“PRACTICE AND RESEARCH IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC
Transcription
“PRACTICE AND RESEARCH IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC
ISSN 2029-7378 MYKOLAS ROMERIS UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE “PRACTICE AND RESEARCH IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR – 2012” Conference Proceedings Vilnius, 2012 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. ORGANIZED BY MYKOLAS ROMERIS UNIVERSITY Faculty of Economics and Finance Management IN COOPERATION WITH BELARUSIAN STATE UNIVERSITY Faculty of International Relations TALLINN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Tallinn School of Economics and Business Administration WARSAW SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS KROK UNIVERSITY (UKRAINE) Economics and Entrepreneurship Faculty RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY Faculty of Engineering Economics and Management CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS CONTAIN FULL PAPERS FROM SECTIONS: Business and Finances;Public Economy and International Relations; Economics and Financial Markets; INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Chairman Prof. Dr. R. Ņitkienė (Lithuania) Co-Chairs: Prof. Habil. Dr. T. Dołęgowski (Poland) Prof. Dr. N. Lace (Latvia) Prof. Dr. I. Radionova (Ukraine) Assoc. Prof. Dr. T. Polajeva (Estonia) Assoc. Prof. Dr.V. Ostroga (Belarus) All papers are peer reviewed. Language is not edited. Members Prof. Habil. Dr. K. Angelov (Bulgaria) Prof. Habil. Dr. O.G. Rakauskienė (Lithuania) Prof. Dr. F. Garcia (Spain) Prof. Dr D. Jurevičienė (Lithuania) Prof. Dr. E. Kazlauskienė (Lithuania) Prof. Dr. A. Laurinavičius (Lithuania) Prof. Dr. I. Mačerinskienė (Lithuania) Prof. Dr. A. Mińkinis (Lithuania) Prof. Dr. F. Reganati (Italy) Prof. Dr .N. Volgina (Russia) Assoc. Prof. Dr. A. Dobravolskas (Lithuania) Assoc. Prof. Dr. G. Fragidis (Greece) Assoc. Prof. Dr. J.Kuzmina (Latvia) Assoc. Prof. Dr. A. Nikolova (Bulgaria) Assoc. Prof. Dr. A. Temichev (Belarus) Assoc. Prof. Dr. I. Ńimberova (Czech Republic) Assoc. Prof. Dr. E. Ńubertova (Slovakia) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Chairmans: Prof. Dr. D. Jurevičienė (Lithuania) M. Laurinaitis (Lithuania) Members: Prof. Dr. R. Kanapickienė (Lithuania) Prof. Dr. R. Tamońiūnienė (Lithuania) Dr. J. Seiranov (Lithuania) R. Aleknavičiūtė (Lithuania) G. Aleknavičiūtė (Lithuania) Ņ. Savickaitė (Lithuania) V. Skvarciany (Lithuania) S. Survilaitė (Lithuania) International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. BOARD OF REVIEWERS A. Damulienė (Lithuania) G. Davulis (Lithuania) A. Dobravolskas (Lithuania) G. Gipienė (Lithuania) A. Ergeneli (Turkey) I. Mačerinskienė (Lithuania) A. Kanapickas (Lithuania) I. Panovas (Lithuania) A. Laurinavičius (Lithuania) J. Cetkovic (Montenegro) A. Tarabanov (Russia) J. Mačerinskas (Lithuania) A. Velihorsky (Ukraine) J. Seiranov (Lithuania) A. Ņvirblis (Lithuania) J. Vijeikis (Lithuania) D. Černius (Lithuania) M. Zatrochová (Slovakia) D. Daujotaitė (Lithuania) N. Lace (Latvia) D. Dimova (Bulgaria) N. Markevičius (Lithuania) D. Jurevičienė (Lithuania) O.G. Rakauskienė (Lithuania) D. Lukin (Ukraine) R. Kanapickienė (Lithuania) D. Teresienė (Lithuania) R. Mrówka (Poland) E. Bikas (Lithuania) R. S.Basu (India) E. Freitakas (Lithuania) R. Tamońiūnienė (Lithuania) E. Gaile-Sarkane (Latvia) R. Ņitkienė (Lithuania) E. Kazlauskienė (Lithuania) S. Taraila (Lithuania) E. Martinaitytė (Lithuania) T. Bilevičienė (Lithuania) G. Abuselidze (Georgia) T. Mazylo (Ukraine) G. Černiauskas (Lithuania) International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. CONTENT BUSINESS AND FINANCE G. Abuselidze FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY FEDERALISM AND ITS ROLE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY 12 T. Bileviĉienė OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTIPLE STATISTICAL METHODS IN MARKETING 22 F.G. Bozkurt, A. Ergeneli THE EXAMINATION OF THE DELEGATION OF THE AUTHORITY WITH PYSCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT AND SUPERVISOR‘S SOCIAL LOAFING AND AN APPLICATION IN A PUBLIC SECTOR 31 J. Ćetković, M.Ţarković THE GLOBALIZATION OF WORLD ECONOMY – DILEMMAS AND CHALLENGES 36 M. E. Ĉernikovaitė 46 THE MANAGING THE BRAND TRUSTS IN LITHUANIAN COMPANIES A. Denina, J.Zvanitajs 54 OBSTACLES TO GREEN ELECTRICITY GENERATION BUSINESS A. Ergeneli, A. Boz WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS‘ PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND PARENTS‘ PARENTING STYLES PROFILE 61 A. Ergeneli, S Mutlu EXTENDED TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL AND THE EFFECTS OF ESPOUSED NATIONAL CULTURAL VALUES ON ELECTRONIC-MAIL ACCEPTANCE: AN APPLICATION IN A TURKISH IRON AND STEEL COMPANY 70 4 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. M. Išoraitė JAUNIMO VERSLUMO TYRIMAS TARPTAUTINĖJE TEISĖS IR VERSLO AUKŃTOJOJE MOKYKLOJE 78 RESEARCH OF YOUTH ENTERPRENEURSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LAW AND BUSINESS E. Kazlauskienė, L. Aidukienė SVV ĮMONIŲ PARAMOS FORMOS IR JŲ ĮSISAVINIMAS 96 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPORT FOR THE SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE ENTERPRISES A.Kriţanová, Ľ. Štefániková BRAND INFLUENCE ON CUSTOMER BUYING DECISION IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC 105 P. Lindemanis, E. Gaile-Sarkane 112 PRODUCT PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT IN COMMERCIAL AREA J. Maĉerinskas, M. Morkūnas VERSLO GRUPIŲ KONCEPCIJA 124 CONCEPT OF BUSINESS GROUPS I. Maĉerinskienė, I. Bartuševiĉienė ĮMONĖS INTELEKTINIO KAPITALO ĮTAKOS VEIKLOS EFEKTYVUMUI VERTINIMO MODELIO TAIKYMO GALIMYBĖS 135 APPLICATION POSSIBILITIES FOR A MODEL FOR ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF A COMPANY‘S INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL FOR EFFICIENCY OF ITS ACTIVITIES I. Maĉerinskienė, S. Survilaitė THE MODEL OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL INFLUENCE OVER THE COMPANY'S VALUE ADDED 144 5 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. R.Mrówka 152 DECISION MAKING IN HYPERARCHICAL ORGANIZATION L. Pilelienė, A.Šimkus DETERMINATION OF TOUR OPERATORS‘ SERVICE QUALITY PERCEPTION IN LITHUANIA 162 M. Pindelski 172 SALES RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS J. Spiridonovs IMPACT EVALUATION NEEDS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR WATER SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE 183 D. Šĉeulovs, E.Gaile-Sarkane 190 IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR D. Štreimikienė THE IMPACT OF ELECTRICITY MARKET REFORM ON INVESTMENTS IN RENEWABLES IN LITHUANIA 201 PUBLIC ECONOMY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS G. Ĉerniauskas, I. Panovas 210 THE FORECAST OF LITHUANIAN ECONOMY FOR 2011-2020 A. Damulienė ŃIUOLAIKINIAI MIGRACIJOS PROCESAI LIETUVOJE IR JŲ POVEIKIS EKONOMIKAI 218 CONTEMPORARY MIGRATION PROCESS IN LITHUANIA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY 6 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. G. Davulis FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN LITHUANIA: ANALYSIS OF SITUATION AND PERSPECTIVES 228 G. Davulis INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF EURO AND THE STRATEGY OF ADOPTION OF EURO IN LITHUANIA 237 J. Dobiš, A. Víghová DEPRECIATION UNDER THE LAW OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC AND ITS RECENT CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE ETHICAL ASPECT OF PUBLIC FINANCE 246 S. Gultekin, A. Ergeneli, A. Boz CRITICIZING KOHLBERG'S MORAL DEVELOPMENT STAGES FROM FEMALE PERSPECTIVE 254 L Jasutienė UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON CONTRACTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE OF GOODS WHOLLY OR PARTLY BY SEA - A CLEAR AND REASONABLE ADVANCE FOR MODERN TRADE 260 A. Jurgeleviĉius, G. Davulis 268 THE STATE PROGRESS STRATEGY AND ECONOMY OF LITHUANIA S. Kavaliūnaitė 279 EUROPEAN UNION SOFT SECURITY POLICIES: A COST-BENEFIT APPROACH N. Markeviĉius, A. Wrzesinski THE INFLUENCE OF RESEARCH ON IMPROVING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY THE POLISH COMPANY BOCHEM 290 7 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. L. Mutaliyeva, M. Smikova, L. Baitenova 278 STATE REGULATION OF TOURISM IN KAZAKHSTAN N. Paresashvili, A. Abashishvili ADMINISTRATION OF DEEP AND COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (DCFTA) 303 A. Paţėraitė, M. Krakauskas 312 CENTRALIZED HEAT MARKET LIBERALIZATION MISSION (IM)POSSIBLE? A. Puksas HARDCORE RESTRAINTS IN AGREEMENTS: FROM PROHIBITION TO LIMITATION 321 O. G. Rakauskienė, O. Ranceva 329 EMIGRATION PROBLEM IN LITHUANIA J. Samuleviĉius ACADEMIC AND BUSINESS COLLABORATION: A STARTING POSITION FOR LITHUANIA‘S MOVE TOWARDS RADICAL ECONOMIC CHANGES 341 J. Seiranov, R. S. Basu THE PROSPECTS OF INDIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION ECONOMIC COOPERATION 353 V. Shatrevich, J.Zvanitajs 363 INDUSTRIALIZATION LEVEL AND EXPORT PERFORMANCE A Velihorskyy, I. Panovas SOME TRENDS IN THE UKRAINIAN-LITHUANIAN ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION 373 8 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. ECONOMICS AND FINANCIAL MARKETS D. Ādmīdiņš, J. Zvanītājs 384 THE EFFECT OF LENDING ON THE HOUSING MARKET IN LATVIA E. Bikas, M. Buta 396 STRUCTURED SECURITIES PHENOMENA IN LITHUANIA T. Gudaitis „GYVENIMO CIKLO― IR „GYVENIMO STILIAUS― FONDŲ SISTEMŲ INVESTAVIMO STRATEGIJŲ VERTINIMAS PRIVAČIŲ ANTROS PAKOPOS PENSIJŲ FONDŲ SISTEMOS KONTEKSTE 406 ―LIFE CYCLE‖ AND ―LIFE STYLE‖ FUNDS‘ INVESTMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION IN THE FULLY FUNDED 2ND PILLAR PENSION SYSTEM‘S CONTEXT R. Jasinaviĉius, V. Ganiprauskas LIETUVOS PAGRINDINIŲ PAJAMŲ IR SOCIALINIŲ IŃMOKŲ VERTĖS KITIMO TYRIMAS 417 RESEARCH OF LITHUANIAN MAIN INCOME AND SOCIAL BENEFITS VALUE CHANGE D. Kurtinaitytė – Venediktovienė, E. Zupkaitienė INDIVIDUALIOS VEIKLOS PROBLEMATIKA 431 THE PROBLEMS OF INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY A. Lezgovko, D. Jablonskienė LIETUVOS GYVYBĖS DRAUDIMO SEKTORIAUS PLĖTROS PERSPEKTYVOS 441 LOOKOUT OF DEVELOMPMENT OF LIFE INSURANCE IN LITHUANIA R. Liepina, I. Lapina, J.Mazais 453 ROLE OF CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT IN GLOBAL MARKET 9 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. D. Lukin, T. Mazylo ETHICAL AND CONFESSIONAL BANKING: WORLD EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVES OF DEVELOPMENT 462 R.Tamošiūnienė, N. Dobrovolskienė 470 EFFECTIVENESS OF INVESTMENTS TO THE REAL ESTATE IN LITHUANIA A. Tarabanov, V. Tarabanova 479 GLOBAL FINANCIAL IDEOLOGY: NARRATOLOGICAL ANGLYSIS M. Zatrochová, R.Stejskal HISTORY ASSUMPCTIONS AND THE EXPECTED DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINANCIAL MARKET IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC 489 J. Kuzmina 498 EVALUATION OF GUARANTEE RISK IN INDIVIDUAL SAVING PLANS 10 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. SECTION BUSINESS AND FINANCE 11 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY FEDERALISM AND ITS ROLE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY George Abuselidze Shota Rustaveli State University Saakadze str.16, Batumi, Georgia - 6010 E-mail: abuseri@mail.ru Abstract. To optimize the financial system is particularly important to achieve an effective balance between revenues and expenditures of the central, regional and local budgets. Socioeconomic development of regions cannot be achieved without financial relations. "Financial and budgetary federalism" multilateral and, respectively complex mechanism, which describes the financial device of rights and obligations between the "center" and "region", the rules of their relationship at all stages of the budget process, regulatory and legislative methods of budgetary resources redistribution. In the process of formation, distribution and use of public finances socioeconomic relations between the State, legal entities and individuals are formed and at the same time subjective interests are realized. Keywords: Financial and budgetary federalism, foreign models of interbudgetary relations, budgetary alignment Introduction After achievement of independence of one of the most difficult and considerable problems was and is a state budget, questions of optimization of its incomes and expenses and its transformation into the most powerful tool of restoration and country development. For optimization of a financial system of the country especially the great value has achievement of an effective balance between incomes and expenses of the central, regional and local budgets. Social and economic development of regions of the country is impossible without perfection of financial relations by which economic development of separate territories and regions should be provided. The financial history of the developed countries obviously shows that all three levels of the budget should be distributed so that the expense and the income of means of structure have been as much as possible provided by financial resources. The civilized mankind throughout a centuries-old history of the development has created capable system of mobilization and the expense of financial resources which for today name financial-budgetary federalism. The object of this paper is the financial and budgetary federalism. 12 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. The aim is to analyse the foreign models of intergovernmental relations, focusing on the issue of budget balancing through a system of transfers. Methods of research: Deduction, synthesis, comparative analysis of scientific literature, statistical analysis, Historical approach. Literature Review "The financial and fiscal federalism and multi respectively, complex mechanism, whose essence consists in the unit cost of the rights and duties between the" center "and" region ", the rules of their relationship at all stages of the budget process, regulatory and legislative methods of redistribution of the device of budgetary resources, so and in the socio-economic relations existing between the State and legal entities and individuals that are formed in the process of formation, distribution, disposal and use of public money and resources while at the same time, there is a realization of belonging to this system of subjective interests." (Abuselidze, 2006, p. 110). Under the influence of political, historical and national factors in the world has developed many budget systems, significantly differing from each other. Organization of budget management is directly related to the model of government. In unitary countries, budgetary systems, characteristic of a high level of centralization of budgetary resources and a minor amount of the budget of the rights and responsibilities of local budgets, with a high proportion of financial assistance from the central budget. In states with a federal structure is part of the fiscal management of relations of fiscal federalism, involving a more balanced distribution of power and responsibilities between levels of budget system, the relative independence of the budgets of their equity in the state budget system, the organization of budgetary redistribution that is downstream of financial aid budgets in different ways (Pronin, 2004). An interesting and useful for the analysis of models of fiscal federalism is produced by British experts G. Hughes and C. Smith, grouping countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in accordance with such features as the similarity of approaches to the management of intergovernmental relations, particularly the philosophy of fiscal federalism is used, the ratio of Role of central and sub national governments. As a result of 19 OECD countries were divided into 4 groups: Group 1 - 3 of federal - Australia, Canada and the United States and the two unitary - Britain and Japan of the state; Group 2 – the Nordic countries - Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland; Group 3 – Federated Western European countries - Austria, Germany, Switzerland; 13 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Group 4 – southern and western European countries - Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Despite the arbitrariness of this division, budget systems are grouped into certain common features. The first group is characterized by relatively high autonomy of regional and local authorities, based on broad tax powers. The second group - especially the high proportion of noncentral government involvement in the financing of social spending. The third - a substantial degree of autonomy of the budgets of different levels, in combination with a developed system of cooperation. Fourth - a large regional financial dependence on central government. It is assumed that in the future are different models of fiscal federalism will find their names, there will be new classification. Meanwhile, in very general terms one can distinguish two types of models - the decentralized and cooperative. Survey Upon further consideration of foreign models of intergovernmental relations focuses on the issue of balancing the budget through the transfer system as example foreign countries such as USA, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Share of transfers from the center to the regions of the gross national product in these countries differ significantly. Thus, in the U.S., with a model based on competition, the figure is 3.7%, slightly lower than in Germany - 4.3%, using a model of cooperation. Switzerland, turning to the federal model of organization based on competition, has a slightly higher rate of inter-regional transfers - 4.4%, whereas in Canada the figure is about 3.5%. Qualitative characteristics of each national system of regional equalization cannot be described by the size of transfers between local and regional levels of government. It is therefore necessary to consider how transfers are distributed. In all the systems of the federal budget relations correspond to the principles of subsidiarity (as close as possible to the authorities of the cost to consumers of services) and fiscal independence of the federal level and the subjects of the federation. The main differences are, on the one hand, in the target fiscal equalization, on the other hand, the tax policy. In the U.S., the alignment of the tax capacity of the state is not the purpose of transfers between the states. Thus, there is no horizontal fiscal equalization between strong and weak states in financial terms. Vertical channels of financing are also loosely connected with the financial capacity of the State - the recipient. Financial differences are likely amplified under the influence of transfers from the federal government: the majority of transfers are allocated on the condition that states and municipalities provide its share of funds. In fact, the states with the largest tax potential and also receive the largest transfers from the federal government. The level of state spending, so 14 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. closely associated with their own tax base, which results in higher costs prosperous state for education and social security. A characteristic feature of the American model is the absence of a federal program budget alignment. It is included as a component in some targeted programs, such as, for example, grants to school boards. Support state and local governments through the federal budget is also due to tax expenditures, by which is meant the loss of the federal budget, resulting from exclusion from the tax base for federal taxes of its individual elements. In the first place, graduating to such elements include amounts paid by taxpayers to the budgets of state and local governments in the form of income tax and property tax, as well as funds received by them in the form of interest payments on the bonds of state and local governments. Thus, if a state decides to increase the income tax rate coming into the state budget, the tax base will decrease federal income tax and the federal budget will receive less money. Such loss of the federal budget is in fact financial assistance to states. Estimating the size of financial assistance that will be passed through such channels in the federal budget in 2009, 98.7 billion dollars (Ministry of Finance USA, 2012). In contrast to the U.S., Germany, the horizontal and vertical transfers lead to almost complete equalization of differences in the financial security of the Federation. Here, too, there are common problems, as the co-financed by the federal center and the federation. But a regional budgetary alignment plays a major role in determining the ability of the subject to offer a comparable level of federal services. In Germany, for fiscal equalization of land taken for a basis is not necessarily exactly the calculated expenditure need of each land. Based on the fact that the lands which have at their disposal the average per capita income, unable to finance the average cost per capita. Additional expenditure needs should be considered in the case of land with very high or very low population density means a higher estimated proportion of the population. The total budget alignment land is held in three phases. In the first phase, 25% of revenue from VAT, from which nearly half is attached to the land, shall be apportioned among the lands in need of financial assistance, and the remaining 75% interest in land - in terms of population. In the second phase, followed by transfers to the "rich" lands "poor." Weak land transfers are carried out stepwise as follows: the amount required to achieve 92% of their budget Mittelland level of per capita income comes through the redistribution of sales tax, to achieve a mark of 95% through the provision of compulsory transfers without any conditions, and from 95 to 100 % - through the provision of transfers, differentiated according to the specific financial needs. In the third phase of the per capita income of land in need of financial assistance, through transfers aligned to the average level of per capita income for the country. For lands with very low population and the so-called "new" land of East Germany recognized the special needs of consumables, which are financed in the form of the Federation of special transfers. Align the 15 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. budgetary provision of land is mostly indirect, i.e. through the distribution of income from the VAT directly through federal transfers, and to a lesser extent by transfers between the lands. Of the approximately 50% of total revenues from the VAT payable to the budgets of land, 75% are distributed per capita. The rest is distributed among the lands that have a per capita tax revenue lower than 92% of the average per capita tax revenues in all countries. Federal Ministry of Finance acts as a clearing center for the implementation of the direct horizontal equalization schemes through transfers between the lands. First, on the basis of preliminary estimates of tax revenues have preliminary estimates of transfer payments, and then these data are the sum of the quarterly transfer payments is constantly updated. Later predicted data on tax revenues are replaced by data on actual income for the year equalization schemes and accordingly adjusted the amount of transfers. Thus, the changes are recorded in the tax capacity of the land due to unforeseen structural events or sharp fluctuations in the economy. Any land, experiencing financial difficulties, immediately receives the financial assistance from the federal budget (Ministry of Finance Germany, 2012). The system of fiscal equalization of the federal government, Canada has its own characteristics due to the fact that the budget areas - the provinces, in addition to tax and nontax revenues are transfers from the federal budget. Total revenue and expenditures are determined by the transferred financial assistance. It uses two types of transfers: fiscal and monetary. Money transfer is a transfer of funds from the federal budget to the budgets of the provinces. The tax transfer occurs when the government reduces the federal tax rates, while providing the right of provinces to raise their bets on the relevant taxes the same amount. The volume of transfers and the method of distribution is usually set at 5 years, and funds transfers are reviewed annually. The Government of Canada transfers to provincial transfers in three main programs: 1) on health care and social assistance. This transfer is intended and used to support health care, higher education, social assistance and services to the territories and provinces. Financial assistance for this program is transmitted in the form of tax and cash transfers; 2) to equalize the less affluent provinces in terms of providing public services to the public. This transfer is inappropriate. The transfer is determined by the procedure established by federal law. Originally based on estimates of its income per capita is estimated fiscal capacity of each province. Next, the standard per capita fiscal capacity taking into account the capacity of the five provinces of "middle income". Provinces with a per capita are below the standard potential of transfer for pulling up the average. The procedure for calculating equalization transfers is set for 5 years, the standard potential is calculated annually; 16 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 3) the financing of the territorial program. Under this program, a special transfer passed the northern territories (not province), which differ from the provinces that they have much higher costs of providing public services, high rates of population growth and poorly developed tax base. This transfer is non-earmarked and allocated to improve the fiscal capacity of territories (Ministry of Finance Canada, 2012). One of the countries to take in 80 - 90 years, significant efforts to reform the centralist model of financing sub central budgets and which had had some success in this case is Italy. In this country there are four levels of government: central, regional, provincial and municipal. Sub central government formed in 20 regions, 99 provinces, and 8100 municipalities. Management sub central authorities by the Ministry of the Treasury (for regions) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (for the provinces and communes). Feature of government is to give Italian regions of the country's Constitution the status of "autonomy" and giving them legislative powers in some areas of socio-economic development. This is to some extent closer to the subjects of the Italian federation in federal states, although the legal status of the Italian regions are not identical to the legal status of states in the United States lands in Germany, Canada and the provinces cantons in Switzerland (Ministry of Finance Italy, 2012). Despite the relatively high degree of decentralization of government functions, in Italy there is a highly centralized financial and budgetary mechanism for income generation sub central transfer redistribution authorities and government revenue through the central budget. In general, through the channels of the consolidated state budget is distributed in Italy to 48% of GDP. Office of nationwide tax in Italy is entirely run by the central administration. Local income tax is no exception. Funds from the last budget sent to the central administration and only then transferred sub central authorities through the mechanism of transfer of budget reallocation of funds. Sub central Italian authorities are in a strong financial dependence on central government budget. According to statistics, in the Italian sub-budgets depend on the budget of the central administration of current income by an average of 25%. To finance sub central authorities in Italy in the central budget are formed specialized, centralized funds, such as the "National Fund for Health Development," "The National Transport Development Fund", "General Fund", "compensation fund", "equalization fund". In addition to the funds of central funding, there are several different types of transfers, which are listed sub central authorities of the respective funds. These include: "not due" or "ordinary transfers," "conditional transfers" or "subvention," "governing transfers", "additional transfers", "special transfers" and "emergency transfers." 17 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. In Australia, where the Finance higher centralized, are used to align the system of centralized payments identified by the uniform distribution and equalization formula, which aims to meet the budget requirements of all states to provide uniform nationwide standards for public services. During the 80s in France, was introduced so-called automatic allocation of grants for which funds local teams sent automatically, according to the developed criteria, the same for all teams. Thus, in the field of public transfers has used the principle of a universal approach. Another important feature of the French experience in determining budgetary flows associated with their separation in two directions: on the operation and investment. The process of allocation transfers between funds and regions in Italy is subject to certain rules. Under current law, the main role in the allocation of central transfers belongs to the central administration. The mechanism of the distribution of transfers is quite complex. In order to obtain the necessary funding for each region in the framework of participation in the budgetary process of the country should at a certain time to develop and submit to the ministry budget package of sectored programs of the regional nature. These programs should be tailored to the goals and priorities of national economic policy, to consider the possibility of their implementation at the regional level. During program development, consultations with experts of the central government are held. If you agree with the government financing programs for them is "the list" that is, in turn, occupied in the list of the government. Implementation of the concept of fiscal federalism is based on a combination of two complementary trends - competition between the regional authorities in the market of social services and aligning conditions of this competition, and ensuring the entire country national minimum standards. Results As international experience shows the financial and budgetary practices and provide berkety formation of a unified purpose and a common idea of individual regions and provinces, cities and districts, the whole population. Based on this today, when Georgia violated the integrity of the country, the most effective and efficient means for combining the regions is to carry out economic, in particular, such financial, budgetary, tax, customs, credit, payment, etc. policies that encourage all areas, regions, cities, districts, villages, the population of Georgia to the association, including a dance center, will create a unified political, social, economic, cultural, spiritual, and ultimately a national space. For Georgia, at this stage, the integrity of the country's "classic" of financial and fiscal federalism is the best premature, and such a model, which provides unity and the maximum 18 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. satisfaction of people's material and cultural well-being. We think that, given this principle should take root in Georgia financial and fiscal federalism. What is the "center" at this stage, again to maintain dominance and should not happen, not only the transfer of financial berkets, but touching them as all tier member of the main stem of economic stability in the country - well-known "financial Trinity" (the national currency, the national Bank, State budget present in its unity and separately one of the biggest and most powerful berkets unity and creativity. So there should not be allowed no initiative in implementing cash flow, banking policy and the budget process, nor by the "regions" and not from the "center" (Abuselidze, 2004). So Georgia must necessarily have a single powerful Ministry of Finance, which will be in the tax, customs and official life, to be perceived in the same section the system of financial and fiscal federalism, which will be built on the principle: "Financial and fiscal federalism is needed for the future of Georgia and the transfer of a single fiscal rights of the parties is necessary for their normal functioning and organic connection with the center." Everyone knows that Georgia through a variety of climatic conditions in their regions is a unique country in the world, what would envy, and the country owning vast territories, but it puts its stamp on the national economy of different regions, the development of regional economies. In such circumstances, with the help of local finance State may equate levels of economic and social development of territorial units, which are compared with other regions due to certain historical and natural conditions were among the retarded. In our opinion, to the regional (local) budget work with the appropriate rights to his device on the principle of fiscal federalism, since this central and regional budgets, distribution of tasks to be undertaken, taking into account your own income send their budgets and take responsibility for the preparation, approval and implementation of the budget. Based on the foregoing, the socio-economic development of the territorial units of the country is impossible without perfect financial units, which should ensure the economic balance of individual parties. Conclusion and Recommendations In the socio-economic development of the territorial units of the most important is the division of competences between the center and the regions. We believe competency should be solved in three ways: a) special competence center, and b) issues relating to the special powers in the region (territorial units), and c) issues relating to a single management. Here as it should be noted that the Constitution of Georgia clearly formulated questions, relating to a special central 19 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. government, but said nothing about the competence of national and its territorial units (Abuselidze, 2006). In our opinion, such a model is acceptable demarcation of competencies, which will provide the definition of specific competences of central and local authorities, and those powers that are not within the purview of any one of them, refer to the issues of unified management. In our opinion, the basis for demarcation of the financial powers of the center and regions, we can put two basic principles: according to the first principle must delimit the financial center and the ratio of the region, which is primarily meant for each of them the existence of an independent budget and stable sources of replenishment orders and the possibility of an independent their own finances. But the problem of maintaining the economic balance, which is the guarantor of national independence and the main factor in the socio-economic development, should not fall out of the daily routine. It previa ideology is the basis of the second principle of delimitation of central and regional finance, according to which the state within its territory have to ensure that financial equalization of territorial units, starting with low development, with the average of the country. References 1. G. Abuselidze, Features of Formation and Functioning of Budgetary System of Georgia at the transitive stage, ―Publishing House of Science‖, tb. 2006, pg. 104-154. ISBN 99928-0-900-X. 2. G. Abuselidze, South-Western Georgia of Tbel Abuseridze Epoch (Economical Situation), ―Publishing House of Science‖, tb., 2004. pg. 7-86. ISBN 99928-0-811-X. 3. Babich A.M. Pavlova L.N. State and the Municipal finance, М. 2002 4. Bogachyov O.V.Amirov V.B.Problemy of strengthening of budgets субьектов federation and local government. The finance, 1997, №9. 5. Granberg A. N. The state and regions, M.Urss. 2000. 6. V.Ljubimtsev, Budgetary federalism of a problem and prospect, the economist, 1996, №1. 7. Lekcin B, V.Shvetsov. Budgetary federalism in crisis and reforms, economy questions, 1998, №3. 8. Podporina I.Transferty and Budgetary alignment, Rosiisky economic Magazine, 1995, №12. 9. Rubinin S.K.financial the policy and perfection of Interbudgetary relations, Z.Finansy, 1994, №3 10. Laurels A. N. Budgetary federalism and financial stabilization, Z.Voprosy of economy, 1995, №8. 11. Leksun V. N. Shvecov L.N. State and regions. M.Urss. 2000. 12. Pronin L.I.budgetary and reform of federal relations//the Finance 2004. - № 3 With. 19. 13. Сomenko A.D.State regulation of budgetary relations in the conditions of integration//the Finance, 2004. - № 1. 14. Federal Laws on the Federal budget on 2002-2007 15. Finance. The textbook: — St.-Petersburg, TK Velbi, the Prospectus, 2009 - 640 with 16. Federalism and regional development in modern Russia. Methodological and institutional aspects: — Moscow, the St.-Petersburg academy of management and economy, 2006 2007with. 17. Alla Grjaznova, Elena Markin, Finance, Publishing house: Infra Th, the Finance and statistics, ISBN 978-5-279-03455-0, 978-5-16-004030-1; 2010 г 18. L. M.Podjablonsky, the Finance, Publishing house: It juniti-is given,2010 19. Ministry of Finance Italy, official site: http://www.mef.gov.it/en/# 20 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 20. Ministry of Finance USA, official site: http://www.treasury.gov/resourcecenter/sanctions/Pages/default.aspx 21. Ministry of Finance Germany, official site: http://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de 22. Ministry of Finance Canada, official site: http://www.fin.gc.ca/fin-eng.asp 21 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTIPLE STATISTICAL METHODS IN MARKETING Tatjana Bileviĉienė Mykolas Romeris University Ateities 20, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania E-mail: tbilev@mruni.eu Abstract. Marketing success depends on how accurately the market was analysed and manage to focus their efforts. In order to understand the consumer and be able to assess the target market, capturing of the market strategy towards which will be directed, you need to know what influence the some kind of consumer‘s behaviour. Well done research of the market is the basis for successful marketing. The abundance of firms that conduct market research shows the importance of these studies. Modern statistical analysis program provides multiple methods of statistical chance. By help of statistical programs the company can carry out the qualified market research without employment of special investigators. This article examines the implementation in marketing opportunities and development of multilevel statistical methods. Keywords: market analysis, cluster analysis, factor analysis, market segmentation, customer, marketing. Introduction Competition is growing rapidly in today's globalized world. Economic growth is largely driven not by demand, but by oversupply. For understanding of the possible threats and opportunities representatives of businesses are seeking for the most accurate information about their area of the market, potential customers and competitors. The market has not only a specific structure, but there are many market participants (consumers, competitors, supply agents). Marketing is the process of needs‘ clarification, and for they satisfaction the necessary decisionmaking process, contributing to human or organizational goals. In order to understand customers and be able to evaluate the target market, which will be directed to the capturing of the market strategy, you need to know what factors determine some kind of user behaviour. This can be done through the integration research of market, customer needs, market segmentation analysis, competition, pricing and competitors' pricing policies clarifying, marketing services, advertising analysis. 22 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Evaluating the user behaviour, it is important to understand that the market consists of different group of people with different interests. For participation in the market you need to know the consumer‘s tastes, habits, financial opportunities. Only in that case you will be successful in exercising the options and make a profit. Segmentation is the division of the market into different groups (users or organizations) that have similar needs. Purpose of market segmentation is the best possible way to ensure that resources are directed to those users or organizations from which we can expect the highest returns. In modern competitive environment, the companies seeking to be successful in business must know how to manage the large-scale commercial information, understand and analyse the market behaviour. For this purpose and to substantiate their marketing and other management decisions, they are often carried out market research. Market research - is one of the most powerful business tools, the most important and widespread component of marketing research. Market research is a very important for business decisions in the development of new commercial opportunities as well as maintaining and improving the situation. A well conducted study is the basis of successful market segmentation. Each company that carries out market research must comply with the rules, defining the behaviour of researchers. Members of European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR) must comply with the International Code of Marketing and Social Research Practice. This document sets out the basic principles that the market researchers and research customers must follow. In recent decades, even small companies are carrying out the market research and the received information are using in deployment of market size, competitive environment assessment, marketing strategy (product, price, distribution, marketing, etc.). Popularity of market research shows the large number of companies that offer this service. For example, the Lithuanian www.118.lt directory provides a list of 116 companies with market research activities (see Figure 1). You can see that most of these companies registered in Vilnius (71%) and Kaunas (17%), i.e. in cities with a high scientific potential. Birţai 1% Vilnius 71% Kaunas 17% Klaipėda 6% Panevėţys 1% Plungė 1% Rokiškis 1% Šakiai 1% Šiauliai 1% Figure 1. Geographical distribution of Lithuanian market research companies 23 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Market Research Role in Marketing Process The market usually defined as a set of existing and potential customers seeking to meet their needs, their ability and willingness to allow the purchase money. In order to meet consumer expectations and needs the company make decisions and perform actions related to the production of the good, price, distribution and promotion. Marketing is an integrated strategy aimed at - to meet consumer needs (Smith, 2009). Social norms strongly affect the people's behaviour. By changing norms and behaviours can be changed. Market research can establish how those norms are formed and influenced (Southgate, 2011). Customers always expect to receive the best goods, and the globalization of world markets provides a much greater choice. In order to understand customers and be able to evaluate the target market, which will be directed to the capturing of the market strategy, you need to know what influences consumer behaviour. Therefore, the special attention in the marketing system is given to market segmentation. Market segmentation is a widely accepted concept in marketing research and planning. Market segmentation leads to the following assumptions: each market is not homogeneous, it consists of concrete segments, reflecting the different categories of users' specific demands, which results in multiple nature of the market; there is possible to identify the essential features of the demand, which may be called basis of differentiation of goods and selling them methods (Tuma at al., 2011). The main tool for market segmentation is the market research. Market research is collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative information about the demand and actual and potential supply of goods and services, and presentation of the findings obtained by summarizing the strategic and tactical business decisions (Lee, Bradlow, 2011). The essence of market research consists of special techniques, ranging from the simplest to the latest and sophisticated research methods, based on complex mathematical calculations, which are practically impossible without modern computer equipment. Market research models‟ innovation Nowadays, marketing activities are becoming an inseparable component in the organizational context (Tavares at al., 2010). Marketing effectiveness by default covers marketing tools effectiveness definition, this is hypothetically due to the marketing essence which is realized when using marketing tools. Marketing effectiveness depends on: differences in forms of marketing tools, unknown antecedents of customer behaviour, marketing tools specificity in aspect of time, natural existence of threshold points in a curve of customer loyalty, inability to quantify marketing 24 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. tools, complexity in measuring synergy of marketing tools (Daukńevičiūtė at al., 2011). Market researchers will serve their organisations and customers better if they take an active role in updating the customer experience measurement commensurate with advances in the conceptualisation of that which firms offer customers (Maklan, Klaus, 2011). Social and economic environment changes in the global financial crisis time prompted the scientists interested in the research reflect the real environment as selves to theoretical and practical research priorities. In the field of market segmentation these issues are particularly relevant given evidence of the role of segmentation tools and techniques in tackling recessionary pressures (Quinn, Dibb, 2010; Kayaly, 2011). Lee Quinn and Sally Dibb (2010) say that the focus on research has decreased, because despite the importance of market research for business success, market research effectiveness is still questionable. Deborah Roberts and Richard Adams (2010) in their article examine the problems of modern market research, summarizes the views of scientists and practitioners. The authors believe that research should examine the set of points of contact with providers and consumers can interact to innovate and build enduring relationships. A modern consumer behaviour‘s and market research‘s models are needed. A modern approach, unlike traditional, doesn‘t settle by users purchase analysis, and focused on continuous process of thinking and consumer product or service before purchase, and purchase decision-making during and after. Diana Plantić Tadić and Maja Dawidowsky Mamić (2011) in their article deal with market research as a tool to collect information about how the company's products can meet customers' needs. The authors argue that companies that collect information about users' needs and satisfaction, have the better management and business processes. Behavioural economics is going to have a huge impact on market research. They looked beyond the preferences and rationality of the individual to find a different, and rather more human, outlook. It will be by looking in these same places that market research will learn from behavioural economics. Behavioural economics justifies the importance of the small. That is what has made it so influential (Southgate, 2011). Klaus M. Miller at al. (2011) made a comparison of four commonly used approaches to measure consumers‘ willingness to pay with real purchase data (REAL): the open-ended (OE) question format; choicebased conjoint (CBC) analysis; Becker, DeGroot, and Marschak‘s (BDM) incentive-compatible mechanism; and incentive-aligned choice-based conjoint (ICBC) analysis. The authors found that when the OE format and CBC analysis generate hypothetical bias, they may still lead to the right demand curves and right pricing decisions (Miller at al., 2011). Ordering market research, the company must know the specifics of the study and the diversity of methods and opportunities (Guyon, Petiot, 2011). Considering the future of market research, Ian Lewis (2012) argues that in the future, scientists have become business advisers to 25 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. help navigate the information. Successful collaboration requires specialists of three disciplines: management consultants, conceptual analysts, and specialists in the some particular field. Multivariate Statistical Analyses Methods Multivariate statistics in a broad sense is defined as part of mathematical statistics, which investigates the phenomenon of different patterns of not one, but of many of the variables and their mutual dependence and interaction analysis. Basically it is the methods to help understand large data arrays. The most commonly used multivariate statistical analysis methods are factor analysis, cluster analysis and discriminate analysis (Kėdaitis, Pańkevičiūtė, 2007). Factor analysis is widely applied in economics, marketing, and in other applied sciences that deal with large amounts of data. The main idea of factor analysis can be described as follows: in the light of the correlation between, the observed variables are divided into groups. It appears that each group brings together some variables that are not observed directly (latent) factors. What is this factor, the investigator, in the context of their constituent variables, decide by him. Factor analysis helps to analyse and identify patterns and structures of the phenomenon. By application of the factor analysis, the question arises, - how reliable and objective is this method (Kėdaitis, Pańkevičiūtė, 2007). Factor analysis does not have a single solution. Correlation matrix elements can be represented in different ways. In addition, factor analysis consists of different models based on weighting factors for the calculation of the matrix. The best method of choice often leads to the calculation methods friendliness, as well as the opinion of the investigator. The cluster analysis is called a wide range of numerical data analysis methods to identify and interpret objects in groups or clusters that are homogeneous and different. The variety of dealing with problems determines the variety of clustering methods. Cluster analysis methods are successfully applied to the analysis of socio-economic problems. Basic concepts of cluster analysis are the similarity and dissimilarity (distance): distance indicates how many objects are distant from one another (different), and the similarity shows how close are objects. Similar objects belong to the same cluster, remote sites - for different clusters. When there is a large number of variables, cluster and factor analysis are combined. Sometimes observations are clustered before the application of factor analysis and the reduction of the data set, sometimes common factor sought in separate clusters (Kėdaitis, Pańkevičiūtė, 2007). Cluster and factor analysis methods require the complex mathematical calculations and therefore a broad application of these methods have become available only in specialized statistical software packages‘ (eg. Statistica, SPSS) assistance. 26 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Opportunities of Factor and Cluster Analysis Methods‟ Implementation in Market Research Socio - economic processes always take place at a particular time and place, so they can‘t be considered in isolation from them formed the economic, social, technological, ecological, cultural and political factors. For the analysis, interpretation, prediction and insights of these processes it is necessary the theoretical background and conceptual models that help to simplify observed reality. This analysis is necessary to assess the full complexity of the process of exploration and multidimensional, the strict application of mathematical methods of analysis and systematic thinking, but at the same time, the analytical results must be submitted in form that is understandable to the target audience (Rudzkienė, Kanopka, 2011). A full investigation requires the multivariate analysis. This analysis can be performed only by means of multivariate statistical analyses methods. Many specialists consider that market segmentation is a key strategic marketing concept today. Cluster analysis is one of the most widely used methods of market segmentation. It seeks to identify homogeneous structures in the data by analysing the (dis-)similarity of the objects to be clustered. Marketers use cluster analysis in separation of isolated groups of consumers, which created a separate marketing program. Although cluster analysis has been extensively applied to segment markets in the last 50 years, the ways in which the results were obtained have often been reported to be less than satisfactory by both practitioners and academics (Tuma at al., 2011). A marketing researcher intending to use cluster analysis to segment markets must decide on several critical issues and problems that highly influence the outcome and, more importantly, the quality of the derived market segments for further action (Dibb 2009). It is important not only to determine the correct number of clusters, to describe each cluster, but also to assess the quality of the segments. Tumas at al. (2011) argues that the quality of the segments can be assessed using the criteria proposed by Wedel and Kamakura (2000), namely identifiability, substantiality, accessibility, stability, responsiveness and actionability. Then it is believed that the data collected (reporting data, the answers to the questions, personal qualifications or consumption patterns) can be related to a variety of complex relationships, factor analysis techniques can help to unravel these connections, to distinguish them and to evaluate changes in the templates. A separate pattern occurs as a factor in identifying a cluster of interrelated data. Factor analysis let reduce the amount of data, which often complicates the process of market analysis. Applying factor analysis methods there is identified a number of general patterns, in which information is concentrated and it with no loss replaces the information recorded in dozens of signs. Factor analysis is one of the topology between empirical measures. 27 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Inter-related features are grouped into different categories (product characteristics, consumer habits, quality of life, stability, the rule base) that can be applied to groups of objects with similar characteristics conclusion, evaluation and comparison of relations. Factor analysis allows obtaining one or more variables, as summarized in a few dozen or a similar sense of its variables. Multivariate analysis can reduce the number of variables in question. Some companies carrying out the market research declare on their sites the multiple statistical metdods‘ approaches. For example, the company Eurotela states: "We are not limited market segment by one single criterion, but also take into consideration the whole set of variables in order to provide you the broadest possible view of the market. By using cluster analysis mathematical - statistical method we are creating the groups of customers based on only their common features, called clusters‖. Company Market Research Centre says: "We can do a statistical analysis of the different levels of complexity: from simple distributions and cross-tables, the statistical significance of differences tests, correlation coefficients, factor, cluster, regression analysis to correspondent, multidimensional, discrete choice, and other analysis‖. Conclusions The modern enterprise for successful business must know how to manage large-scale commercial information, understand and analyze market processes. The new marketing is a set of strategies and techniques that can encourage potential customers to believe in the services and products. The company's success and profit depends on how company accurately manages to correctly analyze the market and direct their efforts. Consumers have different tastes, preferences and financial capabilities. In order to understand customers and be able to evaluate the target market, which will be directed to the capturing of the market strategy, you need to know what factors determine some kind of users‘ behavior. This can be done through the integral market research. Market segments can be formed in many ways; specialists of different countries use different marketing segmentation techniques. Multivariate and cluster analysis methods let quickly analyze the set of variables and identify market factors and targeted market segments. Some market research companies involved in its emphasis on sites the multiple statistical approaches. This is evidence of the popularity of following methods‘ development. The accomplished analysis shows that the scientific research successfully reflects a real environment, if the leaders of companies manage to present exactly the direction and purpose. Ordering, market research the company must know the specifics of diversity of the study methods 28 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. and opportunities. In the future, scientists have become business advisers for purpose to help navigate in the information ocean. References 1. Daukńevičiūtė, I., Valainis, A., Vilkaitė, N. (2011). Conceptualization of the Effectiveness of Marketing Tools. Intellectual Economics, 5, 2(10): 200–211. 