has to deal not only with lack of experience, but also with a lack of funds. Business incubators have been spreading all over the world for more than half a century. It suggests that this type of sponsorship of small and medium business will be relevant in the next decade and continuous research in this field will help to provide optimal support for companies.

The paperwork provides formulas for measuring value (created through CSR) gained by company, its partners (members of VCC) and employees. As far as expert survey confirmed, customers gained value generally might be evaluated by more favourable purchase decision and justification of higher price. Therefore it is suggested to pay main attention on customer’s gained use value – the value which is expressed through more favourable purchase decision and justification of higher price is already calculated as value gained by company.