2. Dibb, S. (2009) Bridging the segmentation theory/practice divide. Journal of Marketing Management, 25(3-4): 219-225. 3. Gill, J., Johnson, P., Clark, M. (2010). Research methods for managers (4th ed.). London: Sage Publications. 4. Guyon, H., Petiot, J. F. (2011). Market share predictions. A new model with rating-based conjoint analysis. International Journal of Market Research, 53(6): 831-857. 5. Kayaly, D. E. (2011). Revolution in Market Research practices in Egypt – Viewpoint. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(22): 133-137. 6. Kėdaitis, V., Pańkevičiūtė, D. Lietuvos regionų ekonominio-socialinio ińsivystymo skirtumų vertinimas daugiamatės analizės metodais. (2007). Lietuvos statistikos darbai. Lithuanian Statistics: articles, reports and studies. Statistikos ņurnalas. 46: 4-41. 7. Lee T. Y., Bradlow, T. (2011). Automated Marketing Research Using Online Customer Reviews. Journal of Marketing Research, XLVIII: 881 –894. 8. Lewis, I. (2012). The future of market research. International Journal of Market Research, 54(1): 11-13. 9. Maklan, S., Klaus, P. (2011). Customer experience. Are we measuring the right things? International Journal of Market Research, 53(6): 771-792. 10. Miller, K. M., Hofstetter, R., Krohmer, H., Zhang, Z. J. (2011). How Should Consumers‘ Willingness to Pay Be Measured? An Empirical Comparison of State-of-the-Art Approaches. Journal of Marketing Research, XLVIII: 172 –184. 11. Plantić Tadić, D., Dawidowsky Mamić M. (2011). Market Research in Function of Business Process Management. International Journal of Management Cases: 279-285. 12. Ofir, C., Simonson, I., Yoon, S. O. (2009). The Robustness of the Effects of Consumers‘ Participation in Market Research: The Case of Service Quality Evaluations. Journal of Marketing, 73: 105–114. 13. Quinn, L., Dibb, S. (2010). Evaluating market-segmentation research priorities: Targeting reemancipation. Journal of Marketing Management, 26(13-14): 1239–1255. 14. Roberts, D., Adams, R. (2010). Agenda development for marketing research. The user‘s voice. International Journal of Market Research, 52(3): 339-362. 15. Rudzkienė, V., Kanopka, A. (2011). Tinklinių verslo ir informacinių sistemų modelių konstravimo ir derinimo metodologiniai aspektai. XV kompiuterininkų konferencijos mokslo darbai. Klaipėda, 2011 September 22-24. Retrieved (12.02.2012), from http://www.lnb.lt/stotisFiles/uploadedAttachments/3_VX_kompiuterininku_konferencijos_mok slo_darbai2011112321821.pdf. 16. Smith, P. (2009). Survey research: two types of knowledge. International Journal of Market Research, 51(6): 719-721. 17. Southgate, N. (2011). Why behavioural economics should only make market research stronger. International Journal of Market Research, 53(2): 143-145. 18. Tavares, S., Cardoso, M., Dias, J. G. (2010). The heterogeneous best-worst choice method in market research. International Journal of Market Research, 52(4), 533-546. 29 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 19. Tuma, M. N., Decker, R., Scholz, S. W. (2011). A survey of the challenges and pitfalls of cluster analysis application in market segmentation. International Journal of Market Research, 53(3): 391-414. 20. Wedel, M., Kamakura, W. A. (2000). Market Segmentation: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations (2nd Ed.). Dordrecht: Kluwer. 30 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. THE EXAMINATION OF THE DELEGATION OF THE AUTHORITY WITH PYSCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT AND SUPERVISOR‟S SOCIAL LOAFING AND AN APPLICATION IN A PUBLIC SECTOR F. Gamze Bozkurt¹, Azize Ergeneli² Hacettepe University Business Administration Department 06800 Ankara, Turkey E-mail: ¹fgamzebozkurt@gmail.com, ²ergeneli@hacettepe.edu.tr Abstract. The main aim of this study is to make it clear whether the subordinates view the delegation of authority as a psychological empowerment or as a superior‘s social loafing tool. The research was been conducted in a public organization which was performed as a group work in Ankara. Results indicated that a significant positive impact of delegation on the perception of psychological empowerment and a significant negative impact of delegation on the perception of supervisor‘s social loafing Keywords: Delegation of the authority, psychological empowerment, social loafing Introduction Delegation of authority is a process that covers assignment of important tasks to subordinates, giving them authority and responsibility to make decisions with or without getting prior approval (Ansari, Aaafaqi, Ahmad 2009, p.3). It is widely accepted as the essential element of effective management. Delegation of authority is mentioned as enabling supervisors in using time effectively by means of reducing work load, as raising subordinate‘s motivation, as improving their leadership skills and aslo as enriching their job and helping provide subordinate‘s self-confidence (Yukl and Pu, 2009). Delegation of authority is an application became effective with the movement of human relations in management literature. In 1920s, with the Hawthorne Studies revealing the effect of the workforce participation on the efficiency, the importance of the participation became prominent. The tendency of the management literature in this manner was tracked by the friendly behaviors of the supervisors towards their subordinates in 1950s, management sensitivity on human motivation and needs in 1960s, participation of employees in 1970s and finally teamwork among employees and collaborative work environment in 1980s (quality management). The continuation of these 31 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. themes in the 1990s suggested that supervisors should empower employees (Whetten, Cameron, Woods, 1996). In all approaches focusing on individual participation, delegation of authority becomes a administrative tool for the management and it is accepted as a method of employee participation. This period beginning with the delegation of authority, even improved a long with the idea of sharing with the empowerment studies. Firstly, as Conger and Kanungo (1988) brought the term ―psychological empowerment‖, how the employees perceive the administrative tools of management for empowerment began to gain interest. Conger and Kanungo (1988) suggested that only if individuals feel the power, the need for power will be met. In this case, it‘s important that employees perceive these administrative applications as empowering. The notion of empowerment has been described by Thomas and Velt (1990) as the task motivation explained by four cognitive variables ant they are meaning, choice, impact and competence. Besides, when literature dealing with the individual and organizational results of the delegation of authority is analyzed, in some studies (Leana, 1986, Schriesheim, Neider, Scandura, 1998) it has been proved that the delegation of authority increases the job satisfaction and performance of the subordinate‘s whereas in others (Webber, Morgan and Browne, 1985, Pellegrini, Scandura, 2006) it has been proved that it has a negative effect or no effect on performance and satisfaction. Studying the delegation of authority in terms of leadership, Bass (1990) affirms that transformational leaders use the delegation of authority to improve their employees and laissez-faire leaders use it to avoid blame for possible failure. Nelson (2004) puts forward that some supervisors refrain delegation of authority because they are afraid of employees‘ getting more powerful or some managers practice delegation of authority too much, even do not know what is going on in their departments or shirk their duties by forcing employees to do everything. This situation proves that the delegation of authority can be used as social loafing tool by the supervisors. Social loafing has a negative effect in organizations. After employees compare their own contributions to those of ‗‗perceived loafers,‘‘ they become motivated to reduce their own efforts or they slack off (Hung, Chi and Lui, 2009). Thus the inconsistency in previous findings prompted us to search the perception of subordinates regarding the delegation of authority. In the light of these approaches, it‘s important to understand how employees perceive the delegation of authority performed by their managers. 32 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. The main aim of this study is to make it clear whether the subordinates view the delegation of authority as a psychological empowerment or as a superior‘s social loafing tool. Given these purposes, the study tested two major hypothesized relationships: H1: Delegation will be positively related to psychological empowerment. H2: Delegation will be positively related to supervisor‘s social loafing. Methodology Sample The research has been conducted in a public organization which performed a group work in Ankara. In this study, the data was from the group members (subordinates), by means of survey questionnaire forms. We distributed our survey questionnaires to the whole organization consisting of 300 employees. In order to protect the confidentiality of the respondents, completed questionnaires were returned directly to the researchers in sealed envelopes. 243 of the employees returned their questionnaires. The response rate was %81. Measures Psychological empowerment was measured using a 12-item instrument developed by Spreitzer (1995). (Coefficient alpha for the scale score was 0.90). Social loafing was measured using a 13-item instrument developed by Ülke (2006). (Coefficient alpha for the scale score was 0.88). Perceived delegation was measured using a 6-item instrument developed by Schreism (1988). (Coefficient alpha for the scale score was 0.80). All survey items had a five-point response format. Subordinates rated their level of agreement with each item. Results The hypotheses concerning main effects were tested by conducting regression analyses. Table 1 Regression Analyses Unstandardized Standardized Model Coefficients Coefficients B Beta 1(a) (Constant) 3,433 Delegation ,188 ,227 2(b) (Constant) 2,691 Delegation -,130 -,142 a Dependent Variable: P. Empowerment b. Dependent Variable: S. Social Loafing *p<0,001 Sig. ,000 ,000 ,000 ,026 It suggested that there was a significant positive impact of delegation on the perception of psychological empowerment (β =0.227 p<0,001) and a significant negative impact of delegation on 33 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. the perception of supervisor‘s social loafing (β =-0.142 p<0,001)(See Table 1). (Hypothesis 2 was supported, Hypothesis 1 was rejected) Discussion This study suggested that a significant positive impact of delegation on the perception of psychological empowerment and a significant negative impact of delegation on the perception of supervisor‘s social loafing. This conclusion supports the Knock‘s and et. all. (2000) study which emphasizes a positive relation between the delegation of authority and psychological empowerment. According to this conclusion, the delegation of authority can be proposed that managers should delegate more authority to their subordinates. It can be pointed that one of the reasons which lead to positive delegation of authority and psychological empowerment is close to the relationship between the employees and the managers. In the literature, some of the studies (Liden, Wayne, Sparrowe, Pellegrini, Scandura, 2006) have been conducted to show the positive link between leader-member exchange and delegation (Ansari, Bui, Aafaqi, 2007). In future research, it can propose to investigate the moderation effect of the subordinate-supervisor relationship on the perception of delegation of authority as a supervisor‘s social loafing tool or psychological empowerment. On the other hand, this is the first field study on deciding whether the delegation of authority is a tool for social loafing of the supervisor or not. It is supposed to be helpful for future studies as a practical source. References 1. Ansari M. A., Bui L.B., Aafaqi R. (2007). Leader- Member Exchange and Work Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Perceived Delegation in the Malaysian Business Context, Presented at the Academy of Management (International Management Division), Philadelphia. 2. Ansari M. A., Bui L.B., Aafaqi R. (2009). Perceived Delegation and Work Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Cultural Orientations in the Malaysian Business Context, Academy of Management, and Chicago. 3. Bass, B. M. (1990). Bass and Stogdill‘s Handbook of Leadership (3 nd ed.), New York: Free Press. 4. Conger, J. A., Kanungo, R. N. (1988). The Empowerment Process: Integrating Theory and practice, Academy of Management Review, 3: 471-482. 5. Nelson R.B. (2004). Çalışanlara Yetki Verme, Çeviri: E. Sabri Yarmalı, Hayat Yayıncılık, İstanbul. 6. Hung T. K., Chi N. W., Lu W. N. (2009). Exploring the Relationships between Perceived Coworker Loafing and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: The Mediating Role of a Revenge Motive, Journal of Business Psychology, 24: 257–270. 7. Konczack, L.J., Stelly, D.J. and Trusty, M.L. (2000), Defining And Measuring Empowering Leaders Behaviors: Development of Upward Feedback Instrument, In Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60: 301-313. 8. Leana, C. R. (1986). Predictors and Consequences of Delegation. Academy of Management Journal, 29: 754-774. 34 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 9. Pellegrini E. K., Scandura T. A. (2006). Leader- member Exchange (LMX), Paternalism and Delegation in the Turkish Business Culture: An Empirical Investigation, Journal of International Business Studies, 37: 264-279. 10. Schriesheim C.A., Neider L. L., Scandura T. A. (1998). Delegation and Leader-member Exchange: Main Effects, Moderators and Measurement Issues, Academy of Management Journal, 41: 298-318. 11. Spreitzer G. M. (1995). Psychological Empowerment in the Work Place: Dimensions, Measurment and Validation, Academy of Management Journal, 38: 1442-1465. 12. Thomas K V., Velthouse B. A., (1990). Cognitive Elements of Empowerment: An Interpretive Model of Intrinsic Task Motivation, The Academy of Management Review, 15(4): 666-681. 13. Ülke H. (2006). Investigating the Role of Personality and Justice Perceptions on Social Loafing, A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School of Social Sciences of Middle East Technical University, Ankara. 14. Webber, R. A., Morgan, M. A. and Browne, P. C. (1985). Management--Basic Elements of Managing Organizations. Chicago, IL, Richard D. Irwin. 15. Whetten D., Cameron K. And Woods M. (1996). Effective Empowerment& Delegation, Harper Collins Publishers, USA. 16. Yukl G., Fu P. P. (1999). Determinants of Delegation and Consultation by Managers, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 20: 219-232. 35 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. THE GLOBALIZATION OF WORLD ECONOMY – DILEMMAS AND CHALLENGES Jasmina Ćetković University of Montenegro Faculty of Economics Jovana Tomańevića, 37, Podgorica, Montenegro E-mail: jasmina@ac.me Milos Ţarković NLB Montenegrobanka Ulica bratstva jedinstva, 2/4, Podgorica, Montenegro E-mail: milosza@yahoo.co.uk Abstract: In this document are presented political, economic, social and cultural aspects of globalization. Positive and negative effects of globalization on the economic and overall social welfare will be explored. This document contains successful examples of global economies, as well as impact of globalization on countries in transition. Since the increase of multinational companies is one of the essential features of economic globalization, part of the document is devoted to the consideration of their role in this process. At the end this document, there will be presented challenges which will expect us in that process in future. Key words: globalization, global economy, aspects of globalization, the effects of globalization, dilemmas and challenges. “If you are fast at saying yes, you will be fast at saying no” (German saying) Introduction Global events lead us to search for possible answers: What is globalization, global, worldwide recognized...? Also, the question is what are the political, economic, social, cultural visions and interests that carry the current development of society in the future on. These are just some of the questions asked, and that is not easy to answer, or even do not have it. Like all things and phenomena, and globalization has its positive and negative sides. It is therefore both difficult and easy to talk about the process. The essential characteristics of this process are the duality, bipolarity, comparative progress and regress, "light" and "dark" side. 36 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. What is indisputable is that globalization is a phenomenon that has become reality that touches our lives and causes strong debates about whether it brings more benefits or vice versa. Also, there is no doubt that globalization in economic terms (but not only economic), reduces or abolishes the barriers to international economic exchange, increasing economic integration among countries. The fact is that so called "Second round of globalization" (Friedman, 1999) in form and intensity of globalization fundamentally differs from the "first round of globalization" (prior to 1914). Although it was not easy to classify the leading theories of globalization and to cover all the different approaches to this phenomenon (Mittelman, 2002), we can say that two general trends of globalization have separated, in which many variants are present. Even though, it is generally accepted and widely used and provides an easier theoretical orientation of the phenomenon called globalization, this division in any case cannot serve as a rigid, rough division with strict boundaries (Held and McGrew, 2000). Many authors who have dealt with this issue cannot be classified in one direction, it would be, given the attitudes and understanding of certain issues related to globalization, could equally divided into two and even three directions. The first direction includes authors who see globalization as an ideological mask that conceals real processes occurring under the auspices of the transformation of the capitalist system and that are crystallized in the literature and named "skeptics". It should be noted sociologist Wallestrein's view (Robinson, 2011) who stressed that "the discourse (globalization) is actually a huge lack of understanding of contemporary reality – deception imposed by powerful groups" (Wallerstein, 2000). In the Wallestrein‘s opinion a discourse of globalization leads to misunderstanding of the real crisis the world is in. This direction belongs to all the authors who believe the myth of globalization, the authors of the traditional school of international relations, as well as the authors arguing that globalization is not an unprecedented phenomenon, since similar integration of the world economy was before. The second direction is in the theoretical, methodological and even ideological part of the more versatile. It consists of authors who emphasize their stance width, depth and intensity of the changes that have occurred in recent times no doubt in all spheres of social life. Their interpretation is known as globalization, given the exclusivity of the attitudes and approaches, they are known as "hyper globalists". This direction was marked by Levitt, Ohmae, Strange, Friedman and others. The essential difference between them is expressed through the division of the supporters of this movement on so called "positive" and "negative" hyper globalists. Proponents of theory modernization and the classical Marx‘s approach perceive the concept of globalization, on the one hand, as a continuation of imperialism, Westernization or even Americanization of the world, on the other hand, as a continuation of imperialism and colonialism. Both concepts are present in those 37 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. who are positively related to globalization, as well as those who "attack" it. We point out that supporters of traditional theoretical concepts have more dominant influence in the scientific sense, but this effect is present and has a strong impact on the layman's understanding of contemporary global processes. This theoretical understanding of globalization belongs to the authors who deal with international relations which have tried to correct some shortcomings of the classical model of modernization. This progress has come to the fore through the redefinition of international relations map that occurred after the end of the Cold War. However, the classic edition of this movement insists on the national state as the basic analytical unit, and whether supporters of this line belong to the "skeptics" or "hyper globalists", they all belong together to the international relation. Theoretically, the most diluted direction is the consisting of authors who, despite of all the differences, like the fact that they accept the concept of globalization as a concept that can best describe the relationship with the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. It is far more moderate option (so-called "golden mean"), known in the theory as "transformationists". Globalization, according to the authors who belong to this direction and repugnant contingency process (Held et al, 1999), which is characterized by ambiguity and uncertainty, and cannot be treated as a state of complete and stable order (that is treated by the "hyper globalists"). Different Aspects of Globalization Intense process of political integration of sovereign community board is present in the so called political globalization. This process was intensified by the fact that a growing number of issues of economic, military, ecological, cultural character are to be dealt with outside the national boundaries of individual states. In that way number of ―horizontal networks‖ is increasing, while the "vertical networks" are strengthening as networks of supranational political institutions globally resolve certain issues. The theory is treating largely redefined the role of government and some are prone to consider the ultimate end state and its role (Douglas, 1998). Developments in the modern world strongly delete the boundaries between countries, often denying them, making them blurred and propulsive. Responds to the current common problems, such as ecology, human rights, terrorism, drugs, etc., increasingly require cooperation among countries through various forms of political connections, such as bilateral agreements, international regimes, agencies, cooperation, and various other forms of networking. We are witnessing a process of creating transnational "para-state" in the form of a supranational political governance that creates a unique global space. It is therefore, the intricate symbiosis of politics and the economy are getting stronger globally. 38 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. The most intense and most obvious aspect of globalization is the economic aspect. The globalization of economic flows was first associated topic of the globalization. There is no doubt that this aspect of globalization has led to growing economic integration and obtained the global connections and ideological grounding of economic development to neoliberalism and market fundamentalism. Three regional blocs in the world economy have been created (USA, EU and Asia) and three international economic institutions (IMF, WB and WTO) that have a strong influence on international economic relations. This aspect of globalization limited the role of sovereign nationstate, market expansion over the entire planet without visible boundaries of the process, the accumulation of wealth in fewer and fewer countries, and growing disparities between rich and poor. More than 20 years ago, "farsighted" economists have predicted the creation of new, global economy, which is obviously different in many ways compared to the widely accepted international economy. Also, it is obvious that transnational capital does not have much understanding for social policy, equal care for all population layers, especially for those who are not able to generate profit. No matter on the remarkable economic prosperity to which the economic aspect of globalization led, it is obvious that the benefits are not even close to fairly distributed (Arifovic, 2010). However, globalization is not an option (alternative), it is inevitable. Certain issues must be resolved through such international order in which the powers and freedom of the state, corporations and individuals will be more clearly defined, so that by the state could provide adequate protection. After global economic crisis it is more than clear that the basic attitudes and concepts of neo-liberal economists have to be modified and amended, and the role of the state restored and strengthened, especially in certain spheres of social life. Apart political and economic aspects of globalization, it is no less important and interesting to consider relationship between social policy and globalization, and social aspects of globalization (Świątkowski, 2011). The liberalization of the economy at the macro level has led to increasing inequality between and within countries, the growth of poverty, increased level of vulnerability of people due to social risks (crime, unemployment). In the pre-globalization period, the autonomy of managing national economies gave states the option to determine their own destiny. However, the process of globalization in many ways had an impact on this situation. Popularity in over-budget spending declined (due to the withdrawal of foreign capital), ability of states to create their own tax policy was reduced (due to significant competitive low tax rates), possibility of independent development of certain strategic sectors and industries declined, TNCs are heavily infiltrated with capital, technology and management in many countries, creating the economic environment. At the end of this review the cultural aspects of globalization will be discussed. Culture, discussed in the context of globalization means the awareness of belonging to the world 39 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. community. All this leads to homogenization of tastes, lifestyles, languages, etc. In this way, cultural differences disappear (Kirmse, 2010), and the brands are treated as "own". On the other hand, the same process leads to the formation of powerful monopolies in the production of technical and technological means to produce the world's cultures. The concentration of power is expressed in the world's news agencies, and about 90% of total world production of information the press, radio and television is the product of a few international news agencies. The vast machinery of media monopoly and create awareness of reality and shaping public opinion (Mitu, 2011), and no doubt create awareness of hyper-reality and artificial reality. Unlimited possibilities of information technology and the Internet (Borghoff, 2011), have extended the dispersion of culture. We can conclude that the cultural dimensions of globalization (Ghosh, 2011) as a powerful global industry have become a key lever of the global order of power. Positive and Negative Effects of Globalization Bearing in mind that globalization is repugnant process (Pichler, 2012), we believe that the objective can only be considered by examining the positive and negative effects of this process. Certainly, the current world economic crisis has demonstrated the advantages, and the boundaries (limits) and the weaknesses of globalization. Simultaneously, this crisis has confirmed the thesis of the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the developed countries and developing countries and transition economies in addressing key development issues of the world economy. Obviously, the extent of the crisis overcomes capabilities of one country. So, "global response" to open the perspective for a dynamic and sustainable economic growth and development in the world is needed. Even the existence of numerous dilemmas, the positive effects of globalization on the economic and social prosperity are indisputable. Some of the main positive economic impacts of this process are: the growth of international integration of markets of goods, services and capital, which is achieved due to the unprecedented scope and intensity of world trade, global financial flows and the production of transnational corporations (Held and McGrew, 2000); the encouragement of a new global division of labor, which is due to a number of manufacturing processes to reallocate global scale (Dicken, 1998); greater freedom of movement of goods (lowering barriers to international flows of goods and services, which resulted in increased interest in international specialization has led to rapid expansion of international economic transactions); 40 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. strengthening the intensity of international competition the radical reduction of transport and communication costs (Strange, 1996) due to significant investments in infrastructure (road networks, ports and airports, warehouses, modern equipment and technology, etc.); the efficient allocation of savings, and greater mobilization of savings through a more open approach to the increasing number of financial instruments in different markets financial globalization (International Economy, 2011; Singh, 2012); easy access to foreign products allows to opt between a wide quality range at lower the strong integration of national economies into the world economy through trade; the higher education level (Hickman and Olney, 2011; Koirala-Azad and Blundell, cost; 2011). On the other hand many negative effects of this process are acknowledged (Andreas, 2011, Dewhurst et al, 2011). Some of the most important are: globalization, in the opinion of many brings many benefits that are not allocated either automatically or evenly across countries globalization promotes deregulation, and reduces the role of nation states (Chase- Dunn, 1999; Scholte, 2001), which opens a real danger to enter into the zone of laissez-faire capitalism, which can lead to riots; intensification of speculative activities lead speculators to make money by switching certain factors of production from countries where they are cheaper into countries where they are more expensive, while producers locate their factories where it is cheapest (Soleyman, 2010; Plut, 2008) and labor - underage workers, extended working hours; the threatened political and economic sovereignty and the creation of globalism as an ideological concept that brings a universal standard for the whole world; the pandemic spread of the economic crisis and other negative areas in the whole world, such as organized crime (Das and DiRienzo, 2009), terrorism, drug addiction ... Like any other process, globalization certainly has both positive and negative effects. Regardless of what some theorists are inclined to a preference of one or other effects, we believe that this process most objectively viewed in the light of both effects (Irani et. al., 2011; Schuller, 2011). Also, many problems are attributed to globalization, although the source of these problems is away from the globalization process. We can speak of how globalization should contribute to this solution, if it wants to carry the characteristics of universality and integrity on. 41 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. The Effect of Globalization on Countries in Transition All factors of globalization have much stronger effect on "small" country, than on the big one. Smaller countries are typically dependent on foreign trade than larger, which makes any change in the world economy to have a significant impact on the economies of small countries. Some authors have tended to emphasize the generally negative effects of globalization on developing countries in transition, such as the "brain drain", the increase in poverty and inequality and high levels of corruption (Ńliburytė, Masteikienė, 2011). However, for countries in transition, globalization is an additional challenge, given that there is a dilemma of whether to engage in this process or not, the question is just how to do it. Proper identification of causes and effects of the globalization process is letting transition countries to successfully implement the transition process. One of the key transition elements of the transition economies is certainly their reintegration into the global economy. The data show that these countries had GDP per capita at the level up to two thirds of income earned in the most developed countries of Western Europe, and after several decades long stage of socialism and centrally planned economic management remained far behind them. In the last years of transition progress has been made in liberalizing trade and financial arrangements, although there are significant differences between countries in the volume of commercial transactions. The largest number of countries has removed restrictions and took steps to liberalize financial flows. Reintegration of transition economies into the global economy is well underway. The success of this process varies from country to country. According to the World Bank's data higher results were achieved in trade in relation to financial flows. It is inevitable integration of transition countries into the global flows in a manner which will formulate its strategy of national development and to determine their comparative advantages in terms of the "new economy". The Role of Transnational Companies (TNCs) in the Process of Globalization The presence of transnational companies in the global economy is highly significant (Costea et. al, 2011). Their distinctive development is marked by strong economic growth in the postwar period. Most Western economists and politicians with the right support the important role of TNCs. At the same time these companies represent a serious threat to social and economic well-being of employees, small businesses and local communities. From the other side, it can be heard just the opposite: the increase in exports, the growth rate of employment and high earnings. TNC host countries are interpreting two ways and contrary to its role. These countries realize that foreign direct investments attracted capital and valuable technologies in the country, 42 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. but, on the other hand, there is a real risk of exploitation and domination by these powerful companies. What is indisputable is an evident large influence of transnational corporations in shaping today's political and economic. Also, these companies lead to increase the world's wealth (through better allocation of resources and higher productivity) and have a great impact on the global distribution of wealth and economic activities among national economies. It is hard to say how their work contributes to the increase in overall welfare. Just because the global system, you might say, favors the realization of the objectives of transnational companies, the rules and regulations that are fair and just, devote equal attention to the poor and the powerful, and that reflects feelings of social justice. How to realize such an idea? On the other hand, governments of developed countries need to establish more effective mechanisms for monitoring TNCs to make them more accountable for their actions in developing countries. Conclusions Globalization has become a usual topic in analyzes of contemporary social processes. During its treatment many "fall" into a trap on the fact that globalization is a "magic wand" that is the cure for many diseases and problems. However, it is true that globalization and economic liberalization, bring some positive effects, but also certain social and political issues that are the result of the global functioning of the world economy. In this regard, a number of authors rightfully view globalization as a controversial phenomenon (Nayak, 2011). What is the only sure is that globalization cannot be stopped. However, there are number of those who believe that should do it functional (Brown, 2008). It is an open question how to affirm its positive effects, and limit or stop negative ones. International financial institutions should show its active role in addressing development, stabilization, financial, monetary and similar problems of member countries in the upcoming period. Time will tell whether financial institutions in managing the process of globalization succeeded in achieving its founding mission or not. On the other hand, the global economic crisis, is now certainly, opened space for the regulation of economic trends at the national level, where necessary and where it is not possible to regulate it with classical and efficient economic institutions (especially in the use of global, financial, human, organizational innovation, and resources). This is perhaps one way of preserving globalization as a process (Rodrik, 2007). However, it is quite wrong to conclude that the current relativization of neo-liberal doctrine and effort to establish it will lead to the end of globalization which represents inevitable and unstoppable process of modern economic developments and the overall social trends. 43 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. References 1. Andreas P. (2011). Illicit Globalization: Myths, Misconceptions, and Historical Lessons, Political Science Quarterly, 126(3). 2. Arifovic A. 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THE MANAGING THE BRAND TRUSTS IN LITHUANIAN COMPANIES Migle Eleonora Ĉernikovaitė Mykolas Romeris University Ateities str. 20 LT-08303 Vilnius; Lithuania E-mail: miglec@mruni.eu Abstract: The post-recession period leads to the changes in the market, where the consumers tend to be more critical to the companies and expressing their trust views towards brands of the companies. The brand trust research studies world-wide has showed that strongest position of trust has the technology sector, while the financial services experienced the dramatic decrease in the consumers trust in the past few years The business, which is lack of consumer confidence, forced to ask themselves the question – how to behave, that brand trust could be returned to the previous position. Therefore, aim of this article is to analyse the brand trust situation in Lithuania and to prepare the proposals how to manage the factors, influencing brand trust of Lithuanian companies. Keywords: Trust, Reputation, Research studies, Social Responsibility, Post-recession period. Introduction Previous financial crisis have changed the whole business world. Private and public sector now faces a high level of scepticism from the society today. According to Edelman Trust Barometer study, which was carried out in 23 countries, has showed the decrease of common level of trust in business this year up to 56 percent. But it can vary from country to country depending on the country's economic situation and development. (Edelman, 2011) Recent trust and reputation research studies in Lithuania have showed that Lithuanians values the business honesty and transparency, constant and open communication. However, only 4 percent of respondents believe that business in Lithuania is fair, 15 percent thinks – the business is more honest than dishonest, 42 percent believes that business more dishonest than honest, 31 percent agrees that business is unfair, 8 percent have no opinion (Zukauskas, 2009). In conclusion, the trust study in Lithuania has showed important factors of brand that are: honesty and transparency, good financial performance and the social responsibility. Aim of this article is to analyse the situation of brand trust in Lithuania and to propose how to manage the brand trust in business companies in post- recession period. Objectives of the article is to analyze the theoretical concepts of brand trust and the influencing factors, to overview the 46 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. situation of the trust in Lithuania and foreign countries and submit the proposals for the brands trust management. Research methods used in this article: the systematic, comparative, logical synthesis and analysis of scientific literature. Literature Review The concept of trust usually associated with the company's openness and honesty to the society and it‘s supported with good quality of goods and services and financial performance of the companies. This supports the importance of maintaining good reputation of the company, also the competence of contact persons and the social responsibility. According to Sztompka (1999), the most common definition of trust includes two main components: the extraordinary expectations and belief in the company‘s actions whatever they do. The concept of brand trust was also examined by many authors:, Putnam (2001), Hooghe, Stolle (2003), Koca (2007), Matzler and others (2008). Continuing with brand trust the main research was made by Papadopoulou et al. (2003), Chaudhuri and Holbrook, (2005) DelgadoBallester (2007) and others has formulated the concept of brand trust there is extremely important for increasing customers' loyalty towards brands. As a result, a low brand trust may counterbalance high brand satisfaction to reduce the probability of purchase of a product or service. In contrast, a high level of brand trust may ultimately convert a satisfied customer into a loyal one, which lead to the company profits and better market position. The main goal of building brand trust in the market is to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and enhance a business performance. Many researchers have a consensus that brand trust could be established through a combination of good reputation, offering good quality of goods and services, and communication through the word-of-mouth, advertising, and brand image (DelgodoBallester and Munuera-Alemán, 2007, Chaudhuri et al., 2005). By creating a culture of trust in the company it is likely needed to ensure effective and positive interaction between people, groups and institutions. Many researchers have investigated the behaviour of social groups: Putnam and Goss 2002, Ņiliukaite, 2004, Hong-Youl Ha, 2007, Matzler, 2008 and others. And came to the conclusion that trust is created through long-term relationships between different social groups. An analysis of the theoretical aspects of brand trust, explains the fact that the more we trust the company the more visible consumers faith in the good business performance, quality of goods and services, social responsibility and it might be transformed to the long term brand loyalty (Ha, 47 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 2007). Also may be added, that the major indicator of trust in company‘s management is reputation estimates and brand equity which is the total assets in general (Hahn and Kim, 2009) World vs. Lithuania Companies‟ Situation Analysis The business confidence studies showed the critical results in 2009, when global financial crises have reached its highness. Edelman trust barometer research study in 2009 has showed that 62 percent of respondents trust less the business companies than 2008. The study indentified a strong correlation between trust in the company and its sales. 77 percent respondents admitted about their critical opinion about the distrust companies to their friends and colleagues. 66 percent respondents admitted that business should cooperate with governments in solving problems: as energy consumption, global warming and access to health care services. (Edelman, 2011) The same study held in 2010 showed the stabilized situation of people's trust attitudes to various organizations. This study revealed the increased confidence in the business from 54 percent to 56 percent, but also smaller, but growing confidence in the authorities' actions since 47 percent up to 52 percent. According to the research, the world's consumers tend to rely on non-governmental organizations in post-crisis period. The levels of trust are very unequal across countries (Figure1). The so-called developing countries - Brazil, India and China - the people's business confidence has been holding up relatively well during the year continued to increase. In advanced industrial countries - Britain, U.S., France and Germany - trust for the private sector is much lower. 100 Trust ratio in different countries, 2010-2011, % 2010 2011 80,5 61 68 70 58 65 61 60 56 53 40 50 52 36 48 55 47 49 44 42 40 0 Brazil India Italy China Japon Germany France USA UK Russia Figure 1. Trust ratio in business activities in different countries in 2010-2011 Source: Edelman Trust Barometer 2011 48 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. The brand trust is strongly influenced by social and economic factors. According to Edelmans study, businesses today face with such indifference and skepticism that never before. For example, for people to have confidence in any message, it must be repeated 10 times. The reason for that were the financial crisis in 2009 and the corporate fiscal scandals in some large European countries in 2010. Lithuanian place according to Edelmans Trus Barometer study, 2011, would be at somewhere between Russia, Poland and Sweden, which the trust in business is likely to be one of the smaller ones. This rate determines the overall trends and economic situation- the weak consumption, unsafety (Matuliauskas, 2011). The Edelman‘s quantitative research study results showed that the financial sector has experienced the biggest drop in trust. The respondents tend to trust the technology industry the most (Figure 2). Also the car industry is starting to regain confidence, lost during the economic crisis the trust in the sector increased by 17 percent points in 2 years. Figure 2. Trust dividends in different industries, 2011 Source: Edelman Trust Barometer 2011 According to Edelmans trust barometer survey, the major obstacles of business development are the budget deficit, unstable economic growth, over-regulated business and growing unemployment rate. (ekonomika.lt, 2011). As for Lithuania, a few quantitative and no one qualitative research are made to show the brand trust situation in Lithuania. The few are made by Lithuanian Department of Statistics. The first one is the customer confidence indicator, that show the material situation of the households and 49 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. their future expectations and the second is the economic confidence indicator that focus on the situation characterized by prices, unemployment and general economic factors of the country. According Lithuanian Department of Statistics, the economic confidence indicator in 2011, compared to 2010, increased by 16 percentage points. Industrial confidence indicator rose by 8 percentage points in the service sector - 27, construction - 25, consumer and retail trade - by 16 percentage points. The customer confidence indicators rose by 3 percentage points according to the survey, because the respondents were optimistic about the prospects of unemployment rate, their household financial situation and the prospects of economic growth over the next 12 months. However, the confidence indicator has been affected by the change in the economy and more optimistic than a year ago the financial situation of the household projections (investar.lt, 2011) Confidence between the commercial banks, businesses and households declined significantly fast at the end of 2008. The economic downturn influenced the general distrust in the market, the first who has experienced the outcomes were the entrepreneurs who were banned from access of loans from banks and many went bankrupt and forced to dismiss workers. Some business which was trusted as good employees a year ago, during the crisis were closed and contributed to grow of global distrust. (Sedlauskiene, 2011). The second big decline in brand trust, especially in banks sector was observed at the end of 2011, then the Bank Snoras went bankrupt, and thousand of depositors and SME companies were cuted from their deposits before Christmas. The impact was observable in the whole market, retail business, and fuel market and energy sector. The brand trust building factors The reputation survey held in by Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, in 2012 has measured brand trust ratio in business performance and presented the factors of building brand trust, which are: vision and leadership, financial performance, product and services quality, workplace and environment; social responsibility, emotional appeal (Figure 3). 50 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Six brand reputation dimensions Vision and leadership Social Responsability Emotional Appeal Financial performance Product and services quality Workplace and environment; Figure 3. Six brand trust and reputation dimensions, 2012 Source: Rachlevičius, 2012 The study is being held by making qualitative research on different global brands. The study stated that quality service is the foundation of band trust. The study showed that brand reputation and its factors plays the key role of brand trust as a variable that generates customers‘ commitment. This effect is can be observed especially in situations of high involvement of customers, in which its effect is stronger in comparison to overall satisfaction. According to the study, Apple is major brand which has the most trust from the consumers in 2012. Managing of Brand Trust in the Companies Lithuanian companies could adopt the best experience of the international companies by managing brand trust. Managing the brand trust of the company, it means to encourage customers the confidentiality in business performance, the quality of goods, extensive exchange of information and experience, also to create the stability and to take care of social responsibility. The good business performance indicator of trust in every company is total assets. If growing managed asset in the company, so trust is definitely persist. The trust and cooperation can be affected by the information about the company‘s reputation and brand equity which are the non-material element of company‘s assets. The other indicator of quality of goods and services is willingness to recommend them to the others and wow-of mouth, especially in social media. The Lithuanian companies should think of the social responsibility, where special emphasis should be made on society and ecological problems by encouraging the cooperation of the scientific, education and training, promoting public participation, regional authorities, business and 51 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. non-governmental organizations and private organizations. The developed partnerships should support various public projects and non-governmental organizations. And the local authorities should provide information on existing international sources of funding for community initiatives. The studies of brand trust proposed to improve and promote the public image of Lithuanian companies, because if the company has a good image, it becomes visible in the market, gaining higher confidence of customers and partners. Creation of good image and reputation is one of the key business objectives of communication activities. Incorrectly selected the company's imagebuilding strategy and poor communication activities may damage the reputation of the company. The more people interact, the more trust and mutual understanding is built. The return on investment to shareholders is 3 times high in the trust organizations than the low-trust organizations. Conclusions Analysis of the theoretical concepts of brand trust has showed the fact - the more we trust the company the more visible consumers faith in the good business performance, quality of goods and services, social responsibility and it might be transformed to the long term brand loyalty. The more we trust each other, the closer we can work together. Brand trust is initiated when the company have collaborative efforts with consumer rather than individual goals According to the international research, the people trust business and government less after the global financial crisis which affected global economic crises. The levels of trust are very unequal across countries and the industries. The so-called developing countries - Brazil, India and China - the people's business confidence has been holding up relatively well during the year continued to increase. In advanced industrial countries - Britain, U.S., France and Germany – trust in business is much lower. The most trusted industries are technology and car manufacturing, the less trusted- the financial sector and banking, which has a lot of to regain in the post recession period. A few customers‘ confidence surveys have showed that the brand trust is very low in Lithuania. None of the corporate sector can boast of very high level of consumer trust indicators. And after the bankruptcy of Bank of Snoras in 2011 it is even worse. The large businesses and famous brands can‘t regain the trust in couple of years. The studies showed that Lithuanians prefer the smaller service providers, because of their flexible adaptation for market changes. Although the article provides some insight into the way in which factors affecting consumer perceptions on brand trust and reputation interact to influence brand trust outcomes, it has certain limitations because it. The future studies should be taken by focusing on banking, financial services, energy or media business sectors which is showed the biggest drop in brand trust. Next step is 52 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. intended to make a field research to identify the perception of the customers about the brands that take place in those sectors and also identify the main factors of brand trust in different sectors in Lithuania. References 1. Delgado-Ballester E., Munuera-Alemán J., (2001),"Brand trust in the context of consumer loyalty", European Journal of Marketing, 35(11): 1238 – 1258. 2. Grįņta pasitikėjimas verslu [The trust in business is back] (2011). [Accessed 17/02/2012] http://www.ekonomika.lt/naujiena/grizta-pasitikejimas-verslu-4085.html?page=1 3. Edelman Trust Barometer (2011). [Accessed 17/02/2012] http://www.edelman.com/trust/2011/ 4. Hong-Youl Ha, (2004) "Factors influencing consumer perceptions of brand trust online", Journal of Product & Brand Management, 13(5): 329 – 342. 5. Matuliauskas A. (2011). The trust capital/ Pasitikėjimo kapitalas. [Accessed 07/01/2011] http://iq.lt/titulinis/pasitikejimo-kapitalas-2/. 6. Pasitikėjimas verslu sumaņėjo 62%. (2009). [Accessed 17/02/2012]. (http://www.verslokryptis.lt/lt/naujienos/lietuva/pasitikejimas-verslu-sumazejo -62-percent /). 7. Putnam R.D. (2000). Bowling Alone. The Collapse and Revival of American Community, N.Y. London, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore, Simon & Schuster, 2000. 8. Putnam R. Goss A. (2002). Bowling alone: the collapse and revival of American community. N.Y.: Simon. 9. Rachlevičius V. (2012). Geriausia reputacija-„Apple― [Accessed 12/02/2012] http://poziuris.eversus.lt/naujienos/2374 10. Sedlauskienė A. (2011). The evaluation of trust in the company [Pasitikėjimo verslo įmonėje vertinimas] Verslo nuosavybės ekonomikos magistro baigiamasis darbas. Vadovas prof. Dr. I. Mačerinskienė. – Vilnius: Mykolo Romerio universitetas, Ekonomikos ir finansų valdymo fakultetas, 2011. 90 p. 11. Sztompka P. (1999). Trust. A Sociological Theory, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1999. 12. Vartotojų pasitikėjimas 2011 m. balandį padidėjo 3 procentiniais punktais (2011). [Accessed 17/02/2012] http://investar.lt/ekonomika/tendencijos/4525-vartotoju-pasitikejimas-2011-mbalandi-padidejo-3-procentiniais-punktais/ 13. Ņukauskas G. (2009). The speed of trust. [Accessed 17/02/2011]. http://www.slideshare.net/TimeForLeaders/giedrius-ukauskas-pasitikjimo-greitis-6208736) 53 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. OBSTACLES TO GREEN ELECTRICITY GENERATION BUSINESS Arta Denina¹, Janis Zvanitajs² Riga Technical University Faculty of Engineering and Management Meza str. 1/7, Riga, LV-1048, Latvia E-mail: ¹arta.denina@gmail.com, ²janis.zvanitajs@rtu.lv Abstract. Investment in green electricity generation is normally associated with certain risk. There are several risks that have to be taken into account and seriously analyzed before the investment decision. Typically one can distinguish risks related to technology, risks related to electricity market, risks related to legislative and political frameworks. Many authors distinguish public support as an important risk category. Often risks transform into real obstacles to start-up and operation of green electricity generation business. The paper particularly looks into investment capital and electricity generation costs as key obstacles to competitiveness of green electricity generation business. Investment costs and operation costs of green technologies are compared against those of fossil fuel technologies. The paper concludes that only in certain cases green electricity generation can compete with electricity generation from the traditional energy sources such as gas, coal or nuclear power. Keywords: renewable energy sources, investment and operation costs, competitiveness, risk Introduction Investment in electricity generation is associated with certain risk and uncertainty. Investment security is a concern for all investors. There are many factors that influence investment security and that have to be taken into account and seriously analyzed before the investment decision can be made (Kramina, 2012). The economic performance of a specific energy source determines its ability to establish market place (ECOFYS, 2010). Electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES) is different from electricity generation in its traditional meaning. These sources represent variable output which makes it difficult to plan cash flow since producers cannot run their plants at maximum capacity. Nevertheless, today electricity generation landscape is undergoing significant change. Transformation from electricity generation based on fossil fuels such as gas and coal to electricity from renewable energy sources (RES-e) is evident (Ministry of Economy, 2010). Installed RES capacities are increasing (European Commission, 2010). Many, 54 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. including IEA, EWEA, EURELECTRIC and others believe that this trend will continue in the future. Technology learning curves and global energy policy change will support this development. There is an evident interest in investment in green electricity technologies due to economic, social and environmental gains (National Academy of Sciences, 2009). Despite the fact that it is often very difficult to compare electricity generation costs of different power technologies because of very complex financial structures of power projects, in general one can say that RES-e generation costs per unit of electricity are higher than those of a fossil or a nuclear power plant (Royal Academy of Engineering, 2008; National Academy of Sciences, 2009). There is no single set on electricity generation cost. Electricity generation costs differ from technology to technology on a global scale and are influenced by many factors, including operation mode, efficiency, fuel price, capacity factor, etc. However, there are not many When looking at electricity generation costs, it is important to mention their structure, since the cost structure influence the cost of electricity. The cost structure of electricity generation is different from technology to technology. Investment and operation costs, on one hand, and revenues from selling the produced electricity, on the other, are key elements in the analysis of economic sustainability of a RES-e generation business project. Data on investment and operation costs help to calculate RES-e generation costs. In economic theory the concept of levelized costs of electricity is commonly used to assess competitiveness of different electricity generating technologies. Levelized cost of electricity shows the average cost to generate one unit of electricity during the life cycle of a power plant. It takes into account capital costs, fuel costs, O&M costs and CO2 costs. The concept of levelized cost of electricity helps an investor to calculate time to recover investment when there are no specific market or technology risks (IEA, 2010). Literature Review The number of publicly available sources on electricity generation cost is very limited. There are only few sources that provide comprehensive information on electricity generation cost data. This explains why only few authors have looked into this aspect in detail. In order to compare electricity generation costs of different technologies, the authors have used the 2010 edition of the report The projected costs of generating electricity from the International Energy Agency and 2011 study from VGB Powertech Investment and operation cost figures – generation portfolio since they represent the most reliable information on electricity generation costs available. The IEA report is a global reference for electricity generation costs and features compiled data from the most recent publications of different organizations. Since the data presented in this report vary from country to country, the authors in this article provide ranges of 55 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. electricity generation costs of different technologies. The VGB study gives an overview about electricity generation costs from a point of view of engineering competence. Methodological Approach The objective of this paper is to identify the main risks to RES-e generation business and assess RES-e generation cost per unit as the major competitiveness risk. In order to achieve the objective the following tasks have been defined: - To classify risks related to RES-e generation business; - To present electricity generation cost structures for RES-e and fossil and nuclear power technologies; - To compare electricity generation cost per unit of RES-e and fossil and nuclear power. The paper has the following structure: First, the risks related to RES-e generation business are presented. Then, electricity generation cost structures of different electricity generating technologies are looked at. Analysis of electricity generation costs of power technologies follows. Finally, conclusions of the discussed material are provided. Electricity Generation Cost as the Major Competitiveness Risk Risks to Electricity Generation One can distinguish four groups of risks. These include risks related to technology, risks related to electricity market and risks related to legislative and policy frameworks. Technology related risks include investment and operation costs, construction time, efficiency, etc. Market risks include fuel costs, demand, competition, electricity price. Legislative risks deal with market organization, competition regulation, licensing, decommissioning, etc. Risks related to policy include environmental standards, CO2 emission limits, support framework, etc. (IEA, 2010). The authors believe that public support to green electricity projects is often the decisive factor and therefore should be considered as the fifth group in the risk classification. Electricity Generation Cost structure Risks often transform into real obstacles to start-up and operation of green electricity generation businesses. Investment and operation costs are two the most important cost aspects for 56 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. RES-e technologies, and only for few RES-e technologies, such as biomass, fuel cost is an issue. Compared to traditional electricity generating technologies and fuels, such as fossil fuels or nuclear power, fuel is not relevant since the resource is naturally available. The same applies for CO2 costs. Since RES-e technologies do not emit, there is no CO2 cost. In order to better understand competitiveness aspects of different electricity generating technologies it is important to look at the structures of generation costs. Figure 1 demonstrates structure of electricity generation costs of different electricity generating technologies at 5% (first bar) and 10% (second bar) discount rates. The total electricity generation cost is broken down into 5 groups: investment costs, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, fuel and CO2 costs, and decommissioning costs. 100 5,2 3,6 12,3 11,4 7,3 4,9 16 9,5 16 14,5 22,7 14,9 36,8 29,9 21 80 15,1 25,2 60 22,8 27,9 40 75,6 58,6 Decommissioning 71,3 66,4 7,5 76,5 66,8 9,2 20 39,8 25,9 0 21,9 51,6 83,8 91,7 94,9 CO2 costs Fuel costs 4,9 5,2 11,1 17,3 Figure 1. Structure of electricity generation costs, % Source: Own construction based on IEA, Projected costs of generating electricity, p.112 In general investment cost of RES-e technologies accounts for the largest shares in the structure of electricity generation costs of different technologies. For example, in case of photovoltaics this share is even above 90%. O&M costs vary from 5-7% in case of photovoltaics to 16-23% for wind power plants. Traditional electricity generation technologies represent similar shares, varying from 5% for gas power plants to 25% for nuclear power. RES-e technologies have no fuel costs. In case of the fossil or nuclear power plants fuel costs vary from 10% for nuclear power to 71% for gas power plants. Coal power plants demonstrate the largest share of CO2 costs. In the future when carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology becomes commercial, this cost can drop to 4-5%. 57 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Electricity Generation Costs The IEA study on projected costs of generating electricity is a global reference for electricity generation costs. This study presents electricity generation cost data for different technologies in different countries. The authors have identified the cost ranges for different technologies. These ranges prove that conditions in which different power plants operate vary from country to country; however, this variation is clearly evident for RES-e technologies particularly. The authors have used the data from IEA and VGB on levelized electricity generation costs to construct Figure 2. 400 350 EUR/MWh 300 Highest value, EUR/MWh, IEA estimates 250 Lowest value, EUR/MWh, IEA estimates 208 200 VGB estimates, EUR/MWh 150 100 50 99 91 70 92 115 112 63 31 0 Figure 2. Levelized electricity generation costs of different power technologies Source: Own construction based on IEA and VGB For nuclear power the VGB estimates are given for nuclear technology EPR 1600 expected to come into the market after 2015. For wind onshore the cost estimates are given assuming that investment cost is 1100 EUR/kW. For wind off-shore close and wind off-shore far the cost estimates are made on assumption that investment cost is 2000 and 3000 EUR/kW accordingly. In general RES-e generation costs are higher than electricity generation costs from the traditional power technologies. RES-e technologies represent large cost ranges as one can see in Figure 2. The large cost ranges indicate that RES-e technologies are yet not economically mature. Hydropower is the only RES-e technology that can be considered as mature. Great variation in electric capacity from several kW to several thousands of MW and in power potential explains the large cost ranges for hydropower. Besides weather conditions significantly influence hydropower production. 58 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Solar photovoltaics have the highest electricity generation cost per unit. This technology represents the largest cost ranges from 158 EUR/MWh to 345 EUR/MWh. Electricity generation cost per unit at hydropower plants ranges from 36 EUR/MWh to 170 EUR/MWh. In general this cost range is larger than for nuclear power; however, in certain cases hydropower generation cost per electricity unit can compete with that of nuclear power. Electricity generation cost per unit of nuclear power is in the range from 21 EUR/MWh to 59 EUR/MWh. Also onshore wind power can be competitive with the traditional electricity generating technologies. Electricity generation cost per unit of onshore wind power is from 35 EUR/MWh to 107 EUR/MWh. Electricity generation cost per unit of off-shore wind power is significantly higher and is in the range from 74 EUR/MWh to 138 EUR/MWh. Electricity generation cost per unit of electricity produced in biomass power plants represents the third largest cost range among the RES-e technologies and is from 40 EUR/MWh to 143 EUR/MWh. Conclusions Financial structures of power generation projects are very complex and therefore it is difficult to compare electricity generation costs from various energy sources. The very limited number of available reliable sources is an important barrier to analysis of competitiveness risks of the green electricity technologies. Investment cost and operation cost are key components of electricity generation cost which represent a competitiveness risk in electricity generation. For some technologies fuel cost and CO2 cost are also important cost factors. RES-e technologies demonstrate large share (up to 90%) of investment cost in the total generation cost structure. This is followed by O&M costs up to 23%. The traditional electricity generating technologies account for up to 75% of investment cost, 25% of O&M costs, 28% of fuel costs and 37% of CO2 costs. In general RES-e generation costs per unit of electricity are higher than electricity generation costs from the traditional power technologies. The large cost ranges of RES-e technologies indicate that RES-e technologies are yet not economically mature and only in certain cases can be competitive with the traditional power technologies. In the future the learning curves of RES-e technologies and global energy policy change will enhance competitiveness of RES-e technologies. References 1. ECOFYS (2010). Financing Renewable Energy in the European Energy Market. Retrieved (March 29, 2012) from http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/studies/doc/renewables/2011_financing_renewable.pdf. 59 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 2. European Commission (2010). EU energy and transport figures. Retrieved (March 29, 2012) from http://ec.europa.eu/energy/publications/statistics/doc/2010_energy_transport_figures.pdf. 3. International Energy Agency (2010). The projected costs of generating electricity. Paris: OECD. 4. Kramina, I. (2012). Approved and planned amendments in the legislation – how will they influence investment security in renewable energy sector? Unpublished materials from Renewable Energy Conference 2012, Riga, Latvija, March 15 2012. 5. Ministry of Economy of Latvia (2010). National Renewable Energy Action Plan (in Latvian). Retrieved (March 20, 2012) from http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/transparency_platform/doc/national_renewable_energy_a ction_plan_latvia_lv.pdf. 6. National Academy of Sciences (2009). Electricity from Renewable Sources. Status, Prospects and Impediments. Retrieved (March 20, 2012) from http://sites.nationalacademies.org/xpedio/groups/energysite/documents/webpage/energy_05451 8.pdf. 7. Royal Academy of Engineering (2008). The cost of generating electricity. A commentary. Retrieved (March 20, 2012) from http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/publications/list/reports/Cost_Generation_Commentary.pdf. 8. VGB Powertech (2011). Investment and operation cost figures – generation portfolio. Retrieved (February 21, 2012), from https://www.vgb.org/index.php?site=vgbmultimedia&id=5414z. 60 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS‟ PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND PARENTS‟ PARENTING STYLES PROFILE Azize Ergeneli ¹, Anıl Boz² Hacettepe University Business Administration Departmet 06800 Ankara, Turkey E-mail: ¹ergeneli@hacettepe.edu.tr, ²anilboz@hacettepe.edu.tr Abstract. As the recognition of the importance of entrepreneurship to the economy has increased, the profile of entrepreneurs became an interesting issue to discuss. In order to encourage the women entrepreneurship it seems to be necessary to clarify the profile of those entrepreneurs by investigating their personality characteristics and their parents‘ parenting styles as motivating factors. In this study 104 women entrepreneurs and 108 women who are not entrepreneurs but working in public sector filled out the questionnaires. The study is in analyzing process, suitable analysis will be applied and the results will be discussed accordingly. Key Words: Entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurs, parenting styles, personality characteristics Introduction The role of entrepreneurship in today‘s economy is attracting the researchers‘ attention, because big business has become less important leading economic force than in the past. Countries have discovered entrepreneurship as a promising source of economic vitality and its popularity has increased dramatically during the past two decades. One of the reasons for this popularity is the downsizing practice of big firms due to economic crisis many unemployed individuals tried to consider entrepreneurship to become independent in pursuing their economic needs as organizations no longer provide them careers opportunities they once did. As the recognition of the importance of entrepreneurship to the economy has increased, the profile of entrepreneurs became an interesting issue to discuss. Entrepreneurs are known for what they do: they create new products, processes, and services for the market. In general, entrepreneurs can be defined as individuals who bring about an improvement, both for other individuals and for society as a whole (Hisrich & Peters, 1989). Although some researchers think that entrepreneurs are born with some special entrepreneurial personality and they tend to have similar personality 61 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. characteristics, some others believe that entrepreneurship can be taught and especially parents form entrepreneurial spirit at home by teaching children responsibility, risk taking, self-confidence in their abilities, and internal locus of control and so on. Meanwhile, the number of women-owned business grew at a rapid scale throughout the world as well and despite the obstacles they face, and they are mostly small businesses some of them become large and profitable. It is estimated that by the year 2020, 40 to 50 percent of all businesses will be owned by women. A research reported that some women-owned businesses generated revenues of more than $1 million per year. Also, research observations points out that very often the enterprises started by women are influenced by the decisions and desires of their family members.‘ It is understood that if these women involve themselves in various managerial decisions it would have a positive impact on both their enterprises and on them too. In addition to personality traits, several additional individual difference variables have been found to predict entrepreneurship. Demographic factors affecting entrepreneurship are age, sex, education, work experience and role models. In this study; women entrepreneurs and women who are working in public sectors will be compared related to their personality and parents‘ parenting styles. It will help us to see; will the parenting styles of their parents‘ and their personality traits effect their job selection? Literature Review on Parenting tyles & Personality Research on the relationship between entrepreneurship and personality has been a subject to several criticisms. Personality is made up of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that make a person unique. In the discussion of the personality traits, this study only focus on the five dimensions of the Big Five which are neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness. Neuroticism refers to the degree to which an individual has emotional stability. Individuals high on neuroticism tend to experience a number of negative emotions including anxiety, hostility, depression, self-consciousness, impulsiveness, and vulnerability (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Extraversion illustrates the extent to which people are assertive, dominant, energetic, active, positive emotions and enthusiastic. People who score high on extraversion tend to be cheerful, like people and large groups, and seek excitement and stimulation. (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Openness is the tendency to be creative, curios, adventurous and receptive to new experience (Singh & DeNoble, 2003). Agreeableness assesses one‘s tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious towards others. Individuals high on agreeableness can be characterized as trusting, forgiving, caring, altruistic, and gullible. 62 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Conscientiousness indicates an individual‘s degree of organization, persistence, hard work and motivation in the pursuit of goal accomplishment (Barrick & Mount, 1991). Entreprenurial intention is effected by lots of factors such as personality, culture, educational background and role models. The family is the first social group that one comes into contact with and from which the individual learns the basic values of living. Therefore, parents become the most important actors in individuals‘ life. Parents‘ belief, attitudes, behaviours and expectations on child care is called ―parenting styles‖ (Darling & Steinberg, 1993). Categorizing parents according to whether they are high or low on control and acceptance/involvement creates a typology of four parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive/neglecting and permissive/indulgent. Authoritarian parents are highly demanding and directive, but not responsive. ―They are obedience- and statusoriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation‖ (Baumrind, 1991) Authoritative parents monitor and impart clear standards for their children‘s conduct. They are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Permissive/neglecting parents are low in both control and acceptance/involvement. It is like opposite of authoritative style. (Maccoby & Martin, 1983) Permissive/indulgent parents nontraditional and lenient, do not require mature behavior, allow considerable selfregulation, and avoid confrontation (Baumrind, 1991) Indulgent style is sometimes referred as democratic parenting style. The individuals that have permissive/indulgent families are expected to have much more entrepreneurial intention and characteristics than the individuals in authoritarian families. In this study both personality characteristics and parents‘ parenting styles are expected to be different between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs group. Research Methodology Sample The data is collected from women entrepreneurs and women who are worker in a public sector. To make valid and reliable comparison, two samples‘ number is tried to keep equal or close to equal. 104 data is from women entrepreneurs and 108 data from women who are working in public sector was collected. Data Analysis Big five Inventory and Perceived Parenting Style Questionnares were used. The parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive/indulgent and permissive/ neglecting which were constructed by crossing perceived parental acceptance/involvement and strict control dimensions of parenting. There are 22 questions for parents‘ parenting styles. The questionare has two dimensions; 63 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. acceptance/involvement and control and according to scores from these dimensions there are four styles. The other variables under investigation in this study were agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, neuroticism, entrepreneurial abilities and perceived society value on entrepreneurial activity. Also demographic questions like education level of respondents‘ parents or their job were asked. The main research problem of the study is to determine the difference of personality characteristics and their parents‘ parenting styles between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs. Therefore hypothesis in the study can be formed as; H1a= There is a significant difference between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs regarding their mothers‘ parenting styles H1b= There is a significant difference between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs regarding their fathers‘ parenting styles H1c= There is a significant difference between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs regarding their big five personality characteristics. (neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness) The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare these two groups.(entrepreneurs & non-entrepreneurs) Results Table I gave the descriptive data about entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs‘ perceived mother-fathers‘ parenting styles. Table II showed that there are no significant differences between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs related to mothers‘ parenting styles. The Anova table (Table.II.II) shows us the no significance difference and F (1,210) = 0.55, p > .05. Both women entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs perceived their mothers as permissive/indulgent. The fathers‘ parenting styles change significantly between entrepreneurs and nonentrepreneurs, F(1,210) = 7,94, p < .05.(Table III.II) Entrepreneurs perceived their fathers‘ parenting style as permissive/indulgent but according to non-entrepreneurs their father was authoritarian and this difference is significant. 64 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Table 1. Descriptive Statistics about Parenting Styles & Mothers‘, Fathers‘ Parenting Styles Percentage Table Descriptive Statistics about Parenting Styles Non- Entrepreneurs‟ Entrepreneurs‟ Mothers Fatthers Mean 2,3654 2,2500 2,3981 2,6481 Median 2,0000 2,0000 2,0000 3,0000 2,00 2,00 2,00 3,00 1,01501 1,01206 1,01337 1,04403 1,030 1,024 1,027 1,090 Mode Std. Deviation Variance Entrepreneurs‟ Mothers Non-Entrepreneurs‟ Fathers Table 2. Mothers‘ Parenting Styles Mothers‟ & Fathers‟ Parenting Styles Percentage Table Non-entrep. Entrep. Mothers Entrep. Fathers Non-entrep. Mothers %24.0 %27.9 %19.4 %16.7 %30.8 %32.7 %40.7 %27.8 %29.8 %26.0 %20.4 %29.6 %15.4 %13.5 %19.4 %25.9 Authoritative Fathers Permissive/ indulgent Authoritarian Permissive/ neglecting Table. II.I Test of Homogeneity of Variances Mothers‘ parenting styles Levene Statistic df1 df2 Sig. ,036 1 210 ,850 65 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Table. II. II ANOVA Mothers‘ parenting styles Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. ,057 1 ,057 ,055 ,814 Within Groups 215,995 210 1,029 Total 216,052 211 Between Groups Table 3. Fathers‘ Parenting Styles Table. III. I Test of Homogeneity of Variances Fathers‘ parenting styles Levene Statistic df1 df2 Sig. ,477 1 210 ,491 Table. III. II. ANOVA Fathers‘ parenting styles Sum of Squares Between Groups df Mean Square 8,399 1 8,399 Within Groups 222,130 210 1,058 Total 230,528 211 F Sig. 7,940 ,005 The big five personality characteristics dimensions‘ reliabilities are extraversion %78,2 (cronbach alpha=,782), agreeableness % 72 (cronbach alpha=,72), conscientiousness % 76,7 (crobach alpha=,767) ,neuroticism %78,9 (cronbach alpha=,789) and openness % 70 (cronbach alpha =,701) Table 4. Big Five Personality Characteristics Difference between Entrepreneurs & Non-entrepreneurs Table. III.I Test of Homogeneity of Variances Agreeableness Levene Statistic df1 df2 Sig. ,049 1 210 ,824 df2 Sig. Openness Levene Statistic df1 66 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Table. III.I Test of Homogeneity of Variances Agreeableness Levene Statistic df1 2,706 1 df2 210 Sig. ,101 Table. III.II ANOVA Agreeableness Mean Sum of Squares df Square F Sig. Between Groups 1,846 1 1,846 ,047 ,009 Within Groups 54,997 210 ,262 Total 56,843 211 Openness Mean Sum of Squares df Square F Sig. Between Groups 5,455 1 5,455 16,212 ,000 Within Groups 70,660 210 ,336 Total 76,115 211 When we compared entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs regarding to big five personality characteristics Table III showed us that there is significant difference in agreeableness F(1,210)=7,047 p < .05 and openness to experience F(1,210)=16,212 p < .05 Conclusions Entrepreneurs rate in economy of Turkey is lower than the other OECD countries. Until 1980,politicians and economists are trying to develop entrepreneurship by some regulations.These regulations include some credits support, tax reduction or others contributer factors. However, these political regulations are important factors for private sector, since enrepreneurship is not only economical value, they were not display enough impulsion. Entrepreneurship is not only an economic also a social and cultural value. Although some social structures encourage entrepreneurial spirit and culture, and others prevent. In this study, firstly we tried to show the important effect of the smallest social group,parents, on entrepreneurial intention.Family is the key point in cultural transition from one generation to others. Although todays this is changing, the lots of studies showed that Turkey has had patriarchal culture. (Kagıtcıbası, 2010; Ecevit, 2007; Sumer & Gungor, 1999) In Turkey, the roles of family members 67 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. were categorized according to their gender. Fathers work outside and earn money; mothers do indoor works (cooking,washing dishes or laund..e.t.c.) and child care. Our study showed that there is significant difference between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs‘ fathers‘ parenting styles and while entrepreneurs perceived them permissive/indulgent, non-entrepreneurs perceived authoritarian. The important point in this study is the significance difference of fathers parenting style and non-significance difference in mothers‘. The daughters perceive their fathers as an economic role model and fathers‘ parenting styles shape their preferences about job. In recent years, the number of women who are working outside home is increasing rapidly in Turkey. Therefore; the role models, identity that society put on individuals and preferences are changing. The personality characteristics of entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs were differed in significantly on agreeableness and openness.As expected, entrepreneurs are much more creative, curios, receptive to new experience and cooperative than non-entrepreneurs. References 1. BARON R.A. (2000). Psychological Perspectives on Entrepreneurship: Cognitive and Social Factors in Entrepreneurs‘ Success. American Psychologicam Society, 9(1). 2. BARRICK, M. R., MOUNT, M. K. (1991). The big five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44: 1-26. 3. BAUMRIND D. (1991). The influence of parenting style on adolescent competence and substance use. Journal of Early Adolescence, 11(1): 56-95. 4. CHAO R. K. (2000). The Parenting of Immigrant Chinese and European Amerikan Mothers: Relations Between Parenting Styles, Socialization and Parental Practices‖ Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 21(2): 233-241 5. CLARKE C., HARRISON D. (2001). The Needs of Children Visiting On Adult Intensive Care Units: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34(1): 61-68. 6. COLL C.T.G. (1990). Developmental Outcome of Minority Infants: A Process Oriented Look into our Beginnings: Child Development, 271-289. 7. COSTA P., MCCRAE R. (1992). Four ways five factors are basic. Personality and Individuals Differences, 13: 653-665. 8. CRANT M. J. (1996). The Proactive Personality Scale as a Predictor of Entrepreneurial Intention. Journal of Small Business Management, 34(3). 9. DARLING N., STEINBERG L. (1993). Parenting style as context: An integrative model. Psychological Bulletin, 113(3): 487-496. 10. DUNCAN G.J., MAGNUSAN K.A. (2003). Socioeconomic Resources, Parenting and Child Development. NJ: Lawrance Erlbaum Associates, 83-107. 11. ECEVİT Y. (2007). Türkiye‘de Kadın Girişimciliğine Eleştirel Bir Bakış. 12. HISRICH R. D., PETERS M. P. (1989). Entrepreneurship: Starting, developing, and managing a new enterprise. Homewood, IL: BPI/Irwin. 13. MACCOBY E. E., MARTIN J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent– child interaction. In P. H. Mussen, E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (4th Ed.) New York: Wiley, 1-101. 14. MORRIS H.M. (1994). Fostering Corporate Entrepreneurship: Cross Cultural Comparisons of the Importance of Individualism versus Collectivism. Journal of International Business Studies, 25-31. 68 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 15. MUFTUOGLU M.T., ve DURUKAN, T. (2004). Girişimcilik ve KOBİ‘ler. Gazi Yayınevi, Ankara. 16. KAGITCIBAŞI C. (1970). Social Norms and Authoritarianism: A Turkish-American comparison. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 16: 444-451. 17. KAGITCIBAŞI C. (2010). Benlik, Aile ve İnsan gelişimi-Kültürel Psikoloji. Koç Üniversitesi Yayınları, İstanbul 18. SINGH G., DE NOBLE, A. (2003). Views on self-employment and personality: An exploratory study. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 8(3): 265-281. 19. SUMER N., GUNGOR D. (1999). Çocuk Yetiştirme Stillerinin Bağlanma Stilleri, Benlik Değerlendirmeleri ve Yakın İlişkiler Üzerindeki Etkisi. Türk Psikoloji Dergisi, 14(44): 35-58 20. ZHAO F. (2005). Exploring the Synergy between Entrepreneurship and Innovation. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior& Research, 11(1): 25-41. 69 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. EXTENDED TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL AND THE EFFECTS OF ESPOUSED NATIONAL CULTURAL VALUES ON ELECTRONIC-MAIL ACCEPTANCE: AN APPLICATION IN A TURKISH IRON AND STEEL COMPANY Azize Ergeneli¹, Savas Mutlu² Hacettepe University Business Administration Department 06800 Ankara, Turkey E-mail address: ¹ergeneli@hacettepe.edu.tr, ²smutlu@hacettepe.edu.tr Abstract. Aim of the study is to test Extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM2) for Electronic-mail (E-mail) acceptance in a Turkish iron and steel company and to investigate the moderation effects of Espoused Natıonal Cultural Values-ENCV (i.e. Individualism/CollectivismIC, Masculinity /Femininity-MF, Uncertanity Avoidence-UA and Power Distance-PD) between Subjective Norm (SN) and Usage Intention (UI). Research included 286 white-collared partricipants. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modelling (i.e. Analysis of Moment Structures-AMOS) programs were used for statistical analysis. As the results of the study, Perceived Ease Of Use (PEOU) and subjective norm found as the determinants of Email usage intention, PEOU found as a strong determinant of Perceived Usefulness (PU) and power distance moderated positively the relation between subjective norm and usage intention. Keywords: Espoused National Cultural Values, Extended Technology Acceptance Model. Introduction Use of computer mediated communication (CMC) systems in organizations grows rapidly and most of those systems are conveying E-mail. People usually evaluate use of those systems from technical point of view. But use of such systems in an organisation should be investigated from other (i.e acceptance and organisational behaviour) aspects. In this study it has been aimed to look at e-mail acceptance in a Turkish company from different aspects. Literature Review Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been adapted from Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by Davis (1989). TAM offers a sound explanation about user acceptance and use behavior 70 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. (Venkatesh and Morris, 2000, p.116). There are four determinants of TAM which are perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, usage intention and usage (Lee et al., 2003, p.759). Perceived usefulness is the degree, one‘s believed that using a system will improve her/his work performance. Perceived ease of use is the degree; one's believe that using a system doesn't require much effort (Davis, 1989, p.320). By adding subjective norm, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been extended to TAM2. Subjective norm is related with one's perception about referent people's opinions on her/his performing behaviour (Huang et al., 2003, p.93). Espoused National Cultural Values are defined as "The degree to which an individual embraces the values of his or her national culture" (Srite and Karahanna, 2006, p.681). National cultural values are explained by Hofstede's famous study (Hofstede, 1980) and this study is a pioneer of that era in which not many cultural studies performed (Jones, 2007, p.5). National cultural values can be espoused at different levels by the members of a nation. For example individualism and collectivism studies performed in different cultures showed that in societies both idiocentric and allocentric people exist in different ratios (Triandis, 2004, p.90). So, cultural values can be measured at individual level (Dorfman and Howell, 2004, p.129). Espoused national cultural values are described as follows (Srite and Karahanna, 2006, p.682): Power distance is the accepted inequality of power distribution by the individual, Individualism is individual's emphasize on her/his own needs instead of group needs, Uncertainty avoidance is individual's tolerance to ambiguous situations, Masculinity is domination of the individual's values such as assertiveness, competitiveness etc. and femininity is related to good relations, quality of life etc. Survey Hypothesis of the research are given below: H1: Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) has a direct positive effect on E-mail Usage Intention (UI). Usage of a system, besides other factors, is dependent on PEOU (Davis, 1989, p.320). PEOU is a potential factor that may increase user acceptance (Venkatesh and Morris, 2000, p.118). H2: Perceived Usefulness (PU) has a direct positive effect on E-mail Usage Intention (UI). People tend to use a system more as they believe that using that system enables them to do their work better (Davis, 1989, p.320). An important part of technology acceptance model research shows that PU is an important determinant of usage behavior (Venkatesh and Morris, 2000, p.117). H3: Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) has a direct positive effect on Perceived Usefulness (PU). Assuming all the other factors are equal, if a technology is easier to use, it is perceived as more useful (Venkatesh and Davis, 2000, p.192). 71 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. H4: Subjective Norm (SN) has a direct positive effect on Perceived Usefulness (PU). If a superior or a peer describes a system as useful, a person also may perceive that system as useful (Venkatesh and Davis, 2000, p.189). H5: Subjective Norm (SN) has a direct positive effect on E-mail Usage Intention (UI). People may wish to perform a behavior even if they do not tend to do it, in case of they think the others want her/him to do that behaviour (Venkatesh and Davis, 2000, p.187). H5a: Collectivisim (C) has a positive moderation effect between Subjective Norm (SN) and E-mail Usage Intention (UI). People that espouse individualist cultural values are less sensitive to other people's opinions in their environment and people that espouse collectivist cultural values obey to reference groups norms (Srite and Karahanna, 2006, p.687). H5b: Power Distance (PD) has a positive moderation effect between Subjective Norm (SN) and E-mail Usage Intention (UI). People that have higher power distance are more careful about compromising with their superiors (Srite and Karahanna, 2006, p.687). H5c: Femininity (F) has a positive moderation effect between Subjective Norm (SN) and Email Usage Intention (UI). People that espoused feminine cultural values are more concerned with cooperation and those people's behaviour are more influenced from the other people (Srite and Karahanna, 2006, p.686). H5d: Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) has a positive moderation effect between Subjective Norm (SN) and E-mail Usage Intention (UI). When superiors or peers mention about their experience and perceptions regarding the system, the uncertainty about the use of the system diminishes. H6: E-mail Usage Intention (UI) has no effect on Usage (U). In literature, relation between usage intention and usage found mostly statistically non- significant (Lee et al., 2003, p.760). Conceptual model of the hypothesis is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Conceptual model PU: Perceived Usefulness 72 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. PD: Power Distance UI: Usage Intention PEOU: Perceived Ease of Use IC: Individualism/Collectivism MF: Masculinity/Femininity SN: Subjective Norm UA: Uncertainty Avoidance U: Usage Scale For extended technology acceptance model, the scale that was improved by Davis (1989) and extended by Venkatesh and Davis (2000) is used. Subjective norm and behavioral intention are two-item constructs in that scales. But, Hair et al (2005, p.783) recommended that in Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) minimum three preferebly four items per construct should be used. Also Bayram (2010, p.50) recommends to use three or more observed variable for one latent variable. For that, two items for social influence from Venkatesh et al.(2003) and two items for behavioral intention from Srite ve Karahanna (2006) were added to the scale and PU (4), PEOU (4), SN (4) and UI (4) items were used in the scale. For espoused national cultural values, Dorfman and Howell's (1988) scale IC (6), PD (6), MF (9) and UA (5) items were used. Analysis Correlation coefficients, reliability analysis (Cronbach Alpha), average and standart deviation values are seen at the Table 1 below: Table 1. Correlations, reliability, average and standard deviation values Var. Ave. Std. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Name (/5.00) Dev. IC PD UA MF PEOU PU SN UI 1.IC 3.88 0.76 (0.76) 2.PD 2.08 0.69 -0.67 (0.6) 3.UA 4.26 0.65 0.48** -0.10 (0.87) 4.MF 2.61 0.91 0.08 0.18* -0.06 (0.82) 5.PEU 4.15 0.69 0.28** -0.12 0.42** 0.06 (0.71) 6.PU 3.94 0.83 0.23** -0.15* 0.38** 0.10 0.60** (0.93) 7.SN 3.65 0.68 0.18** -0.05 0.21** 0.06 0.50** 0.42** (0.79) 8.UI 4.25 0.63 0.27** -.22** 0.39** -0.02 0.58** 0.57** 0.47** (0.87) * Significant at the 0.01 level ** Significant at the 0.05 level 73 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Since minimum 0.60 Cronbach Alpha value confirm the reliability of the scale (Kalaycı, 2008, p.405) and considering Dorfman ve Howell's (1988) original scale had 0.57 Cronbach Alpha value for power distance (Taras, 2008, p.25), Cronbach Alpha value for power distance (0.64) is acceptable in Table.1. Also there is no correlation coefficient greater than 0.85 that shows the lack of multicollinearity problem (Kline, 2005, p.56). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using a structural equation modeling program (i.e. Analysis of Moment Structures-AMOS 16.0) performed for TAM2 and ENCV independently. In CFA, a high Modification Indices (M.I.) value indicates a cross-loading (Byrne, 2010, p.108). In TAM 2 model, totally 3 items [PU(1), PEOU(1) and UI (1)] and in ENCV model totally 9 items [IC (2), PD (2), MF (4) and UA(1)] deleted because of high M.I. values. After CFA, structural regression model analysis performed for testing some hypothesis (i.e.H1-H5 and H6). Model fit indices of CFA and structural regression models are given in Table 2. Table 2. Model fit indices of CFA and structural regression models MODEL CMIN/DF GFI AGFI CFI RMSEA TAM2 2.220 < 3 0.938>0.90 0.903>0.90 0.971>0.95 0.065 (0.05-0.08 )* ENCV 1.537 < 3 0.933>0.90 0.910>0.90 0.961>0.95 0.043 <0.050 STR.REG. MODEL 1,906< 3 0,923>0.90 0,89 (0.85-0.89)* 0,962>0.95 0,056 (0.05-0.08 )* * Acceptable Fit (Meydan and Şeşen, 2011, p.37) According to analysis results, there is a strong (Beta=0,800) relationship between PEOU and PU. Also, UI is mostly dependent on PEOU (Beta=0,558), and SN (Beta=0,248). The other regressions at the model are statistically insignificant. Variables explained %59,5 (R square) of UI , and %63,9 of PU. Moderation analysis Moderation effect of a variable can be explained as its effect on dependent variable by interacting independent variable (Baron and Kenny, 1986, p.1174). Hypothesis regarding a moderation (i.e.H5a-d) were tested by using hierarchical regression analysis, and only hypothesis H5b was supported. According to that hypothesis, power distance (PD) has a positive moderation effect between subjective norm (SN) and usage intention (UI). In other words, as power distance increases, the effect of SN on UI also increases. 74 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Methods Data was collected by using questionnaire. Participants were white-collared workers who have access to e-mail system for work purposes in a Turkish iron and steel company. Totally 320 questionnaires distributed via e-mail and paper form. 295 (%92) of those returned back and 286 were usable. According to descriptive statistics 206 (%72) of the participants were men and 80 (%28) were women. Average age was 34 and 233 had at least a bachelor degree from a univesity. Results Test results of the hypothesis are summarized in Table 3. Table 3. Results of hypothesis tests Hypothesis Number Description Result H1 PEOU-UI Supported H2 PU-UI Not Supported H3 PEOU-PU Supported H4 SN-PU Not Supported H5 SN-UI Supported H5a SN X C-UI Not Supported H5b SN X PD (+)-UI Supported H5c SN X F-UI Not Supported H5d SN X UA (+)-UI Not Supported H6 UI-U (No relation) Supported Discussion According to Hofstede's research, Turkish people are collectivist, close to femininity, have high power distance and high uncertainty avoidance. In that sample, it is found that national cultural values are espoused by individuals except power distance. The reason for having a low power distance may stem from high education level of the participants. Perceived ease of use of e-mail cause direct and positive effect on usage intention. When people perceive a system as user-friendly they tend to use the system more. Also there is a direct and positive relation between subjective norm and usage intention. It as an expected result for this research, because during interviews, participants told that even CEO of the company use e-mail effectively and sent and receive e-mails from his subordinates. 75 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Power distance has a positive moderation effect between subjective norm and usage intention. A reason for that may be people who have high power distance care more about what their superiors and peers want them to do. This research has been realized in only one organization. The reason for that was to fix the variables such as organizational culture and e-mail infrastructure. So, the results of this study may not be generalized. Similar surveys should be done in various companies, in various sectors, and possibly in various countries to reach a general conclusion. Conclusions In our sample, people tend to use e-mail if they perceive it as "easy to use" system, and this perception brought together perception of usefulness. In that company when establishing a computer mediated communication system, easy usage should be the first criteria to be taken into account. Also in societies that have strong social pressures on individuals such as Turkey, at the acceptance of a communication technology, other people's (especially superior's and peer's) ideas are very important and this effect is stronger for the people that have higher power distances. Acknowledgments: Authors wish to thank Mr.Kemal OK for his valuable support in data collection phase of this research. References 1. Baron, R.M. and Kenny, D.A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychology research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51: 1173-1182. 2. Bayram, N. (2010). 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Ankara: Detay Yayıncılık. 14. Srite, M. and Karahanna, E. (2006). The role of espoused national cultural values in technology acceptance. MIS Quarterly, Vol.30 No.3, September 2006: 679-704. 15. Straub, D., Keil, M. and Brenner,W. (1997). Testing the technology acceptance model accross cultures: A three country study. Information&Management, 33: 1-11. 16. Taras, V. (2008). Catalogue of instruments for measuring culture. Retrieved February 15, 2012 from http://ucalgary.ca/~;taras/private/ Culture Survey Catalogue.pdf 17. Triandis, H.C. (2004). The many dimensions of culture. The Academy of Management Executive, 18(1): 88-93. 18. Venkatesh, V. and Davis, F.D. (2000). A theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model: Four longitudinal field studies. Management Science, 46(2):186-204. 19. Venkatesh, V. and Morris, M.G. (2000). Why don‘t men ever stop to ask for directions? Gender, social ınfluence, and their role in technology acceptance and usage behaviour. MIS Quarterly. 24(1): 115-139. 20. Venkatesh, V., Morris, M.G., Davis, G.B., Davis, F.D. (2003). User acceptance of ınformation technology: toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3): 425-478. 77 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. JAUNIMO VERSLUMO TYRIMAS TARPTAUTINĖJE TEISĖS IR VERSLO AUKŠTOJOJE MOKYKLOJE Margarita Išoraitė A.V.Graičiūno aukštoji vadybos mokykla Traku g. 9/1, LT- 01132 Vilnius E- paštas: misoraite@gmail.com Anotacija. Jaunimo verslumas - tai jauno ņmogaus poņiūris, įgūdņiai ir ņinios, kurie leidņia kurti pridėtinę vertę ir veiksmai, skirti ńiai galimybei panaudoti. Ńiame straipsnyje analizuojamas jaunimo verslumo ugdymas. Nagrinėjama verslumo samprata, jaunimo verslumo ugdymas ir jo įgyvendinimas bei jaunimo verslumo tyrimas Tarptautinėje verslo ir teisės aukńtojoje mokykloje. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad jaunimo verslumą skatintų ńie mokymo metodai: pristatymas, paskaita, seminaras, proto ńturmo bei grupinio darbo metodai, diskusijos darbo grupėse, uņduočių sprendimas. Verslus ņmogus turėtų pasiņymėti sekančiomis savybėmis: pilietińkumu, imlumus naujovėms, sugebėjimu patraukti, suburti ņmones bendrai veiklai, mokėjimu planuoti laiką, sugebėjimu prognozuoti, matymu į „priekį―, intuicija, sugebėjimu priimti sprendimus, pasverta rizika, geromis teorinėmis ņiniomis, praktiniais įgūdņiais, bendravimo menu, loginiu mąstymu, kritińku poņiūriu, sugebėjimu „parduoti― save, pozityviu mąstymu, aktyviu veikimu, gyvenimo būdu, kuomet planuoji pats, savirealizacija, vadybiniais įgūdņiais. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad verslo pradėjimo galimybes ribotų baimė bankrutuoti, baimė prarasti turtą, baimė, kad reikės skirti daug laiko ir energijos bei galimybė patirti asmeninį pralaimėjimą. Jaunimo verslumą skatintų ńios priemonės: palankesni įstatymai verslui, verslumo įgūdņių ugdymas, tobulinimas, palankesnis visuomenės poņiūris į verslą: prieinamumo prie finansinių ńaltinių gerinimas. Priemonės, kurios padėtų ugdyti verslumą būtų: praktika verslo įmonėse, dalyvavimas projektinėje veikloje, bendravimas su patyrusiais verslininkais, seminarai su praktinėmis uņduotimis, dėstytojų teorinių ņinių patirtis, dėstytojų praktinių ņinių patirtis, studentų mokslinės konferencijos, studijos pagal ERASMUS mainų programą. Raktiniai ţodţiai: verslumas, verslumo ugdymas, verslininkas, jaunimo verslumo ugdymas Įvadas Privataus verslo reikńmė ir indėlis į ńalies ūkį didėja, kuriamos naujos darbo vietos, smulkusis ir vidutinis verslas prisideda prie valstybės surenkamų pajamų, todėl uņ verslo politiką 78 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. atsakingoms institucijoms svarbu visokeriopai skatinti naujų įmonių steigimą ir sudaryti kuo palankesnes sąlygas jau veikiančioms įmonėms plėtoti savo veiklą. Lietuvos vykdomai verslo politikai įtakoja maņos ir vidutinės įmonės, sukuriančios daugiau kaip 60 proc. visų verslo įmonių kuriamos bendrosios pridėtinės vertės. Maņoms ir vidutinėms įmonėms tenka svarbiausias vaidmuo įgyvendinant Lisabonos strategijoje nustatytus tikslus, skatinančius naujovių diegimą, partnerystės, konkurencingumo ir uņimtumo plėtrą. Pagal Nacionalinio plėtros instituto sufomuluotą verslumo koncepciją verslumas – tai viso komplekso jauno ņmogaus turimų savybių ir įgūdņių nukreipimas į savo idėjų realizaciją, kuriant savo verslą, įsijungiant į aktyvią visuomeninę veiklą arba surandant motyvaciją ieńkoti galimybių kelti savo kompetenciją vykstant studijuoti ar semtis praktinių ņinių ir įgūdņių Lietuvoje ir kitose ńalyse. Jaunimo verslumas – tai ne tiktai siekis, kad būtų plėtojamos įvairios pelno siekiančios verslo idėjos. Pateikiamas platesnis poņiūris. Jaunas ņmogus yra aktyvus ir norintis keisti aplinką, realizuojant savo idėjas, nebijant suklysti ir taisyti situaciją. Verslumo sąvoką savo darbuose nagrinėjo eilė Lietuvos ir uņsienio mokslininkų, tokių kaip Stripeikis (2008), Adamonienė (2009), Schumpeter (1934), Stonienė, Martinkienė ir kt. (2009), Mets (2010). 2007 metais jaunimo verslumo klausimus nagrinėjo savo tyrime Lietuvos studentų sąjunga kartu su Vilniaus miesto ir apskrities verslininkų darbdavių konfederacija. Remiantis tyrimo duomenimis (2007)1 absoliuti dauguma apklaustų Lietuvos universitetų III ir IV kurso studentų (53,1 proc.) linkę manyti, kad verslumas – tai įgimtos (pvz., intuicija, azartińkumas, reakcija, karjerizmas, avantiūrizmas ir kt.) ir įgytos (specialios ņinios ir praktiniai įgūdņiai) ņmogaus savybės, leidņiančios jam novatorińkai mąstyti ir aktyviai bei rizikingai veikti. Maņiausiai studentų (6,1 proc.) linkę vertinti verslumą kaip veiksnį, jungiantį komercinį verslumą ir visuomenės interesus, siekiant sukurti socialinę vertę. Ńiame tyrime dalyvavę respondentai nurodė, kad verslumas, vadybos įgūdņiai, pilietińkumas, gebėjimas įvertinti riziką ir planuoti savo laiką – tai savybės, kurių reikia, tačiau jos Lietuvos aukńtosiose mokyklose arba visai neugdomos, arba ugdomos nepakankamai. Tyrimo objektas – jaunimo verslumas Tarptautinėje teisės ir verslo aukńtojoje mokykloje. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti ir ińtirti jaunimo verslumo ugdymą Tarptautinėje teisės ir verslo aukńtojoje mokykloje. Tyrimo uždaviniai: - atlikti verslumo sąvokos analizę; - ińanalizuoti jaunimo verslumo ugdymo priemones. - ińtirti Tarptautinės verslo ir teisės aukńtosios mokyklos studentų poņiūrį į jaunimo verslumą. 1 Lietuvos studentų sąjunga, Vilniaus miesto ir apskrities verslininkų darbdavių konfederacija (2007). Lietuvos aukńtųjų mokyklų ir verslo bendradarbiavimas – verslaus jaunimo ugdymui. Studija, Vilnius. 79 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Tyrimo metodai – mokslinės literatūros analizė, anketinė apklausa, teisinių dokumentų analizė, palyginimo metodas, antrinių ir pirminių duomenų analizė. Verslumo sampratos teoriniai aspektai Verslumas suprantamas, kaip ņmonių polinkis ir gebėjimas imtis ekonominės veiklos sujungiant kapitalą, darbą ir kitus ekonominius ińteklius, siekiant gauti pelno ir prisiimant visą su ńia veikla susijusią riziką Schumpeter (1934) verslumą traktuoja kaip „naujų verslo kombinacijų kūrimą―. Ńios kombinacijos gali būti penkių rūńių: 1) naujų, vartotojams iki ńiol neņinomų, produktų sukūrimas; 2) naujo gamybos metodo įdiegimas; 3) naujos rinkos „atradimas―; 4) naujų tiekimo ńaltinių uņvaldymas; 5) naujas gamybos organizavimo būdas. Wennekers ir Thurik (1999) teigia, kad verslumas - individų sugebėjimas ir noras, patiems, grupėse, esamose arba naujose organizacijose: pirmiausia pastebėti ir sukurti naujas ekonomines galimybes (naujus gaminius, gamybos metodus, organizavimo schemas ir gaminių rinkų kombinacijas); antra įgyvendinti idėjas rinkoje esant neapibrėņtumo sąlygomis ir įveikiant kitas kliūtis, priimant sprendimus dėl resursų ir institucijų vietos, formos ir panaudojimo. Adamonienė (2009) verslumą suvokia dviem pagrindiniais aspektais. Iń vienos pusės verslumas yra iniciatyva, tai įgimtos ir įgytos ņmogaus savybės, leidņiančios jam novatorińkai mąstyti ir aktyviai veikti bei rizikuoti. Iń kitos pusės, nors verslumas daņnai suvokiamas kaip ņmogaus savybių ir gebėjimų raińka veikloje, tačiau ne maņiau svarbūs ir ińoriniai verslumą skatinantys veiksniai. Esant didesniems verslo uņmojams, vieno asmens savybių, profesinių ņinių bei patirties nepakanka. Verslas ir jo sistema egzistuoja tam tikroje aplinkoje, kurioje vyksta tam tikri procesai. Verslumas didele dalimi priklauso ir nuo to, kaip ņmonės skatinami imtis verslo. Stripeikis (2008) teigia, kad terminą „verslininkas― XVIII a. pradņioje aprańė anglų ekonomistas, bankininkas ir demografas R. Cantillon (1680-1734). Jis pirmasis nurodė verslininkińkos funkcijos egzistavimą ekonominėje sistemoje. Ńis mokslininkas verslininką supranta kaip ņenkliai prisidedantį prie visuomenės ekonominės vertės kūrimo. Jo nuomone, ekonominėje sistemoje veikia trijų rūńių veikėjai: ņemės savininkai (kapitalistai), verslininkai ir samdomi darbininkai. Pasak Stripeikio, Schumpeter verslininką mato kaip novatorių ir lyderį. Jis pabrėņia, kad „verslininkystės― sąvoka siejama tik su verslu. Verslininkas suprantamas kaip verslininkystės proceso centrinė ańis, o smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo įmonės įkūrimas ir valdymas – kaip verslininkystės proceso etapai. Siekiant įmonėje formuoti verslumą, turi būti ińskiriamos keturios pagrindinės antreprenerio veiklos kryptys organizacijoje: - verslios komandos formavimas; - verslumo kultūros diegimas įmonėje; 80 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. - ińorinės verslo aplinkos stebėjimas ir galimybių atpaņinimas; - įmonės strategijos priderinimas prie verslo aplinkos. Pasak Mets (2010) verslumas ir verslumo aplinka UPV (Universitetas – Pramonė – Valdņia) sistemoje buvo įvardyti kaip svarbūs sėkmės faktoriai ņinioms kurti ir technologijoms perduoti universitete. Nepriklausomai nuo institucinio įgyvendinimo, ņinių perdavimo ir universitetų verslumo srityje veikiantis verslo modelis atlieka ńias funkcijas: 1. Ņinios daugiausia skleidņiamos moksliniais ir populiariausias leidiniais, standartais, stiprinant universiteto absolventų gebėjimus – perduodant naujų privačiojo ir vieńojo sektoriaus darbuotojų naujas ņinias savo darbe, mokantis visą gyvenimą (baigus universitetą), taip pat, iń dalies ņinios skleidņiamos naudojantis kitais (personalo) vieńaisiais ir asmeniniais ryńiais, naudojant naujus produktus ir paslaugas, į rinką pateiktus per universiteto papildomą naudą. Tai reińkia, kad kuriami ir socialinio kapitalo bei dalijimosi ņiniomis tinklai. Verslumo vaidmuo daugiausia yra ńvietėjińkas – mokomi universiteto studentai ir skatinama verslumo kultūra regione. 2. Ņinių kūrimo sąvoka - savoka – pirmiausia patentuojama nauja technologija, vėliau pateikiamos publikacijos, licencijos patentams, parduodami, kiti saugomi IN (vidaus) pramonės partneriams. Iń dalies ńi funkcija atliekama investuojant savo IN į atsiskyrusias nuo universitetų bendroves ir rizikos kapitalą įmonės kapitale. Verslumas labiausiai yra skirtas papildomos naudos (angl. ) procesams ir mokslo darbuotojų verslininkińkam poņiūriui bei kompetencijai, įskaitant verslo aplinkos plėtojimąsi, verslo inkubavimą, konsultavimą ir mentorystę, finansavimą pradiniu ir rizikos kapitalu ir t. t. 3. Ņinių ryńiai apima dotacijas ir bendrą mokslinių tyrimų projektų rėmimą bei postų ir stipendijų finansavimą, mokymo paslaugas, tyrimus ir konsultacijas pagal sutartis, bendradarbiavimą moksliniuose tyrimuose, verslo ir mokslinių tyrimų partnerystes, įskaitant pramonės (transdisciplininių) mokslinių tyrimų centrus ir institutus, bendras laboratorijas, įrangą. 4. Ņinių „įdarbinimas― yra kilęs iń trečiosios universitetų misijos ir reińkia sąveiką tarp universitetų, pramonės (verslo) ir vyriausybės sprendņiant sudėtingas visuomenės problemas. Poreikis kyla iń inovacijų proceso netiesińkumo, kuriam reikalinga UPV partneriams aktyviai bendradarbiauti sprendņiant strateginius ņinių ekonomikos plėtros klausimus, įskaitant ir MTTP ir ņinių perdavimo politiką ir paramos priemonių įgyvendinimą valstybės lygiu. Dicevičienė (2006) verslumą apibrėņia – kaip įgimtas ir įgytas ņmogaus savybes. Tai yra: 1. Tikėjimas savo sėkme ir uņsibrėņtų tikslų siekimas: ņiūrėjimas į ateitį; optimizmas; siekimas įvykdyti uņduotis; energingumas; pasitikėjimas savimi; atkaklumas; atsidavimas darbui. 2. Noras būti nepriklausomam: turėjimas savo nuomonės; gebėjimas pačiam priimti sprendimus; mokėjimas dirbti savarankińkai; netradicinių sprendimų pomėgis. 81 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 3. Kūrybingumas: sugebėjimas formuluoti naujas idėjas; ińradingumas; smalsumas; naujovių ir permainų pomėgis. 4. Apskaičiuota rizika: gebėjimas dirbti ir priimti sprendimus, neturint visapusińkos informacijos; savo galimybių įvertinimas, uņsibrėņiant sunkius, bet pasiekiamus tikslus. 5. Verņlumas ir ryņtingumas: sugebėjimas pasinaudoti gyvenimo duotomis galimybėmis; tikėjimas, kad pats esi savo likimo kalvis. Lietuvos jaunimo organizacijų taryba (2006)2 verslumą apibrėņia kaip pilietińkumą, imlumą naujovėms, sugebėjimą patraukti, suburti ņmones bendrai veiklai, laiko planavimą, prognozavimą, „matymą― į priekį, intuiciją, sugebėjimą priimti sprendimus, pasvertą riziką, teorinių ņinių ir praktinių įgūdņių pusiausvyrą, bendravimo meną, loginį mąstymą, kritińką poņiūrį, sugebėjimą „parduoti― save, pozityvų mąstymą – pozityvią reakciją į nesėkmes, pasitikėjimą savimi, aktyvų veikimą, aktyvią poziciją gyvenime, gyvenimo būdą, kuomet planuoji pats, savimotyvaciją, savirealizaciją bei kitus vadybinius įgūdņiius. Apibendrinant galima teigti, kad verslumas yra naujų produktų kūrimas Schumpter (1934), Wennekers ir Thurik (1999), įgimtos ir įgytos ņmogaus savybės Adamonienė (2009), Dicevičienė (2006), leidņiančios ņmogui novatorińkai mąstyti ir aktyviai veikti bei rizikuoti. Verslumas reikalauja imtis atsakomybės uņ savo sprendimus, pasverti riziką, apibrėņti tikslus (Lietuvos jaunimo organizacijų taryba (2006)3. Stonienė, Martinkienė, Ńakienė, Romerytė – Ńereikienė (2009) pabrėņia, kad verslumas reikalauja imtis atsakomybės uņ savo sprendimus, pasverti riziką, įvardinti strategines vizijas, apsibrėņti tikslus ir jų siekti suburiant ņmones bendrai veiklai. Skatinant gyventojų profesinį tobulėjimą, diegiant suvokimą apie būtinybę mokytis visą gyvenimą, ieńkant naujų verslumo ugdymo būdų - siekiama kiekvieną ńalies gyventoją padaryti konkurencingą naujojoje Europos darbo rinkoje ir suteikti jam gebėjimus bei galimybę sėkmingai dirbti bet kurioje Europos Sąjungos ńalyje. Jaunimo verslumo ugdymo priemonės Jaunimo verslumas – tai ne tiktai siekis, kad būtų plėtojamos įvairios pelno siekiančios verslo idėjos. Pateikiamas platesnis poņiūris – jaunas ņmogus yra aktyvus ir norintis keisti aplinką, realizuojant savo pozityvias idėjas, nebijant suklysti ir taisyti situaciją. Jaunimo verslumo plėtra reikalinga ekonominio potencialo didinimui, plėtros planų įgyvendinimui, migracijos problemų sprendimui, uņimtumo problemų sprendimui, jaunimo nedarbo problemų sprendimui, nusikalstamumo problemų sprendimui, tarptautinio bendradarbiavimo didinimui. Lietuvos 2 3 Lietuvos jaunimo organizacijų taryba (2006). Verslumas jaunimo organizacijose. Nr.1(64). ISSN 233-52410, Vilnius. Lietuvos jaunimo organizacijų taryba (2006). Verslumas jaunimo organizacijose. Nr.1(64). ISSN 233-52410, Vilnius. 82 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Respublikos Vyriausybė 2008 m. balandņio 2 d. nutarimu Nr.332 (Ņin., 2008, Nr.46 – 1728) patvirtino Nacionalinę jaunimo verslumo ugdymo ir skatinimo 2008 – 2012 metų programą. Ńis nutarimas buvo priimtas remiantis Lietuvoje atliktais tyrimais ir faktiniais duomenimis, uņsienio ńalių (ypač Europos Sąjungos, Jungtinių Tautų Europos ekonominės komisijos) rekomendacijomis ir valstybių, turinčių didelę jaunimo verslumo skatinimo praktiką, patirtimi, skiriamos trys problemų grupės: 1. nepakankamas jaunimo ir visuomenės supratimas apie verslą, jo galimybes, ņinių ir įgūdņių jį pradėti stoka; 2. tinkamos pagalbos jaunimo verslo pradņiai ir plėtrai stoka; 3. veiksmų, skatinančių verslumą, koordinavimo ir prieņiūros nebuvimas. Pagal Nacionalinę jaunimo verslumo ugdymo ir skatinimo 2008 – 2012 metų programą4 yra numatyti trys pagrindiniai uņdaviniai, skatinantytys jaunimo verslumą: 1. Sukurti, įdiegti ir tobulinti verslumo ugdymo priemones; 2. Skatinti jaunimo ir jaunųjų ūkininkų verslo pradņią ir plėtrą; 3. Vykdyti jaunimo verslumo situacijos ir verslumo skatinimo stebėseną, informuoti valstybės institucijas ir visuomenę apie verslumo skatinimą Lietuvoje. Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija koordinuoja ir kontroliuoja ńios programos įgyvendinimą ir kas dvejus metus, iki kovo 1 d., nustatytąja tvarka teikia Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybei priemonių įvykdymo ataskaitą. Ńi programa įgyvendinama iń Lietuvos Respublikos atitinkamų metų valstybės biudņeto ir savivaldybių biudņetų finansinių rodiklių patvirtinimo įstatyme atsakingiems vykdytojams patvirtintų bendrųjų asignavimų, Europos Sąjungos struktūrinių fondų ir kitų teisės aktų nustatyta tvarka gautų lėšų. Duomenys apie programos vykdymą pateikti uņ 2008 – 2009 metus 1 lentelėje. Kaip matyti iń 1 lentelės daugiausia lėńų gavo VńĮ Nacionalinės plėtros institutas, kuris įgyvendino projektą „Jaunimo verslumo galimybės Lietuvos savivaldybėse―. 2008 – 2009 metais iń viso buvo įgyvendinta 10 projektų, kurie padėjo ugdyti jaunimo verslumą. Lietuvoje nėra visa apimančio poņiūrio į jaunimo verslumo skatinimą, t. y. ńvietimo, darbo rinkos, ņemės ūkio, profesinio orientavimo, smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo skatinimo priemonės nėra suderintos taip, kad galėtų stiprinti viena kitos poveikį – valstybės institucijos dirba skirtingomis kryptimis. Jaunimo verslumas turi būti skatinamas nuosekliai: nuo ńvietimo, profesinio orientavimo iki konsultacijų. Todėl skirtingos valstybės taikomos priemonės turi būti kryptingos ir suderintos. 4 Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės 2008 m. balandņio 2 d. nutarimas Nr. 339 „ Dėl nacionalinės jaunimo verslumo ugdymo ir skatinimo 2008 – 2012 metų programos patvirtinimo―. 83 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 1 lentelė. Nacionalinės jaunimo verslumo ugdymo ir skatinimo 2008 – 2012 metų programos vykdymas 2008 – 2009 metais Eil. Organizacijos Nr. pavadinimas 1. Zarasų jaunųjų verslininkų asociacija 2. VńĮ Darnaus vystymo projektai VńĮ Nacionalinės plėtros institutas VńĮ PROFAT 3. 4. Projekto pavadinimas Skirta suma Informacijos sklaida visuomenei ir jaunimui apie verslo situaciją ir gerąją Zarasų bei Ignalinos rajonų jaunųjų verslininkų patirtį ugdant teorinius ir praktinius jaunom verslumo gebėjimus Kuriu verslą Panevėņyje 10 000 Lt 12 800 Lt Jaunimo verslumo galimybės Lietuvos savivaldybėse 15 000 Lt Jaunimo verslumo konkursas PROFAS 10 000 Lt Zarasų jaunimo vandens sporto klubas VńĮ Verslo angelas Idėjų poligonas vandenyje,ant vandens, virń vandens Anykńčių ir Ńvenčionių rajono socialiai paņeidņiamo jaunimo verslumo įgūdņių ugdymas Ne verkńlenk, bet daryk 4 600 Lt 9. VńĮ Anykńčių jaunimo verslumo centras Kretingos rajono saviraińkos klubas „Mes tik― AIESEC Lietuva 12 400 Lt 10. Sedos bendruomenė Verslumo, kaip pridėtinės vertės kūrimo suvokimo skatinimas jaunimo terpėje PVM pradėkim verslą miestelyje 5. 6. 7. 8. Būk aktyvus 8 300 Lt 10 000 Lt 7 600 Lt 9 300 Lt Šaltinis: Lietuvos Respublikos Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerijos 2010 geguţės 7 d. raštas Nr.. (17.2-42) SD -3085 Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybei „Dėl jaunimo verslumo ugdymo programos įgyvendinimo 2008 – 2009 metais“. Viena iń praktinio verslumo ugdymo metodikų – verslo praktinio mokymo firmos, kurios Lietuvoje pirmą kartą įkurtos 1993 metais, įgyvendinant Danijos Karalystės ńvietimo ministerijos ir Lietuvos Respublikos ńvietimo ir mokslo ministerijos finansuotą projektą. 2006–2007 metais Lietuvoje veikė 48 Lietuvos verslo praktinio mokymo firmos 32 skirtingo tipo mokymo institucijose: universitetuose, kolegijose, profesinėse ir vidurinėse mokyklose. Dar viena praktinio verslumo ugdymo metodika – mokinių mokomosios bendrovės, kurios Lietuvoje pirmą kartą įkurtos 1994 metais. 2006–2007 metais veikė 76 tokios mokinių mokomosios bendrovės 60-yje Lietuvos mokyklų. Lietuvos mokinių mokomosios bendrovės veikia 28 mokymo institucijose. Ekonomikos mokymas ir su tuo bene glaudņiausiai susijęs verslumo ugdymas yra sąlygojami ir visos aplinkos, pirmiausia mokyklos bendruomenės. Ūkio ministerijos atlikti tyrimai rodo (Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės 2008 m. balandņio 2 d. nutarimas Nr.332), kad smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo atstovai dar nesuvokia verslumo ņinių stokos, kaip vienos iń svarbių kliūčių verslo plėtrai. Bankai paņymi, kad smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo kreditavimo galimybės panaudojamos tik 50 procentų daņniausiai dėl to, kad smulkieji verslininkai nesugeba parengti verslo planų. Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybė 2002 m. birņelio 12 d. 84 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. nutarimu Nr. 853 „Dėl Lietuvos ūkio (ekonomikos) plėtros iki 2015 metų ilgalaikės strategijos― (Ņin., 2002, Nr. 60-2424) pritarė Lietuvos ūkio (ekonomikos) plėtros iki 2015 metų ilgalaikei strategijai. Ńioje strategijoje nurodoma: nors ir daugėja turinčių aukńtąjį ir specialųjį vidurinį ińsilavinimą ekonomińkai aktyvių gyventojų, ńalies verslumo potencialas nėra pakankamas, nemaņai verslininkų neturi atitinkamo ińsilavinimo ir būtinos patirties (Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės 2008 m. balandņio 2 d. nutarimas Nr.332). Valstybėje sukurta verslo informavimo sistema, tačiau nėra duomenų, kiek jaunų ņmonių pasinaudoja verslo konsultavimo ir inkubavimo paslaugomis, vis dar labai stokojama informacijos apie pagalbą verslui ir lengvatas. Verslo paslaugų tinklas Lietuvoje skirtas labai maņoms, maņoms ir vidutinėms įmonėms, taip pat pradedantiesiems verslininkams. Jį sudaro 42 verslo informacijos centrai ir 6 verslo inkubatoriai, 7 mokslo ir technologijų parkai. Ńios institucijos yra vieńosios įstaigos, kurių viena iń dalininkių – valstybė, o jai atstovauja Ūkio ministerija. Finansinė parama įstaigų verslo paslaugų projektams teikiama iń Ūkio ministerijos Smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo plėtros ir skatinimo strategijos įgyvendinimo specialiosios programos lėńų (LR ūkio ministro 2007 m. kovo 1 d. įsakymas Nr. 4-70 ,,Dėl Lietuvos Respublikos ūkio ministerijos ir įstaigų prie Lietuvos Respublikos ūkio ministerijos 2007–2009 metų strateginių veiklos planų patvirtinimo―). Verslo informacijos centrai veikia vienos ar kelių savivaldybių teritorijose, lengvatinėmis sąlygomis teikia verslo informacijos, konsultavimo paslaugas, organizuoja informacijos sklaidos renginius ir mokymą įvairiomis verslo valdymo ir plėtojimo temomis. 33 verslo informacijos centrai turi interneto svetaines, kuriose galima rasti informacijos apie jų veiklą ir teikiamas paslaugas. Verslo informacijos centrai, kurie dar nėra susikūrę interneto svetainių, ńią informaciją teikia telefonu arba elektroniniu pańtu. Informaciją verslininkams teikia vieńoji įstaiga Lietuvos ekonominės plėtros agentūra, yra sukurtas interneto puslapis www.verslovartai.lt, kuriame įmonės gali rasti informacijos. Pradedantieji verslininkai ņinių apie verslą Europos Sąjungoje gali gauti Europos verslo informacijos centruose Kaune, Vilniuje ir Klaipėdoje. Inovatyviam verslui patalpas ir įrangą nuomoja, verslo informacijos, konsultacijų, mokymo paslaugas lengvatinėmis sąlygomis teikia 6 verslo inkubatoriai ir 7 mokslo ir technologijų parkai. Verslo inkubatorių paslaugos yra orientuotos į tuos verslininkus, kurie turi gerų verslo idėjų. Ńvietimas ir mokymas yra esminiai veiksniai siekiant įgyvendinti Lisabonos strategijos ekonominius ir socialinius tikslus. Kaip 2006 m. pabrėņė Taryba, vienodas dėmesys ńvietimo ir mokymo sistemų efektyvumo, kokybės ir teisumo tikslams yra „būtina sąlyga, norint įgyvendinti Lisabonos tikslus stiprinti Europos socialinį modelį.―. Ņinios ir naujovės sudaro persvarstytos Lisabonos augimo ir uņimtumo skatinimo darbotvarkės pagrindą, o siekiant paskatinti naujovių 85 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. diegimą būtina stiprinti ryńius tarp ńvietimo ir naujovių. Ńvietimas suteikia naujovėms diegti reikiamų įgūdņių ir gebėjimų, kuria naujas ņinias ńvietimo, mokslinių tyrimų ir naujovių „ņinių trikampyje.― Lietuvos kolegijos ir universiteto studentų studijų pagrindinis skirtumas yra tas, kad studijos kolegijose yra orientuotos į praktiką, praktinius darbus, praktikas įmonėse bei organizacijose, todėl yra didesnės sąlygos ugdyti jaunimo verslumą. Kolegijos Lietuvoje buvo įkurtos aińkiai teigiant jų studijų programų orientavimą į profesinius verslo pasaulio poreikius. Aukńtosios neuniversitetinės mokslo įstaigos norėdamos kaip galima tenkinti ńiuolaikinio verslo pasaulio reikalavimus, turėtų stebėti, analizuoti vykstančius darbo rinkos pokyčius ir keistis kartu su aplinka, ieńkoti naujų galimybių studijų kokybės procesui uņtikrinti (Stonienė,. Martinkienė, Ńakienė, Romerytė – Ńereikienė, (2009)). Komisijos komunikate Europos Parlamentui, Tarybai, Europos ekonomikos ir socialinių reikalų komitetui bei regionų komitetui „Nauji gebėjimai naujoms darbo vietoms arbo rinkos ir gebėjimų poreikių numatymas ir derinimas (SEC(2008) 3058)― numatyta, kad tam kad ugdyti verslumą turi būti ugdomi nauji gebėjimai naujoms darbo vietoms. Komisijos komunikate 2020 m. Europos paņangaus, tvaraus ir integracinio augimo strategija numatoma septynias pavyzdines iniciatyvas, skirtas paţangai pagal kiekvieną prioritetinę temą paskatinti: – „Inovacijų sąjunga“: sudaryti geresnes pagrindines sąlygas ir finansavimo sąlygas moksliniams tyrimams ir inovacijoms, kad būtų uņtikrinta, jog novatorińkos idėjos virstų prekėmis ir paslaugomis, kurios skatintų augimą ir naujų darbo kūrimą. – „Judus jaunimas“: gerinti ńvietimo sistemų rezultatus ir sudaryti geresnes sąlygas jaunimui patekti į darbo rinką. – „Naujų įgūdţių ir darbo vietų kūrimo darbotvarkė“: modernizuoti darbo rinkas ir ņmonėms suteikti daugiau galių sudarant galimybes tobulinti įgūdņius bet kuriuo gyvenimo etapu, kad būtų didinamas darbo jėgos aktyvumas, darbo pasiūla labiau atitiktų paklausą, taip pat pasitelkiant darbo jėgos judumą. Jaunimo verslumo empirinis tyrimas Tyrimas buvo atliktas Tarptautinėje verslo ir teisės aukńtojoje mokykloje. Tyrimo tikslas ińtirti, kokios priemonės taikomos jaunimo verslumui ugdyti ir skatinti Tarptautinėje verslo ir teisės aukńtojoje mokykloje. Tyrime dalyvavo 120 respondentų, kurių tarpe 72 (60%) respondentai buvo vyrai ir 48 (40 %) respondentų buvo moterys. 69 proc. respondentų buvo 20 – 25 metų amņiaus, 21 proc. – 26 – 30 metų amņiaus, 9,2 proc. – 31 – 35 metų maņiau, 1 proc. 36- 40 metų amņiaus. 20 86 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. proc. respondentų teigė, kad jie tik studijuoja, 73 proc. , kad jie yra įmonių darbuotojai ir 7 proc. respondentų teigė, kad jie yra darbdaviai. 65 proc. respondentų teigė, kad jie dirba privačiame sektoriuje, 15 proc. respondentų teigė, kad jie dirba vieńajame sektoriuje. Pagal ńeimos pajamas respondentai pasiskirstė taip: 22 proc. respondentų teigė, kad jų pajamos yra iki 1000 Lt. 19 proc. – 1000 – 1500 Lt, 19 proc. 1501- 2000 Lt, 18 proc. – 2001 – 3000 Lt, 13 proc. – 3001 – 4000 Lt, 6 proc. – 4001 – 5000 Lt ir virń 50000 Lt uņdirba tik 3 proc. respondentų. Verslumą repondentai apibūdino taip: 22 proc. respondentų teigė, kad verslumas – tai pelno siekimas vykdant ekonominę veiklą ir sukuriant kapitalą verslo savininkams, 15 proc. verslumą supranta, kaip jauno ņmogaus poņiūrį, įgūdņius ir ņinias, kurie leidņia atpaņinti galimybę kurti pridėtinę vertę (tiek socialinę, tiek ekonominę) ir veiksmai, nukreipti ińnaudoti ńią galimybę, 61 proc. – teigė kad verslumas yra asmens gebėjimas idėjas paversti veiksmais ir 2 proc. verslumą apibūdino kaip ņmogaus asmeninį ir dalykinį potencialą, laiduojantį naujovińką ir aktyvią veiklą nuolatos besikeičiančioje aplinkoje (ņr.2 lentelę). 2 lentelė. Respondentų apibūdinimas sąvokos „verslumas― Verslumo sąvoka Tai pelno siekimas vykdant ekonominę veiklą ir sukuriant kapitalą verslo savininkams Jauno ņmogaus poņiūris, įgūdņiai ir ņinios, kurie leidņia atpaņinti galimybę kurti pridėtinę vertę (tiek socialinę, tiek ekonominę) ir veiksmai, nukreipti ińnaudoti ńią galimybę Verslumas yra asmens gebėjimas idėjas paversti veiksmais. Jis reińkia kūrybingumą, naujoves ir pasirengimą rizikuoti bei gebėjimą planuoti ir valdyti projektus siekiant tikslų Tai ņmogaus asmeninis ir dalykinis potencialas, laiduojantis naujovińką ir aktyvią veiklą nuolatos besikeičiančioje aplinkoje Daņnumas 26 Proc. 22 18 15 73 61 3 2 Jaunimo verslumą skatintų ńie mokymo metodai: pristatymas, paskaita , seminaras analizės metodas, proto ńturmas, grupinio darbo metodai, diskusijos darbo grupėse, interaktyvi diskusija, uņduočių sprendimas (ņr.3 lentelę). Respondentams buvo uņduotas klausimas apie mokymo medņiagos vertingumą. Respondentai paminėjo kad labai vertingi yra baziniai gebėjimai, verslo psichologija, verslo teisė, inovacijų valdymas. Respondentų taip pat buvo klausiama, ar jie pritaria , kad verslumą sudaro tam tikri elementai (ņr. 4 lentelę). Dauguma respondentų visińkai pritarė ir pritarė, kad tai yra pilietińkumas (55 proc. ), imlumas naujovėms (83,5 proc.), sugebėjimas patraukti, suburti ņmones bendrai veiklai (82,9 proc.), laiko planavimas (74,2 proc.), prognozavimas, matymas į „priekį―, intuicija (73,4 proc.), sugebėjimas priimti sprendimus (87,5 proc.), pasverta rizika (77, 5 proc.), teorinės ņinios (70,9 proc.), praktiniai įgūdņiai (91 proc.), bendravimo menas (84,2 proc.), loginis mąstymas (86,7 87 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. proc.), kritińkas poņiūris (76,7 proc.), sugebėjimas „parduoti― save (66,7 proc.), pozityvus mąstymas (76,7 proc.), aktyvus veikimas (81,8 proc.), gyvenimo būdas, kuomet planuoji pats (70,9 proc.), savirealizacija (79 proc.), vadybiniai įgūdņiai (82,5 proc.). 3 lentelė. Respondentų nuomonės apie tai, kokie mokymo metodai skatintų verslumą mokykloje, pasiskirstymas Mokymo metodai 1. Pristatymas 2. Paskaita 3. Seminaras 4. Analizės metodas 5. Proto ńturmas 6. Grupinio darbo metodai 7. Diskusijos darbo grupėse 8. Interaktyvi diskusija 9. Uņduočių sprendimas Visińkai pritariu Daņn. 30 24 27 18 Pritariu Daņn. Proc. Nei pritariu, nei nepritariu Daņn Proc. 28 23 19 15,8 22 18 28 23,3 26 20 23 15 58 74 65 70 Proc. 48 61,7 54 58,4 19 38 15,9 31,7 53 59 44.2 49,2 39 16 50 42 53 44 33 27 50 38 32 53 Nepritariu Daņn. Visińkai nepritariu Daņn. Proc. 1 0,8 - 4 3 5 4 Proc. 3 2,5 4,2 3,3 32,5 13,3 7 7 5,8 5,8 2 - 1,6 - 15 12,4 1 0,8 1 0,8 42 34 28,5 3 2,5 - - 44 23 19 5 4,2 1 0,8 4 lentelė. Respondentų atsakymo į klausimą „ar jūs pritariate, kad verslumą sudaro ńie elementai?― nuomonės pasiskirstymas Verslumo elementai 1. Pilietińkumas 2. Imlumas naujovėms 3. Sugebėjimas patraukti, suburti ņmones bendrai veiklai 4. Laiko planavimas 5. Prognozavimas, matymas į „priekį―, intuicija 6. Sugebėjimas priimti sprendimus 7. Pasverta rizika 8. Teorinės ņinios 9. Praktiniai įgūdņiai 10. Bendravimo menas 11. Loginis mąstymas 12. Kritińkas poņiūris 13. Sugebėjimas „parduoti― save 14. Pozityvus mąstymas 15. Aktyvus veikimas 16. Gyvenimo būdas, kuomet planuoji pats 17. Savirealizacija 18. Vadybiniai įgūdņiai Visińkai pritariu Daņn. Proc. 18 15 30 25 33 27,4 Pritariu Daņn. 48 70 70 Proc. 40 58,5 58,5 Nei pritariu, nei nepritariu Daņn. Proc. 35 29 16 13,3 16 13,3 Nepritariu Daņn. 13 2 1 Proc. 11 1,6 0,8 Visińkaineprita riu Daņn. Proc. 6 5 2 1,6 - 30 39 25 32,6 59 55 49,2 45,8 29 19 24,2 15,8 2 6 1,6 5 1 0,8 52 43,3 53 44,2 12 10 3 2,5 - - 35 26 53 49 45 38 32 29,2 21,7 44 40,9 38,4 31,7 26,7 58 59 56 52 58 54 48 48,3 49,2 47 43,3 48,3 45 40 24 31 10 16 15 23 27 20 25,8 8,2 13,3 12,5 19,2 22,5 3 1 3 3 9 2,5 0,8 2,5 2.5 7,5 1 2 4 0,8 1,6 3,3 38 40 38 31,7 33,5 31,7 54 58 47 45 48,3 39,2 23 19 26 19,2 15,8 21,7 3 1 7 2,5 0,8 5,8 2 2 2 1,6 1,6 1,6 37 39 31 32,5 58 60 48 50 19 17 15,8 14,2 6 3 5 2,5 1 0,8 88 - International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Kokiomis gi savybėmis pasiņymi verslus ņmogus?. Kaip matyti beveik ties kiekviena savybe ties visińkai pritariu ir pritariu paņymėjo daugiau kaip 70 proc. respondentų (5 lentelė). Kaip matyti iń 5 lentelės verslus ņmogus yra atkaklus, motyvuotas, atsakingas, tolerantińkas, kuriantis darbo vietas, iniciatyvus, energingas, savarankińkas, komunikabilus, aktyviai veikiantis, stebintis situaciją, kūrybingas, inovatyvus, turintis tam tikrų įgūdņių, darbńtus, sąmoningas, įgyvendinantis idėjas rinkoje, siekiantis pelno, gebantis konkuruoti, gebantis parudoti save, savo idėjas, gebantis sugalvoti verslą ir jį plėtoti, verņlus, gebantis priimti sprendimus, lyderis, gebantis įvertinti riziką. 5 lentelė. Respondentų nuomonė apie tai, kokiomis savybėmis pasiņymi verslus ņmogus Verslaus ņmogaus savybės Visińkai pritariu Pritariu Daņn. 51 50 50 34 24 Proc. 42,6 41,8 41,7 28,4 20 Daņn. 61 61 52 58 56 Proc. 50,8 50,8 43,3 48,3 46,7 43 50 42 56 35,8 41,7 35 47 59 56 56 53 49,2 46,6 46,6 44 17 11 18 10 14,2 9,2 15 8,2 1 3 4 1 0,8 2,5 3,4 0,8 - - 10. Aktyviai veikiantis 11. Stebintis situaciją 12. Kūrybingas 13. Inovatyvus 14. Turintis tam tikrų įgūdņių 15. Darbńtus 16. Sąmoningas 17. Įgyvendinantis idėjas rinkoje 18. Siekiantis pelno 50 41,2 58 49 10 8,2 2 1,6 - - 46 38 58 49 13 10,6 2 1,6 1 0,8 38 43 36 32 36 30 53 60 61 44 50 51 27 17 20 22,4 14 16,5 2 3 1,6 2,5 - - 48 45 50 40 37,6 41,6 54 55 59 45 45,8 49,2 15 20 11 12,6 16,6 9,2 1 - 0,8 - 2 - 1,6 - 45 37,6 57 47,5 15 12,5 2 1,6 1 0,8 19. Gebantis konkuruoti 51 42,5 58 48,5 10 8,2 1 0,8 - - 20. Gebantis parduoti savo idėjas 46 38 47 39 21 18 5 4,2 1 0,8 21. Gebantis sugalvoti verslą ir jį plėtoti 22. Verņlus 61 50,8 51 42,5 7 5,9 - - 1 0,8 48 40 55 45,8 15 12,6 1 0,8 1 0,8 23. Gebantis priimti sprendimus 57 47,5 50 41,7 13 10,8 - - - - 24. Lyderiavimas 25. Gebantis įvertinti riziką 44 57 37 47,5 59 49 49 40,8 16 11 13,2 9,3 1 2 0,8 1,6 1 0,8 1. Atkaklus 2. Motyvuotas 3. Atsakingas 4. Tolerantińkas 5. Kuriantis darbo vietas 6. Iniciatyvus 7. Energingas 8. Savarankińkas 9. Komunikabilus Nei pritariu, nei nepritariu Daņn. Proc. 7 5,8 7 5,8 17 14,2 24 20 35 29,2 Nepritariu Daņn. 1 2 1 3 4 Proc. 0,8 1,6 0,8 2,5 3,3 Visińkai nepritariu Daņn. Proc. 1 0,8 1 0,8 89 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Respondentų buvo paklausta, „kas, Jūsų nuomone, ńiandien ribotų verslo pradėjimo galimybes?―. Visińkai pritarė ir pritarė, kad tai būtų baimė bankrutuoti (83,4 proc.), darbo garantijų nebuvimas (78,3 proc.), baimė prarasti turtą (77,6 proc.), baime, kad reikės skirti daug laiko ir energijos (35 proc.) bei galimybė patirti asmeninį pralaimėjimą (46,7 proc.) respondentai. Verslo vystymąsi pasak respondentų skatina komandos verslumo įtaka verslo vystymui (90,8 proc.) bei mokslinių tyrimų taikymo įtaka verslo vystymui (68,4 proc.). Respondentai paņymėjo, kad Lietuvos įmonėse trūksta ńių verslumo įgūdņių: atsakingumo, aktyvumo, sugebėjimo priimti tinkamus sprendimus, reklamos netikslingumo, trūksta verslo etikos, tinkamo personalo valdymo, darbuotojų apmokymo ir naujų technologijų, jaunų, novatorińkų vadovų, įgūdņių, noro, savirealizacijos, komandinio darbo, saviraińkos, patirties, motyvacijos, ryņto didesnėms inovacijoms, investicijų iń uņsienio, taip pat trūksta ņinių ir informacijos iń ņmonių, kurie sukūrė jau gerus verslus. Atsakydami į atvirą klausimą „kokiais būdais galima būtų skatinti jaunimo verslumą Lietuvoje?―, respondentai ińdėstė savo mintis ir nuomonę sekančiai: - nemokamos paskaitos su verslininkais, kurie turi gerąją praktiką; - Lietuvoje tokių galimybių jaunimui nėra, jaunimu turi labiau pasitikėti ir mokyti; - reikėtų pagerinti mokesčių sistemą, t.y. pirmus metus nemokėti mokesčių; - kurti virtualias firmas, sudominti jaunimą pasilikti Lietuvoje; - suteikti galimybę parodyto savo sugebėjimus, skirti paskolas su palankesnėmis sąlygomis; - sumaņinti politinius, teisinius apribojimus; - kurti versso mokyklas, kurios būtų orientuotos į praktiką, o ne į teoriją. Respondentų paklausius „kokios Jūsų nuomone yra pagrindinės jaunimo verslumo kliūtys?―, jie teigė, kad tai būtų netinkama prieiga prie paramos verslui (87,5 proc.), blogas verslo paramos galimybių supratimas (85 proc.), rinkodaros, pardavimo, vadovavimo patirties stoka (69,2 proc.), įėjimo į rinką sunkumai (77 proc.), netinkami teisės aktai (69,2 proc.), biurokratiniai apribojimai (76,5 proc.), paramos verslo pradņiai (89,2 proc.), pradinis kapitalas (86,8 proc.). Jaunimo verslumą respondentų nuomone skatintų ńios priemonės: palankesni įstatymai verslui, verslumo įgūdņių ugdymas, tobulinimas, palankesnis visuomenės poņiūris į verslą: prieinamumo prie finansinių ńaltinių gerinimas (ņr.6 lentelę). 90 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 6 lentelė. Respondentų atsakymo į klausimą „kokios priemonės Jūsų nuomone skatintų jaunimo verslumą― nuomonės pasiskirstymas Jaunimo verslumą skatinančios priemonės 1.Palankesni įstatymai verslui 2.Verslumo įgūdņių ugdymas, tobulinimas 3.Palankesnis visuomenės poņiūris į verslą 4.Prieinamumo prie finansinių ńaltinių gerinimas Visińkai pritariu Pritariu Daņn. 58 Proc. 48,3 Daņn. 42 39 32,6 60 50 19 29 24 60 50 46 38 57 48 Proc. 35 Nei pritariu, nei nepritariu Daņn. Proc. 17 14,2 Nepritariu Visińkai nepritariu Daņn. Proc. - Daņn. 3 Proc. 2,5 15,8 2 1,6 - - 28 23,4 2 1,6 1 0,8 13 10,7 3 2,5 1 0,8 Respondentų nuomonė priemonės, kurios padėtų ugdyti verslumą TTVAM būtų (labai įtakoja ir įtakoja): praktika verslo įmonėse (82 proc.), dalyvavimas projektinėje veikloje (76,8 proc.), bendravimas su patyrusiais verslininkais (79,2 proc.), seminarai su praktinėmis uņduotimis (78,4 proc.), dėstytojų teorinė patirtis (74 proc.), dėstytojų praktinė patirtis (82 proc.), studentų mokslinės konferencijos (64 proc.), studijos pagal ERASMUS mainų programą (63,4 proc.) respondentų. Išvados Apibendrintai galima teigti, kad verslumas yra naujų produktų kūrimas, įgimtos ir įgytos ņmogaus savybės, leidņiančios ņmogui novatorińkai mąstyti ir aktyviai veikti bei rizikuoti. Verslumas reikalauja imtis atsakomybės uņ savo sprendimus tai pasverta riziką, apibrėņti tikslai ir jų siekimas suburiant ņmones bendrai veiklai. Jaunimo verslumas - tai jaunam ņmogui sudarytos galimybės, gebëjimai tiek savo idėjomis, tiek praktinėmis, teorinėmis ņiniomis prisidėti prie tam tikro produkto sukūrimo, apibrėņtai subjektų grupei naudingo gėrio suformavimo. Verslumas- siektina ir svarbi bet kurio individo ar jų grupės savybė. Lietuvoje nėra visa apimančio poņiūrio į jaunimo verslumo skatinimą, t. y. ńvietimo, darbo rinkos, ņemės ūkio, profesinio orientavimo, smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo skatinimo priemonės nėra suderintos taip, kad galėtų stiprinti viena kitos poveikį – valstybės institucijos dirba skirtingomis kryptimis. Jaunimo verslumas turi būti skatinamas nuosekliai: nuo ńvietimo, profesinio orientavimo iki konsultacijų. Todėl skirtingos valstybės taikomos priemonės turi būti kryptingos ir suderintos. Lietuvoje skatinti jaunimo verslumą priimta Nacionalinė jaunimo verslumo ugdymo ir skatinimo 2008 – 2012 metų programa. Ńi programa patvirtinta remiantis Lietuvoje atliktais 91 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. tyrimais ir faktiniais duomenimis, uņsienio ńalių (ypač Europos Sąjungos, Jungtinių Tautų Europos ekonominės komisijos) rekomendacijomis ir valstybių, turinčių didelę jaunimo verslumo skatinimo praktiką, patirtimi. Programoje paņymimos kelios probleminės grupės, tarp kurių nepakankamas jaunimo ir visuomenės supratimas apie verslą, jo galimybes, ņinių ir įgūdņių jį pradėti stoka, tinkamos pagalbos jaunimo verslo pradņiai ir plėtrai stoka, veiksmų, skatinančių verslumą, koordinavimo ir prieņiūros nebuvimas. ES mastu jaunimo verslumą ugdyti ir skatinti vadovaujamąsi Bolonijos deklaracija ir vėlesniais iń to ińplaukiančiais dokumentais, Tarybos ińvadomis 2009 m. geguņės 12 d. dėl Europos bendradarbiavimo ńvietimo ir mokymo srityje strateginės programos („ET 2020―), 2009 m. lapkričio 26 d. Tarybos ir Taryboje posėdņiavusių valstybių narių vyriausybių atstovų ińvadose dėl ńvietimo vaidmens plėtojimo visapusińkai veikiančiame ņinių trikampyje numatančiose septynias prioritetines veiksmų sritis, Komisijos komunikate Europos Parlamentui, Tarybai, Europos ekonomikos ir socialinių reikalų komitetui bei regionų komitetui „Nauji gebėjimai naujoms darbo vietoms Darbo rinkos ir gebėjimų poreikių numatymas ir derinimas (SEC, 2008) 3058)― numatyta, kad tam kad ugdyti verslumą turi būti ugdomi nauji gebėjimai naujoms darbo vietoms. Atlikto tyrimo Tarptautinėje verslo ir teisės aukńtojoje mokykloje (TTVAM) rezultatai parodė, kad: Verslumas TTVAM studentų poņiūriu – tai pelno siekimas vykdant ekonominę veiklą ir sukuriant kapitalą verslo savininkams, jauno ņmogaus poņiūris, įgūdņiai ir ņinios, kurie leidņia atpaņinti galimybę kurti pridėtinę vertę (tiek socialinę, tiek ekonominę) ir veiksmai, nukreipti ińnaudoti ńią galimybę, asmens gebėjimas idėjas paversti veiksmais, ņmogaus asmeninis ir dalykinis potencialas, laiduojantis naujovińką ir aktyvią veiklą nuolatos besikeičiančioje aplinkoje. Jaunimo verslumą skatintintų ńie mokymo metodai: pristatymas, paskaita , seminaras, analizės metodas, proto ńturmas, grupinio darbo metodai, diskusijos darbo grupėse, interatkyvi diskusija, uņduočių sprendimas. Studentų poņiūriu verslus ņmogus turėtų pasiņymėti sekančiomis savybėmis: pilietińkumu, imlumu naujovėms, sugebėjimu patraukti, suburti ņmones bendrai veiklai, mokėjimu planuoti laiką, sugebėjimu prognozuoti, matymu į „priekį―, intuicija, sugebėjimu priimti sprendimus, pasverti riziką, geromis teorinėmis ņiniomis, praktiniais įgūdņiais, bendravimo menu, loginiu mąstymus, kritińku poņiūriu, sugebėjimu „parduoti― save, pozityviu mąstymu, aktyviu veikimu, gyvenimo būdu, kuomet planuoji pats, savirealizacija, vadybiniais įgūdņiais. Verslo pradėjimo galimybes, pasak respondentų, ribotų baimė bankrutuoti, prarasti turtą, baimė, kad reikės skirti daug laiko ir energijos bei galimybė patirti asmeninį pralaimėjimą. 92 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Jaunimo verslumą respondentų nuomone skatintų ńios priemonės: palankesni įstatymai verslui, verslumo įgūdņių ugdymas, tobulinimas, palankesnis visuomenės poņiūris į verslą: prieinamumo prie finansinių ńaltinių gerinimas Lietuvos įmonėse trūksta ńių verslumo įgūdņių: atsakingumo, aktyvumo, sugebėjimo priimti tinkamus sprendimus, reklamos netikslingumo, trūksta verslo etikos, tinkamo personalo valdymo, darbuotojų apmokymo ir naujų technologijų, jaunų, novatorińkų vadovų, įgūdņių, noro, savirealizacijos, komandinio darbo, saviraińkos, patirties, motyvacijos, ryņto didesnėms inovacijoms, investicijų iń uņsienio, taip pat trūksta ņinių ir informacijos iń ņmonių, kurie sukūrė jau gerus verslus, todėl reikėtų mokymo programas tobulinti. Priemonės, kurios padėtų ugdyti verslumą TTVAM būtų: praktika verslo įmonėse, dalyvavimas projektinėje veikloje, bendravimas su patyrusiais verslininkais, seminarai su praktinėmis uņduotimis, dėstytojų teorinė patirtis, dėstytojų praktinė patirtis, studentų mokslinės konferencijos, studijos pagal ERASMUS mainų programą. Literatūra 1. Adamonienė, R. (2009). Valstybinės ińteklių formavimo prielaidos ir galimybės. Vadybos mokslas ir studijos – kaimo verslų ir jų infrastruktūros plėtrai. Mokslo darbai (socialiniai mokslai, vadyba ir administravimas. Kauno technologijos universitetas, Lietuvos ņemės ūkio universitetas, 16 (1). 2. Dicevičienė, L. (2006).Verslumo įgūdņių ugdymo pagrindai. 3. Lietuvos jaunimo organizacijų taryba (2006). Verslumas jaunimo organizacijose. Vilnius, 1(64). 4. Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės 2008 m. balandņio 2 d. nutarimas Nr. 339 „ Dėl nacionalinės jaunimo verslumo ugdymo ir skatinimo 2008 – 2012 metų programos patvirtinimo―. 5. Lietuvos Respublikos Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerijos 2010 geguņės 7 d. rańtas Nr. (17.2-42) SD -3085 Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybei „Dėl jaunimo verslumo ugdymo programos įgyvendinimo 2008 – 2009 metais―. 6. Lietuvos studentų sąjunga, Vilniaus miesto ir apskrities verslininkų darbdavių konfederacija (2007). Lietuvos aukńtųjų mokyklų ir verslo bendradarbiavimas – verslaus jaunimo ugdymui. Studija, Vilnius. 7. Mets, T. (2010). Entrepreneurial Business Model for Classical Research University. Inţinerinė Ekonomika-Engineering Economics, 21(1): 80–89. 8. Schumpeter, J. (1934). The Theory of Economic Development. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press. 9. Stonienė, A., Martinkienė, J. Ńakienė, J., Romerytė – Ńereikienė, R. (2009). Studentų kompetencijų tobulinimas verslo praktinio mokymo firmose. Vadyba. Journal of Management, 14(2): 89–98. 10. Stripeikis, O. (2008). Antreprenerińkumo formavimas Lietuvos smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo įmonėse. Vadybos mokslas ir studijos – kaimo verslų ir jų infrastruktūros plėtrai. Vytauto Didņiojo universitetas, 15(4): 19-28. 11. Wennekers S. ir Thurik R. (1999). Linking Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth. Small business economics, 13(1): 27-56. 93 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. RESEARCH OF YOUTH ENTERPRENEURSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LAW AND BUSINESS Margarita Išoraitė Summary Youth entrepreneurship - a young person's attitude, skills and knowledge, which allows you to create added value and action for this option. Entrepreneurship can be defined as a value-added creation. Certain entrepreneurial characteristics are innate, and others - Acquired: inherent features of intuition, career and desire to honor, self-confidence, acquired properties of the formation of entrepreneurial learning, studying, the knowledge and practical experience, the formation of multipurpose and business skills. Lithuania there is no general systematic approach to the promotion of youth entrepreneurship as education, labor market, vocational guidance measures are not in balance with each other. This article analyzes the youth entrepreneurship. Also analyze concept of entrepreneurship, youth entrepreneurship and youth entrepreneurship, and implementation of research and international business law in higher education. The results showed that youth entrepreneurship training promote following methods: presentation, lecture, seminar method of analysis, brainstorm, group work methods, discussions in working groups, interactive discussion of the task. Business man should possess successive characteristics: citizenship, receptivity to innovation, the ability to move it, bring people together for joint activities, the payment plan period, the ability to predict the vision to "forward", intuition, the ability to make decisions, weighed the risk of good theoretical knowledge, practical skills, communication art of logical thinking, critical perspective, the ability to "sell" yourself, positive thinking, and active operation of a way of life, when you plan itself, self-realization, managerial skills. Start-up of a limited fear of bankruptcy, fear of losing assets, the fear of having to spend a lot of time and energy and the opportunity to experience a personal defeat. Promote youth entrepreneurship in the following measures: laws favorable to business, entrepreneurship, improvement of favorable public perceptions of business: access to financial resources improvement. Lithuanian companies have lack the entrepreneurial skills: responsibility, activity, ability to make the right decisions, advertisement, unviability lack of business ethics and proper personnel management, staff training and new technology, young, innovative leaders, skill, desire, self-realization, teamwork, self-expression, experience of motivation, determination greater innovation and investment from abroad, as well as a lack of knowledge and information from people who have already created a good business, and educational programs should be developed. Tools to develop entrepreneurship are: practice of business 94 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. enterprises, participation in project activities, contacts with experienced entrepreneurs, study according Erasmus exchange program. Keywords: entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education, entrepreneur, youth entrepreneurship education. 95 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. SVV PARAMOS FORMOS IR JŲ ĮSISAVINIMAS Eglė Kazlauskienė¹, Laura Aidukienė² Mykolo Romerio universitetas Ekonomikos ir Finansų valdymo fakultetas Verslo ekonomikos katedra Ateities st. 20, LT–08303, Vilnius, Lithuania El. paštas: ¹egle.kazlauskiene@mruni.eu, ²lauraiduk@mruni.eu Santrauka. Lietuvoje smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo plėtros sprendimų valdymas uņima svarbią vietą ńalies ekonomikoje, kuriant rėmimo ir skatinimo programas, formuojant SVV paramos ńaltinius. Nors SVV įmonės gali naudotis įvairiomis paramos priemonėmis, tačiau svarbu įvertinti, kaip įvairių paramos priemonių apimtys daro įtaką ńių įmonių veiklos rezultatams, jų pokyčiui ir plėtros galimybėms. Straipsnyje teoriniame lygmenyje analizuojamos SVV taikomos paramos formos, kurių įsisavinimo laipsnis vertinamas praktiniu tyrimu, grindņiamu teisiniais, statistiniais, ekonominiais duomenimis ir respondentų apklausos tyrimu. Reikšminiai ţodţiai: smulkus ir vidutinis verslas; parama verslui; finansinė parama. Įvadas Auganti smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo svarba bei įtaka ekonominiam pasaulinio ūkio vystymuisi lemia didesnį mokslininkų ir valstybės valdymo institucijų dėmesį analizuojant SVV plėtros procesus, tendencijas ir perspektyvas bei ieńkant efektyvių SVV naudos nacionalinei ekonominei ir socialinei plėtrai didinimo būdų (Adamonienė, Trifonova, 2007). Smagurauskienė (2009) atkreipė dėmesį į tai, kad visos Europos Sąjungos ir daugelis pasaulio valstybių vienokia ar kitokia forma remia verslo vystymąsi ypatingą dėmesį skirdamos smulkiam ir vidutiniam verslui, kuris sudaro ekonomikos pagrindą ir uņtikrina jos stabilumą. Parama tam tikro dydņio įmonėms pripaņįstamas kaip pagrindinis SVV politikos instrumentas. Straipsnio tikslas – identifikuojant svarbiausius SVV plėtrą ribojančius veiksnius, ińskirti tinkamiausias valstybės paramos formas. Tikslas suponavo ńiuos uţdavinius: apibūdinti valstybės paramos SVV subjektams formas įvertinti finansavimo galimybių prieinamumą. 96 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizė (siekiant atskleisti Smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo paramos formos), anketinės apklausos metodas (siekiant gauti duomenis apie informacijos pakankamumą bei skirtingų paramos formų efektyvumą). Anketinė apklausa atlikta 2011 m. gruodņio – 2012 vasario mėn. Taikyta atsitiktinė nekartotinė atranka. Smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo parama Valstybės pagalba smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo subjektams teikiama pagal Vyriausybės, apskričių ar savivaldybių smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo plėtros programas. Smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo plėtros programų rengimas ir įgyvendinimas finansuojami iń valstybės ar savivaldybių biudņetų bei piniginių fondų lėńų. Rengiant ir įgyvendinant smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo plėtros programas, finansuojamas iń valstybės biudņeto, pirmumas teikiamas SVV įmonėms, siekiant paskatinti verslumą, uņtikrinant palankesnes verslo plėtros sąlygas. Ekonomistai ińsako skirtingas nuomones SVV paramos atņvilgiu, kadangi atskiros verslo sritys yra remiamos, o kitos ieńko savarankińkai sprendimų verslo plėtros galimybės padidinti. Ńiame procese svarbus vaidmuo atitenka ńalies vyriausybei, kadangi anot Smagurauskienės (2009) paramos SVV plėtrai formos bei metodai yra labai įvairūs, o valstybės politika ńioje srityje yra svarbus ńalies vidaus politikos uņdavinys. Valstybė siekia sudaryti stabilias ekonomines ir socialines ūkio raidos sąlygas, kadangi nuolatinis jų gerinimas yra vienas iń svarbiausių valstybės valdymo tikslų, todėl vienu svarbiausiu įrankiu sprendņiant ńiuos klausimus tampa SVV verslo sąlygų gerinimas. Ńtreimikienės, Dapkaus ir Ńivicko (2007) nuomone, siekiant nustatyti, kaip valstybė turi remti SVV, būtina įvertinti valstybės paramos efektyvumą. Jis apima tiek gyventojų uņimtumo didėjimą, tiek kitus ekonominius, socialinius ir aplinkosauginius rodiklius. Vienas pagrindinių jų esamoje ekonominėje situacijoje yra naujų darbo vietų kūrimas. Anot Hallberg (2000) ińsivysčiusiose ńalyse, SVV įmonėse sukuriama didņioji dalis darbo vietų ir uņtikrinamas aukńtas produktyvumo lygis. Ińsakomi trys pagrindiniai principiniai poņiūriai į smulkaus verslo plėtrą ir valstybės vaidmenį ńiame procese: 1. Įvairios lengvatos, ińimtys yra nesuderinamos su rinkos dėsnių funkcionavimu. Ńiuo poņiūriu, nepritariama SVV verslo sąlygų gerinimui, finansavimui, manant kad ńie veiksniai lemia nenatūralius santykius, neuņtikrina konkurencijos, neskatina tobulėti, todėl teigiama, jog valstybės kińimasis yra nepageidautinas (Smagurauskienė, 2009). 2. SVV turi būti sudaromos ińskirtinės sąlygos. Remiantis ńia nuomone, įvertinamas smulkaus verslo vaidmuo ūkio subalansavime, tiek socialiniu poņiūriu ir jo formavimosi ypatumus 97 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. (Smagurauskienė, 2009). Ńiam poņiūriui vis daugiau pritariama, teigiant, kad SVV yra lankstus ir gali greitai adaptuotis prie besikeičiančios rinkos paklausos ir pasiūlos situacijos, jis sukuria naujas darbo vietas, padeda diversifikuoti ńalies ekonominę veiklą ir ņymia dalimi prisideda prie eksporto ir prekybos vystymo (UNECE 2003). 3. SVV turi ińnaudoti savo galimybes įsiterpti į verslo sritis, kurios didelėms įmonėms yra nepatrauklios dėl maņų gamybos apimčių, gilios specializacijos ir didelio darbo imlumo (Sūdņius, 2001), kas leistų uņsitikrinti savo poziciją rinkoje. Atliekant SVV plėtros sąlygų vertinimo tyrimą, akcentuojamas ińsakytas antrasis poņiūris į SVV reikńmingumą ńalies ūkyje ir pritariant ekspertų nuomonėms5, kuriose paņymima, kad maņinant ińorės reguliavimo sąlygų ir konkurencini spaudimą, didinant paramos smulkioms ir vidutinėms įmonėms institucijų infrastruktūros efektyvumą, galima labai sustiprinti SVV sistemos laidumą ir taip padidinti klestinčiu SVV įmonių skaičių, jų kuriamą pridėtinę vertę ir pačios visuomenės turtus. Autoriai Ńivickas, Simanavičius ir Pukis (2010) paņymi, kad ekonominio nuosmukio laikotarpiu, dėl rinkos nesėkmių SVV tampa labiausiai paņeidņiama ekonomikos grandimi, todėl paramos SVV klausimai yra ńiuo metu kaip niekad aktualūs ir, dabartinių deficitinių ńalių biudņetų sąlygomis, būtin įvertinti paramą SVV ir parinkti geriausias paramos SVV formas, kurios būtų nukreiptos į ilgalaikės darnios plėtros tikslus, nes valstybės teikiamos subsidijos ir kita parama SVV neturėtų virńyti gaunamos naudos visuomenei dėl SVV rėmimo. Todėl prie būtiniausių SVV plėtros sąlygų yra priskiriamos ņinios, lėńos ir atitinkama aplinka, skatinanti įmones augti ir stiprėti (ņr. 1 pav.). Kalbant apie ņinias, akcentuotina informacijos apie verslą sklaida ir mokymo bei konsultavimo paslaugų prieinamumas. Gerinant SVV subjektų finansines galimybes, svarbų vaidmenį turėtų vaidinti gerai organizuota ir būtiniausia finansinė valstybės parama. Aplinkos tobulinimas – tai pirmiausia – SVV teisinės ir ekonominės aplinkos gerinimas, atsiņvelgiant į Europos Sąjungos ńalių patirtį. Tų trijų būtiniausių sąlygų įgyvendinimas, siekiant paminėtų tikslų, ir sudaro SVV strateginės raidos esmę. Ekonomińkai ińsivysčiusiose pasaulio valstybėse smulkiosios ir vidutinės įmonės sudaro apie 90 – 95 % visų nacionalinių įmonių, joms priklauso didņioji dalis sukurto ńalies nacionalinio produkto. Tokios įmonės sparčiai stiprina regionų ekonomiką. Todėl ES valstybės siekia pradedantiesiems smulkiesiems verslininkams sukurti vienodas, o daņnai ir palankesnes konkurencijos rinkoje sąlygas nei stambioms kompanijoms (Tamońiūnas, Lukońius, 2009). 5 Ekspertų nuomonės ińsakytos: taikomajame moksliniame tyrime „Efektyviai smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo veiklai Lietuvoje taikomu ńakniniu apribojimu nustatymas ir jų įveikimo strategija. 98 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. I Ţinios II III Lėšos SVV plėtros sąlygos Verslo aplinkos sąlygos 1 pav. SVV plėtros sąlygas uņtikrinantys veiksniai Įvertinant smulkiojo verslo vaidmenį tiek ūkio subalansavimo procese, tiek socialinėje aplinkoje, galima teigti, kad valstybės vykdoma smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo rėmimo politika padeda spręsti verslo ir ekonomikos problemas ir dėl ńios prieņasties skiriant paramą SVV siekiama, kad kuo didesnė dalis SVV įsisavintų ńias lėńas, panaudojant jas verslo plėtrai. Dėl skirtingų aplinkybių, paramos gavimo procesas bei panaudojimas tampa problematińku, kas skatina atlikti tyrimą ir apibūdinti ńiuos prieņastinius ryńius tarp įstatymais parengtos SVV paramos sistemos, jos teikimo ir įsisavinimo galimybių. Įstatymu numatytos smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo subjektams taikytinos valstybės paramos formos, pateiktos 2 paveiksle. Valstybės paramos SVV subjektams formos Mokesĉių lengvatos Finansinė parama Viešųjų paslaugų verslui teikimas Paskolos Išlaidų kompensavimas Subsidijos darbo vietoms kurti 2 pav. Valstybės paramos smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo subjektams formos 1) mokesčių lengvatos (jei jos nustatytos įstatymų), rinkliavų lengvatos. Viena pagrindinių yra Lietuvoje numatytos mokesčių lengvatos įmonėms, kurios investuoja į mokslinius tyrimus ir eksperimentinę plėtrą. Kitos rinkliavų lengvatos yra nustatomos atskirų miestų savivaldybių iniciatyva, atskiroms verslo sritims (pvz: skatinančioms turizmą (Klaipėdos savivaldybės atveju sumaņintas nekilnojamo turto mokestis); fiksuoto pajamų mokesčio dydņiai verčiantis individualia veikla)); 99 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 2) teisės aktų nustatyta tvarka finansinė parama: lengvatinių paskolų teikimas, labai maņų paskolų teikimas, dalinis ar visińkas palūkanų dengimas, garantijų teikimas, kreditų draudimas, rizikos kapitalo investavimas, tam tikrų ińlaidų (steigimo, tyrimų, garantijų mokesčių, kreditų draudimo įmokų, sertifikavimo (registravimo), atitikties įvertinimo ir kitų) kompensavimas, subsidijos darbo vietoms kurti; 3) vieńųjų paslaugų verslui teikimas vieńojoje įstaigoje „Versli Lietuva―, verslo inkubatoriuose, verslo informacijos centruose, mokslo ir technologijų parkuose ir kituose juridiniuose asmenyse, kurių steigimo dokumentuose nustatytas ńių paslaugų teikimas (SVVĮ plėtros įstatymas). Atskiruose ńaltiniuose SVV paramos būdai grupuojami į juos priskiriant tiesioginiai paramai, kuri teikiama per subsidijas, dotacijas ar kompensacijas ir netiesioginei paramai – vieńosios paslaugos lengvatinėmis sąlygomis, mokesčių lengvatos, paskolų garantijos ir t.t. Pagrindiniais valstybės paramos SVV finansiniais ńaltiniais Lietuvoje įvardijami nacionalinis biudņetas, savivaldybių biudņetai, ES ir kiti fondai. Rezultatai Analizuojant smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo sąlygas ńalyje, pasitelkti statistiniai rodikliai, leidņiantys apibrėņti SVV skaičiaus svyravimą, SVV skaičiaus dedamųjų ir darbuotojų skaičiaus pokyčius. Lietuvos statistikos departamento duomenimis 2012 metų pradņioje smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo įmonių skaičius siekė 62586 (LR statistikos departamentas, 2012), kuriuo remiantis įņvelgiama SVV skaičiaus maņėjimo tendencija. Galima pastebėti, kad SVV skaičius nuo 2008 m. sumaņėjo 601 įmone (kas sudaro 1%). Pagrindinėmis prieņastimis įvardijamos: eksporto uņsakymų ir vidaus vartojimo sumaņėjimas (ņr. 3 pav.). 67000 66534 66000 65232 65000 64000 63000 63187 63447 62586 62000 61000 60000 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Veikiančių SVV skaičius metų pradžioje 3 pav. Veikiančių SVV įmonių skaičius metų pradņioje 100 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. SVV yra itin prisitaikantis prie ekonominių sąlygų bei uņimantis neuņpildytas nińas rinkoje. Ńį platų veiklos mastą atspindi 4 paveiksle pateikti duomenys. Galima paņymėti, kad per analizuojamąjį 2009-2012 m. laikotarpį, (2012 metų pradņiai) veikiančių SVV įmonių struktūra pagal ekonominės veiklos rūńis kito tik labai neņymiai. A Ţemės ūkis B Kasy ba 2012 6432 21077 6021 6664 C Apdirbamoji gamy ba D Elektros, dujų E Vandens tiekimas F Staty ba 2012 6921 22316 6241 7154 G Didmeninė ir maţmeninė preky ba H Transportas ir saugojimas I Apgy v endinimo ir maitinimo J Inf ormacija ir ry šiai 2010 6830 21417 5908 K Finansinė ir draudimo v eikla 6243 L Nekilnojamojo turto operacijos M Prof esinė, mokslinė N Administracinė ir aptarn. v eikla 2009 7197 22143 6000 O Viešasis v aldy mas ir gy ny ba 6295 P Šv ietimas Q Ţmonių sv eikatos prieţiūra R Meninė, pramoginė 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% S Kita aptarnav imo v eikla 4 pav. Veikiančių SVV įmonių skaičius metų pradņioje pagal ekonominės veiklos rūńis 2012 m. pradņioje didņiausia dalis SVV 34 proc. veikė didmeninėje ir maņmeninėje prekyboje (tokia procentinė reikńmė buvo per visą 2009-2012 m. laikotarpį) bei apdirbamojoje gamybos srityje, 10 proc. (2009-2010 m. 11 proc.). SVV teikė transporto ir saugojimo paslaugas, kurios sudaro 10 proc. (2009-2011 m. 9 proc.), statybos paslaugas – 9 proc. (2009-2010 m. 11 proc.) ir profesinė ir mokslinė veikla 2012 m. pradņiai sudarė daugiau nei 11 proc. Visos kitos veiklos atitinkamai uņima 26,34 proc. SVV įmonių steigimasis ir jų konkurencingumo didėjimas yra ńalies ekonomikos augimo pagrindas ir vienas iń pagrindiniu darbo vietų kūrimo ńaltinių, kas tampa svarbiu kriterijumi esant aukńtam nedarbo lygiui ńalyje (2011 m. 15,4 proc.). Analizuojant maņų ir vidutinių įmonių ir darbuotojų skaičių metų pradņioje, nustatyta, kad 2012 m. pradņiai fiksuotas 608232 darbuotojų sk. buvo 3,5 proc. maņesnis lyginant su 2011 m., kas sudaro 2203816 darbuotojų maņiau ir net 16 proc. maņesnis lyginant su 2010 m. kas sudaro 112257 maņiau dirbančiųjų SVV įmonėse. Remiantis šiais duomenimis galima teigti, kad SVV įmonės sunkiai prisitaiko prie pasikeitusių verslo sąlygų, siekdami išvengti veiklos sąnaudų maţina darbuotojų skaičių, taip neatitikdami formalių kriterijų, kuriuos turi atitikti įmonė, pretenduojanti į paramą (uţsiimti tam tikra veikla, neturėti skolų valstybei, turėti nuosavybėje turtą, naudojamą projektui, nebūti atleidus darbuotojų per paskutinius metus ir kt.). 101 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Pagal UAB „Investicijų ir verslo garantijos― (INVEGA) pateiktus oficialius duomenis, per 2011 metus uņ smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo (SVV) atstovų paskolas kredito įstaigoms suteikė 37,9 proc. daugiau garantijų nei per 2010 metus. 2011 m. SVV paskolų garantijų skaičius siekė 619. Paskolų garantijų per 2009 metus buvo suteikta 519, per 2010 metus – 455. Garantuotų paskolų suma daugiau kaip trečdaliu virńijo ankstesnių metų duomenis ir siekė 233,71 mln. Lt, o garantijų suma – 166,1 mln. Lt (24,1 proc. daugiau nei 2010 m.). Metodai Neesant statistikos departamente SVV būklę padedančių įvertinti finansinių rodiklių uņ 2010 ir 2011 metus, norint ińsamiau atskleisti ńių įmonių plėtros sąlygas ir atlikti jų vertinimą, pasirinktas asmeninės anketinės apklausos tyrimo metodas, kurio metu apklausti 124 smulkių ir vidutinių įmonių atstovai. Asmeninės apklausos anketinis modelis buvo pasirinktas, dėl aukńto grįņtamumo, galimybės instruktuoti bei ińaińkinti respondentams kylančius klausimus. Taip buvo uņtikrinta pildomų anketų kokybė. Didņioji dalis respondentų (54 proc.) buvo apklausti VŃĮ „Verslo iniciatyva― verslumo renginių, kita dalis respondentų buvo pasirinkti pagal apklaustų verslininkų rekomendacijas. Visos anketos buvo platinamos tiesiogiai, uņpildytos 124 anketos. Pagal apklausos rezultatus nustatyta, kad iń 124 apklaustųjų įmonių, SVV parama pasinaudojo 62 proc., o 38 proc. SVV parama nepasinaudojo. Maņiausiai parama skirta SVV pasinaudojo mikro įmonės (61 proc.). Analizuojant, kokiomis paramos rūńimis pagal skirtingą paramos formą pasinaudojo SVV respondentai, atskleista, kad finansinė parama pasinaudojo tik pasinaudojo tik 14 proc. respondentų, vieńosiomis paslaugomis 64 proc., o mokestinėmis lengvatomis 22 proc. Populiariausia SVV respondentų ińskirta vieńoji paslauga – tai mokymai, seminarai bei konsultacijos ir dokumentų rengimo. Nepopuliarios tarp SVV įmonių patalpų nuomos bei biuro paslaugos, kadangi ńiomis paslaugomis pasinaudojo tik 2 proc. SVV respondentų. Daņniausiai įvardinta prieņastis, dėl kurios SVV įmonės nepasinaudojo finansine parama yra nebuvimas garantijų, kad pateikus paraińką, parama bus suteikta (36 proc.).; 24 proc. respondentų paņymėjo per ilgą paramos gavimo procesą; informacijos trūkumą (12 proc.) ir neatitikimą paramos sąlygoms (28 proc.). Diskusija SVV paramos pokyčiai, kurie skatintų SVV kūrimąsi bei plėtrą. Į anketos klausimus įtraukti teiginiai apibrėņti Vilniaus miesto ir apskrities verslininkų darbdavių konfederacijos vykdytose 102 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. apklausose ir ES direktyviniuose dokumentuose, kurie įvardijami kaip pagrindinės problemos trukdančios SVV plėtrai ir jo efektyvumo augimui verslo pradņioje ir esamu metų jau vykdant veiklą. Verslo pradņioje SVV atstovai paņymėjo itin stokojantys finansinių ińteklių (34 proc.) ir esant per didelei administracinei (20 proc.) ir mokestinei nańtai (26 proc.). Per didelį stambiojo verslo spaudimą SVV įmonėms konkurencingumo atņvilgiu paņymėjo vykdantys veiklą esamu metu respondentai (18 proc.).; pritarė teiginiui dėl per didelės mokesčių (26 proc.) ir administracinės (24 proc.) nańtos. Išvados Tyrimu nustatyta, kad didņiausia paskata, kuriantis naujiems SVV subjektams bei plečiant veiklą esamiems, būtų palankesnė SVV įmonėms mokestinė sistema, apimanti ir pagrindinius mokesčius ir mokestines lengvatas. Maņesnis dėmesys skiriamas finansinės paramos gavimui, kadangi jos gavimo galimybes maņina nepakankami finansiniai ińtekliai ir ņmogińkieji resursai susiję su projektų rengimu ir administravimu. Sudėtingos kreditavimo sąlygos įvardijamos kaip atskira kliūtis verslo finansavime, siekiant finansinės paramos, nors remiantis oficialiais duomenimis 2011 metais uņ smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo (SVV) atstovų paskolas kredito įstaigoms suteikta 37,9 proc. daugiau garantijų nei per 2010 metus. Tęsiant tyrimą tikslinga būtų pasitelkti finansinius SVV įmonių veiklos rezultatus, kurie statistikos departamento yra pateikiami tik iki 2009 m. ir atlikti sisteminį tyrimą, kuriuo atskleisti ńalies savivaldybių teikiamas mokestines lengvatas SVV įmonėms ir valstybės lygmeniu nustatytas mokestines lengvatas susijusias su įdarbinimu subsidijuojant, mokesčio lengvatas investicijoms į mokslinius tyrimus ir eksperimentinę plėtrą. Literatūra 1. Adamonienė R., Trifonova J. (2007). The state support for small and medium sized companies: general and practical aspects of Lithuania. Engineering economics, 1 (51):16-21. 2. Hallberg K. (2000). A Market-Oriented Strategy for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. Discussion Papers. The World Bank and International Finance Corporation. 3. Smagurauskienė L. (2009). Finansinė verslo skatinimo sistema Lietuvoje. Annales Geographicae, 42(1-2): 55-66. 4. Sūdņius V. (2001). Smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo administravimas ir valdymas. Vilnius: Kronta. 5. Ńivickas G., Simanavičius A., Pukis A. Paramos smulkiam ir vidutiniam verslui įtakos darniam vystymuisi vertinimas. 6. Ńtreimikienė D., Dapkus R., Ńivickas R. (2007). Paramos smulkiam ir vidutiniam verslui efektyvumo vertinimas. Ekonomika, 80: 84-102. 103 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 7. Jasinavičius R., Broga Ń. Vasiliauskas A., Kalesnykas T. Efektyviai smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo veiklai Lietuvoje taikomu ńakniniu apribojimu nustatymas ir jų įveikimo strategija. Taikomasis mokslinis tyrimas, Uņsakovas: Lietuvos Respublikos ūkio ministerija. 8. Tamońiūnas T., Lukońius S. (2009). Possibilities for Business Enterprise Support. Engineering Economics, 1(61): 58 – 64. 9. Lietuvos Respublikos smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo plėtros (Valstybės Ņinios, 1998, Nr. 1092993; Aktuali redakcija nuo XI-1168 2010-11-23 Ņin., 2010, Nr. 145-7425). 10. Invega. UAB „Investicijų ir verslo garantijos―. Prieiga internetu: http://www.invega.lt/. 11. Lietuvos statistikos departamentas. Prieiga internetu: www.stat.gov.lt/. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPORT FOR THE SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE ENTERPRISES Eglė Kazlauskienė, Laura Aidukienė Summary In most countries, the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are often the driving force behind a large number of innovations and contribute to the growth of the national economy through employment creation, productive investments and value-added exports. The article deals with the financial support for SME promotion in Lithuania. The major forms of state support, such as tax exemptions; financial support: credits on easy terms, guarantee reassurance, credit insurance, subsidies for the creation of workplaces; trainings, qualification improvement and reskilling for firms owners and employees and employers and their offered services: INVEGA (Investment and business Guarantees). The research of support for SME, helped to identify the main problems of these enterprises and allow foreseeing some possible methods for the current situation improvement. Keywords: Small and Medium Enterprises; Support to Small and Medium Enterprises; Financial support. 104 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. BRAND INFLUENCE ON CUSTOMER BUYING DECISION IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC Anna Kriţanová¹, Ľubica Štefániková² University of Ţilin Faculty of Operations and Economics of Transport and Communications Univerzitná 1, 010 26 Ţilina, Slovakia E-mail: ¹anna.krizanova@fpedas.uniza.s, ²lubica.stefanikova@fpedas.uniza.sk Abstract. With regard to the important role of brand, which is currently at a higher rate of customer perception, was the research of the brand influence on customer buying decision conducted at the Department of Economics at the University of Ņilina. The paper deals with the key attributes, brand features and brand value by Customer Based Brand Equity (CBBE). The paper presents results of research which was performed during January to June 2010 at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Operations and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Ņilina. The research was conducted in a sample of 814 respondents in Slovakia. It` s main function was to determine what proportion of respondents decided under the brand influence in buying decisions and which of the researched factors show a correlation with making decisions under the influence of the brand. Keywords: brand, brand management, brand value, research of brand influence Introduction The concept of brand is now becoming quite often discussed topic. Even in the Slovak Republic - in terms of business practice - brand management is not new managerial discipline. Despite of there are missing traditions and experiences with Brand management in the enterprises without participation of foreign capital. The present trend in this area may be designated as positive, enterprises are increasingly aware that brand is not only product designation but it has far more functions. All these functions can be summarized and then we can identify their basic effect and that is influence on customer buying decisions. The first mention of the product labelling has come from ancient. Characters are preserved on bricks, the clay jars, which marked their origin. In the Middle Ages marks were used for 105 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. labelling of craft guilds, porcelain, ceramics, goldsmith and blacksmith products. The function of the marks was to identify the manufacturer. The Europeans brought the practice of using brand to America during settlement. First manifestation of the brand in the United States was the brands of patented medicament and tobacco. The English word brand comes from an Old Norwegian word BRANDR. It means to burn. At that time, the brand was really used to identify animals from one herd owner. In the literature there are many definitions. They always associated the brand with the name, with a visual indication or even with a marketing strategy. We consider the following definition as accurate: The brand is the text, character, design, or a combination of them and serves to identify the products of one or more subjects and to their differentiation in the market competition. Brand elements are used to identify and differentiate the product and brand. Brand elements may be in the form of text as a name, allocation of address on the Internet, title, slogan or in the form of character as a logo, symbol and person or in the form of design as trailer, cover, colour rendition. They are especially important to extend the product life cycle. The brand elements play the role of product identification, but also differentiate the brand from other brands, only if the brand element is: memorable - establishment of a permanent place in the consumer mind (short names), transferable - easy transfer to a foreign language without loss of meaning, unique - easily discriminability from the competition, relevant - an element that expresses consumer benefits, aesthetic - an element which is enjoyable for every occasion, flexible - with regard to product development and brand extension the element should be modifiable, protective - this ensures that the brand will be able to be a registered trade mark. Brand in addition to the identification function contains much more - associations and position in people's minds. These association and the positions are created by brand through the information. This means that we can understand the brand as a collection of information (see Fig. 1). 106 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Figure 1. Brand as a collection of information Source: authors Brand – The System of the basic and additional benefits: benefits in people's minds have to rise to associations (BMV brand is perceived very expensive car, but safe, durable and prestigious and many people buy it in order to include in certain social layer). Brand - The value system of the producer: through the brand the customer learns the value system of the manufacturer. In the future customer can expect the reflection of this system in the product. Brand – The non-commercial value: brand provides information about the country of origin, the mentality of its people, culture and so on. (BMW is a symbol of precision, quality, and high organization typical for Germany). Brand – The personality: brand features are personalized with the factual person (Bill Gates and Microsoft). Brand - The user of the product: very important information for market segmentation. Brands therefore provide many valuable functions for the company. They are used for identification purposes they facilitate treatment of product and help on operational level to organize the supply and accounting records. Brand alongside their all already placed functions provides especially legal protection of unique product features for a business entity. Brand name after the registration can be protected by trademark, manufacturing processes by patent packaging by copyright, etc. We could therefore say that the registered mark is an extremely valuable property for the enterprises because has the ability not only to influence customer behaviour, but it is also possible to buy or sell it and it provides relative certainty of future sustainable profits. 107 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Survey The associations with the brand are considerably supported by the psychological value of the brand, which is reflected in consumer reactions to marketing activities associated with the brand. The most commonly used model for determining the psychological value is the model of brand value from a consumer perspective: Customer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) by Kevin Keller which defines brand value as a different effect of brand knowledge on consumer response. The consumer creates this value to all marketing activities associated with the brand. There are three key components of this definition: a) different effect b) brand knowledge c) response to marketing Different effect of brand knowledge is reflected in how consumers react differently in a situation, if the consumer knows this brand or the product is without brand so the consumer perceives it only as a commodity. Brand knowledge is the recognition rate in different conditions. It means, whether the consumer only identifies the brand or also he recalls it in buying decisions. The highest degree is dominance when he recalls that brand as the first. If memory is positive, brand value is increasing. Response to marketing is reflected in perception and creation of attitudes to all activities which the company uses in connection with the brand (choice of brand elements, the implementation of advertising, etc.). If the attitude is positive, brand value is increasing. This model of the brand value says about how the consumer perceives the product, its quality and functional properties also depend on the position of the brand in his conscious and unconscious. (Clothes of known brands fit better, the car is better quality and so on.) Brand elements, brand as a set of information and brand value, perceived by consumer are factors that affect the customer's decision to buy the product. We performed the research during January to June 2010 at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Operations and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Ņilina. The research was conducted in a sample of 814 respondents in Slovakia. It` s main function was to determine what proportion of respondents decided under the brand influence in buying decisions and which of the researched factors show a correlation with making decisions under the influence of the brand. Methods The purpose of the research: Identify the potential brand influence on buying behaviour, as well as the relationship between selected statistical variables The nature of the research: descriptive 108 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. The method of the research: personal questioning Used tool: questionnaire (18 questions) Character of the questions: closed questions, the ordinal, nominal and dichotomous variables Sample A: consumers with priority testing - 417 respondents Sample B: consumers with priority employment - 397 respondents Size of the sample: calculated using an electronic calculator of Creative Research System Company. The minimum number determined by this method: 384 respondents by population 5 million state residents, what is the population in Slovakia The function of the research: a) to identify what percentage of the samples is determined by the brand influence b) to evaluate the correlation between selected statistical variables The evaluation of correlations: a) the relationship between age and the brand influence on buying behaviour (age range was: 13-77 years) b) the relationship between sex and the brand influence on buying behaviour c) the relationship between school, respectively education and the brand influence on buying behaviour d) the relationship between family income and the brand influence on buying behaviour e) the relationship between the character of the domicile and the brand influence on buying behaviour f) the relationship between the disappointing in quality of the product and the brand influence on buying behaviour g) the relationship between psychographic segmentation and the brand influence on buying behaviour To evaluate the correlation of variables was used Pearson's Chi-Square Tests. To evaluate the correlation of variables was used Pearson's Chi-Square Tests, there was for monitoring of individual correlations calculated so called "P-value". It is the probability that the test statistic (assuming the veracity of the null hypothesis) will reach at least the extreme value that will equal to the value the sample. ―P-value‖ is the lowest value of significance level under which the null hypothesis is rejected. Results Based on Pearson's Chi-Square Tests were found the following results of correlations: in the sample A (consumers, whose priority is studying - 417 respondents) 61.9% was decided by the brand 109 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. in the sample B (consumers whose priority is careers - 397 respondents) 65.2% was decided by the brand Null hypothesis of research: There is no correlation between sex and the brand influence on buying behaviour in the sample A. Result of correlation: young men are more influenced by brand. There is no correlation between monthly income and the brand influence in the sample A and in the sample B too. Result of correlation: people with monthly income 1000-1500 EUR are influenced by brand in purchasing. There is no correlation between education and the brand influence in the sample B. Result of correlation: university-educated people are influenced by brand in purchasing. There is no correlation between psychographic segmentation and the brand influence in the sample B. Result of correlation: middle class is influenced by brand in purchasing. Psychographic classification was carried out according to the study "Vals" (Value and Lifestyles) by company SRI International, which ranks the average paid officers, teachers, owners of small and medium-sized companies, so-called ―white collar―, to the middle class group. Discussion From the customer perspective is the brand perceived either as a quality assurance or as a part of the image and purposeful stylization of member of a social group which is represented by that brand while the latter clearly dominates at present. It is evident that the results of the research confirm that even in the Slovak republic, is more than half of customers affected by the brand. In Slovakia more as 4% of people decide by brand over those who do not decide under the influence of the brand. It is not a big difference. Even this small difference is important for companies to build and develop their marketing strategy with regard to the brand. The results of the research may be biased. Because even today many people in Slovakia understand the term "brand product" only as products from reputable international companies. People do not realize that every product that has a name already bears the brand although the products are national. Satisfaction and appreciation of the benefits from buying products of a particular brand leads to a shift away from other brands of the same product. In order to stabilize the relationship, it is necessary to build the brand in the minds of customers. Company to build the brand must know the tools that will affect this activity. Choice of tools depends on the brand influence on the customer buying decisions and the factors that increase this influence. This was the goal of the presented research - to know the factors that will increase brand influence of customer buying decision in order to their implementation into marketing strategy of enterprise. 110 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Conclusion In Slovakia there is compiled ranking list of Slovak's most successful brands. The last time in 2009 brand Matador (company manufactured pneumatic tires) won first prize in the category of companies and beer and brand Zlatý Baņant (the original Slovak brand which is licensed manufactured abroad in company Heineken) won in the category of products. The jury takes into account the following factors: reputation, competitiveness, representativeness, that the brand ―was born‖ in Slovakia, tradition, quality, brand positioning by consumers and brand value. Companies should not only understand their work as production and sales, but as providing value to consumers. In this aspect it is necessary to look at the marketing strategy rather than the traditional process of game plan, where at the end must be selling a product but as a process of: identification of the product value for customers, providing value to customers, customer` s information about providing value. In all the separate processes we can register a role of brand. We cannot separate out the brand from a strategic decision. References 1. Douglas, A. (2008). El secreto de las marcas. Barcelona: Ediciones Robinbook. 2. Keller, K.L. (2003). Strategic Brand Management. Pearson Education Limited. 3. Keller, K.L. (2007). Strategické řízení značky. Praha: Grada Publishing. 4. Kirk, J. and Miller, M. (1986). Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. London: Sage. 5. Kotler, P. (1995). Marketing Management (2nd Ed.). Praha: Victoria Publishing, a.s. 6. Kotler, P., Wong V., Saunders J. and Armstrong G. (2005). Principles of Marketing Fourth 7. European Edition. Pearson Education Limited. 8. Kotler, P. (2007). Moderní marketing. Praha: Grada Publishing. 9. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (2007). Marketing Management (12th ed.). Praha: Grada Publishing. 10. Kriņanová, A. a kol. (2012). VEGA n. 1/0473/12: Integrated model of building of brand value as a tool of business marketing mix. 111 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. PRODUCT PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT IN COMMERCIAL AREA Pāvels Lindemanis Riga Technical University, merchandising specialist in “Zenner” BV Skolas Street 13-38, LV 1010 E-mail: pavels.lindemanis@gmail.com Elīna Gaile-Sarkane Riga Technical University Meţa Street1/7-408, LV 1007 E-mail: elina.gaile-sarkane@rtu.lv Abstract. The decision of a consumer to buy a particular product is being influenced by various factors: advertisement, brand or public relations; however, the final decision is being made when the consumer is at the place where the product is sold. Taking into account the limited range of products and the parameters of retail space, products are placed so as to facilitate the search and to encourage unplanned purchases. According to the Marketing Theory the term for methods of selling the product in retail stores is called merchandising. Due to the development of trade and technology these methods are more frequently applied to other commercial areas, such as direct sales, catalogue sales and e-commerce. Moreover, this sort of commercial distribution applies not only to products, but also to various services. By analysing the merchandising manifestations in four separate commercial areas, the authors have concluded that product placement principles match in all the areas, but their efficiency differs. The authors presume that merchandising is the placement of products in commercial area and the efficiency of merchandising can be as well evaluated outside the boundaries of classic sales. Keywords: merchandising, product placement, e-commerce, electronic marketing Introduction Under the conditions of contemporary economic recession businessmen and merchants have to face the problem of increasing the volume of product distribution. The development of market and technologies goes hand in hand with the development of new methods that help to catch the attention of customers. Advertising, which up to now has been considered the main marketing instrument, has lost its efficiency. The satiety creates customer confusion when they must choose 112 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. between two or more similar products. In the course of time the attitude towards advertising started to become more negative and sometimes even caused the opposite effect. It would be wrong to claim that advertising is not necessary; however, the use of advertisements in business is being considered as a self-evident action, not as an innovation that leads to the increase of turnover. The statement that consumer will notice quality products has become outdated. The market of goods and services is satiated to such an extent that merchants are trying to find new ways how to attract customers‘ attention. ―Taking into account the fact that approximately 60-70% of customers make their final decision shortly before purchasing the product, every businessman wants the customer to make this decision in favour of his products‖ (Богачева, 2011). Consequently, it is necessary to increase the chance of the product being noticed and decrease hesitation before making the decision. That is why the attention of the customer should be attracted without influencing the customer directly, i.e., without the use of advertisements, brands, staff and other methods which create a sense of pressure. Many merchants have come to a conclusion that product placement in retail places has a significant role in successful sales. ―Assortment of goods which can be easily looked through facilitates the making of the decision and stimulates customers to make impulsive purchases which can amount up to 50% of sales revenue‖ (Славянская, 2007). Nowadays this method is widely known as merchandising – the set of measures to be taken to prepare the products for sales area. Merchandising, just like any other marketing activity, has developed in the course of time. It is being influenced by both internal and external trade factors. Along with the development of technologies and the change of consumer generations, new ideas and opportunities of product promotion appear. Innovations in the field of merchandising increase the competitiveness of enterprises and become the key to success more and more often. In future merchandising can progress as a marketing instrument and provide fresh results for businessmen in new spheres of commerce, for example, in e-commerce. However, up to now not much research has been carried out to assess the efficiency of merchandising outside the traditional retail place. The purpose of the article is to assess the efficiency of product placement principle outside retail business environment. Research methods which have been employed in the process of investigations are as follows: assessment, comparison, grouping, quantitative and statistical methods, tables. The theoretical and methodological background of the article is based on scientific research, publications in mass media and professional literature; statistical information from official sources as well as information obtained by the authors during the research process. 113 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Product Placement Assessment in Commercial Area ―The development of merchandising can be traced back to the end of the 18th century when business rapidly shifted from small shops to large stores‖ (Marie, 2011). New methods of product placement were developed and improved, which lead to the increase of the turnover. The contemporary concept of merchandising can significantly differ from the concept of merchandising which was in use two, five or more years ago. This is the main reason why different definitions of merchandising can be found in economic literature. Studies on the term ―merchandising‖ have been carried by such researchers as Geipele (2007), Farfan (2011), Doug (2011), Baraba (2011) Chando, Hutchinson, Bradlow and Scott (2011). According to the authors of this paper, one of the most appropriate definitions for practical purposes is as follows: ―Merchandising is the display of products which makes them appealing, attractive, accessible, engaging, and enticing to shoppers in a retail store. Visual merchandising utilizes displays, colour, lighting, smells, sounds, digital technology and interactive elements to catch customers‘ attention and persuade them to make purchases. Visual merchandising helps convey the image of the brand and reflects the personality of the target markets that the retail store wants to attract‖ (Farfan, 2011). The authors of this article have focused on investigating the use of merchandising in retail shops. All the applied methods have been viewed in three dimensions – height, width and length. Shop equipment, product layout planograms and other instruments that help to catch customers‘ attention were analysed. All these instruments are used in order to influence the customer and encourage him or her to notice particular products or product groups. During the investigation it was discovered that the sales of product, depending on its placement in the shop, is being influenced by such factors as the size of the product, amount, testing, political economics, seasonality and brand. For example, ―if tooth brushes are placed next to tooth paste, the turnover increases by 8%‖ (Заржецкая, 2005). However, ―after carrying out the corporative modification of vertical placement (separate section of shelves, where the products of a particular manufacturer or product group are placed) the turnover increases by at least 25%‖ (Богачева, 2011). According to statistics, ―people pay 50% more attention to the products which are placed at their eye level‖ (Заржецкая, 2005). Consumers‘ psychology and physiology has a significant role in merchandising. ―85% of people that enter the sales area move forward with an inclination of going left, whereas 40-60% turn into the central part‖ (Заржецкая, 2005). Each gender browses products in a different manner. ―Men are more likely to notice products which are placed on the top shelves as they are used to looking in the distance and do not 114 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. notice objects that are nearby. Women, on the contrary, pay detailed attention to the objects which are near and are less likely to notice products in the distance‖ (Богачева, 2011). By knowing the human psychology, it is possible to affect the senses – hearing, smell and sight. ―Approximately 70% of visitors pay attention to music which is played in the shop and 50% of visitors admit that good music makes shopping more pleasant and provokes the desire to make a purchase‖ (Заржецкая, 2005). Calm music can slow down the walking speed of the buyer,as a result consumers can make more purchases. However, it can also cause drowsiness and indifference. On the other hand, ―fast and aggressive music encourages to move faster, which reduces the number of impulsive purchases but can cause annoying feeling‖ (Удалова, 2003). ―The first studies on the use of scent in business in USA showed that after the use of scent the number of shop visitors increased by 16%‖ (Терщенко, 2009). By decorating the shop in certain colours it is possible to affect the human blood pressure and behaviour activity. For example, the dominance of warm colours causes activity and consumers can make more purchases, which is seemingly good. Yet, warm colours speed up the consumer flow which decreases the time spent in the shop, thus, decreasing the turnover. Cold colours can slow the pace of consumers which increases the time spent in the shop, maximizing the chance of more purchases. However, there is a disadvantage – ―cold colours influence the consumers in a way that makes them react to the products more passively and also make the consumers more hesitant‖ (Geipele, 2007, p. 133). Depending on the number of clients and the characteristics of product which is being sold, the product can be placed in fixed places to form a habit and to create a comfortable shopping process (e.g. in food retail), or the opposite – the location of the product can be changed regularly, so that the consumer would pay attention to goods which might have been left unnoticed during the last visit to the shop (e.g. in clothing retail). Another key element of merchandising is the sales area. ―Shop equipment, which is effectively placed in a restricted space, increases the turnover by 3040%‖ (Блохин, 2007). Designation of different shop areas provides an additional 2-3% of turnover (Сысоева, 2011). ―Approximately 1/3 of turnover can be lost, if there are any difficulties looking for a specific product in the showroom‖ (Богачева, 2011). However, it is important to note that shop equipment cannot occupy too much space. ―Approximately 60% of sales area must be left to the consumer flow. Goods, which are placed in the entrance zone that occupies only ¼ of the shop, ensure approximately 40% of the total turnover‖ (Крестова, 2007). When planning the size of shop departments, it is important to take into account their return, for example, ―cash-desk zone may provide 20% of the total turnover‖ (Евневич, 2007). 115 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. By summarizing all the previously mentioned theoretical aspects and the conducted practical investigations, the authors have classified the elements of merchandising in three groups – product, people and place [see Figure 1]. Merchandising elements Product Size Amount Testing Political economics Brand Placement People Interested groups Physiology Psychology Comfort Sensory perception Habits Place Geographic location Room parameters Size of the department Consumer flow Figure 1. Merchandising elements and their influencing factors Each of merchandising element groups has many sub-elements which explain and particularize their significance. The authors of this article presume that this classification can be used to analyse product placement not only in shops, but also in other commercial areas. By employing the previously mentioned classification the authors have conducted the analysis of product placement in e-commerce and have substantiated the essence of the proposed merchandising definition. Product Placement and its Classification Contemporary merchandising theory merely recognizes retail shops as its only field of operation. The authors of the article consider this assumption rather narrow as trade has existed long before the first shops were opened. Taking into account the fact that one of the three elements of merchandising is the sales place (see Formula [1]), the authors have come to a conclusion that merchandising can be applied to other commercial areas as well (see Formula [2]). Due to the fact that in classic sales place, i.e., in the shop, goods are placed taking into account the height, width and length of the room, the shop can be defined as a three-dimensional commercial area. Consequently, all the other commercial areas can be classified according to the number of their dimensions. Thus, catalogue can be characterized as a two-dimensional commercial area which consists of height and width. One dimension corresponds to direct sales, whereas electronic dimension corresponds to e-commerce. 116 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. M P1 P2 , P3 Where: M – merchandising (in its former understanding); P1 – place (retail shop); P2 – people (interested groups: consumers, sellers, producers). P3 – product. Formula 1. Merchandising elements. P1' 1D 2 D 3D ED; P1 P1' , M' P 2' P 2 G; P 2 P 2' P3' P3 S ; P3 P3' Where: M‘ – broader merchandising concept; P1‘ – commercial area; P2‘ – interested groups; P3‘ - products; 1D – one-dimensional commerce (direct sales); 2D – two-dimensional commerce (catalogues); 3D – three-dimensional commerce (retail shops); ED – electronic dimension (e-commerce); G – generations of interested groups; S – services. Formula 2. Merchandising elements in other commercial areas. The essence of the concept ―merchandising‖ varies along with the changes in base elements of merchandising elements and their interaction. Thus, the authors of this article offer the following definition of merchandising: ―Merchandising is the product placement principles in commercial area.‖ Unlike the former definitions, this definition implies that the commercial area of merchandising is not only a shop, but also direct sales, catalogues and e-commerce. To confirm the developed definition of merchandising, in January-February 2011 the authors of this article conducted a survey of trading enterprises. The survey was carried out electronically. The number of participants-trading enterprises was 136. Both genders participated in the survey. The results showed that, similarly to classic commerce, product placement principles are being employed in other commercial areas as well. 89% of respondents acknowledged that electronic environment must be considered as commercial area. Thus, it can be concluded that particular merchandising principles can be attributed to the product placement in e-commerce. 117 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Product Placement Assessment in Electronic Commercial Area By classifying merchandising in three additional commercial areas, it is important to note what product placement principles exist in these areas and what their economic efficiency is. After studying each of the four proposed commercial areas, the authors have come to a conclusion that all merchandising theories are based on the theories that can be applied to classic retail business, i.e., equal methods are being used, taking into account the specifications of alternative commercial areas. In order to assess the increase of turnover which is influenced by the use of merchandising outside the classic commercial area, the authors of this article have analysed the merchandising principles of the Internet shop ―mojo-jojo.lv‖, which belongs to the enterprise ―Media magnat‖. For the purposes of the research ―mojo-jojo.lv‖ ―NeoCube‖ product assortment was chosen. ―NeoCube‖ is a cube that has been made from 216 high-quality magnetic spheres. This cube can be transformed into different figures and ornaments. The main reason for choosing this product was its high sales rating on the mojo-jojo.lv web site. By visiting the web site of the Internet shop, one can see that chrome, silver and golden ―NeoCube‖ is among the leaders of sales. The authors of this article presume that this position significantly increases the chance of ―NeoCubes‖ being bought. However, outside the entrance zone there is a black, blue, red and violet ―NeoCube‖. After summarizing the ―NeoCube‖ assortment sales data, the authors discovered that the turnover of entrance zone ―NeoCubes‖ is much higher than the turnover of the assortment which is not in this zone (see Table 1). Table 1. ―NeoCube‖ assortment turnover in a given period sorted by colour Colour Zone Chrome Silver Golden entrance entrance entrance outside entrance outside entrance outside entrance outside entrance - Black Blue Red Violet Total “NeoCube” average monthly turnover, items. Price of one “Neo Cube” item, LVL 44 24 21 12 13 15 “Neo Cube” average monthly turnover, LVL 528 312 315 22 13 286 10 16 160 3 16 48 7 16 112 131 - 1 761 Source: Unpublished data of “Media Magnat” Internet shop “Modţo-Dţodţo”. November 2010 – April 2011 118 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Knowing that Internet shop mojo-jojo.lv placed chrome, silver and golden ―NeoCube‖ products in the entrance zone, the authors of this article equalize this placement to the classic shop entrance zone, which, according to statistics, provides 40% of the total turnover (Удалова, 2003). This means that ―NeoCubes‖ which have been placed in the entrance zone of the Internet shop, must provide at least 40% of the total turnover of the assortment. To determine, if the assumption is true, the authors have made the following calculations by using Formula [3]: ITe.inc. per. Pr P Pr P e sort. Where: IT e.inc.per. – entrance zone assortment part of the turnover, according to the average income in a period of time; P (price) – price of the item; ∑ Pr e – entrance zone product turnover, according to the average number of items sold in a period of time; ∑ Pr sort. – the turnover of all production assortment, according to the average number of items sold in a period of time. Formula 3. Entrance zone assortment part of the turnover. According to the research conducted by the authors of this article, it is possible to calculate the turnover of the entrance zone assortment by using Formula [3]. ITe.inc. per . (Pr P )chrome (Pr P ) silver (Pr P ) golden (Pr P )black (Pr P )blue (Pr P ) red violet 44 12 24 13 21 15 1155 0.65587 65.6% 22 13 10 16 3 16 7 16 1761 The obtained result shows that the entrance zone of the Internet shop ensures 65.6% of the assortment turnover, which is significantly more than in the classic commercial area. By using the available data on different sales places‘ entrance zone turnover parts from the total turnover (see Formula [4]), it is possible to calculate the e-merchandising factor change coefficient in comparison to its use in non-digital environment: MK e.cor.inc. ITe.inc. per. (internet ) ITe.inc. per. ( market) Where: MKcor.inc. – merchandising entrance factor correction coefficient, calculated by income; IT e.inc.per.(internet) – Internet shop entrance zone part of the assortment turnover, according to the average income in a period of time; 119 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. IT e.inc.per.(market) – shop entrance zone part of the assortment turnover, according to the average income in a period of time. After the calculations regarding the turnover of Internet shop mojo-jojo.lv were made, the following result was obtained: MK e.cor.inc. 0.65 1.6395 0.4 By evaluating the merchandising possibilities that would lead to the increase of ―NeoCube‖ turnover, the authors of this article propose another principle, which is shared by both electronic environment and regular shop, i.e., the placement of related goods. ―According to statistical data, related goods increase sales by 8% in shops‖ (Заржецкая, 2005). In case of ―NeoCube‖, the related goods are smaller cubes which can be used as supplements or spare parts to the larger cubes. According to the data of mojo-jojo.lv, it can be seen that smaller cubes amount from 12.7% up to 34% of the original cube turnover [see Table 2]. In addition, the part of the small black ―NeoCubes‖ is the smallest (12,7%), taking into account the fact that the number of original black ―NeoCubes‖ sold is equal to the number of other colour cubes sold – on average 22 items per month [see Table 2]. Table 2. The turnover rate of ―NeoCube‖ related goods Colour “Neo Cube” turnover “Neo Cube” average monthly turnover, items „Neo Cube „ average turnover of spare parts, items The ratio of small “Neo Cube” turnover vs. the original “NeoCube”, % Chrome Silver Golden Black 262 143 126 134 44 24 21 22 11 8 6 3 25.6 34.3 27.0 12.7 Internet shop does not offer spare parts for the black ―NeoCube‖ as related goods, unlike from the original size sales leaders (chrome, silver, golden). Thus, the authors have come to a conclusion that effective placement of ―NeoCube‖ related goods can increase the sales of small black cubes. When the level of other small ―NeoCubes‖ is reached, the sales revenue can increase 2-3 times. If the price of one small cube is 2 Ls, these products can bring in additional 6-12 Ls per month. By using Formula [5], the authors show the increase of black ―NeoCube‖ assortment group (small and large cubes), if the merchandising related goods method is being used: 120 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. GTsort Tsort.rel. ( FGsort.rel. 1) Tsort Where: GTsort – the increase of product assortment turnover; T sort.rel. – related goods group turnover; FG sort.rel – related goods group future turnover; T sort.– all assortment turnover Formula 5. The increase of product assortment turnover. Tsmall.black ( FGsmall.black 1) Tall.black (3 2) (3 1) 12 0.041096 4% ( 22 13) (3 2) 292 GTsort The result shows that the turnover of the entire black ―NeoCube‖ group assortment would increase by 4%, which differs from the available statistical data regarding the return of this method. Thus, similarly to the entrance zone merchandising efficiency correction coefficient, the authors of this article determine the turnover of related goods group by using Formula [6]: MK rel.cor.inc. ITrel.inc. per. (internet ) ITrel..inc. per. (market) Where: MK rel.cor.inc.- merchandising related goods factor correction coefficient, calculated by revenue; IT rel.inc.per. (internet)– the increase of Internet shop related goods assortment turnover by average revenue in period; IT rel.inc.per.(market)– the increase of shop related goods assortment turnover by average revenue in period. Formula 6. Merchandising related goods factor correction coefficient, calculated by revenue. MK rel .cor.inc. 4% 0.5 8% The obtained result proves that in comparison to a non-digital environment, the output of product placement in the Internet shop is two times smaller. However, the entrance zone effect in mojo-jojo.lv overcame its return in a regular shop 1.7 times. Thus, the authors conclude that the effectiveness of merchandising principles in an alternative commercial area, unlike in a retail shop, can be both greater and lesser. The authors of this article presume that the boundary value of turnover correction coefficient is 1. If the boundary value is lesser than 1, the turnover rates are poor and it is necessary to take 121 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. well-thought-out measures to improve the entrance zone or product assortment placement. If the boundary value is larger than 1, the turnover rates are satisfactory; however, it is always advisable to improve these rates. By using the proposed calculation system, enterprises can control, analyse and compare the efficiency of entrance zone, related goods or other merchandising principles, as well as analyse and forecast product placement. The authors of this article suggest that turnover rates of different goods should be compared in terms of one merchandising factor. This can significantly improve the sales growth of particular goods or product groups. Conclusions This paper presents new evidence on merchandising principles what are based on the product placement in commercial area to increase the sales. These principles are developed according to the interactions of the 3Ps of marketing (product, people and place). On the basis of the research done by the authors was concluded that the concept of merchandising can be attributed not only to retail shops, but also to other business areas. On the basis of the research and survey done by the authors, the classification of merchandising according to the number of dimensions of commercial area had been developed: 1D – direct sales, 2D – catalogue sales; 3D – retail shops and ED. The authors suggest that merchandising should be defined as product placement principle in commercial area. Research also confirmed that by using merchandising principles, customers‘ psychology and physiology is being affected through the sensory perception. Unlike classic marketing instruments, the principles of merchandising are non-verbal and their influence is being felt by humans to a lesser extent or not felt at all. After studying direct sales, catalogue sales and e-commerce, the authors have determined that product placement principles are employed in these sales forms as well. The authors concluded that merchandising principles employed in all four commercial areas included in the research are based on the classic principles which are employed in retail shops; however, the efficiency of these principles may vary. For example, the entrance zone in the Internet shop provides larger turnover than the same zone in a retail shop. Related goods, on the other hand, provide smaller turnover than that of a retail shop. This research reflects only a part of the given theme; accordingly the authors are planning to continuing researches in this field for ensuring more in-depth analysis of merchandising aspects in retail. 122 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. References 1. Barba M. L. (2011) Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com.resursi.rtu.lv/ehost/ detail?vid=8&hid=110&sid=01758937-b14d-4061-b7f6-bfd1500dc6b%40sessionmgr112&bdata =JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=64367024 2. Chandon, P., Hutchinson, Wesley, J., Bradlow, E., Young, T., Scott, H. (2011). http://web.ebscohost.com.resursi.rtu.lv/ehost/detail?vid=8&hid=110&sid=01758937-b14d-4061b7f65bfd1500dc6b%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN =44515708 3. Farfan, B. (2011). Visual merchandising. New York: The New York Times Company, Retrieved (February 11, 2011) from: http://retailindustry.about.com/od/glossary/g/visualmerchandi.htm. 4. Geipele, I. (2007). Stratēģiskie pārvaldības lēmumi: preces izplatīńana tirgū, mārketinga loģistika, merčendaizings. I. Geipele , K. Fedotova, Riga:RTU Izdevniecība 5. Doug, L., (2011). http://web.ebscohost.com.resursi.rtu.lv/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=110&sid=01758937-b14d-4061b7f65bfd1500dc6b%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN =37211033 6. Marie, S. (2011). A history of visual merchandising in retail stores. Retrieved (February 17, 2011) from http://hubpages.com/hub/A-History-of-Visual-Merchandising-in-Retail-Stores 7. Unpiblished data of SIA „Media Magnat―Internet shop "Modņo-Dņodņo!" November 2010 – April 2011 8. Богачева, Е. (2011). Мерчендаизинг категорий-нужно ли это нашим магазинам? Retrieved (February 18, 2011). from http://www.src-master.ru/article22317.html 9. Богачева, Е. (2011). Правила мерчендаизинга from http://www.srcmaster.ru/article22319.html 10. Богачева, Е. (2011). Что такое мерчендаизинг и зачем он нужен современному тобароведу? Retrieved (February 18, 2011) from http://www.src-master.ru/article22334.html 11. Блохин, А. (2007). Мерчендайзинг. Что это? Retrieved (December 19, 2007) from http://ablohin.ru/96 12. Евневич, М (2007): Мерчендайзинг невидимый, но полезный. Retrieved (October 1, 2007) from http://www.marketing.spb.ru/lib-mm/btl/invisible_merchandising.htm 13. Заржецкая, О. (2005). Грядет потребитель. На стол руководителю. Retrieved (February 18, 2011) from http://www.nastol.ru/Go/ViewArticle?id=353. 14. Крестова, Т. (2007). Плоды оптимизации. Retrieved (July 9, 2007) from http://www.marketing.spb.ru/lib-mm/btl/merchandising_system.htm 15. Славянская А. (2003). Импульсивные покупки. Retrieved (November 20, 2007) from http://www.marketing.spb.ru/lib-mm/btl/impulse.htm 16. Сысоева, С. (2011). Мерчандайзинг. Курс управления ассортиментом в познице С. Сысоева, Е. Бузукова, Санкт-Петербург, Питер 17. Терщенко, Л. (2009). Запахи в торговах центрах, супермаркетах и магазинах Retrieved (February 9, 2009) from http://www.mall-academy.com/articles/shopping-center-concept/aroma-inshopping-mall.htm 18. Удалова, К. (2003). Использование пространства в торговом зале Retrieved (November 20, 2003) http://www.merch.ru/mding_c_a.html 19. Удалова, К. (2003). Расположение основных и дополнительных точек продажи from http://www.merch.ru/mding_c_b.html 20. Удалова, К. (2003). Эволюция мерчендайзинга Retrieved http://www.merch.ru/mding_b.html 123 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. VERSLO GRUPIŲ KONCEPCIJA Jogaila Maĉerinskas¹, Mangirdas Morkūnas² Mykolo Romerio universitetas Ekonomikos ir Finansų valdymo fakultetas Verslo ekonomikos katedra Ateities st. 20, LT–08303, Vilnius, Lithuania El. paštas: ¹jmacerinskas@yahoo.com, ²morkunas.mangirdas@gmail.com Santrauka. Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos verslo grupių koncepcijos pateikiamos skirtingų ńalių mokslininkų, aptariami joms būdingi bendri bruoņai, atskleidņiami verslo grupių formavimosi ypatumai, parodomas tiek verslo grupių kaip reińkinio, tiek jį apibūdinančio apibrėņimo heterogenińkumas, atskiriamos verslo grupių bei JAV ir Didņiojoje Britanijoje veikiančių verslo konglomeratų apibrėņimų ribos. Verslo grupės apibrėņiamos kaip piramidinės struktūros, diversifikuotos, palyginti autokratińkai valdomos, turinčios daug filialų ir susijusių įmonių, verslo organizavimo formos su kontroliuojančiuoju akcininku piramidės virńuje (daņniausiai – ńeima). Apņvelgiamos verslo grupės besivystančiose ir ińsivysčiusiose ńalyse, akcentuojamas tiek teigiamas, tiek neigiamas verslo grupių veiklos rezultatas ńalies ekonomikai, socialiniam bei politiniam gyvenimui. Raktiniai ţodţiai: verslo grupės, verslo diversifikacija, piramidinė verslo struktūra Įvadas Mokslininkų poņiūriu ekonomikos augimas – tai „ertmių uņpildymas―, t.y. gebėjimas surasti ir patiekti papildomus augančios gamybos sąnaudų grandinės elementus. Besivystančios ir netobulos ekonomikos sąlygomis geriausiai tai sugebėjo padaryti verslo grupės, tapę besivystančių ńalių ekonomikos varikliais bei stabdņiais, skatinę BVP plėtrą, eksporto augimą bei ńalies įmonių kapitalizacijos didėjimą, tačiau kartu ańtrinę ńalių, kuriose veikia, uņsienio prekybos bei tiesioginių uņsienio investicijų asimetrijas, trukdę vystytis konkurencingai rinkai ir grasinę maņųjų akcininkų teisėms. Verslo grupės – rinkos netobulumo ir silpnų rinkos prieņiūros institutų sąlygoti verslo dariniai, būdingi daugeliui pasaulio ńalių, kur jos vadinamos skirtingai: keiretsu - Japonijoje, chaebol - Pietų Korėjoje, grupos economicos - Lotynų Amerikoje ir pan. Verslo grupės stebimos tiek ińsivysčiusiose ekonomikose, tiek besivystančios ekonomikos ńalyse. Mokslininkai 124 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. koncentruojasi į tam tikros atitinkamos ńalies verslo grupių tyrinėjimus ir studijas, palikdami nuońalyje bendrus visoms ńalims verslo grupių ypatumus, nesiekdami konceptualizuoti verslo grupių kaip atskiros verslo organizavimo formos, kuriai būdinga tam tikri bruoņai. Taigi tyrimo problema – Kokie verslo grupių ypatumai? Tyrimo tikslas – atskleidus verslo grupių esmę, apibrėņti jų formavimosi ypatumus. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizė, sisteminimo ir lyginimo metodai. Verslo grupių esmė Khanna ir Palepu (1997) siūlo apibrėņti verslo grupes kaip funkcinį pakaitalą, skirtą uţpildyti institucines tuštumas besivystančiose ekonomikose, kiti mokslininkai verslo grupes supranta kaip palankios vyriausybės politikos produktą, sukurtą siekiant sumaţinti besivystančių ir industrinių šalių BVP skirtumus (Evans, 1979; Amsden, 1989). Verslo grupės – tai ne tik atsakas į rinkos nepakankamumą ar tam tikras institucines ertmes besivystančių šalių ekonomikose bet ir tam tikras variklis siekiant sumaţinti atotrūkį tarp išsivysčiusių ir besivystančių šalių (Leff, 1978; Khanna and Palepu, 1997). Taigi, verslo grupė yra apibrėņiama kaip tam tikra politinio kapitalo, sukurto iń skirtingų valdņios lygių ryńių su tam tikrais verslininkais ir didņiojo verslo sąjunga, kilusi iń poreikio besivystančioms ekonomikoms ińlyginti skirtumus su ińsivysčiusiomis ńalimis (Lu ir Ma 2008). Strachan (1976) – vienas pirmųjų mokslininkų, pripaņinusių verslo grupių egzistavimą bei potencialų jų ekonominį poveikį, aprańė tris pagrindines savybes, kurios ińskiria verslo grupes iń kitų panańių verslo organizacinių formų: veiklos įvairovė, narių įvairovė bei tarpusavio pasitikėjimo atmosfera. Kaip matyti iń verslo grupių apibrėņimų nagrinėjimo, būtent tarpusavio pasitikėjimo atmosfera bei veiklų diversifikacija tapo charakteringais verslo grupių ypatumais atskirose ńalyse. XX a. pabaigos bei XXI a. pradņios verslo grupių tyrinėjimai remiasi Coase siūlomu sandorių kańtų ekonomikos poņiūriu. Anot Granovetter (1994, 1995) „Verslo grupė – tai įmonių rinkinys susijęs tarpusavyje formaliais ir neformaliais ryšiais“. Pagal ńį apibrėņimą, bet koks konglomeratas, klasteris ar tiesiog konkuruojančios firmos tampa verslo grupe. Juk nė viena įmonė neveikia vakuume, ji turi tam tikrų interesų ńalies rinkoje, ūkio ńakoje ar netgi tarptautiniu mastu. Remiantis tik ryńių koncepcija į verslo grupes galima būtų įtraukti bet kurias įmones. Atskiri mokslininkai ińskiria kitus esminius verslo grupių ypatumus. Keister (2000) pateikė modifikuotą verslo grupių apibrėņimą, anot jo tai “tam tikras įmonių aljanso tipas‖ arba verslo grupės tai “įmonių koalicijos, susietos įvairių teisinių socialinių ryšių labiau, nei to reikėtų trumpai ekonominių mainų sąveikai atlikti”. Tai tikslesnis ir labiau atitinkantis verslo grupių reińkinio apibūdinimas, kuris akcentuoja teisinius ir socialinius ryńius. Anot Khanna ir Rivkin (2001) verslo 125 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. grupės tai ―įmonių rinkinys, susietas formalių ir neformalių ryšių ţvaigţdynu ir yra pratęs imtis koordinuotų veiksmų‖. Ńiame apibrėņime atsirandantis teiginys ―koordinuoti veiksmai‖ yra esminis verslo grupių ypatumas, kadangi akcentuojama, jog verslo grupės yra sukurtos siekti tam tikrų jų savininkų ar įkūrėjų tikslų, kurie, kaip toliau minima straipsnyje, nebūtinai yra tik verslo grupių savininkų pelno maksimizavimas. Japonijoje prieńkario verslo grupės yra apibrėņiamos kaip teisiškai nepriklausomų įmonių rinkinys, kurios visiškai ar iš dalies priklauso kontroliuojančiajai bendrovei arba patronuojančiai įmonei (Miyajima ir Kawamoto, 2010). Kanados vyriausybė verslo grupę apibrėņia kaip dvi arba daugiau kotiruojamų įmonių, valdomų vieno akcininko, kuris turi ne maţiau kaip 20% akcijų. Riba ņemiau 50% ir vienos akcijos yra prasminga dėl to, jog dauguma smulkiųjų akcininkų balsuoja retai, o jei ir balsuoja, daņnai tai daro taip, kaip rekomenduoja valdyba (Morck, 2010). Nacionalinis Kinijos statistikos biuras (NSBC) apibrėņia verslo grupę kaip teisiškai nepriklausomų subjektų, kurie iš dalies arba visiškai priklauso patronuojančiai įmonei ir yra uţregistruotas kaip tos patronuojančios įmonės dukterinių įmonių rinkinys. Viena iń svarbiausių savybių, skiriančių Kinijos verslo grupes nuo jų atitikmenų Pietų Korėjoje, Japonijoje ar kitose pasaulio ńalyse yra ta, jog didņiosios Kinijos verslo grupės priklauso ir yra valdomos valstybės, o ne tam tikrų ńeimų (Chung ir Mahmood, 2010). Pietų Korėjos teisėje verslo grupių apibrėņimas atspindėtas labai panańiai, kaip ir didelės dalies Europos ńalių (Barca ir Becht, 2001). Nors Pietų Korėja ir Kinija yra artimos geografińkai, jų verslo grupių apibrėņimai, kaip matyti, skiriasi. Japonijos biurokratai, mokslininkai ir verslininkai daņnai naudoja tarpusavyje nesuderinamus apibrėņimus, o tai kelia abejones, jog pats terminas nė neturi tikrosios prasmės (Miwa ir Ramseyer, 2006). Tai sukelia ańtrias diskusijas mokslinėje literatūroje dėl verslo grupių esmės ir jų struktūrų (Khanna ir Yafeh, 2007). Diskusijas gali sukelti ir tai, jog toje pačioje Japonijoje prieńkario verslo grupės turėjo vienokį pavidalą, gi susikūrę pokariu, gali būti apibūdinamos skirtingai. Mokslinėje literatūroje Japonijos dabartinės verslo grupės skirstomos į turinčias vertikalios ir horizontalios organizacines struktūras. Vertikalios organizacinės struktūros verslo grupėms būdinga tai, kad jos nukreiptos į tiekėjų ir gamintojų santykius, t.y., „įmonių, susijusių tiekėjų – gamintojų santykiais rinkinys“, o horizontalios – tai „susijusios įmonės skirtingose pramonės šakose, savo struktūra panašios į konglomeratus“ (Lamin, 2007). Taigi, verslo grupės turi būti nagrinėjamos ne tik tam tikrose skirtingose geografinėse, kultūrinėse, bet ir laiko plotmėse. Morck (2010) siekdamas aińkumo siūlo remtis finansų mokslininkų (La Porta, 1999) siūlomu verslo grupių apibrėņimu, teigdamas, jog verslo grupę galima apibrėņti kaip dviejų ar daugiau listinguojamų bendrovių rinkinį, valdomą vieno pagrindinio akcininko, turinčio blokuojantį akcijų paketą ir valdantį bent jau 20% akcijų. Taip pat, siekdamas geriau atspindėti susidariusią realybę, ńis autorius pabrėņia, jog verslo grupės būtinai turi turėti piramidinę verslo struktūrą. Tokia takoskyra tarp verslo grupių ir konglomeratų, kurie pagal ńį 126 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. apibrėņimą lieka uņ verslo grupės supratimo ribos padeda susisteminti tam tikrų mokslininkų tyrimus ńia kryptimi, tačiau neįtraukia esminio Pietryčių Azijos ir Lotynų Amerikos verslo grupių bruoņo – visos jos yra valdomos ńeimų. Verslo grupė Brazilijoje – tai įmonių grupė grieţtai kontroliuojama to paties ūkio subjekto, apima bent vieną rinkoje kotiruojamą įmonę arba yra diversifikuota į tris skirtingas pramonės šakas (Aldrighi ir Postali, 2010), verslo grupė Izraelyje – tai grupė įmonių, kurioje trys ar daugiau įmonių yra valdomos to paties akcininko (Kosenko, Yafeh, 2010). Verslo grupės Tailande – tai įmonės, susietos sudėtingais formaliais ir neformaliais ryšiais, įskaitant akcijų piramides, kryţminius akcijų apsikeitimo sandorius bei bendrus valdymo organus (Wailerdsak, Suehiro, 2010). Kaip matyti iń ńių apibrėņimų, kuo valstybė labiau ińsivysčiusi ir kuo jos rinkos prieņiūros institucijos stipresnės, tuo verslo grupės apibrėņimas paprastesnis, apimantis platesnę interpretacijos galimybę. Ńį reińkinį galima sieti su tuo, jog stipriose ir brandņiose ekonomikose, pati rinka ińtirpina esminius verslo grupių bruoņus ir daro jas vis labiau panańias į JAV ir Didņiojoje Britanijoje priimtus verslo konglomeratus. Konglomeratą ir verslo grupę Roe (1994) atskyrė teigdamas, jog “verslo grupės derina savyje stiprius nuosavybės ryšius ir santykinai silpną vadovų įtaką daugelyje savo įmonių, priešingai nei konglomeratai, su jų silpna savininkų įtaka ir stipria vadovų”. Sekant aukńčiau pateiktais verslo grupių apibrėņimais galima sutikti su Keister (2000) ińskirtais bei Chen (2009) suklasifikuotas verslo grupių besivystančiose ńalyse bruoņais, jog verslo grupės, tai: 1) įmonių aljansai, kurie veikia skirtingose rinkose uņuot koncentravęsi į vieną rinką ar produktą; 2) teisińkai apibrėņtos ir pripaņintos valdņios institucijų savarankińkais juridiniais vienetais, nors retkarčiais egzistuojančios ir be teisinio pripaņinimo; 3) daņniausiai yra kontroliuojamos asmens, ńeimos ar įmonės bei turinčios vieningą valdymo struktūrą 4) įmonėsnarės yra nepriklausomi ekonominių sprendimų priėmimo vienetai 5) daņniausiai jungiamos įvairių socialinių, teisinių ir ekonominių ryńių, įmonių-narių valdomi vieni kitų blokuojantys akcijų paketai atspindi nuosavybės santykius tarp įmonių 6) įmonių veikla pagrįsta ilgalaikiais ekonominiais mainais. Atskiri mokslininkai siūlo konceptualizuoti verslo grupes kaip tam tikras tinklines organizacijas (Powel ir Smith-Doerr, 1994). Ńiuo poņiūriu pripaņįstama, jog įmonės, verslo grupės narės, yra teisińkai nepriklausomos, tačiau yra kontroliuojamos per „tarpįmoninius― ryńius ir veikia su tam tikro laipsnio tarpusavio priklausomybe ir koordinacija (Granovetter, 1995). Netgi yra teigiama, jog tarpįmoniniai ryńiai yra stabilesni nei tarp įprastų kontroliuojančių bendrovių ar konglomeratų , ko gero dėl jau egzistuojančios socialinės struktūros, kaip kad ńeima (Chung ir Mahmood, 2010). Verslo grupės veikia kaip silpnais formaliais ir neformaliais ryšiais susaistytos įmonės (Powel ir Smith-Doerr, 1994; Granovetter, 1995). Ryńiai, kurie jungia įmones varijuoja nuo formalių ekonominių priemonių kaip kad nuosavo kapitalo priklausomybė, vadovų bendrumas, 127 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. tarpusavio paskolos, pirkimo-pardavimo kontraktai (Gerlach, 1992) iki neformalių, paremtų giminystės ryńiais, draugyste, religija, kalba, etnine grupe (Granovetter, 1995, Chung ir Mahmood, 2010). Tad kurgi riba, kaip atskirti verslo grupę nuo tinklinės organizacijos? Fruin (2009) siūlo tokį verslo grupių ir tinklinių organizacijų nagrinėjimo aspektą: kai nuosavybė ir kontrolė yra daugiau centralizuota, ir organizaciniai padaliniai turi ribotą autonomiją, turėtų būti vartojamas terminas verslo grupė, gi kai padaliniai turi daugiau autonomijos nuosavybės, valdymo, verslo operacijų klausimais, tarpįmoninis tinklas yra tinkamesnis terminas. Tačiau lieka neaińkios verslo grupių autonomijos ribos. Nagrinėjant Pietryčių Azijos verslo grupes, mokslinėje literatūroje daņnai sutinkamas terminas: “šeimos valdomos verslo grupės”. Toks terminas taikomas siekiant ińskirti Pietryčių Azijos verslo grupių bruoņą – visos jos yra valdomos tam tikrų ńeimų (daņniausiai jau antros ar trečios kartos palikuonių). Ńiai verslo grupių ńakai apibūdinti itin tinkamą apibrėņimą pateikė Chung (2012) “Šeimos valdomos verslo grupės tai verslo subjektai, sudaryti iš diversifikuotų viena kitai priklausančių įmonių, susietų skirtingų faktorių, įskaitant piramidinę nuosavybės struktūrą, artimus rinkos ryšius (kaip kad sandorius tarp grupės vidaus įmonių) ir siejamus šeimos santykių, per kuriuos įmonės yra koordinuojamos bendriems tikslams pasiekti‖. Paminėtina, jog ńis apibrėņimas tinka ir Lotynų Amerikos verslo grupėms, kas jį daro gana universaliu kai yra kalbama apie verslo grupes besivystančiose rinkose. Verslo grupių apibrėņimai skiriasi neatsitiktinai. Verslo grupės labai organińki dariniai, gebantys prisitaikyti prie lokalių sąlygų ir nuolat besikeičiantys, juk, pavyzdņiui, Čilės verslo grupės yra gerokai labiau diversifikuotos nei Pietų Korėjos verslo grupės, ńios, savo ruoņtu, labiau diversifikuotos nei Taivanio, gi Filipinų verslo grupės yra ņymiai labiau vertikaliai integruotos nei jų Indijos analogai ir kur kas labiau įsitraukusios į finansinių paslaugų rinką nei Tailando verslo grupės. Galų gale, dalyje ńalių verslo grupės jau tapo stipria politine jėga, kitur santykiai tarp verslo grupių ir politikos ņymiai įtemptesni ir ńios dvi stovyklos laikosi tam tikro atstumo. Be to, konceptualiai ņvelgiant, ńi hybridinė organizacinė forma tarp įmonės ir rinkos, tikėtina, gali paskatinti naujas mokslines diskusijas apie įmonę ir jos ribas (Khanna ir Yafeh, 2010). Taigi, siekiant atskleisti verslo grupės esmę mokslinėje literatūroje, galima teigti, jog tai piramidinės struktūros, diversifikuota, gan autokratińkai valdoma, turinti daug filialų ir susijusių įmonių, verslo organizavimo forma su kontroliuojančiuoju akcininku piramidės virńuje (daņniausiai – ńeima). 128 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Verslo grupių formavimosi ypatumai Verslo grupių formavimasis atskirose geografinėse, kultūrinėse ir laiko plotmėse suponuoja skirtingas verslo grupių sampratas. Nors verslo grupių apibrėņimai labai skiriasi, juose galima įņvelgti tris esminius bruoņus: diversifikaciją, piramidinę struktūrą bei pelningą veiklą. Diversifikacija. Vyraujančios vadovavimo teorijos teigia, kad įmonės turėtų atrasti jų konkurencinio pranańumo ńaltinius ir likti jiems ińtikimos. Bendrovės veiklos diversifikavimas, gali būti naudingas akcininkams, ypač jei įmonė turi tam tikrų ińteklių, kad būtų galima pelningai ińplėsti verslą uņ dabar įsisavintos verslo ńakos, juk daņnai kurioje nors ńakoje įsitvirtinusios įmonės turi verslumo įgūdņių, technologijų ir pan. perteklių. Be to, kai akcijų rinkos rodo nervingumo ņenklus arba netgi juda ņemyn, atrodo ińmintinga diversifikuoti verslo riziką tikintis, jog turimi pranańumai gali atneńti sėkmę ir dar vienoje verslo ńakoje. Toks verslo grupių veiklos portfelio diversifikavimas galėtų būti vadinamas organiniu, mat yra tikrai naudingas ne tik pačiai verslo grupei, bet ir tai ńaliai, kurioje ji veikia (Schneider, 2010), tad nenuostabu, jog verslo grupės paprastai yra labai diversifikuoti dariniai, valdantys įvairių, atrodytų nesusijusių pramonės ńakų įmones. Tai būdinga Indijai (Sarkar, 2010), Meksikai (Hoshino, 2010), Taivaniui, Tailandui (Wailerdsak ir Suehiro , 2010) bei daliai kitų besivystančių ekonomikų (Khanna ir Yafeh, 2005). Iń esmės, platus diversifikacijos profilis turi prasmę tik tada, jei skirtingose pramonės ńakose veikiančios įmonės turi tam tikrų ryńių tarpusavyje, ketina skolintis ar skolinti vien kitai. Platesnis diversifikacijos spektras leidņia gilesnį tarpgrupinį pasirinktų verslų stimuliavimą net ir ińvystytos ekonomikos sąlygomis (Heaney ir Holman 2008; Morck, 2010). Tai taip pat maņina galimą nemokumo ar kredito negrąņinimo riziką (Heaney ir Holman, 2008), leidņia naudotis tam tikrų įmonių nepaskirstytuoju pelnu remiant finansińkai silpnesnes bendroves, ypač tik pradedančias verslą. Anot Delios ir Ma (2010) ribotas vietinės rinkos dydis ir produktų rinkos nepakankamumas priverčia verslo grupes diversifikuoti savo verslo portfelius. Sekant ńia mintimi galima daryti prielaidą, jog kuo ńalies rinka maņesnė, tuo labiau diversifikuotu verslo portfeliu verslo grupės disponuoja. Tai ypač akivaizdu nagrinėjant Hong Kongo bei Singapūro verslo grupių veiklą (Colpan, Hischino 2010). Piramidinė struktūra. Verslo grupės paprastai yra piramidinės struktūros (ņr. 1 pav.) su kontroliuojančiąja ńeima jų virńuje. Ko gero, nepasitikėjimo, korupcijos aplinkoje, geras ńeimos vardas bei senos tradicijos uņtikrina garbingas bei nediskriminuojančias sutartis, pagarbų darbuotojų, vadovų ir tiekėjų vertinimą (Khanna ir Rivkin, 2001; Khanna ir Yafeh, 2007), kas daro verslo grupes patrauklias visuomenės akyse. Toks poņiūris tarsi suponuoja prielaidą, jog verslo grupės besivystančiose rinkose tam tikra prasme perima brandņių rinkų funkcijas, su joms 129 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. būdingomis ņaidimo taisyklėmis ir bent taip sukuria iliuziją apie tai, jog bent jau grupės viduje atotrūkis tarp besivystančių ir industrinių ńalių jau įveiktas. Piramidinė struktūra padeda uņtikrinti visińką verslo grupės kontrolę, kas yra būtina siekiant įdiegti aukńčiau minėtas normas (Morck, 2010). Finansų specialistai (La Porta ir kiti, 1999; Claessens ir kiti, 2000) taip pat pastebi, jog piramidinė struktūra leidņia pagrindiniam akcininkui valdyti blokuojantį paketą minimaliomis sąnaudomis. Be to, nuosavybės ir valdymo atskyrimas sukuria galimybę valdančiosioms ńeimoms eksproprijuoti maņųjų akcininkų teises (Keister 2000). Pelninga veikla. Verslo grupės nariai yra pelningesnės įmonės lyginant su verslo grupėms nepriklausančiomis įmonėmis besivystančių rinkų ńalyse – Čilėje (Khanna ir Palepu, 2000), Indijoje (Morck 2010), Rusijoje (Gurijev ir Račinskij, 2005), bet vidutinińkos arba netgi blogiau veikiančios stiprios ekonomikos ńalyse – Kanadoje (Morck 2000), Izraelyje (Kosenko ir Yafeh, 2010), Ńvedijoje (Hogfeldt, 2005). Ńį reińkinį nesunku paaińkinti (Khanna ir Rivkin, 2001): verslo grupių vienas pagrindinių privalumų – gebėjimas apeiti silpnas institucijas, kuris ińnyksta kai susiduriama su brandņiomis rinkomis ir stipriomis institucijomis, ińvystytomis finansų, kapitalo rinkomis bei su kvalifikuotais darbuotojais (Morck, 2010). Besivystančios ńalys ar besivystančių rinkų ńalys daņnai turi silpnas vyriausybes bei neińvystytas rinkas ir taip sudaro sąlygas klestėti verslo grupėms, ńiose ńalyse jos kartais netgi pajėgia pakeisti funkcionuojančias vyriausybes. 1 pav. Diversifikuotos verslo grupės struktūrinė schema Šaltinis: Colpan, Hikino, 2010 130 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Kaip matyti, tiek diversifikacija, tiek piramidinė struktūra yra ne tiek pačios įmonės pasirinkti vystymosi keliai, kiek rinkos ir jos netobulumų pasiūlytos vystymosi strategijos, mat verslo grupės diversifikuoti veiklą imasi daņniausiai tik tada, kai dydņiu „praauga― savo verslo sektorių, ar pramonės ńaką, gi piramidinė verslo struktūra yra rezultatas to, jog dėl per greito augimo ńioms verslo organizacijoms tiesiog nepavyksta inkorporuoti visų savo tiesiogiai ar netiesiogiai valdomų įmonių/organizacijų į vieną junginį. Tai tik dar kartą patvirtina verslo grupių gebėjimą prisitaikyti prie rinkos netobulumų ir ńalies institucinių ertmių, ko logińkas rezultatas ir yra pelninga veikla. Mokslinėje literatūroje yra skiriamos trys verslo grupių atsiradimo/augimo kryptys: organinio augimo, diversifikacijos būtinumo sąlygotos bei politiškai paskatintos. Organinio augimo verslo grupės plečiasi masto ekonomijos pagrindu, sekdamos vertikalios integracijos logika. Diversifikacijos vedamos verslo grupės maņina riziką ir didina pelną per korporatyvinio valdymo leidņiamą rizikos diversifikavimą perkant ar parduodant įmones. Politińkai paskatintos verslo grupės atsirado kaip atsakas į vyriausybės iniciatyvas ar nurodymus. Taigi, nors verslo grupių atsiradimo prieņastimi įvardijama verslo ir valstybės koalicija, siekiant abiejų partnerių tikslų, bet rinkos, jos mechanizmų bei kontroliuojančių institucijų netobulumas taip pat turėtų būti vertinamas kaip verslo grupių atsiradimo prieņastis bent jau dalyje besivystančių ńalių. Kitaip tariant, verslo grupės gali įveikti rinkos disproporcijas bei trūkumus, besivystančios ekonomikos ńalių institucijų netobulumus, prisiimdamos ńalies ņmogińkojo kapitalo, finansinių ińteklių bei tarpinių produktų rinkos funkcijas. Galima teigti, jog verslo grupės susikūrė kaip atsakas į besivystančių pietryčių Azijos bei Lotynų Amerikos rinkų netobulumą, tačiau sustiprėjusios ir ėmusios visińkai dominuoti ńalies ekonomikoje, jos tapo stabdņiu formuojant efektyvią ńių ńalių rinką. Išvados Valstybės institucijų diktuojama politika, verslininkai, konkurencinė ir institucinė aplinka vaidina svarbų vaidmenį formuojant verslo grupių evoliucinius kelius bei konkurencines strategijas. Verslo grupės, kaip ir didņioji dalis bet kurios ekonomikos subjektų, turi tiek teigiamas, tiek neigiamas puses. Į verslo grupes galima ņvelgti kaip į tam tikras organizacines struktūras, kuriomis galima įveikti tam tikrus rinkos trūkumus ir netobulumus siekiant sukurti pasaulinio lygio konglomeratus sparčiai augančios ekonomikos ńalyse. Iń kitos pusės, tam tikri sandoriai grupės viduje, skaidrumo ir atskaitomybės trūkumas leidņia verslo grupėms ir toliau mėgautis kartais ir nevisińkai skaidrių santykių bei paņinčių teikiamais privalumais siekiant tiek sau naudingo ińteklių paskirstymo, tiek smulkiųjų akcininkų teisių apribojimo. 131 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Pernelyg didelio kapitalo sutelkimas tam tikrų verslo grupių rankose bei jų dominavimas ńalies ekonomikoje gali apsunkinti smulkiųjų ir vidutinių įmonių kūrimąsi bei veikimą ńalies ir netgi tarptautinėse rinkose, kas gali būti pavojinga ir valstybės mastu, mat būtent smulkios ir vidutinės įmonės laikytinos lengviau prisitaikančiomis prie besikeičiančių ekonomikos sąlygų. Vis tik mokslininkai įrodė, jog verslo grupės rodo geresnius rezultatus nei atskiros įmonės, tad valstybės mastu jos yra daugiau pageidautinas, nei vengtinas reińkinys, mat ńalies, kurioje yra tinkamai veikiančių stambių verslo grupių BVP auga sparčiau nei tų, kuriose ńis reińkinys nėra paplitęs, tad, ko gero, besivystančių ńalių ekonomikos bei verslo krypties mokslininkų diskusijos ir moksliniai tyrimai turėtų būti nukreipti į tai, kaip minimizuoti verslo grupių sukeliamus ńalies ekonominio/politinio/socialinio gyvenimo trūkumus ir sustiprinti jų teikiamus privalumus, o ne diskutuoti keliant klausimą ar verslo grupės kaip institutas yra naudingos besivystančių rinkų ekonomikoms. Literatūra 1.Aldrighi, M. D. and Postali, F. (2010). Business groups in Brazil in Colpan A. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 353-387. 2.Amsden, A. H. (1989). Asia's Next Giant: South Korea and Late Industrialization. New York: Oxford University Press. 3.Barca, F., Becht, M. (eds.) (2001). The Control of Corporate Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 4.Chen, X. (2009). State Intervention and Business Group Performance in China‘s Transition Economy. A dissertation on partial fulfillment of requirements of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Minnesota. 5.Chung Ch. N., Mahmood I. P. (2010) Business Groups in Taiwan in Colpan A. et. al. Ed. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 180-210. 6.Chung, H. M. (2012). The Role of Family Management and Family Ownership in diversification: The case of Family Business Groups. Asia Pacific Management Journal. 7.Claessens, S., Djankov, S., Lang, L. H. P. (2000). The Separation of Ownership and Control in East Asian Corporations. Journal of Financial Economics: 81–112. 8.Colpan, A.M., Hikino, T. (2010). Foundations of business groups: Toward an integrated framework in Colpan A. et. al. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 15-67. 9.Evans, P. (1979). Dependent Development. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 10. Fruin, M. (2009). Business Groups and Interfirm Networks in Zeitlin J, Goeffrey J. The Oxford Handbook of Business History. 11. Gerlach, M. (1992).Alliance Capitalism: The Social Organization of Japanese Business. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. 12. Granovetter, M. (1995). Coase Revisited: Business Groups in the Modern Economy. Industrial and Corporate Change: 93–130 13. Guillén, M. F. (2010). Capability Building in Business Groups Collapse in Colpan A. et. al. Ed. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 743-763. 14. Guriev, S., Rachinsky, A. (2005). The Role of Oligarchs in Russian Capitalism. Journal of Economic Perspectives: 131–150. 15. Heaney, R., and Holmen, M. (2008). Family Ownership and the Cost of Under-Diversification. Applied Financial Economics: 1721–1737. 132 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 16. Högfeldt, P. (2005). The History and Politics of Corporate Ownership in Sweden. 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Morck, R. (2010). The Riddle of the Great Pyramids in Colpan A. et. al. Ed. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 602-629 31. Powell, W. W. ir Smith-Doerr, L. (1994). Networks and Economic Life. in N. J. Smelser and R. Swedberg (eds.), Handbook of Economic Sociology. Princeton: Princeton University Press: 368– 402. 32. Roe, E. (1994). Narrative Policy Analysis– Theory and Practice, Duke University Press, p. 201 33. Sarkar, Y. (2010). Business groups in India in Colpan A. et. al. Ed. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 294-325. 34. Schneider, B. R. (2010). Business Groups and the State: The Politics of Expansion, Restructuring, and Collapse in Colpan A. et. al. Ed. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 650-670. 35. Strachan, H. W. (1976). Family and other business groups in economic development: The case of Nicaragua, Praeger, New York: 129. 36. Wailerdsak, N., Suehiro, A. (2010). Business Groups in Thailand in Colpan A. et. Al. ed. The Oxford Handbook of business groups: 237-267. 133 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. CONCEPT OF BUSINESS GROUPS Jogaila Maĉerinskas, Mangirdas Morkūnas Summary In this article concepts of business groups, presented by scientists of different countries, are analyzed; their general characteristic features are discussed; peculiarities of the formation of business groups are revealed; heterogeneity of the phenomenon of business groups as well as of its characterising definition is shown; and definition limits of business groups and business conglomerates active in the USA and the UK are separated. Business groups are defined as business organisation forms of a pyramid structure that are diversified, managed relatively autocratically, having many branches and related enterprises, with a controlling shareholder (usually a family) at the top of the pyramid. Business groups in developing and developed countries are reviewed, and positive as well as negative results of activities of business groups for a country‘s economy, its social and political life are emphasized. Keywords: business groups, business diversification, pyramid business structure. 134 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. ĮMONĖS INTELEKTINIO KAPITALO ĮTAKOS VEIKLOS EFEKTYVUMUI VERTINIMO MODELIO TAIKYMO GALIMYBĖS Irena Maĉerinskienė¹, Ilona Bartuševiĉienė² Mykolas Romeris University Faculty of Economics and Finance Management Ateities st. 20, LT–08303, Vilnius, Lithuania E-mail: ¹irena.macerinskiene@mruni.eu; ²ilona.bartuševičienė@mruni.eu Santrauka. Intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo problematika plačiai nagrinėjama mokslinėje erdvėje, tačiau praktinis taikymas vis dar ińlieka pasyvus. Straipsnyje intelektinis kapitalas apibrėņiamas kaip ņinių, įgūdņių, kompetencijų, klientų, valdymo strategijų, organizacinių procesų, sistemų bei informacinių ińteklių visuma. Straipsnyje atskleidņiama intelektinio kapitalo struktūra ir intelektinis kapitalas vertinamas per ņmogińkojo, struktūrinio ir materialaus kapitalo efektyvumo prizmę. Autoriai pateikia intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo metodologiją, kuria remiantis pristatomi Lietuvos pieno perdirbimo įmonių intelektinio kapitalo įtakos jų veiklos efektyvumui vertinimo rezultatai. Intelektinio, ņmogińkojo ir struktūrinio kapitalų efektyvumo rezultatai nėra statistińkai reikńmingi. Tyrimo metu nustatyta, kad tik materialaus kapitalo efektyvumas turi įtakos įmonės nuosavybės grąņai, kitos intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumo dedamosios yra statistińkai nereikńmingos arba koreliacinis ryńys su nuosavybės grąņa yra silpnas. Tyrimo rezultatus galėjo įtakoti ribota metinėse ataskaitose pateikta informacija, ypač vertinant ņmogińkuosius ińteklius. Intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelio tobulinimui siūloma atlikti tyrimą, kuriame intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumo dedamosios turėtų būti vertinamos ne tik analizuojant finansinių ataskaitų informaciją, bet ir apklausiant įmonių vadovus ir darbuotojus. Reikšminiai ţodţiai: Intelektinis kapitalas, ņmogińkasis kapitalas, struktūrinis kapitalas, klientų kapitalas, įmonės veiklos efektyvumas. Įvadas Ilgalaikio konkurencinio pranańumo įgijimas ir jo ińlaikymas yra įmonių egzistencinis pagrindas, kuriuo remiantis turėtų būti kuriama įmonių veiklos strategija. Auganti konkurencija skatina įmones imtis modernių bei originalių priemonių, uņtikrinančių finansinį gerbūvį. Darbuotojų kompetencijos skatinimas, naujų technologijų bei inovacijų diegimas, klientų analizavimas ir daug kitų nematerialių akcentų skatina konkurencinį pranańumą, kurį galima 135 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. apibūdinti, kaip intelektinio kapitalo ińteklių panaudojimą. Intelektinio kapitalo koncepcija yra dar palyginus nauja ir ńiuo metu plačiai nenagrinėta sritis, nors teoriniai nematerialiųjų ińteklių pagrindai egzistuoja jau daugybę metų. Intelektinis kapitalas yra nematerialus turtas, padedantis įmonėms įgyti konkurencinį pranańumą, tačiau susiduriama su problemomis, nes dauguma įmonių vis dar nepripaņįsta intelektinio kapitalo svarbos arba nesugeba jo panaudoti savo kasdieninėje veikloje. Daugeliu atveju, įmonių vadovai ir investuotojai vertindami įmonę apsiriboja tik finansinių priemonių nagrinėjimu. Sveiby ir Edvinnson‗as pabrėņia, kad intelektinio kapitalo ińtekliai privalo būti įtraukti į įmonės vertinimo ataskaitas, nes tradiciniai finansiniai rodikliai parodo tik materialųjį įmonės turtą, tuo pačiu skatindami trumpalaikius sprendimus. Suformavus papildomą ataskaitos mechanizmą, kuris padėtų įvertinti intelektinio kapitalo ińteklius, įmonės galėtų lengviau vertinti ateities galimybes ir priimti ilgalaikius sprendimus (Andriessen, 2007). Kadangi mokslininkai vis dar ginčijasi dėl intelektinio kapitalo sąvokos ir nepriima vieningo sprendimo intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo metodikos klausimu, daugeliui įmonių intelektinis kapitalas kol kas egzistuoja tik teorijos pavidale, o praktinis koncepcijos taikymas ińlieka vis dar nauja tyrinėjimo sritimi. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti įmonės intelektinio kapitalo įtakos veiklos efektyvumui vertinimo modelio taikymo galimybes. Tyrimo uţdaviniai: 1) atskleisti intelektinio kapitalo struktūrą; 2) aptarti įmonės intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelius; 3) patikrinti įmonės intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelio taikymo galimybes. Pagrindiniai tyrimo metodai – mokslinės literatūros analizė ir sintezė ir statistinis tyrimas. Straipsnyje siekiama pateikti skirtingas intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo koncepcijas ir pagrįsti intelektinio kapitalo ińteklių svarbą įmonės veiklos ilgalaikiam efektyvumui skatinti bei nustatyti atskirų vertinimo modelių taikymo galimybes. Intelektinio kapitalo struktūra „Informacija ir ņinios yra termobranduolinis ńių laikų ginklas. Sėkmė lydės tuos, kurie protingai sugebės valdyti intelektinį kapitalą― (Harris, 2000). Taip intelektinį kapitalą 1991 metais įvardijo vienas pirmųjų intelektinio kapitalo sąvokos autorių Thomas Stewart‗as. (Holton, 2008). Smith‗o ir Parr‗o teigimu, įmonės intelektinis kapitalas sudaro 85 proc. visos įmonės ekonominės vertės (Walsh, 2008). Ulrich‗o nuomone, intelektinis kapitalas yra matematinis daugybos veiksmas, kurio kintamieji yra kompetetingumas ir įsipareigojimas, arba ņinių ir įgūdņių daugyba iń kiekvieno organizacijai priklausančio individo noro dirbti (Harris, 2000). Maditinos‗as (2011) intelektinį kapitalą analizavo per ņmogińkojo, struktūrinio bei materialaus kapitalo efektyvumą, siekdamas ińsiaińkinti kokią pridėtinę vertę sukuria intelektinis kapitalas ir atskiros jo dedamosios. Ramirez‗as (2007) intelektinio kapitalo struktūrą ińskirstė į ņmogińkojo, struktūrinio ir ryńių kapitalus, tuo tarpu Huang‗as ir Kung‗as (2011) intelektinio kapitalo struktūrą skirsto į ņaliąjį ņmogińkąjį, ņaliąjį struktūrinį ir ņaliąjį ryńių kapitalus. Haris‗as (2000) intelektinį kapitalą suvokė per ņmogińkojo ir 136 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. organizacinio kapitalo prizmę, teigdamas, kad klientų kapitalas yra ne kas kita kaip ņmogińkojo kapitalo sudėtinė dalis, o organizacinis kapitalas gali pakeisti struktūrinį, nes yra glaudņiai susijęs su įmonės mechanizmais, kurių paskirtis yra padėti darbuotojams optimaliai įgyvendinti jiems paskirtas uņduotis, vėliau tampančiomis intelektiniu kapitalu. Stewart‗o poņiūriu, intelektinis kapitalas yra ne kas kita, kaip susistemintos naudingos ņinios. Jo bendraminčiai Edvinsson‗as ir Malone apibūdino intelektinį kapitalą kaip ņinių, patirties, organizacinių technologijų, santykių su klientais bei profesionalių įgūdņių valdymą, kuris yra pagrindas kuriant konkurencinį pranańumą. Jų poņiūriu, intelektinį kapitalą sudaro trys atskiri komponentai: ņmogińkasis, struktūrinis bei klientų kapitalai. Finansiniai įmonės rodikliai bus pagerinti tik tada, kai įmonė vienodai investuos į visus tris intelektinio kapitalo komponentus (Harris, 2000). Kadangi Stewart‗o intelektinio kapitalo struktūra yra labiausiai diskutuotina mokslinėje literatūroje, toliau naudinga aptarti ńios struktūros dedamąsias dalis. Ţmogiškasis kapitalas apima kolektyvinias ņinias, įgūdņius bei individų gebėjimą dirbti įmonėse bei organizacijose (Demartini, 2011), tačiau, anot Keiso ir Weygandt‗o, įmonės vengia investuoti į darbuotojų ņinių gilinimą, nes tai susiję su papildomomis ińlaidomis. Stewart‗as siūlo ińeitį - ińlaidas, susijusias su investicijomis į intelektinį kapitalą, deklaruoti kaip turtą balanso ataskaitose (Smith, 2003). Mokslininkai vienareikńmińkai sutinka, kad investicijos į ņmogińkąjį kapitalą teigiamai įtakoja įmonės veiklos efektyvumą, nes rezultate yra jaučiama sumaņėjusi darbuotojų kaita ir augantis pasitenkinimas darbu. Klientų kapitalo koncepcija apima klientų pasitenkinimą įmonių siūlomais produktais, aptarnavimo procesą, klientų poreikių tenkinimą įsigijus parduodamą prekę ar paslaugą. Mokslinėje literatūroje dar sutinkama santykių kapitalo koncepcija (angl. relations capital), kuri yra platesnė nei klientų kapitalas. Santykių kapitalas apima ińteklius, susijusius su įmonės ir suinteresuotų ńalių (investuotojai, tiekėjai, klientai) (angl. stakeholder) santykių gerinimu. Pagal ńią intelektinio kapitalo stuktūrą, klientų kapitalas tampa ryńių kapitalo sudedamoji dalis (St-Pierre, Audet 2011). Struktūrinis kapitalas apima įmonės organizacinę kultūrą, valdymo strategijas, organizacinius procesus, sistemas bei informacinius iteklius, reikalingus intelektinio kapitalo valdymo sistemos palaikymui (Banevene, 2010). Jis tiesiogiai susijęs su organizacijos mechanizmais ir struktūromis, galinčiomis padėti darbuotojams efektyviau įgyvendinti savo veiklas. Individo veikla gali būti nepriekaińtinga, tačiau jeigu įmonės infrastruktūra yra prasta, bendras intelektinis rezultatas nebus pasiektas, nes nebus ińnaudojamos visos galimybės. Struktūrinio kapitalo pagalba darbuotojai efektyviau įgyvendina intelektinio darbo rezultatą, kuris vėliau prisideda prie visos organizacijos veiklos optimizavimo (Mikulėnienė, 2000). 137 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Įmonės intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modeliai Mokslinėje literatūroje pateikiami skirtingi intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modeliai, tačiau iki ńiol vis dar neprieita prie nusistovėjusios ir visuotinai priimtos metodologijos, kuria remiantis įmonės galėtų įvertinti savo intelektualiuosius ińteklius. Tačiau tiek mokslininkai, tiek ir įmonių vadovai pripaņįsta, kad nematerialieji ińtekliai neińvengiamai įtakoja įmonės veiklos efektyvumą, kas skatina naujų modelių kūrimą bei jų praktinį taikymą. Chua ir Goh‗as (2008) ińskiria keturias pagrindines intelektinio kapitalo modelių kategorijas: Tiesioginis intelektinio kapitalo metodas (DIC) - identifikuoja nematerialų turtą ir nustato jo piniginę vertę; Rinkos kapitalizacijos metodas (MC)- nustato intelektinio kapitalo vertę, įvertindamas skirtumą tarp įmonės rinkos ir balansinės vertės grynojo pelno; Turto pelningumo metodas (ROA)- įvertina intelektinį kapitalą, remiantis įmonės pelno vidurkiu, materialaus turto vidurkiu ir pramonės ńakos turto pelningumo vidurkiu per numatytą laiko vienetą. Subalansuotos apskaitos metodas (SC)- identifikuoja nematerialius ińteklius panańiu pincipu kaip ir tiesioginio intelektinio kapitalo metodas, tačiau skiriasi tuo, kad nevertina intelektinio kapitalo pinigine ińraińka. Pastebima tendencija, kad modeliai yra kuriami tam tikriems, iń anksto numatytiems tyrimo objektams: Ramirez‗o (2010) SICAP modelis skirtas tik vieńojo sektoriaus analizei, Bontis (2000) nacionalinio intelektinio kapitalo modelis skirtas intelektinio kapitalo vertinimui nacionaliniame lygmenyje ir t.t. Tai patvirtina, kad intelektinio kapitalo koncepcija yra vis dar nepastovi, o jos vertinimas skirtinguose sektoriuose yra nevienodas. Vis dėlto pastebėta, kad dauguma modelių vertina įmones per intelektinio kapitalo bei finansinių rodiklių prizmę. Skiriasi tik intelektinio kapitalo struktūros interpretavimas bei finansinių rodiklių vertinimo pasirinkimas. Intelektinio kapitalo įtakos įmonės veiklos efektyvumui vertinimo modelis Intelektinio kapitalo vertinimą per pridėtinę vertę tyrinėjo Maditinos‗as (2011). Jis nagrinėja intelektinį kapitalą per ņmogińkąjį ir struktūrinį kapitalą, teigdamas, kad įmonės rinkos vertė yra įtakojama materialiojo kapitalo efektyvumu bei intelektinio kapitalo dedamųjų dalių, t.y ņmogińkojo ir struktūrinio kapitalo. Jo poņiūriu, intelektinis kapitalas galėtų būti įvardintas kaip skirtumas tarp įmonės buhalterinės ir įmonės rinkos vertės. Skirtumą sudėtinga paaińkinti kiekybiniais rodikliais, tačiau manoma, kad rinkos vertės pokyčius vis dėlto nulemia nematerialieji ińtekliai, kuriuos autorius drąsiai įvardina kaip „paslėptąjį turtą―. Jo nuomone, intelektinis kapitalas 138 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. privalo būti įtrauktas į įmonės veiklos ataskaitas ir būti lygiavertis rodiklis finansiniams svertams. Maditinos‗as (2011) pratęsdamas Pulic‗o (2004) intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelio koncepciją, siekia ińsiaińkinti atskirų intelektinio kapitalo komponentų įtaką įmonės finansiniams rodikliams. Tyrimo eigoje paaińkėjo, kad teigiamas koreliacinis ryńys nustatytas tik tarp ņmogińkojo kapitalo efektyvumo ir finansinių rodiklių. Likę kintamieji statistińkai nereikńmingi, arba koreliacinis ryńys tarp jų silpnas. Visgi, autorius teigiamai vertina tyrimo rezultatus, aińkindamas, kad gauti tyrimų rezultatai leidņia daryti prielaidą, kad intelektinio kapitalo vertinimas turi stiprų potencialą ateities moksliniams tyrinėjimams. Pasitelkiant Maditinos‗o (2011) intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo struktūrą sudaromas intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelis (ņr. pav. 1), kuriuo analizuojama Lietuvos pieno perdirbimo įmonių intelektinio kapitalo įtaka jų veiklos efektyvumui. Tyrimo metu siekiama ińsiaińkinti ar yra ryńys tarp intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumo ir įmonių nuosavybės grąņos rodiklio. Pirmas etapas. Remiantis Maditinos‗o (2011) metodika būtina apskaičiuoti materialųjį, ņmogińkąjį ir struktūrinį kapitalus (ņr. 1 ir 2 ir 3 formules). CE = Visas turtas – nematerialusis turtas; (1) Čia: CE- materialus kapitalas. HU = Visos investicijos į darbuotojus (atlyginimai, su darbo uţmokesĉiu susiję išlaidos, mokymai); (2) Čia: HU - ņmogińkasis kapitalas SC = VA – HU; Čia : SC - struktūrinis kapitalas; VA - pridėtinė vertė; HU - ņmogińkasis kapitalas. (3) Intelektinis kapitalas (VAIC) (VAIC+VAHU+STVA) Materialiojo kapitalo efektyvumas (VACA) Ņmogińkojo kapitalo efektyvumas (VAHU) Struktūrinio kapitalo efektyvumas (STVA) Nuosavybės grąņa ROE 1 pav. Intelektinio kapitalo įtakos įmonės veiklos efektyvumui vertinimo modelis Šaltinis: Sudaryta autorių remiantis Maditinos„o, 2011 modeliu 139 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Antras etapas. Įvertinus intelektinio kapitalo dedamąsias toliau siekiama ińsiaińkinti kokią pridėtinę vertę sukuria intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumas bei atskiros jo dedamosios (ņr. 4, 5, 6 ir 7 formules). VACA = VA / CE; Čia : VACA- materialaus kapitalo efektyvumas; VA - pridėtinė vertė; CE - materialus kapitalo. VAHU = VA / HU (4) (5) Čia: VAHU - ņmogińkojo kapitalo efektyvumas; VA - pridėtinė vertė; HU - ņmogińkasis kapitalas. STVA = SC / VA (6) Čia: STVA - struktūrinio kapitalo efektyvumas; SC - struktūrinis kapitalas; VA – pridėtinė vertė. VAIC = VACA + VAHU+ STVA (7) Čia: VAIC –intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumas; Treĉias etapas. Koreliacinės ir regresinės analizės metodais siekiama ińsiaińkinti ar yra ryńys tarp intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumo ir atskirų jo dedamųjų bei nuosavo kapitalo grąņos. Remiantis tyrimo rezultatais daroma ińvada, kad materialiojo kapitalo efektyvumas yra vienintelis kintamasis turintis įtaką nuosavybės grąņos pokyčiams. Tarp ńių dviejų kintamųjų yra stiprus tiesinis ryńys, o 96 proc. variacijos tarp pasirinktų kintamųjų yra paaińkinami ńiuo modeliu, kiti 4 procentai yra įtakojami kitų veiksnių. Remiantis ńia informacija yra koreguojamas pasirinktas įmonės veiklos efektyvumo vertinimo modelis ir atmetami visi statistińkai nereikńmingi komponentai (ņr. 2 pav.) R = 0.98, r = 0.96 Materialaus kapitalo efektyvumas (VACA) Y=0,15x – 0,13 Nuosavybės grąņa ROE 2 pav. Patikslintas įmonių kapitalo atsipirkimo efektyvumo įtakos jų veiklos efektyvumui tiesinės regresijos modelis Tyrimo eigoje paaińkėjo, kad intelektinio, ņmogińkojo ir struktūrinio kapitalų efektyvumo rezultatai nėra statistińkai reikńmingi. Tyrimo rezultatus galėjo įtakoti ribota metinėse ataskaitose pateikta informacija, ypač vertinant ņmonińkuosius ińteklius. Pagal Maditinos‗s (2011) metodiką ńis rodiklis turėtų įtraukti darbuotojų atlyginimus, kvalifikacijos tobulinimo kańtus bei kitas, su personalo ińlaikymu susijusias ińlaidas. Remiantis gautais rezultatais, materialaus kapitalo efektyvumas yra vienintelis kintamasis, įtakojantis nuosavybės grąņos rodiklį, tačiau atsiņvelgiant į Harris‗o (2000) ińsakytą nuomonę, galima teigti, kad tik tuomet kai bus investuojama į visas 140 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. intelektinio kapitalo dedamąsias dalis, įmonė įstengs sistemingai tobulėti ir konkuruoti ilgalaikėje perspektyvoje. Taigi intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelio tobulinimui siūloma atlikti tyrimą, kuriame intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumo dedamosios turėtų būti vertinamos ne tik analizuojant finansinių ataskaitų informaciją, bet ir apklausiant įmonių vadovus ir darbuotojus. Be to tikslinga intelektinio kapitalo vertinimui pasitelkti nematerialių ińteklių apskaitos mechanizmus, kuriuos taikant per ilgesnį laiko periodą būtų galima efektyviau įvertinti intelektinių ińteklių įtaką įmonių veiklai. Išvados Straipsnyje atlikta intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo analizė patvirtina nematerialių ińteklių svarbą kuriant konkurencinį pranańumą įmonėse ir organizacijose, o intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelių įvairovė leidņia daryti prielaidą, kad nematerialių ińteklių vertinimas turi stiprų potencialą ateities moksliniams tyrinėjimams. Lietuvos pieno perdirbimo įmonių intelektinio kapitalo įtakos jų veiklos efektyvumui vertinimo tyrimas atskleidė, kad tarp materialaus kapitalo efektyvumo ir nuosavybės grąņos yra stiprus teigiamas koreliacinis ryńys, tuo tarpu ińkelta hipotezė, kad ņmogińkojo, struktūrinio ir intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumo ir nuosavybės grąņos koreliacijos koeficientas lygus nuliui, buvo patvirtina. Tyrimo eigoje nustatyta, kad intelektinio, ņmogińkojo ir struktūrinio kapitalų efektyvumo rezultatai nėra statistińkai reikńmingi. Tyrimo rezultatus galėjo įtakoti ribota metinėse ataskaitose pateikta informacija, ypač vertinant ņmogińkuosius ińteklius. Intelektinio kapitalo vertinimo modelio tobulinimui siūloma atlikti tyrimą, kuriame intelektinio kapitalo efektyvumo dedamosios turėtų būti vertinamos ne tik analizuojant finansinių ataskaitų informaciją, bet ir apklausiant įmonių vadovus ir darbuotojus. Intelektinio kapitalo vertinimui siūloma pasitelkti nematerialių ińteklių apskaitos mechanizmus, kuriuos taikant per ilgesnį laiko periodą būtų galima efektyviau įvertinti intelektinių ińteklių įtaką įmonių veiklai. Intelektinio kapitalo koncepcijos naujumas ir vieningo vertinimo modelio stoka stabdo įmonių investicijas į intelektinį kapitalą. Tinkamai įvertinus įmonių intelektinį kapitalą galima būtų uņtikrinti vienodą investicijų į intelektinį kapitalą paskirstymą, nes tik tolygus visų intelektinio kapitalo dedamųjų tobulinimas gali uņtikrinti konkurencinį pranańumą. Literatūra 1. AB ―Pieno ņvaigņdės― 2010 metų finansinių ataskaitų rinkinys. http://www.nasdaqomxbaltic.com/market/?instrument=LT0000111676&list=2&date=2012-0219&pg=details&tab=reports [ņiūrėta 2011-10-19] 141 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 2. AB „Rokińkio sūris― Konsoliduotos ir patronuojančios bendrovės 2010 metų finansinė ataskaita. http://www.nasdaqomxbaltic.com/market/?instrument=LT0000100372&list=2&date=2012-0219&pg=details&tab=reports [ņiūrėta 2011-10-20] 3. AB „Vilkyńkių pieninė― Konsoliduotų finansinių ataskaitų rinkinys uņ metus, pasibaigusius 2010 m. gruodņio 31 d. http://www.nasdaqomxbaltic.com/market/?instrument=LT0000127508&list=2&date=2012-0219&pg=details&tab=reports [ņiūrėta 2011-10-25] 4. AB „Ņematijos pienas― konsoliduotas audituotas finansinių ataskaitų rinkinys. http://www.nasdaqomxbaltic.com/market/?instrument=LT0000121865&list=3&date=2012-0219&pg=details&tab=reports [ņiūrėta 2011-10-19] 5. 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Management decission: 49(9). 13. Maditinos D. The impact of intellectual capital on firms' market value and financial performance. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 12(1): 132 – 151. 14. Mikulėnienė R., Jucevičius R. (2000). Organizacijos intelektinis kapitalas: sandaros ir pagrindinių sąvokų interpretacijos. Socialiniai mokslai, 3(24): 65-75. 15. Ramirez Y ir kt. (2007). Intellectual capital management in Spanish Universities. Journal of intellectual capital. 8(4): 732-748. 16. Smith.M.E. (2003). Another Road to Evaluating Knowledge Assets. Human Resource Development Review, 2(1): 6-25. http://hrd.sagepub.com/content/2/1/6.full.pdf+html [ņiūrėta 2010 11 30]. 17. St-Pierre J., Audet J. (2011). Intangible assets and performance: Analysis on manufacturing SMEs. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 12(2): 202–223 [ņiūrėta 2012 04 05]. 18. Walsh K. (2008). The Impact of Strategic Orientation on Intellectual Capital Investments in Customer Service Firms. Journal of Service Research, 10(4): 300-317. http://jsr.sagepub.com/content/10/4/300 [ņiūrėta 2010 11 24] 142 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. APPLICATION POSSIBILITIES FOR A MODEL FOR ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF A COMPANY‟S INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL FOR EFFICIENCY OF ITS ACTIVITIES Irena Maĉerinskienė, Ilona Bartuševiĉienė Summary The topics of intellectual capital assessment are widely analyzed in the scientific space but its practical application still remains passive. In this article intellectual capital is defined as a totality of knowledge, skills, competencies, clients, management strategies, organisational processes, systems, and information resources. In this article the structure of intellectual capital is revealed, and intellectual capital is assessed through the prism of efficiency of human, structural, and material capital. The authors present an intellectual capital assessment methodology that serves as a basis for the presentation of results of assessing the influence of intellectual capital of Lithuanian milk dairying companies on efficiency of the companies‘ activities. Results of efficiency of intellectual, human, and structural capitals are not statistically significant. During the research it has been determined that only the efficiency of material capital influences a company‘s return on equity; other constituents of intellectual capital efficiency are statistically insignificant or the correlational relationship with the return on equity is weak. The research results could have been influenced by limited information presented in annual reports especially when assessing human resources. In order to improve the intellectual capital assessment model a research is suggested where constituents of intellectual capital efficiency should be assessed not only by analysing information from financial reports, but also by surveying company managers and employees. Keywords: intellectual capital, human capital, structural capital, client capital, efficiency of company activities. 143 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. THE MODEL OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL INFLUENCE OVER THE COMPANY'S VALUE ADDED Irena Maĉerinskienė¹, Simona Survilaitė² Mykolas Romeris University Faculty of Economics and Finance Management Ateities st. 20, LT–08303, Vilnius, Lithuania E-mail: ¹irena.macerinskiene@mruni.lt; ²simona.fortress@gmail.com Abstract. World economy is facing a new age – an age of knowledge and information. The main factor of every company‘s success is appropriate knowledge management and facilitating information exchange. This is the most difficult issue that managers and employees face every day. All these challenges can be called intellectual capital and its components. Many scientists are investigating this concept, but still there is no unified explanation. This paper is designed in order to present intellectual capital structure, its main features and to accentuate the influence of intellectual capital over a company‘s value added. Keywords. Intellectual capital, company‘s value added, social capital, communication capital, and psychological capital. Introduction The changing environment and multiple conditions in economic sectors are the most difficult issues managers face today. Material assets are not the most important factors that affect the success of companies‘ activity. The value, which is created by knowledge of employees and employers, is the main power increasing a company‘s value added. The main source of intangible assets is intellectual capital, which can belong to a company or to an individual. Still there are a lot of issues regarding this quite new concept. Scientists are trying to find the most important features of intellectual capital and to give one broad definition, which could be used everywhere. But here a huge scientific problem arises – how to describe intellectual capital? How to unify its‘ structure? How intellectual capital influences company‘s value added? The main objective of this scientific paper is to present the structure of intellectual capital and to define its‘ influence over a company‘s value added. The object of this research is intellectual capital and its‘ influence over a company‘s value added. 144 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Literature Review To begin with, there is a need to emphasize that intellectual capital can be understood and perceived from different positions and point of views. It depends on the goal, which is raised in the beginning of the research. In this case intellectual capital is understood from a company‘s perspective as an intangible asset that belongs to a company. The most important goal is to treat intellectual capital as a device of creating a company‘s value added. Edvinsson and Malone (1997), Thomas A. Stewart (1997), Bueno Campos (1998), Calvo et al. (1999), Soler and Celestino (2007), Sanchez (2007), Zéghal and Maaloul (2010), Diez et al. (2010), Curado, Henriques and Bontis (2011), Bontis, Richards and Serenko (2011) mainly emphasize knowledge, skills, motivation, experience, positivity of employees, education, routines, structures in a company as the main factors of intellectual capital. According to scientific literature intangibility is the main feature of intellectual capital so it can be considered as the sum of all intangible assets that are present in a company. These are not only assets from human perspective, but also from technical, relational, and legal points of view. The new structure of intellectual capital was proposed in a scientific paper ―The assess model of intellectual capital and a company‘s value added cohesion‖ (Mačerinskienė, Survilaitė, 2011) and according to this publication intellectual capital consists of social capital, communicational capital, and psychological capital. Social capital, according to Bourdieu (2005), is the bunch of all necessary relations and communication within a company. It is like a huge bag where all connections are put inside as yarn balls. Mačerinskienė and Vasiliauskaitė (2004) presented that social capital consisted of social networks, values, norms, sanctions, rules, regulations, and trust. Trust is considered to be the main factor of social capital – this is the most important element, which creates motivation, abilities and capabilities for employees. Communicational capital, according to Malmelin (2007), consists of juridical capital, organizational capital, relational capital, and human capital. Juridical capital can be understood as the total of protection provided by law, legally protected rights, information, which is owned by an organization, patents, copyrights, confidential documents, technology, computer systems, etc. Organizational capital refers to procedures, routines and management styles that are created in an organization. Relational capital comprises all types of communication: internal and external. Human capital is everything that actually belongs to company‘s employees‘: the experience gained throughout the years, knowledge, educational background, personal and work skills, motivation, competence, and never ending training. According to Mačerinskienė and Survilaitė (2011) communicational capital is that part of intellectual capital, which helps to create a perfect image of a company. It gives a company a competitive advantage, and value added is increased. Psychological capital, according to Luthans et al. (2004), is comprised of four main parts: 145 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. resilience, optimism, effectiveness, and hope. Bontis, Richards and Serenko (2011) also mention job autonomy and job satisfaction as two main factors of psychological capital. It is considered that positive psychological capital increases employees‘ motivation, encourages and stimulates to work faster and correctly. As a consequence a company‘s value added increases. To sum up, intellectual capital is considered as the sum of social capital, communicational capital, and psychological capital. Methods and Results To begin with, gross value added created by Lithuanian companies is very small compared to other European Union countries. According to the latest data provided by Eurostat (Fig. 1), Germany, France and United Kingdom create the biggest amount of value added while Lithuania‘s value added is the 5th from the bottom. Figure 1. Gross value added created by European countries Source: Eurostat, 2011, IIIQ Besides, according to the Eurostat database, there was a significant decrease in gross value added created in Lithuania (Table 1). From this table it is observed that from 2000 gross value added grew from 3.3 to 10.2 percent. The first decrease was noticed in 2004, but after that gross value added was successfully increasing. A sharp decrease was observed in 2008 (from 9.8 in 2007 146 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. to 2.9 in 2008). A significant and even ―painful‖ drop was in 2009, when gross value added created by Lithuanian companies decreased by 14.7 percent. Table 1. Gross value added, percent Lithuania 2000 2001 3.3 6.7 2002 6.9 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 10.2 7.4 7.8 7.8 9.8 2.9 Source: Eurostat, 2012 2009 -14.7 A huge problem arises – how to increase value added created by Lithuanian companies? As intellectual capital is the most important factor for the creation of value added, a model showing the relation between intellectual capital and a company‘s value added was composed. The model was created using the method of contingencies‘ dimensions and the Global Business Network (GBN) matrix method. The main point of this model is scenario writing and the choice of the best suitable one. The model is based on the creation of four scenarios (the so-called sectors). According to GBN, it is necessary to identify eight steps in order to create a script. First of all, the main problem should be identified and the major domestic factors should be determined. Also the most important external factors should be analyzed. Then all factors, listed in the second and third step, should be ranked in order of importance. Besides, there is a need to find out the main axes in the model. These axes will form a matrix, which has different and detailed scenarios. After this the script can be developed and scenarios should be checked. The final step is monitoring the establishment. In this step the model should be observed in order to modify some discrepancies (Mačerinskienė and Survilaitė, 2011). High Company‟ s intellectual capital I Intellectual capital is high, but value added is low IV Intellectual capital and value added are high II Intellectual capital and value added are low III Intellectual capital is low, but value added is high Low Low Company‟s value added High Figure 2. The model of intellectual capital and a company‘s value added 147 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Figure 2 shows that the model of intellectual capital is composed of two different axes – one axis reflects a company‘s intellectual capital, and another axis reflects a company‘s value added. According to the level of intellectual capital that exists or belongs to a company and according to the amount of value added that a company generates companies can be grouped into four main sectors: 1) I sector where company‘s intellectual capital is high but its‘ value added is low. Looks like there is a sufficient level of intellectual capital, but it is possible that this asset is not used properly. 2) In the II sector both company‘s intellectual capital and its‘ value added are low. This means that there is not enough intellectual capital, and it neither creates nor increases a company‘s value added. 3) III sector where company‘s intellectual capital is low, but its‘ value added is high. Companies that define themselves in this sector could be production type companies where the product or a product line is important itself and there is no need to have a high level of intellectual capital as it costs a lot of funds. 4) Looks like the best sector is the IV one. Both, company‘s intellectual capital and its value added are high. Nevertheless, there should always be the proper maintenance of intellectual capital and inversions here should be done as well in order not to lose present position. In order to improve the previously mentioned model, expert evaluation was performed in November, 2011. The results were analysed and concluded using the SPSS statistical packet. Figure 3 shows the improved intellectual capital and a company‘s value added model. Two additional boxes were added to variables in order to see, which factors are the most influential. Underlined factors are those, which had the biggest influence on growth of either a company‘s intellectual capital or a company‘s value added. Managers looking into this model can control each factor and achieve desirable targets. According to the experts the most important factors influencing a company‘s intellectual capital were employee motivation and education. Collaboration and communication, positive psychological environment and resilience also have an impact on the growth of intellectual capital. The most important factors influencing a company‘s value added were employee motivation and reliable and loyal clients. Also collaboration and communication, employee education, resilience and positive psychological environment have a significant impact on a company‘s value added stimulation. 148 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. High Company‘s intellectual capital I Intellectual capital is high, but value added is low IV Intellectual capital and value added are high II Intellectual capital and value added are low III Intellectual capital is low, but value added is high Employee motivation Employee education Collaboration and communication Positive psychological environment Resilience Low Employee motivation Low Reliable and loyal clients Collaboration and communication Employee education Resilience Positive psychological environment High Company‘s value added Figure 3. The model of intellectual capital and a company‘s value added (improved) Conclusions The most important concern nowadays is how to adapt quickly and with low costs to the fast changing environment. Intellectual capital is the power of knowledge, education, skills, communication and psychological elements gathered together. Usually intellectual capital is seen from a company‘s perspective, but a company itself has no intellectual capital, it recruits human capital, which has intellectual capital. Scientists emphasize that intellectual capital is the main resource of generation, stimulation and the creation of a company‘s value added. That is why the model of intellectual capital and a company‘s value added was created and improved. 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Analysing value added as an indicator of intellectual capital and its consequences on company performance, Journal of intellectual capital, 11(1): 39–60. 151 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. DECISION MAKING IN HYPERARCHICAL ORGANIZATION Rafał Mrówka Warsaw School of Economics Management Theory Department E-mail: rafal.mrowka@sgh.waw.pl Abstract. The paper outlines decision making process in hyperarchical organization – an organization set up on the basis of self-organizing community clustered around a common goalidea-project, communicating with its members with the use of Internet. The paper presents an analysis of group decision making model in hyperarchical organization, which resembles interactive groups. The analysis describes advantages and disadvantages of a group decision making model, and subsequently, it outlines preconditions which increase the probability of achieving success by hyperarchical organizations. One of such preconditions includes openness of decision making process and modular structure of hyperarchical organization. The author‘s intention is to outline the specific nature of the decision making process within hyperarchical organization, highlighting the challenges concerning the process and their impact on the organization‘s capability to perform successfully and achieve its goals. Keywords: Hyperarchical organisation, decision making, WEB 2.0, online community, open source Introduction Hyperarchical organization is a new organizational form, which emergence was prompted by development of new technology, especially Web 2.0 network – Internet based on interactive exchange of ideas, opinions between interconnected entities and emergence of web communities. For the purpose of this paper, hyperarchical organization has been defined as self-organizing community set up around a commonly shared goals-ideas-project, in which each member has unrestricted access to information and is able to communicate with any other community member in real time. Hyperarchical organization is not restricted with rigid frames or boundaries, instead it is based on the use of creative potential of its network entities. Furthermore, community members do not have to be formally associated with the organization; they are linked together via commonly shared values, ideas, projects. Examples of hyperarchical organizations existing in real life 152 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. comprise open source IT projects and communities gathered around those projects, communities using wiki mechanism, e.g. Wikipedia or groups carrying out open innovation projects. The analysis outlined in this paper describes decision making process within hyperarchical organization. The author‘s aim is to: outline the specific nature of decision making process in hyperarchical organization, point out to challenges, which constitute an inherent part of decision making process and describe their impact on the possibility of successful performance of hyperarchical organization. Group Decision Making Process in Hyperarchical Organization Objectives of hyperarchical organization are volatile, often modified in line with activities currently carried out by community members. Only organization‘s mission, understood as a general objective, goals which integrate the community, may remain constant. Strategic plan, especially, detailed strategic objectives included in the plan, are volatile. Volatility of hyperarchical organization‘s objectives and their modification prompted by activities carried out by community members indicate that decisions concerning directions of organization‘s development need to be taken collectively. Therefore, it can be expected that decision making models predominantly applied in hyperarchical organizations will be group based models, which entail both positive and negative consequences for this type of organizations. Within decision making process area, hyperarchical organization resembles traditional interactive groups, in which decisions are preceded by open discussions, disputes, justification of arguments, which substantiate the decisions made (Griffin, 1998, p. 287). Difference between traditional interactive group and hyperarchical community comprises especially lack of face-to-face contact between the members. Discussions underlying decision making process in hyperarchical organization are carried out via the Internet between the members scattered all over the world. The strength of each decision making process especially comprises exchange of information between different people involved in decision process. Variety of the community members‘ knowledge, credentials, skills, qualifications and experience contributes to better quality of final decisions (better in terms of reasonableness, thoughtfulness), which concern hyperarchical organization (Sosnowska, 1999, p. 64; Dennis, 1996, p. 433). Additionally, owing to this exuberance of skills, credentials, it is possible to work out more decision variants enabling for deeper dive into the problem. Not unimportant is also the fact that collective decision making, participation in this process by numerous community members can enhance their involvement, improve communication, and increase acceptance level for implemented decisions (Griffin, 1998, p. 289). 153 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. It should be taken into account, however, that benefits of collective decision making, mentioned above, can be achieved on condition that community members will be exchanging information with each other. Nonetheless, in multiple cases, exchange of information in traditional interactive groups is very rare. Many members withhold important information for themselves (Stasser, 1992). This can result in deterioration in quality of decisions made (Gigone, Hastie, 1993; Stasser, Stewart, 1992). Dennis (1996, p. 446) notes that usage of information technologies in collective decision making can have a fundamental impact on information exchange within various groups. Dennis‘ research proves that groups which use IT tools exchange much more information as compared with groups not making use of such tools. This is possible due to: the use of collective memory (entire process is recorded and accessible for all community members), several projects, ideas running in the pipeline and certain sense of anonymity existing in virtual contacts (i.e. lack of face-to-face contacts). Due to the fact that these elements are also typical for hyperarchical organization, the conclusions arising from Dennis‘ research can be extended over hyperarchical organization. Style in which hyperarchical organizations operate, discussions carried out in discussions forums, which each member can access immediately, openness of presented opinions – all this aspects foster exchange of information between community members and finally increases the quality of decisions made collectively. Apart from this, group decision making has numerous drawbacks, however. The literature covering this issue points out to long time of decision making process and losses made in the process, often caused by: ineffective persuasions made by community members who try to convince each other to certain ideas (Griffin, 1998, p. 289; Sosnowska, 1999, p. 64), problems with sharing often unique, important information and tendency to devote much time on analysis of information well known to all community members rather than on information known only to small number of members (Dennis, 1996; Sosnowska, 1999, p. 64), danger of taking not optimal but compromising decisions (Griffin, 1998, p. 289), danger that the group will be dominated by one of the community members (Sosnowska, 1999, p. 64; Griffin, 1998, p. 289) and group thinking (Tyszka, 1999; Sosnowska, 1999, p. 64; Griffin, 1998, p. 289; Forlicz, 2008, p. 126), i.e. the way of thinking which prefers maintenance of cohesion within the group over the quality of the decisions based on facts. Some of the problems will certainly occur in hyperarchical organizations, although, specific manner, in which this type of organization is operating, will rather favour decrease in importance of such problems. Remarkably, in hyperarchical organization, which favours collective decision making process, the time required to make a decision may pose a problem. Discussions, arrangements, consultations may lead to prolonged decision process. 154 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. As mentioned in above paragraphs, the problem of information sharing in hyperarchical organization can be at least partially mitigated through the use of IT tools. Similarly, hyperarchical organization propensity for making compromising decisions instead of optimal decisions can also be reduced. On the other hand, however, in the research carried out by Dennis, already mentioned in preceding paragraphs, he indicates that usage of IT tools, supporting collective decision making process, does not guarantee that during information exchange process appropriate attention will be focused on unique information, known only to a narrow group of members. There are available certain researches (e.g. Arazy et al, 2006) which indicate that diversity of group (including emergence of scattered, unique information) enhances the quality of final performance achieved by hyperarchical organization, thus those scattered opinions must have an impact on final decisions. The research described above was carried out within Wikipedia community and proved that the number of persons involved in creation of Wikipedia definitions increases their quality, understood as a decrease in the number of mistakes appearing in the definitions. This phenomenon was described by Surowiecki in his famous book „The wisdom of crowds‖. Surowiecki concludes his considerations with a statement that ―If you put together a big enough and diverse enough group of people and ask them to ‗make decisions affecting matters of general interest,‘ that group‘s decisions will, over time, be ‗intellectually [superior] to the isolated individual,‘ no matter how smart or wellinformed he is‖ (Surowiecki, 2005, p. 17). Another problem associated with collective decision making concerns the danger of the group being dominated by one of the community members. Such danger also exists in hyperarchical organizations, however, it seems that in this case limited or even lack of face-to-face contacts reduce the likelihood of emergence of such a phenomenon. Dominance over the group exerted by one of the members is usually connected with dominating member‘s charisma (Weber, 2002), in hyperarchical organization, where members are geographically scattered and do not have a chance to meet regularly, charisma can contribute to building up an authority, however, this occurs rather rarely (O‘Mahony, Ferraro, 2007, p. 1081; Wellman, Gulia, 1999). The last of disadvantages of collective decision making, mentioned above, concerned the danger of emergence of group thinking. However, Forlicz (2008, p. 126) observed that group thinking can be propelled by certain conditions, which comprise: increased integration, fondness between group members. In hyperarchical community, limitation of direct contacts and replacing them with virtual ones does not foster integration. Secondly, group thinking process is facilitated by isolation from the environment and lack of possibility to confront one‘s ideas with the environment. This phenomenon also applies to virtual social networks, which is confirmed by Hinds and Lee (2008, p. 4), nevertheless, they emphasize that this applies to closed virtual social networks. Nonetheless, the specific characteristics applicable to hyperarchical organization comprise: its 155 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. openness, flexibility of boundaries, and volatile composition of the community. The characteristics mentioned above hinder group thinking. Thirdly, group thinking can be propelled by severe stress resulting from the importance of decisions made, pressure of time. This phenomenon occurring in hyperarchical organizations cannot be fully eliminated. Lastly, strong leadership fosters group thinking. It should be pointed out, however, that leadership in hyperarchical organization is rather scattered and it is difficult to associate it with only one person, which also hinders rather than fosters group thinking. It seems that, likelihood of group thinking occurrence in hyperarchical organization is rather smaller as compared with most traditional organizations. This is also confirmed by Arazy et al (2006), who notes that diversity of population, typical for hyperarchical organization, reduces destructive aspects of group decision making process, such as group thinking or conformism. Summarizing, it seems that in hyperarchical organization, advantages of group decision making surpass its drawbacks, which are inherently connected with the process. Nevertheless, it does not mean that such threats cannot become real problems in this type of organization. The question that should be asked is how to increase the likelihood of success of decisions taken by community of hyperarchical organization. Openness of Decision Making Process The basic prerequisite of successful decision making process is openness of the whole process. Openness is also one of the basic characteristics typical for hyperarchical organization. This is connected with unrestricted access to all sources of information gathered by the community, obtained symmetry in information (Mrówka, 2011). However, certain pathological situations restricting access to information may arise. As observed by Goldman and Gabriel (2005, p. 145), ―The health of any community is likely to become poisoned when its members believe that there is a group of people who are secretly making the important decisions.‖ All community members, irrespective of their motives substantiating their involvement in the community work, position held outside the community should have equal access to information and should have influence on decisions made. All decisions should be made in an open, transparent manner, with the use of mailing lists, discussion forums or tools enabling both to maintain group memory and to provide each member with unrestricted access to historical and current information. Additionally, as observed by Goldman and Gabriel (2005, p. 78), writing down decision proposals also contributes to their particularity and enhance their quality. Transparency and openness of decision making process does not preclude its formalization to a certain degree. Formalization may be a remediation for certain drawbacks of group decision 156 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. making. Numerous researches point out those organizations applying direct democratic forms of participation in decision making process have problems with coherence of undertaken activities and making decisions in the phase of rapid growth (Rothschild, Whitt, 1986; Whyte, Whyte, 1988). According to observations made by O‘Mahony and Ferrero (2007, p. 1081), ―the need to coordinate interdependent member activities and integrate member contributions in a production context is likely to exacerbate the need for a shared basis of authority‖. Guidelines which can be followed within this issue may comprise actually operating communities gathered around IT open source projects, which have developed formal procedures describing decision making process. As observed by Goldman and Gabriel (2005, p. 62), although open source communities often comprise hundreds of participants, usually, there is a group consisting of less than 10 persons (core group), which holds the highest status and coordinates informal communication within the community. This group works as a standard group managing the project, but which is geographically dispersed and receives immediate feedback about all decisions made. Additionally, in significant in size open source projects, the groups can be divided into sub-groups, each of which can have its core group. Similar formal procedures concerning decision making process occurring in open source communities were described by Shah (2006, p. 1002). Admittedly, the whole community owns the rights to the code of the project; however, there is a separate sub-group – a committee – which makes the decisions concerning the project. In hyperarchical organization, final decisions can be made by a single person – a decider who navigates the activities carried out by the community, so called: benevolent dictator (Howe, 2008, p. 284). Nevertheless, even in this case, the dictator can make final decision and takes responsibility for that decision but the whole process preceding the decision, i.e. consultations, discussions are carried out by the whole community. In practice, detailed procedures applicable to various projects can differ significantly from each other. Modularized form of Hyperarchical Organization Multiple projects carried out in hyperarchical organizations have one feature in common: modular structure. This modularity facilitates the decision making process. One of the major drawbacks of collective decision making is that this process is time-consuming, which prolongs along with the size of the community. Modularity of the project can naturally limit the size of groups gathered around particular modules of the project. However, in this case a certain formal element can occur, which is concerned with occurrence of a formal position of module owner, responsible for making decisions concerning the shape of particular module, implementing changes into this module (Goldman, Gabriel, 2005, p. 149-150). Module owner function can be held by one 157 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. person, or, as already mentioned in this paper, by the group of people, a committee. Each of the committee members can implement small changes; however, decisions about major issues are usually made collectively. The power held by the module owner, as well as the power held by benevolent dictator in terms of the possibility to make decisions still remains very constrained, as the module owner or benevolent dictator can make decisions only as long as they maintain the trust of community members. Dictator‘s authority is based on substantive issues. If numerous members do not agree with decisions made, such a leader can be dismissed from his position or the project can be separated (forking), i.e. the members can embark on a new project, defined by them (Goldman, Gabriel, 2005, p. 63). The solution to this problem might encompass involvement of all community members into decision making process, which may take form of broad consultations. When people feel that they are involved in the process, and if their opinions are taken into account and appreciated, then the community will be more inclined to accept decisions made. On the other hand, if the community members consider that their opinions are not taken into account, then they will oppose the decisions. According to observations made by Shah (2006, p. 1012) with regard to communities gathered around IT open source projects, every constraint in democratic mechanisms within decision making process and enhancement of controlling and restrictive procedures, including formalization of decision making process, increases the probability of non compliance with community members expectations and might entail decreased involvement of the members in activities carried out. It is crucial, as remarked by Shah, to ensure that each community member carries out his activities in accordance with his own expectations, plan. On the other hand, however, there should be a freedom to present various opinions, points of view. This underlines the importance of unrestricted access to information within hyperarchical organization and possibility to exchange opinions by all community members. According to the arguments mentioned above, it is still important, despite certain formalization of decision making process, to achieve and maintain consensus with regard to decisions taken. This enhances the importance of ability held by particular community members, to convince others to one‘s ideas, opinions. In theory, each member has equal right and possibility to initiate changes, including strategic changes, however, in practice, not every member will be able to convince other members to his ideas and build the group of followers around his project. The position within the community is, thus, based on knowledge, experience (but only with regard to those activities which have been previously carried out in the community), but also on persuasive skills. 158 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Using Model of Hyperarchical Organisation in Practice Can the hyperarchical model be implemented in life or is it only a theoretical being? As a matter of fact, the examples of the hyperarchical structure are numerous at present. The most common example of hyperarchy is all sorts of open source projects, in particular those connected with computer software creation. However, more and more organisations from outside the IT industry begin to notice the advantages of models close to hyperarchy. The development of virtual communities working out definite solutions or business projects may be useful in a number of areas. The example to be quoted may be IT related projects like Wikipedia. There are also much more distant phenomena connected with the presented model like open innovation (Łobejko, 2010) or crowdsourcing (Królak-Wyszyńska, 2011). Some theoreticians predict the application of this model also in science (Hessel, 2005), legal services (Jones, 2005) or generally in projects requiring a number of people with different qualifications (Shah, 2005). In every case, however, the construction of a hyperarchical community is connected with reformulating the current models of management, especially decision making process. Hyperarchy may only exist as an isolated part within a more traditional organisation and be at least virtually connected with parts of more hierarchical organisations. This model seems to make use of the advantages of hyperarchy as well as to minimise its disadvantages. Conclusions To summarize considerations concerning the methods of decision making process in hyperarchical organizations, it should be emphasized that those decisions are mostly taken collectively or at least with the significant acceptance of the community members. Degree of involvement of community and influence of its members on the final decision may be, however, different, similarly to the scope of formalization of decision making process. Additionally, the methods of making a decision often change in line with the community expansion. Decision making system evolves during the project lifespan. In the early stage of the project lifecycle, the role of the manager holding major decisive power can rest with the project initiator, whose role can gradually weaken against the power of the whole community and democratic mechanisms developed by the community (O‘Mahony, Ferraro, 2007). Further expansion of the community can result in implementation of certain formalizing, bureaucratic elements. After some time, there should be a balance between democratic and bureaucratic mechanisms. This evolution can also concern involvement of certain people and their groups. This can be observed in successful open source projects, in which at various points in time different people, 159 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. groups are involved. Their role changes over time – limitation of their role does not necessarily mean a failure, but completion of certain stage of the project, resolving certain issue. Communities emerge, disappear, and often, they are subsequently reactivated (Goldman, Gabriel, 2005, p. 55). Despite all this, the prerequisite for success in activities undertaken by hyperarchical organization is the ability to use the potential of its members, which entails the necessity of involving in decision making process as many members with unique skills as possible, even if such an involvement will comprise only consultations of decisions or listening to critical voices. It should, however, be emphasized that the final criteria against which decisions should be evaluated, is the degree to which members identify themselves with their community, which has an impact on members active participation in further stages of the project lifespan. References 1. Arazy, O., Morgan, W., Patterson, R. A. (2006). Wisdom of the Crowds: Decentralized Knowledge Construction in Wikipedia. 16th Annual Workshop on Information Technologies & Systems (WITS) Paper, Dec 8, retrieved January 6, 2012 from http://ssrn.com/abstract=1025624. 2. Dennis, A. R. (1996). Information Exchange and Use in Group Decision Making: You Can Lead a Group to Information, but You Can't Make It Think. MIS Quarterly, 20(4): 433-457. 3. Forlicz, S. (2008). Informacja w biznesie. Warszawa: Polskie Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne. 4. Gigone, D., Hastie, R. (1993). The Common Knowledge Effect: Information Sharing and Group Judgment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, (65): 959-974. 5. Goldman, R., Gabriel, R. P. (2005). Innovation Happens Elsewhere. Open Source as Business Strategy. Elsevier. 6. Griffin, R.W. (1998). Podstawy zarządzania organizacjami. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. 7. Hessel, A. (2005). Open Source Biology. In DiBona, Ch., Cooper, D., Stone, M., Open sources 2.0: the continuing evolution (281-296). O‘Reilly Media. 8. Hinds D., Lee, R.M. (2008). Social Network Structure as a Critical Success Condition for Virtual Communities. 41st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Retrieved January 6, 2012 from http://www.computer.org/comp/proceedings/hicss/2008/3075/00/30750323.pdf. 9. Howe, J. (2008). Crowdsourcing. Why the power of the crowd is driving the future of business. New York: Three Rivers Press. 10. Jones, P. (2005): Extending Open Source Principles Beyond Software Development. In DiBona, Ch., Cooper, D., Stone, M., Open sources 2.0: the continuing evolution (273-280). O‘Reilly Media. 11. Królak-Wyszyńska, K. (2011). Mądrość tłumów – dobre praktyki w crowdsourcingu. E-mentor, 2(39): 64-68. 12. Łobejko, S. (2010). Przedsiębiorstwo sieciowe. Warszawa: Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie. 13. Mrówka, R. (2011). Hyperarchy as a new model of organisation. Journal of Management and Financial Sciences, Collegium of Management and Finance, Warsaw School of Economics, 4(6): 62-72. 14. O‘Mahony, S., Ferraro, F. (2007). The emergence of governance in an open source community. Academy of Management Journal. 50(5): 1079–1106. 15. Rothschild, J., Whitt, J. A. (1986). The cooperative workplace: Potentials and dilemmas of organizational democracy and participation. New York: Cambridge University Press. 160 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 16. Shah, S. K. (2005): Open beyond Software, In DiBona, Ch., Cooper, D., Stone, M., Open sources 2.0: the continuing evolution. O‘Reilly Media, 339-360. 17. Shah, S.K. (2006). Motivation, Governance, and the Viability of Hybrid Forms in Open Source Software Development. Management Science. 52(7): 1000–1014. 18. Sosnowska, H. (1999). Klasyfikowanie reguł decyzyjnych. In Sosnowska, H. (ed.), Grupowe podejmowanie decyzji. Elementy teorii, przykłady zastosowań. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, 63-80. 19. Stasser, G. (1992). Information Salience and the Discovery of Hidden Profiles by DecisionMaking Groups: A Thought Experiment. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 52: 156-181. 20. Stasser, G., Stewart, D. (1992). Discovery of Hidden Profiles by Decision-making Groups: Solving a Problem versus making a Judgment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63: 426-434. 21. Surowiecki, J. (2005). The wisdom of crowds. New York: Random House. 22. Tyszka, T. (1999). Psychologiczne pułapki oceniania i podejmowania decyzji. Gdańsk: Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne. 23. Weber, M. (2002). Gospodarka i społeczeństwo. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. 24. Wellman, B., Gulia, M. (1999). Net surfers don‘t ride alone: Virtual communities as communities, In Wellman, B. (ed.), Networks in the global village, Boulder, CO, Westview, 167-194. 25. Whyte, W. F., Whyte, K. K. (1988). Making Mondragon: The growth and dynamics of the worker cooperative complex. New York: Ithaca, ILR Press. 161 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. DETERMINATION OF TOUR OPERATORS‟ SERVICE QUALITY PERCEPTION IN LITHUANIA Lina Pilelienė¹, Audrius Šimkus² Vytautas Magnus University Faculty of Economics and Management S. Daukanto st. 28, Kaunas 44246, Lithuania E-mail: ¹l.pileliene@evf.vdu.lt; ²a.simkus@evf.vdu.lt Abstract. The field of services can be named as one of the most rapidly growing economic sectors in Lithuania. The trend is important in tourism industry, where competition as well as processes of changing consumer requirements is constantly intensifying. This encourages organizations to pay greater attention to recognition of customer expectations, constant improvements of the main competitive advantage – service quality. Customer satisfaction depends on the fulfilment of service quality dimensions, such as tangibility, reliability, assurance, responsiveness, and empathy. Accordingly, it is necessary for service organizations such as tour operators to understand the most important service quality dimensions for their customers. The findings reveal the incapacity of tour operators to percept and detect customer expectations; this resulted in discrepancies between quality standards and service provision process perceived by customers. Keywords: Customer perception, Service Quality, Tour operator. Introduction The high competitive global economy has intensified the importance of identifying factors which provide firms with long-term competitive advantages (Ranjbarian et al, 2011). According to Akhtar (2011), service quality is one of the critical success factors that influence the competitiveness of an organization. One of the key challenges is how to manage service quality, which holds a great importance to customer satisfaction (Dehghan et al, 2012, Lo et al, 2011). Many factors affect consumer while choosing a service provider. Organization which provides service has to be known by consumers; moreover, it should gain confidence during the first meeting. Customer gains the perception about the organization only after the service is purchased and encountered. Success comes to the organizations which detect their customers‘ expectations and needs, and seek to satisfy them in terms of design of the offering, communications, 162 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. pricing, etc. The scholarly researches of service quality are mainly based on banking and financial services sectors‘ analysis, and tourism sector lacks appropriate attention. Accordingly, it is necessary for tour operators as service organizations to understand the most important service quality aspects for their customers. Scientific problem of this research is how tour operators should perform service quality to satisfy their customers. The object of the research is Lithuanian tour operators‘ customers‘ perception of service quality. The aim of the research is to determine how do customers percept Lithuanian tour operators‗ service quality. Methods of research. On purpose to determine how do customers percept Lithuanian tour operators‗ service quality, the systematic and critical literature analysis was provided; Lithuanian tour operators‗ service quality perception was estimated using questionnaire survey. The determination of most important Lithuanian tour operators‗service quality dimensions was performed using mathematical-statistical methods. Literature Review Law on Tourism of the Republic of Lithuania was established on 19th of May 1998. Six editions were made in recent fourteen years of its validity. The last edition was made in 2011. According to the latest edition of the Law on Tourism of the Republic of Lithuania (LR Turizmo įstatymo pakeitimo įstatymas, 2011), Tour Operator is a tourism service provider who arranges organized tour itineraries (travels) and provides other tourism services for selling them to tourism service consumers directly or through travel agencies or travel agents. At the same law, definitions of Travel organizing service and Tourism service definition can be found. Tourism service is independent travel organizing, settlement, nursing, transportation, tourist information, entertainment or other service provided for tourists for payment. Despite the numerous editions and concerns, the Law on Tourism of the Republic of Lithuania still lacks the establishment of quality dimension. There are no limits or framework for service quality establishment. However, according to Jayasundara et al (2009) even though standards for the definition of quality may be set, these standards vary from phenomenon to phenomenon, culture to culture, and across time. In scientific literature, service quality is often considered as a principal factor differentiating service products and substantiating competitive advantage in tourism industry. The process by which customers evaluate a purchase, thereby determining satisfaction and likelihood of repurchase, 163 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. especially important to service marketers because, unlike their manufacturing counterparts, they have fewer objective measures of quality by which their production has to be judged (Hudson et al, 2004). Differences from a good make the process of service purchase and delivery very complex for both customer and seller (Arora et al, 2011); moreover, according to Lee (2011) and Lo et al (2011), service quality is closely related to customer satisfaction and organizations‘ performance. Survey Scientific analysis of service quality evaluation models (Grönroos, 1984; Perceived Service Quality Model; Parasuraman et. al., 1985, 1988; Service Gap Analysis Model; Brogowicz et. al., 1990; Synthesised Service Quality Model, etc.) suggest that service quality is multidimensional (at customer‘s point of view), and every dimension consists of various features and service aspects. Not only the obtained result of service provision, but the provision process as a whole is important for the customer. Service provision process encompasses various dimensions helping to determine customer‘s expectations and perceived service quality gaps. Eg, Vveinhardt and Kigaitė (2005) state that perception of service quality is rather subjective process; and the perception of tourism service quality is determined by staff professionalism, skills, expertise, and ability to create a good impression, attitude and behaviour. On the basis of analysed service quality evaluation literature and existing models, a model for Tour Operator‘s Service Quality Evaluation was elaborated (for the substantiation of model‘s elaboration see Pilelienė, Ńimkus, 2012). The model consists of two principal blocks which help to distinguish customer‘s and tour operator‘s participation and interaction in tourism service provision process. There are five levels which correspond to a progress of tour operator‘s service provision process. The model is composed of five levels. Levels 1 to 4 are the matter of concern by tour operator: tour operator establishes its‘ mission and objectives (that is the principal step of creation and provision of an established quality service) (level 1); determines customer‘s expectations (level 2); determines technical and functional aspects (service quality standards) of service offering (level 3); provides tourism service for the customer (level 4). External influences, marketing efforts, and organization‘s image appear in the level 4. External influence (culture, social structure, verbal communication, mass-media, and competition), marketing efforts (advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, pricing, distribution) and tour operator‘s image form customer‘s expectations determine expected tourism service quality. External communication strongly impacts customer‘s needs and expectations. Promotional efforts can be used as tools for promise giving to customers, enabling customer 164 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. affection and awaking desired reaction. The promises influence customer‘s expectations and form the vision of expected service. Customer‘s expectations form on the basis of attitude to the tour operator, its‘ image (which relates to reputation and previously experienced service quality from same tour operator). Provided service is being evaluated under customer‘s attitude at the fifth level of the process. Perceived service quality is the outcome of customer‘s evaluation process, when he/she compares service-related expectations to obtained service; hence, perceived service quality is expressed as a disparity between obtained and expected service. Perceived tourism service quality is measured using five quality evaluation dimensions: tangibles (physical elements, equipment, personnel appearance, tools of communication, hygiene, and authenticity); reliability (ability to provide precise and accurate service, without withdrawals and at the promised time, assuring mutually accepted contract condition at stable prices); responsiveness (personnel‘s desire and readiness for helping customer and timely service provision; this dimension reflects safety of tourism service); assurance (personnel‘s knowledge, skills, helpfulness, and ability creating confidence; tourism service security and harmony with human and natural environment is assured); and empathy (carefulness, tenderness, individual attention to customer, service transparency). Yunus et al (2009) state that properly implemented service quality dimensions increase individuals‘ perceived value about the quality features. The quality dimensions helps in gap determination between customer‘s expectations and obtained service. Five quality gaps of service provision are emphasized in the model. The first gap emerges between service expected by customer and the ability of tour operator to understand and determine customer‘s expectations. The second gap opens between determination of customer expectations and their conversion into tourism service features (quality standards). The third gap emerges between service quality standards and the process of service provision to the customer. The fourth gap is the discrepancy between the tourism service provision and marketing efforts. Finally, the fifth gap includes the discrepancy between customer‘s expectations and obtained tourism service (the extent of this gap depends on all four previously mentioned gaps). The extent of fifth gap has a direct impact on customer‘s perception about total tourism service quality. Better service quality results in a smaller gap (Landrum et al, 2008). Consequently, the identification of the gaps is particularly important in mistake determination and strategy selection for fulfilling customer needs. 165 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Methods With purpose to evaluate service quality of tour operators working in Lithuania, quantitative type of the research was chosen. The questionnaire research was provided to determine customer evaluation of tour operators‘ service quality. The research questionnaire was divided to 3 parts. In the first part were provided general questions about tour operator: operator‘s name, respondent‘s intentions to recommend the operator to others, the familiarity with operator was being determined. The second and the third part were composed of 25 statements fitting the model. Statements were adapted from the researches made by Atilgan et al (2003) and Ramseook-Munhurrun et al (2010). The evaluation of service quality is based on the gap between perception of expected and obtained service quality. Respondents had to fill the two remaining parts of the questionnaire – what did they expect (second part) and what did they obtain (third part). For the evaluation of service quality, 7-point Likert type scale was used: expected service quality respondents had to evaluate from 1 – ‗very bad‘ to 7 – ‗excellent‘; and obtained service quality from 1 – ‗absolutely disagree‘ to 7 – ‗absolutely agree‘. In both scales 4 was neutral and meant ‗neither agree nor disagree‘. Questionnaire represented all five tourism service quality dimensions. The research results were calculated for expected (E) and obtained (O) service quality separately; the quality gap was a count between expected and obtained. Quality was considered as sufficient when the gap was equal or higher than zero. Results Achieving to determinate the quality of services provided by tour operators in Lithuania, 310 respondents were interviewed. The survey results are provided below. The survey results are analysed calculating the means of evaluations of expected and obtained service quality in categories and determining the gaps between the evaluations. Every respondent was evaluating the particular tour operator‘s service quality. Customer distribution in accordance to evaluated tour operator is provided in Figure 1. According to survey results, there were 48 percent of first-time customers; however, only 8 percent of all respondents were willing to recommend the tour operator to their relatives or friends. Latter results can be considered as a highlight to a low service quality. 166 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Other 18% Guliverio Kelionės 8% TezTour 29% Topturas 4% Novaturas 34% SoFa Travel 7% Figure 1. Customer distribution through tour operators (N=310) While comparing the means of the evaluations of all the statements provided and measuring the gaps between expected and obtained quality, following results were revealed (see Figure 2). Figure 2. Service quality evaluation Means of evaluations of different tour operators‘ service quality, distinct quality dimensions and quality gaps‘ sizes are provided in Figure 2. The research aimed to determine lowest and highest customers‘ requirements and expectations concerning a particular quality dimension and tour operator. There can be seen in Figure 2, that ‗assurance‘ related expectations are highest 167 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. (overall evaluation equals 6.10 points); moreover, the obtained quality evaluation is highest for the same dimension (5.67 points). It can be stated that tour operators pay insufficient attention to ‗responsiveness‘ dimension – the quality gap between expected and obtained services was highest (overall gap of this dimension was (-0.50) points). Only two positive quality gaps were determined during the research. The tour operator TopTuras exceeded its‘ customer expectations in the dimensions of ‗tangibles‘ and ‗assurance‘. Despite the quantity of tour operator‘s Novaturas customers participating in the research, this operator‘s service quality was not considered as highest. Discussion After the analysis of the evaluation of service quality provided by tour operators in Lithuania, the empirical model of perceived service quality can be composed (see Figure 3). The evaluation of tour operators‘ service quality is based on the disparity between evaluations of obtained and expected qualities – the fifth gap in the model was measured. Whereas the analysed gap depends on the 4 former gaps, the implication is that all former gaps in a process of service provision determined the discrepancy between customer expectations and the evaluation of obtained services. All the five gaps highlight the incapacity of tour operators acting in Lithuania percept and detect customer expectations; this resulted in discrepancies between quality standards and service provision process perceived by customers. Moreover, a gap emerged between service provision and marketing communications, which formed excessive expectations for services. Figure 3. Empirical model of perceived service quality 168 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. As it can be seen in Figure 3, the mean evaluations of expected level of service quality (E) was 6 points, however, obtained level (O) was only 5.58 points. Whereas expectations exceed the evaluation of obtained quality, the gap (Q) was (-0.43) points. It can be stated that gap was obtained negative and service quality was insufficient. Some further possibilities for tour operators‘ service quality enhancement can be proposed based on the research results. Achieving to minimize service quality gaps, appropriate attention has to be paid to customer expectation determination. Continuous customer and employee surveys have to be provided for determination of necessary personnel‘s expertise and service provision standards. Reward-based interventions on frontline service employees‘ commitment to service quality (as suggested by Sun et al, 2012) can be adapted. An implementation of service quality management system is inevitable. The systems‘ aim would be minimisation of discrepancies between qualities of obtained and expected services; that enhancement would minimise the quality fluctuations and enlarged the amount of satisfied customers. Moreover, an appropriate technique for a constant service quality enhancement has to be created and implemented (service quality standards have to be established, quantitative rate-based orientation suspended). Proper attention has to be paid to a communication between first-line personnel and customers through the determination and establishment of necessary employees‘ expertise, provision of educative and development programs, other staff motivating techniques. Finally, steady control of marketing methods and strategies is necessary, whereas it forms customer expectations and leads to decisions. Conclusions Tour operator is the principal service provider in tourism industry, responsible for the provision of promised service package, fulfilling commitments, and constant control through the whole period of service provision. Tour operator‘s service quality depends on understanding of customers‘ requirements, and the adjustment of the whole service provision system to meeting those requirements. Tour operator‘s service quality has a high importance to a customer. It can be even named as a customer loyalty driver. The quantity of customers choosing a tour operator still does not indicate its‘ high service quality. Only complete satisfaction of customer needs and expectations can encourage customers to recommend tour operator to others and leads to customer loyalty. To achieve better results, tour operators have to consider negative quality gaps. Research results highlighted gaps in all quality dimensions; major attention is needed for the lack of tour operators‘ employees‘ responsiveness and insufficient quality in ‗tangibles‘ dimension. While improving 169 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. service quality, appropriate attention has to be paid to customer expectation determination and fulfilment. References 1. Akhtar, J. (2011). Determinants of Service Quality and Their Relationship with Behavioural Outcomes: Empirical Study of the Private Commercial Banks in Bangladesh. International Journal of Business & Management, 6(11): 146-156. 2. Arora, V., Nravichandran; Jain, N. K. (2011). Dimensionality of Service Quality and Its Critical Predictors to Customer Satisfaction in Indian Retail Banking. Advances in Management, 4(10): 20-25. 3. Atilgan, E., Akinci, S., Aksoy, S. (2003). Mapping the service quality in the tourism industry. Managing Service Quality, 13(5): 412-422. 4. Brogowicz, A., A., Delene, L. M., Lyth, D., M. (1990). A Synthesised Service Quality Model with Managerial Implications. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 1(1): 2745. 5. Dehghan, A., Zenouzi, B., Albadvi, A. (2012). An Investigation on the Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: In the Case of CCG CO. International Business Research, 5(1): 3-8. 6. Grönroos, Ch. (1984). A Service Quality Model and its Marketing Implications. European Journal of Marketing, 18(4): 36 – 44. 7. Hudson, S., Hudson, P., Miller, G. A. (2004). The Measurement of Service Quality in the Tour Operating Sector: A Methodological Comparison. Journal of Travel Research, 42: 305-312. 8. Yunus, N. K. Y., Azman, I., Zubrina, R. J., Salomawati, I. (2009). Service quality dimensions, perceive value and customer satisfaction: ABC relationship model testing. International Business Educational Journal, 2(1): 66-78. 9. Jayasundara, C., Ngulube, P., Minishi-Majanja, M. K. (2009). A theoretical model to predict customer satisfaction in relation to service quality in selected university libraries in Sri Lanka. South African Journal of Library and Information Science, 75(2): 179-194. 10. Landrum, H., Prybutok, V. R., Kappelman, L. A., Zhang, X. (2008). SERVCESS: A parsimonious instrument to measure service quality and information system success. The Quality Management Journal, 15(3): 17-25. 11. Lee, C. J. (2011). Understanding Bank Service Quality in Customers‘ Terms: An Exploratory Analysis of Top-Of-Mind Definition. International Journal of Business & Social Science, 2(21): 1-7. 12. Lo, M.-Ch., Songan, P., Mohamad, A. A., Yeo, A. W. (2011). Rural Destinations and Tourists‘ Satisfaction. Journal of Services Research, 11(2): 59-74. 13. LR Turizmo įstatymo pakeitimo įstatymas. (2011). Nr. XI-1496. Valstybės ņinios, 2011-0713, 85 (4138). 14. Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. L., Zeithaml, V. A. (1985). A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research. Journal of Marketing, 49 (4): 41-50. 15. Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. L., Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1): 12-40. 16. Pilelienė, L., Ńimkus, A. (2012). Tour Operator‘s Service Quality Evaluation Model. Organizacijų vadyba: sisteminiai tyrimai, 61. 17. Ramseook-Munhurrun, P., Naidoo, P., Nundlall, P. (2010). A proposed model for measuring service quality in secondary education. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 2(3): 335 – 351. 170 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 18. Ranjbarian, B., Dabestani, R., Khajeh, E., Noktehdan, I. (2011). An investigation of Influencing Factors Customers‘ Loyalty in a Four Star Hotel in Iran. International Journal of Business & Social Science, 2(21): 243-246. 19. Sun, P.-Ch., Hsu, W.-J., Wang, K.-Ch. (2012). Enhancing the commitment to service quality through developmental and rewarding systems: CSQ consistency as a moderator. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(7): 1462-1480. 20. Vveinhardt, J., Kigaitė, K. (2005). Turizmo paslaugų kokybės sistemos teorinė apņvalga ir problematika. Vadyba, 1(6): 229-233. 171 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. SALES RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS Mikolaj Pindelski Szkoła Główna Handlowa – Warsaw School of Economics Al. Niepodleglosci 162, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland E-mail: mikolaj.pindelski@sgh.waw.pl Abstract. The authors who publish descriptions of research in the field of sales may be proud of their significant output. However, according to numerous references, such output is not faultless. The insufficient communication between academics and practitioners, implementation issues with the solutions provided, or improper allocation of academic resources bring about the necessity to analyze the literary output concerning this question. For this purpose research on references was carried out, which indicated divergences between what is essential for the practitioners and what the academics find to be the most urgent issues. This paper indicates such divergences, i.e. exaggerated analysis of sales techniques with simultaneous insufficiency of research on forecasting and budgeting. The thesis set here states that the academic sales research directions contemporarily used are far from the ones desired and corresponding to the needs of the market, understood here as the entrepreneurs environment. Therefore, the purpose of the paper is to indicate the desired directions of sales research in the organization, currently expected both by the world of business and science. Keywords: sales, sales research, sales management. Introduction The environment contemporary business operates in not only seems to be very dynamic, but also difficult to define, with components hard to be explained. In effect the familiar measuring, forecasting or, finally, management methods are difficult to be applied under such conditions. This is reported by the authors of numerous publications, whether based on their own findings or the results of extensive research projects. The discussion on this subject seems to continue since the early 1980‘s6 and it expands, rather than vanishes7. In the opinion of the said authors, the environment of the organization‘s functioning keeps being redefined every day and the entities must 6 Naisbitt J., Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives, Grand Central Publishing, 1988, Toffler A., Future Schock, Bantam, 1984, etc. 7 Hamel G., What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition and Unstoppable Innovation, Jossey-Bass, 2012 172 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. continuously adapt their businesses to the new conditions. This is the case both on the operation and strategic level. It is more and more frequently indicated that the strategic, tactic or operating targets should consider the dynamics and the directions of changes of the micro and macro-environment, such as international competition, globalization, emerging of the global market or drop of economic growth of numerous countries, unexpected by the analysts in the recent years. The organizations, however, or the people that form them rather, seem to handle the situation in at least a few different ways. The first is the use of one‘s own experiences (knowledge management, data and database management, competing on analytics, etc.). The second is the experience of other entities (benchmarking, best practices, coopetition etc.). The third is based on aggregated knowledge originating from the world of science (clusters and metaclusters, combining science and business, supply model of innovation, innovations pushed by science, etc.). All the above methods are assumed to lead to the escalation of the synergy effect and become the fertilizer of new, lucrative innovations. The directions comprise each area of organization functioning, also specified by the functional criterion. Therefore, the author‘s interest was directed to the area related to sales and in this context the sales research directions in the organization, desired or perhaps insufficiently developed, will be discussed herein. The thesis set here is that the directions of academic sales research contemporarily used are far from the those desired and corresponding to the market demands, understood as business environment. The target is to indicate the direction in the sales research in the organization, currently expected both by the world of business and science, which in case of management sciences seem to be difficult to differentiate. Particular attention is drawn here to the comparison between business and sales functioning conditions, characteristic for highly developed economies and developing Central and Eastern Europe countries, new EU member states. The research nature comprises reference studies and represents the overview of the existing publications and conclusions formulated by the authors. It includes publications directed straight to business and academic ones, published on such platforms as. Global Sales Science Institute8 or in periodicals, e.g. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management9, Selling Power and other. 8 9 http://salesscience.org/ http://www.jpssm.org/ 173 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. The overview will tend to present the stratification of the actual research directions and expectations of the desired direction. The whole paper will concern the area of sales understood as the organization‘s function (by its functional division)10. Level of Knowledge in Sales Research Following the output of publications in the scope of widely understood sales, we may get the impression that is distinctly changes both in reference to the defined research object, the method it is examined and the direction or target set to such research. First of all, there is a significant stratification understood by the researchers of the notion of sales from the very transaction act 11 to commerce close to economy and comprising global economy12. One may get an impression that unclear elements occur already on the foundations of the basic assumption as well as issues arising in the further development of this trend. After all, how can we compare or base on research, if their basic assumption or set of objects definition significantly diverge from each other. One may guess that, for example, when defining sales as a process taking place inside (and perhaps partly outside) the organization, the research on such exchange object may significantly differ from the same research on the same object, however with assumed definition of sales as a transaction, for example. Thus an issue arises of various frameworks of research and frameworks an object is enclosed in. With the contextual nature of management sciences, this may be of crucial importance. The changes in the scope of research objects are reported by the authors of Chally report the scientific nature whereof may rise certain objections. However, it is acknowledged as an important reference by a large number of periodicals considering the sales topic. The said report authors say that perception of exchange of goods exchange or rather goods sales as the most important aspect is not up-to-date any more. It is since 2006 that the growth of service sales significance has been noticed, with simultaneous drop of importance of selling products, understood as physical existences. At the same time the transformation of commercial cooperation13 of business partners from goods sales oriented sector to service sales oriented one is noticeable. As they further report, 10 Bieniok H., Rokita J., Struktura organizacyjna przedsiębiorstwa, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa, 1984 11 Przybyłowski K. Hartley S.W. Kerin R.A. Rudelius W., Marketing, Issue I, ABC, 1998, pp. 10 12 Sheppard E., Trade, globalization and uneven development: Entanglements of geographical political economy., Progress in Human Geography, Feb2012, Vol. 36 Issue 1, pp.44-71 13 The term „commerce‖ has been used with premeditation here, being fully aware that its meaning differs from the notion of distribution, transaction or sales and most of all comprises the set of relations and interations of transaction nature, aggregated and perceived in a macro scale. The idea of macro scale here is the total of all the transactions taking place on the overall market. Similarly, the terms of distribution, sales and transaction appear herein further understood as non-identical terms. Their entry and use is a conscious procedure aimed at highlighting of the specific terms differing by the type of designates. 174 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. basing on the obtained results, the sales evolution on the B2B market would choose one of these ways. The first way assumes the use of new technologies in sales, which reduces the traditional aspects related to distribution, to such an extent, even, that it will eliminate the direct seller-buyer contact.14 In this point the changes occurring within an organization and thinking about sales may be defined as follows: the growth of emphasis on cost analyses and search for beneficial relationships of measures building efficiency indexes, the growth of emphasis on creation, expansion and use of customer databases with the use of a frequently complicated mathematical-statistical instrumentation, the growth of emphasis on research and analyses enabling the collection of such market and customer data that are important for sales relation development and the growth of value of purchases, the development of distribution channels generating low operation costs, the change in thinking and methods of building network relationships with the customer and product/service marketing. This is referred to in the wide trend of research on e-commerce with the Internet channel as a leading aspect. The second possibility is an evolution tending to focus on the key accounts of a specific organization and significant changes in: the growth of customer service quality level perceived subjectively, the growth of frequency and quality of contact with the customer and creating relationships with them, the perception of transaction and product or service as one of the elements of building relationships with the customer, The findings are supported by Sheth and Sharma, writing that a contemporary organization selects key accounts out of the portfolio of the customers served. In other words, those who are responsible for high turnover within the entity revenue structure. It provides the particularly committed accounts comprehensive sales of goods, frequently together with expanded accompanying pre- and post-sale services. The authors also indicate that significant resources are in this case engaged in creation of long-term connection between the customers and the offerer15. The costs of the very production and services often become a secondary issue here and occupy a 14 Chally Report (2007), Chally World Class Sales Excellence Research Report, HR Chally Group, Dayton, OH.; www.chally.com/benchmark 15 Sheth, J. and Sharma, A., The impact of the product to service shift in industrial markets and the evolution of the sales organization, Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 37, 2008, pp.260-269 175 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. relatively insignificant position in the total structure of customer service costs. They present the shift in the diagram (fig.1), which seems to reflect well the conclusions drawn by the authors. Figure 1. Changes in thinking about sales and their impact on sales research development directions Source: Sheth, Sharma, 2008 They also note that the market changes and is more focused on intangible resources, concreation of values, creation and management of relationships arising between the buyers and the sellers. They indicate that most of the academic papers on sales is focused on such issues as: motivation and motivating, compensation (as a notion largely occurring in American publications) or the recruitment process. Much less attention, however, is devoted to the dynamics of environment changes and its impact on the practical aspects of sales and sales management. Thus, the interest is concentrated on the organization inside and endogenic factors, while the exogenic factors are somewhat ignored in the context of sales. Therefore, we may get the impression that sales have become an operational aspect of organization functioning in the eyes of the researchers that its scope closely correlated with the functional element may only be significant. Although both the term and principles of creating the sales strategy are known, the research characteristic for strategy subject matter does not follow. Despite the fact that it is a strategy on the tactic or even operating level and this level of thinking about strategy is even permitted by the experts in the subject16, nevertheless, the research is focused on aspects characteristic for typically operating actions. Therefore, sales automation may become one of the more significant strategic targets of organizations and this is the issue teams of researchers focus on. Replacing personal selling by online sales or at least expanding distribution by electronic sales are the objects of various analyses 16 Rokita J., Zarządzanie strategiczne. Tworzenie i utrzymywanie przewagi konkurencyjnej. PWE, Warszawa 2005, pp.36 176 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. both in scientific and stricte business publications or even general knowledge periodicals. Similar situation occurs with focus on the customer and creation of values. The interesting thing, however, is that we can find numerous publications on the technical aspect of online service, but the strategic aspect of the change is almost absent in the research. Anyhow, such changes do not follow the increased interest and development of research in this scope. The world of science carries out such research, however neither its depth nor number fully cover the world of business demand. Redefinition of the Term „Sales‟ The ongoing changes taking place on the widely understood market and the varying customer demands lead to the growth of business process complexity. It influences the redefinition of the notion of sales and the function of sales in the organization. It slowly evolves from the physical transfer of property rights towards a complex process, perhaps even a certain description of the organization capability to offer goods and services on the market. In numerous publications sales are understood as a wide scope of customer service and are related to developed pre- and postsale services. The boundaries fade between marketing, promotion, public relations, logistics, or even production and design and sales. The concepts of prosumption and including the customers in almost every aspect of creation and sales of products and services are created17. It is also difficult to accept somewhat a priori as a true statement that sales are marketing 18 tools . It may well be vice versa. Everything is mutually interwoven and a clear separation of the function within the organization becomes a more and more distinct issue. At the time of multichannel distribution systems19 close cooperation of several functional divisions is necessary, which is neither simple nor obvious. The conclusion has much further reaching effects, as it requires a change in thinking about the organization structures and its strategy. The clear boundaries do not exist any more and, for example, description of units and positions by tasks become more and more difficult, while description by responsibilities and targets to be reached becomes a more and more distinct need. This is, however, what neither the organization nor the legal systems of states are frequently not ready for. Moreover, sales presented in such a way bring no clear frameworks of employee action and practically impede the creation of explicit and long-lasting indications on sales function performance. The changes clearly take place so dynamically that the research development not always is able to keep up with them. Thus, there are situations in which it is noticeable that organizations left 17 Ritzer G, Jurgenson N., Production, Consumption, Prosumption., Journal of Consumer Culture; Mar.2010, Vol. 10, Issue 1, pp.13-36 18 Kotler Ph, Marketing, Rebis, Warszawa 2005, pp.145 19 Kramer T., Podstawy marketingu. Państwowe Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne, Warszawa 1995, pp.128 177 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. alone, seeing no assistance anywhere, elaborate solutions and tools significantly outpacing the achievements of the world of science. This is the case, for example, with the very understanding of the term of sales, which until recently the researchers used to be fit within the scope of marketing as one of its tools or, as distribution, being a specific kind of logistics. Simultaneously clearly distinguishable divisions of sales, performing different functions from those of marketing or logistic ones, used to develop in organizations. We may also get an impression that the solutions achieved by the world of science come too late to support substantially the obtainment of competitive advantage on the market or simply when the issue is not up-to-date any more. 20 Redefining the term ‗sales‘ and the function performed by them, we cannot omit the elements related to ethics21, as the conviction that ethics not always accompanies effective sales seems to be fairly controversial. In fact the ethic conduct cannot be separated from the questions related to building trust and, in effect, the relationships with the customer. After all, sales tend to follow this direction, or are to follow it. Understanding the role ethics in everyday actions is crucial for the development of business based on sales. Organizations started to appreciate this aspect so difficult to evaluate. However, organizations have become convinced that in the long-run ethic conduct would bring measurable benefits.22 Sales have become more and more distinctly a strategic element in the organization functioning and requires the participation of managerial staff in its planning. The growth of their meaning in the organizations is not followed with changes in the curriculum structure for future managers or the increased number of academic publications thereon. Study curricula (for example at Polish universities, such as Warsaw School of Economics, Cracow University of Economics, University of Economics in Katowice, University of Economics in Wrocław, etc..) treat the sales area as if it were of secondary importance. At the same time, the quantitative drop of publications on sales in academic periodicals has been noted.2324 Desired Ddirections of Research on Sales One of the directions particularly underdeveloped in terms of publishing and research seems to comprise the issues related to finance in sales. After all, financial results and budgeting are almost everyday practice related to this area of entity functioning. One may even get the impression 20 Stewart, T.A., The Top Line, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84 No. 7/8, 2006 Pindelski M., Etyka, CSR i CSV w orientacjach strategicznych, Przegląd Organizacji, nr 2/2012, pp. 6-10 22 Wood G., Ethics at the sales-purchasing interface: A case of double standards?, Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, Vol. 1 Issue 3, 1995, pp.21 – 38 23 Ghazaleh M.A., Haghighi M., The effect of selling strategies on sales performance, Business Strategy Series, Vol. 10 Issue 5, 2009, pp.266–282 24 Plouffe, C.R., Williams, B.C. and Wachner, T., Navigating difficult waters: publishing trends and scholarship in sales research, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 28, 2008 21 178 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. that organizations and managers are left alone. The world of science behaves as if it were escaping from the topic and preferred further, deeper development of research on the aspects that have already been extensively explored. The financial aspects and budgeting are somewhat left beyond the researchers‘ scope of interest. It forces the managers and entrepreneurs to search for solutions on their own, while the result of the situation seems to be the domination over the researchers, still enhanced by the information provided by advisors, practitioners, guidebook authors as well as various types of crooks dealing with sales and related fields. In this situation, the development of research instrumentation focused on search for such solutions that could be implemented in business practice in this area, could be justified. Following this track, S.Geiger i P. Guenzi25 carried out a survey on a representative group of European practitioners dealing with sales, the survey concerning the effect of changes in the environment on sales performance. Out of 18 determinants, important to contemporary sales environment, they indicated: the growth of customer expectations, the growth of fluctuations on the market, the growth of pressure on productivity, IT advance stage. as the factors with the highest influence on the change of sales specifics. However, the question ignored by the authors is indirectly the said growing importance of the mathematical – quantitative methods. Along with database development, ontological classifications of various data transformed into quantitative records, the tools more and more frequently used refer to statistical analyses, mathematical prediction models or IT binary and quantum model. This also takes place in sales where databases about customers and knowledge about processes also become strategic resources, while the sales divisions use quantitative methods, without limitation, for: modeling and optimization of processes in order to increase their efficiency, carrying out simulations of operating activity, demand forecasting.26 The growth of interest in the quantitative methods is directly related to the development of new technologies. The market offers more and more complex software items for simulation modeling and optimization of making more and more complex analyses. In this field we may also find numerous publications of theoretical nature. The gap between the applicative papers and 25 Geiger S., Guenzi P., The sales function in the twenty-first century: where are we and where do we go from here?, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43 Issue 7/8, pp.873 – 889 26 Collins, R.H., Mauritson, R.J., Microcomputer Applications: Artificial Intelligence in Sales Forecasting Applications, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Vol 7 No 1,1987, pp. 77-80 179 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. difficult to be perceived academic considerations seems to be filled by entities offering software to support sales unit functioning. According R.Y.Darmon27, or D.Stojanovic28, they are the ones who provide direct tools to forecast demand or optimize processes, rather than the researchers. Academic publications, however, provide vastly extensive studies on other topics, although still related to sales. The research is characterized with strong focus on evaluation of results, sales process and techniques, buyers‘ behaviors and motivating or motivation of sales personnel. The research in this field is fairly advanced here. The areas, called traditional, are characterized with relatively good reflection of the market needs. The information flow between the world of science and business in this scope is evaluated positively. Nevertheless, basing on the conclusions of S.Geiger and P.Guenzi29, referred to above, the organization needs in the scope of sales analysis significantly shift towards budgeting, forecasting and mathematical – statistical support of the recruitment processes. Simultaneously one may acknowledge that the traditional areas have been examined at present in so much that the managers have found them sufficiently recognized and simultaneously reduced their relative importance for the organization functioning. Conclusions The practitioners dealing with sales indicate two areas in particular, where they need the assistance of the world of science, namely forecasting and budgeting. However, vast insufficiency of knowledge in this scope, particularly academic, is emphasized here. The academics‘ interest does not seem to tend in such directions, which is proven by the number of publications, which was examined by B.C.Williams and C.R.Plouffe30. One may guess that the reason for such situation is the lack of extensive knowledge on quantitative, statistical research and finance. This may be the reason for the fact that they much more willingly choose areas in which they feel more comfortably. However, these aspects are so important for the practitioners that the years to come should induce the researchers to take the challenge and concentrate on the topics31,32. 27 Darmon R.Y., Predicting the Long-Run Profit Impact of a Contemplated Sales Force Compensation Plan, The Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 48, No. 12, Dec., 1997, pp. 1215-1218 28 Stojanovic D., Modeling Sales, The Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 45, No. 9, Sept., 1994, pp. 1060-1067 29 Geiger S., Guenzi P., The sales function in the twenty-first century: where are we and where do we go from here?, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43 Issue 7/8, pp.873 – 889 30 Williams B.C., Plouffe C.R., Assesing the evolution of sales knowledge; a 20 year content analysis, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol.36, pp.408-419 31 Ramaseshan B., Marketing Budgeting Practices of Retailers, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 2 Issue 1, 1990, pp.40 – 45 32 West D.C., Managing Sales Forecasting, Management Research News, Vol. 20 Issue 4, 1997, pp.1 - 10 180 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Areas may be indicated where development is significant thanks to academics. It is reflected in the number of publications. However, the extent of usability of the achievements is, according to the authors, unsatisfactory33. As an example, we may refer to research carried out on the recruitment process where business practitioners indicate significant difficulties with the implementation of the solutions suggested by the academics. This, in turn, indicates by far more complex issue of insufficient communication in the scope of research on sales, between the world of science and business. In case of research on training sales personnel, sales organization, management of actions in time and territorial sales management, although both sides perceive the topics as important, in the world of practice an opinion starts to dominate that these topics have been described sufficiently. The evaluation of the publications is high here, in terms of their usability and provision of wellbuilt, useful tools to improve sales functioning. The same authors (Williams and Plouffe), indicate as the directions of desired research longterm trends that might suggest an optimum way and selection of future topics.34 The external factors and their influence on the functioning of sales units may represent an important element of market game in the near future and, simultaneously, become the object of potentially interesting studies on the multi-factor formation of the organizational reality. T.N.Ingram35 indicates the responsibility, cooperation and complexity of processes as the potential trends in the development of sales research. In his opinion, the complexity of business processes in sales has an immense potential and the analysis of correlations between them shall enable coming to interesting, perhaps innovative conclusions. Moreover, he emphasizes the need for research on sales ethics, responsibility and sales relationships, not only with the customer, but also with the market. Relationship management, according to this author, shall be the key to achieve competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the key element here seems to be the development of a good cooperation model in designing research between the business and academic circles. This research represents reference study and cab be the foundation for further, this time explorative research on the indicated topics related to sales performance in the organization. Thus, both quantitative and qualitative research is recommended as the next step. Its purpose would not only be the indication of the present situation in the scope of detailed divergences between the perception of sales by science and business, but also, perhaps first of all, the development of such solutions that would be applied as useful in the sales practices. 33 Williams B.C., Plouffe C.R, op. cit. Williams B.C., Plouffe C.R, op. cit. 35 Ingram, T.N. , Future themes in sales and sales management: complexity, collaboration, and accountability, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Vol. 12 No. 4, 2004, pp. 18-28. 34 181 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. References 1. Bieniok H., Rokita J. (1984). Struktura organizacyjna przedsiębiorstwa, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa. 2. Chally Report (2007), Chally World Class Sales Excellence Research Report, HR Chally Group, Dayton, OH.; www.chally.com/benchmark 3. Collins, R.H., Mauritson, R.J. (1987). Microcomputer Applications: Artificial Intelligence in Sales Forecasting Applications, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 7(1): 77-80. 4. Darmon R.Y. (1997) Predicting the Long-Run Profit Impact of a Contemplated Sales Force Compensation Plan, The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 48(12): 1215-1218 5. Geiger S., Guenzi P. The sales function in the twenty-first century: where are we and where do we go from here? European Journal of Marketing, 43(7/8): 873 – 889. 6. Ghazaleh M.A., Haghighi M. (2009). The effect of selling strategies on sales performance, Business Strategy Series, 10(5): 266–282. 7. Hamel G. (2012). What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition and Unstoppable Innovation. Jossey-Bass. 8. Ingram, T.N. (2004). Future themes in sales and sales management: complexity, collaboration, and accountability, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 12(4): 18-28. 9. Kotler Ph, Marketing, Rebis, Warszawa 2009. 10. Kramer T. (1995). Podstawy marketingu. Państwowe Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne, Warszawa. 11. Naisbitt J. (1988). Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives, Grand Central Publishing. 12. Toffler A., Future Schock, Bantam, 1984. 13. Pindelski M. (2012). Etyka, CSR i CSV w orientacjach strategicznych, Przegląd Organizacji, 2: 6-10. 14. Plouffe, C.R., Williams, B.C., Wachner, T. (2008). Navigating difficult waters: publishing trends and scholarship in sales research, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 28. 15. Przybyłowski K., Hartley S.W., Kerin R.A., Rudelius W. (1998). Marketing, Issue I, ABC. 16. Ramaseshan B. (1990). Marketing Budgeting Practices of Retailers, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 2(1): 40 – 45. 17. Ritzer G, Jurgenson N. (2010). Production, Consumption, Prosumption. Journal of Consumer Culture, 10(1): 13-36. 18. Rokita J. (2005). Zarządzanie strategiczne. Tworzenie i utrzymywanie przewagi konkurencyjnej. PWE, Warszawa Sheppard E., Trade, globalization and uneven development: Entanglements of geographical political economy. Progress in Human Geography, 36(1): 44-71. 19. Sheth, J. and Sharma, A. (2008). The impact of the product to service shift in industrial markets and the evolution of the sales organization, Industrial Marketing Management, 37: 260-269. 20. Stewart, T.A. (2006). The Top Line, Harvard Business Review, 84(7/8). 21. Stojanovic D. (1994). Modeling Sales, The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 45(9): 1060-1067 22. West D.C. (1997). Managing Sales Forecasting, Management Research News, 20(4):1 – 10. 23. Williams B.C. (1995). Plouffe C.R. Assesing the evolution of sales knowledge; a 20 year content analysis, Industrial Marketing Management, 36: 408-419 . 24. Wood G. (1995). Ethics at the sales-purchasing interface: A case of double standards? Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, 1(3): pp.21 – 38. 182 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. IMPACT EVALUATION NEEDS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR WATER SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE Jurijs Spiridonovs University of Latvia Raiņa bulvāris 19, LV-1586 Riga, Latvia E-mail: ilmio@yandex.ru Abstract. Being defined as an EU wide investment priority the sector of environmental infrastructure and particularly water sector frequently faces the issue of efficiency. This issue largely arises from the lack of theoretical and practical concepts on how the evaluation techniques could achieve rigorous estimations of the investment impact on the state of environment or other processes. Present paper discusses different aspects of policy‘s impact evaluation with particular accent on possibility to apply counterfactual impact evaluation for environmental infrastructure (in this paper particularly in water & wastewater management: construction of iron removal plants, waste water treatment plants, networks). The research method is comparative and logical analysis of the theoretical concepts, methods and conclusions, published in scientific literature including policy analysis. Keywords: Cohesion fund, EU policies, public infrastructure, impact evaluation Introduction Present planning period of Cohesion policy with total financial resources of €347 billion for the 2007-2013 follows previous programming periods, which are described as successful in making difference to standards of living across European Union (European Commission, 2007), not very effective (de la Fuente, 2003) and failed to deliver a satisfactory growth performance (Sapir et al., 2004). Some researchers note that no evidence is found that the policies adopted are the most appropriate (Boldrin, Canova, 2001) and the Cohesion Funds should be terminated with the end of the previous spending cycle (2006) (Boldrin, Canova, 2003). Most countries have pursued economic development without taking environmental issues into account. They are now facing the consequences: water and air pollution, pesticides in the food supply, ultraviolet rays penetrating the thinning ozone layer, increased global temperatures caused by greenhouse gases, and so on. The only positive aspect of these problems is that they provide a lesson in terms of mistakes made that should be avoided in the future (IBRD 2000). 183 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Since the raising awareness on environmental topics and the fact that most of the European states (particularly in EU) as one of the funding priorities mark environmental issues as part of sustainable development strategy, one of the specific issues considered is the impact of the Cohesion policy on environment protection efforts. Importance of Infrastructure for Economic Development Economic theory distinguishes the concept of growth from the broader idea of development. The rapid growth of the 1950s and 1960s motivated an increased concern for broader development goals. Over the following decades, as stagnation set in, the emphasis shifted to economic growth. In much of the developing world, the environmental quality is far worse than indicators portray (Thomas et al 2000). As noted by OECD, infrastructures are at the very heart of economic and social development (OECD 2006). They provide the foundations for virtually all modern-day economic activity, constitute a major economic sector in their own right, and contribute importantly to raising living standards and the quality of life. However, infrastructures also have less desirable consequences. To name but a few – more roads may mean more traffic and more noise, power plants may add considerably to greenhouse gas emissions, and dams may entail the destruction of large areas of countryside and the displacement of population. In the same research by OECD it is mentioned that in comparison with the economic benefits generated by infrastructure, the value of infrastructure as a contributor to higher living standards and quality of life has received much less attention. By way of illustration, it is clear that the coverage of 98% of the population in developed countries with sanitation services produces health and welfare outcomes greatly superior to developing regions with an average of only 49% coverage. More concretely, since in some cases health and welfare outcomes can in fact be approximated, it is estimated for the developing regions of the world that the benefits of halving the proportion of people without access to improved water sources by 2015 would be 9 times the costs incurred (OECD 2006). Infrastructure—defined here to include the sectors of transport, water and sanitation, power, telecommunications, and irrigation—represents a large portfolio of expenditure in all countries, ranging from a third to one-half of public investment (equivalent to roughly three to six percent of GDP), according to World bank (IBRD 1993). Since the mid-1980s, there has been evidence of increasing concern and debate about the performance of infrastructure—among economic policymakers, politicians, and the public in both developed and developing countries—and a resurgence of research on the impact of infrastructure on economic development. The consumption of 184 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. infrastructure services by households contributes to economic welfare because many of these services, notably clean water and sanitation, are essential for health and create environmental amenities; others (e.g., recreational transport, residential telecommunications) are valued items of consumption in their own right. These services also provide access to jobs, education, and opportunities for consumption of other goods. Thus, reductions in the cost and improvements in infrastructure services to households can have the beneficial effects of increasing their real income and consumption, raising the productivity of their labor, and freeing time of individuals for higher−value activities—analogously to the benefits realized by firms (IBRD 1993). It is important to remember that simply increasing public spending on infrastructure can be highly inefficient. Therefore, in low-income countries with weak institutions but pressing infrastructure needs, improving the quality of monitoring and bureaucratic oversight is of paramount importance to ensure that public investment spending is not wasted (Shankha Chakraborty, S. and Dabla-Norris, E., 2009). Water Sector: Problems, Revenues and Development Trends In the past 20 years, a number of governments have sought to involve the private sector in the development and management of their water systems. Based on the latest estimates (OECD 2009), halving the proportion of people without access to drinking water and sanitation by 2015 would entail investments of some USD 72 billion per year. Both additional funding and more efficient use of available resources are necessary. As OECD mentions in the research paper Intergovernmental Transfers for Environmental Infrastructure: Lessons from Armenia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine (OECD 2006) worldwide estimates of revenues in the water sector range from USD 350-650 billion. Most traditional estimates of the scope of the water sector have focused on urban water services because of better availability of data and challenges in defining boundaries to water services. Water services are provided through a variety of approaches, though most involve centralised systems with large supply, distribution and treatment facilities – what has been described as the ―hard path‖ (Wolff and Gleick, 2002; and Gleick, 2003). Increasingly, however, there is a realisation that the hard path alone may not provide for a range of unmet and new needs, and that combining centralised infrastructure with new approaches for water supply, demand management and community engagement may be more successful, and are often less costly. Affordability is also a current issue. In many cities, user charges do not even cover the cost of operating the remaining, partly functioning infrastructure. Among the countries and regions studied (OECD 2003), only Moldova and Novgorod, on average, charge users almost full operating costs, but collected user charges nowhere cover more than half the costs of both operating and 185 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. maintaining existing assets. Developing water infrastructure is essential in many developing countries to generate wealth, mitigate risk, and alleviate poverty (IBRD 2004). This development must be done with more attention to the environment and more equitable sharing of benefits and costs. Key priorities include increasing the productivity of water and infrastructure; developing a realistic, sequenced approach to cost recovery; scaling up the remarkably successful water user associations; and reforming the formal irrigation institutions, including the participation of the private sector. Notes on Counterfactual Impact Evaluation According to White: ‗impact‘ typically refers to the final level of the causal chain (or log frame), with impact differing from outcomes as the former refers to long-term effects. To make more universal formulation White also notes that impact is defined as the difference in the indicator of interest (Y) with the intervention (Y1) and without the intervention (Y0). That is, impact = Y1 Y0 (White 2010). Y0 is a hypothetical value (counterfactual) since it is not possible to know what would have happened in case of reallocations of funds to different beneficiaries or to other field of interventions. Saunders mentions that there are some daunting methodological problems in identifying robust causal links between interventions, programs and policies and desired outcomes. Hence the problem of attribution, i.e. the difficulty in identifying the extent to which a particular intervention has created a specific outcome (Saunders 2011). Counterfactual impact evaluation is a method when we compare actual (observable) outcome Y1 with unobservable Y0, the result shown by the projects, regions or countries, which not are covered by the policy but are comparable (similar) with the units covered by the policy (treated units). Such comparison can be done using numerous approaches (experiments, establishing the control group, surveys, etc.). Di Tillio reminds that many philosophers and logicians have studied the logic of counterfactuals, distinguished among types of counterfactuals, and considered their semantics (Di Tillio 2011). Van den Berg also notes that conceptually, undertaking impact assessments raises major difficulties (Van Den Berg 2005), supplemented by White‘s opinion that an impact evaluation is a study which tackles the issue of attribution by identifying the counterfactual value of Y (Y0) in a rigorous manner (White 2010). Van Den Berg concludes that although the importance of impact assessment is recognized by many in the development aid community, there is also a concern that it is either too difficult or too expensive to carry out substantial work on impact assessment (Van Den Berg 2005). 186 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Particularly the attribution problem makes it difficult for evaluators to proceed with counterfactual impact evaluation in the field of infrastructure. Accountability information for environmental projects includes length of pipelines, number of waste water treatment plants built, number of agglomerations treated, and number of protected areas included in the project. This information does not allow us to suggest improvements for the policy since there is no linkage between single indicators (e. g. length) and the goal of the environmental policy. Same problem will be current for road projects, projects related to energy efficiency issues (e.g. buildings), etc. The Impact Assessment Board (IAB, 2009) estimates that some 60–80 percent of impact assessment studies currently provided to the European Commission supply the kind of information that does not inform policy makers as to whether their global objectives can be met (Radej 2011) and this is possibility for counterfactual impact evaluation to step in the field of infrastructure by finding the appropriate solutions of above mentioned issues. Possibilities for Evaluation of the Investments in EU Water Sector We should not only evaluate but to perform it in the most rigorous way, more accountable. Schweigert mentions that as a basic (Rubin‘s) concept, accountability can be quite simply defined as ―the ability of one actor to demand an explanation or justification of another actor for its actions and to reward or punish that second actor on the basis of its performance or its explanation‖ (Schweigert 2006). According to EC Working Document No 4: Guidance on the Methodology for carrying out Cost-Benefit Analysis: ―the Polluter Pays Principle is one of the principles of Community environmental policy (Art. 174 EC Treaty) and applies throughout the European territory. According to the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) of the European Parliament and of the Council, ―Member States shall take account of the principle of recovery of the costs of water services, including environmental and resource costs, in accordance in particular with the polluter pays principle‖ (European Commission 2006). There is price for such regulation: tariffs after investing should be raised (at least theoretically). Therefore I consider that after the completion of the projects the payment for more qualitative services should increase: in absolute terms and as percentage of household expenditures (if the same amount of services is supplied and demanded). Moreover we can measure future investments of the treated and not-treated units following the investment phase (since the goal of improving the quality of the environment for European citizens is a long lasting one). This is the way to establish the causality between the policy and the results achieved. Undoubtedly to estimate 187 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. the performance of the policy the estimates of desired outcome should be part of the policy. Such concept may be applied both to EU or nationally funded projects and actions in water sector. Conclusions Infrastructures play significant role in economic development although we are lacking researches on actual economic performance of those. Water sector is one of most significant and also heavily funded sectors in many developing countries but the efficiency of governmental policies is commonly doubtful since no rigorous estimates of the impacts (results) can be usually demonstrated. Impact evaluation and particularly counterfactual impact evaluation may be alternative solution to length-number accounting and reporting system, analyzing the actual results of the policy and those actions which may be undertaken by community itself without connection to public investment program. Although the attribution issue will have to be solved, it may be solvable task by collecting other essential information on the performance of the sector, which would not include physical objects built but changes occurred in consumers‘ behavior (amount of services supplied, quality of services, etc). References 1. Boldrin M., Canova F. (2003). Regional Policies and E.U. Enlargement. European Integration, Regional Policy, and Growth. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.: 33-93. 2. Boldrin M., Canova. (2001). Inequality and Convergence: Reconsidering European Regional Policies. Economic Policy, 16(32): 207-253. 3. De la Fuente A. (2003). Does the Cohesion policy work? Some general considerations and evidence from Spain. European integration, regional policy and growth. World Bank. Ed.by B.Funck and L.Pizzati. Washington D.C.:153-165, 4. Di Tillio A., Gilboa I., Samuelson L. (2011). The predictive role of counterfactuals. Theory and Decision, 17 June: 1-16. 5. European Commission. (2006). Working Document No 4: Guidance on the Methodology for carrying out Cost-Benefit Analysis. Available from Internet: < http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/working/sf2000_en.htm>. Accessed on March 1, 2012. 6. European Commission. (2007). Growing regions, growing Europe. Fourth report on economic and social cohesion. Luxembourg: 222. 7. European Commission. Pricing and long-term management of water. Available from Internet :< http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/environment/water_protection_management/l28112_en. htm>. Accessed on March 1, 2012. 8. José I. dos R. Furtado, Belt, T. (2000). The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The World Bank. Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability: Policies and Principles for a Durable Equilibrium: 122. 9. Kessides, C. (1993). The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The World Bank. The Contributions of Infrastructure to Economic Development: 52. 188 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 10. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2003). Danish Corporation for Environment in Eastern Europe (DANCEE). Ministry of the Environment. Financing Strategies for Water and Environmental Infrastructure. OECD Publishing: 116. DOI:10.1787/9789264102774-en. 11. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2006). Environmental Finance. Intergovernmental Transfers for Environmental Infrastructure: Lessons from Armenia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. OECD publishing. Paris, France: 108. 12. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2006). Infrastructure to 2030: Telecom, Land transport, Water and Electricity organization. OECD publishing. Paris, France: 360. 13. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2009). Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure: OECD Checklist for Public Action. OECD publishing. Paris, France: 135. 14. Radej B. (2011). Synthesis in policy impact assessment. Evaluation, 17: 133. doi: 10.1177/1356389011403450. 15. Sapir A. et al. (2004). An Agenda for a Growing Europe - The ‗Sapir Report‘, Oxford University Press: 234. 16. Saunders M. (2011). Capturing effects of interventions, policies and programmes in the European context: A social practice perspective. Evaluation 17: 89. Accessed on June 28, 2011. doi: 10.1177/1356389010394480. 17. Schweigert F.J. (2006). The Meaning of Effectiveness in Assessing Community Initiatives. American Journal of Evaluation, 27: 416. Accessed on March 2, 2011. doi: 10.1177/1098214006294304. 18. Shankha Chakraborty, S. and Dabla-Norris, E. (2006). Authorized for distribution by Bredenkamp, H.; 2009. Strategy, Policy, and Review Department. The Quality of Public Investment. International Monetary Fund Institute: 23. 19. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. (2004). The World Bank. Responsible Growth for the new Millennium: Integrating Society, Ecology, and the Economy: 177. 20. Thomas, V., Dailami, M., Dhareshwar, A., Kaufmann, D., Kishor, N., López, R. (2000). The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The World Bank. The quality of growth: 262. 21. Van Den Berg Rob D. (2005). Results Evaluation and Impact Assessment in Development Cooperation. Evaluation, 11: 27. 22. White H. (2010). A Contribution to Current Debates in Impact Evaluation. Evaluation, 16: 153. Accessed on March 2, 2012. doi: 10.1177/1356389010361562. 189 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Deniss Šĉeulovs¹, Elina Gaile-Sarkane² Riga Technical University Meţa str. 1/7 – 408, Rīga, Latvia E-mail: ¹deniss.sceulovs@rtu.lv; ²elina.gaile-sarkane@rtu.lv Abstract. Fast development of equipment and technologies, economic globalization and many other external circumstances stimulate the changes in consumer behavior. Usually consumer behavior has drawn upon theories developed in related fields of study of human behavior such as psychology, sociology, economics, behavioral economics, and anthropology, to develop a theoretical framework for the analysis of the behavior of consumers. It is very convenient and up-to-date to use information and telecommunication technologies for communication among individuals what improves the information flow within an organization and outside. At the same time there are a lot of challenges for all involved parts – industry and society. These challenges are principally related to adoption of the technologies in the country what directly impacts the consumer behavior. In the paper customer behavior in electronic environment have been analyzed, peculiarities of behavior caused by information and telecommunication technologies were funded out. The research conducted by the authors showed that information technologies create dynamic behavior what involves different from traditional market interactions and exchanges. Keywords: consumer behavior, electronic environment, adoption of technologies, information and telecommunication technologies. Introduction A society of the future is the society of knowledge, in which the capability of knowledge concentration and transformation in innovative and applicative solutions are important and respective values. Knowledge has become as a central resource of new society where knowledge workers are key elements of its work force. The basic strategy of achieving the knowledge society was set with the so called Lisbon goals (European Commission 2000). The key indicator for knowledge based society in EU is the Information Society. The objective is to broaden the access to the Internet and to produce content what adds value to European cultural and scientific heritage. Customer behavior involves the thoughts and feelings experience and the actions they perform in consumption processes. It also includes all the things in the environment that influence 190 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. these thoughts feelings and actions. These include comments from other customers, advertisements, price information, packaging, product appearance and many others. It is important to recognize from this definition that consumer behavior is dynamic, involves interactions, and involves exchanges. Consumer behavior is dynamic because the thinking, feeling and actions of individual consumers, targeted consumer groups and society at large are constantly changing. A vast number of individual differences can influence consumer behavior. Some of the most important include personality, lifestyles and psychographics, and motivation. Personality reflects a person‘s consistent response to his or her environment. It has been linked to differences in susceptibility to persuasion and social influence and thereby to purchase behavior. At the same time electronic environment is different and organizations cannot apply the same standards to the internet purchasing. Since last century information technologies came into our everyday life and changed our everyday activities (Battelee, 2005). Information technologies are adopted by the vast number of consumers in Latvia as well as in the Baltic States and all around the world. Information technologies have changed consumer behavior (Figge, Hahn, 2004). Adoption of information technologies is rather slow process but once it had happened, consumers are involved in the technology usage for very long time. According to statistical information access to the internet doubled every year since 2004 (it was 14.7% of all households) and in beginning of 2011 reached 63.6% of households in Latvia. 73,4 % of Latvians have ever used the internet in begging of 2011, 66.2% uses the internet regularly. 95.4% of enterprises with number of employees more than 10 use computers, 92.2% of them use Internet. Approximately 53.4% of all companies have webs or online data bases (Statistical Bureau of Republic of Latvia, 2011) Objective of the paper: to analyze customer behavior in electronic environment and find out peculiarities of behavior caused by adoption of information and telecommunication technologies. Research methodology: The authors employ well-established quantitative and qualitative methods of research: grouping, analysis, statistic method, etc The theoretical and methodological background of the research is formed by, scientific researches and publications, publications from mass media and professional literature; statistical information from legal institutions as well as information collected by the authors during the survey. Theoretical Framework on New Technology Adaptation Computers and electronic communication networks play an increasing part in handling and processing of information since equipment is more precise and cheaper than work of people, 191 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. besides they provide the fastest storage and exchange of information (Gupta, et. al., 2004). The flow of information is the key to success in the computer age and information society (Sung, 2006) Successful employment of information raises the effectiveness and profitability of an organization (Hsia et. al., 2008) There is a lot f researches done by international experts and scientists on topic how and why people adopt a new technology. The researches are devoted to two important levels – organizations and individuals. Among most important models the authors would like to emphasize Technology Acceptance Model, Motivation Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Innovation Diffusion Theory etc. Davis Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) predicts information technology acceptance and usage. In this model the user‘s behavioral intention to use a technology is affected by their perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the technology. This model was originally developed for studying technology at work. Later it has been used as such or modified to study user acceptance of consumer services such as Internet services or ecommerce (Kaasinen, 2005). The Technology Acceptance Model constitutes a solid framework for identifying issues that may affect user acceptance of technical solutions. As Davis and Venkatesh (2004) have proved, the model can be enhanced from the original purpose of studying user acceptance of existing products to study planned product concepts, e.g. in the form of mock-ups. This indicates that Technology Acceptance Model (see Figure1) could also be used in connection with technology development projects and processes to assess the usefulness of proposed solutions. Applied in this way, the model also supports the human-centered design approach. Trust Preceived ease of adoption Intention to use Taking into use Preceived value Usage behaviour Preceived ease of use Figure 1. Technology Acceptance Model for Mobile Services (Kaasinen, 2005) Ajzen published theory about the Motivation Model (Ajzen, 1991) in which he describes that general motivation theory, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, is an explanation for behavior. Theory of Planned Behavior is built according to Theory of Reasoned Action by adding the construct of perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1991). 192 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Innovation Diffusion Theory a widely supported model used in a variety of fields identifies five factors that impact technology adoption (Moore, Benbasat, 1991): compatibility, complexity, observability, relative advantage, trialability. According to these factors seven constructs for individual acceptance of technology were developed: compatibility, ease of use, image, relative advantage, results demonstrability, visibility, and voluntariness of use. There are a lot of theories what describes different factors what influences consumer behavior and adoption of information technologies. For example, as most important determinants are following (Vanketesh, Moore, 2003): - the degree to which an individual believes that using the system will help him or her to attain gains in job performance or performance expectancy; - the degree of ease associated with the use of the system or effort expectancy; - the degree to which an individual perceives that important others believe he or she should use the new system or social influence; - the degree to which an individual believes that an organizational and technical infrastructure exists to support use of the system or conditions. According to this theory the authors would like to analyze the impact of information technologies on consumer behavior, especially on adoption of new technologies. There is also possible to put down the recommendations for organizations how to develop and promote for example, new web or portal. In case if a new technology is a new communication channel with customers, web, portal or e-business model it is possible to work our guidelines for development and customer adoption. Organizations employ information and telecommunication technologies for internal and external communication, for exchange of information and raising their competitiveness by creation webs, portals, forums for discussion, e-shops etc. (Phillips, 2008). According to the authors‘ point of view, main benefits from using information technologies in the business are: - Cost reduction. By minimizing all types of costs for communication, information exchange, distribution etc., - Increased competitiveness. The organization becomes modern and more competitive, - Information exchange progress (easy and fast exchange with information), - Convinces, including all around the clock activities, - Up-to date information, - Additional services etc. At the same time there are a lot of challenges – related to adoption of novelties by customers. From process control standpoint the challenges are: 193 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. - Change of process. Electronic environment initiate changes what will affect the roles of all involved parts, rules, procedures, communication, - Return on investments. Not always it is clearly defined - what is return on investment and how it will impact financial situation of an organization (for example social portals), - Reliability of infrastructure. Data are integrated on a data network, high reliability and data protection is strictly demanded for both – organization and customer, - State regulations. Law and public policy can determine data services. For example copyrights, data accessibility etc. Existing models of new technology adoption very well describe all aspects of consumer behavior and points out specific features to what companies should pay attention on. New technology adoption models could be applied to web technologies and e-commerce. Thereby, by knowing both – adoption models and particularities of consumer behavior their can be used for: - Development of technology development and adoption plan; - Analysis and control of technology adoption process; - Escaping of mistakes; - Modeling of consumer behavior; - For development of methodologies and methods, etc.; - Human information behaviour. When organizations is going create web or communication channel with their customers, they should take into account that human behavior in searching for information varies in different ways according to characteristics, experience, knowledge and motivation of individuals what is under impact of various external factors (Ebner, Baumgartner, 2011). By knowing it the organization can develop strategy of system implementation and work according to the methodology. One of key points in information system adoption process is human information behavior. Human information behavior is how individuals approach and handle information. This includes searching for it, using it, modifying it, sharing it, hoarding it, and even ignoring it. Consequently, when we manage information behavior, we're attempting to improve the overall effectiveness of an organization's information environment through concerted action. (Devenport, 1997). Nowadays it is important because customers are searching for information, comparing prices and trying to find best offer for themselves. And, according to statistical information, main activities in the internet are oriented on information exchange and information search. On 1999 T. Wilson has developed information behavior model (see Figure 2). The model suggests that information-seeking behavior arises as a consequence of a need perceived by an information user, who, in order to satisfy that need, makes demands upon formal or informal 194 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. information sources or services, which result in success or failure to find relevant information. If successful, the individual then makes use of the information found and may either fully or partially satisfy the perceived need - or, indeed, fail to satisfy the need and have to reiterate the search process. The model also shows that part of the information-seeking behavior may involve other people through information exchange and that information perceived as useful may be passed to other people, as well as being used (or instead of being used) by the person himself or herself (Wilson, 1999). Information user Satisfaction or Non-satisfaction „Need‖ Information use Information – seeking behaviour Demands on information systems Information exchenge Demands on other information sources Other people Success Failure Information transfer Figure 2. Wilson's information behavior model (Wilson, 1999) At the root of the problem of information-seeking behavior is the concept of information need, which has proved intractable for the reason advanced by Wilson in 1981. According to Wilson need is a subjective experience which occurs only in the mind of the person in need and, consequently, is not directly accessible to an observer. The experience of need can only be discovered by deduction from behavior or through the reports of the person in need (Wilson, 2002). The general concept of need is, of course, a psychological concept, since it refers to a mental state or states and a good deal attention has been given to the idea, its subjective character and the motivation for the expression of need or the physiological drives that result in the expression of need. (Wilson, 2002) 195 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. According to this for the organization what introduces new communication channel with their customers the need of information exchange should be clearly stated. Customers should understand benefits from the web in order to adopt this system. Context of information need Information seeking behaviour Bariers Environment Starting Chaining Browsing Differentiating Monitoring Extracting Verifying Ending Social Role PERSON psichological, affective and cognative stages Role related Personal Environmental Figure 3. A model of information-seeking behavior (Wilson, 2002) In the same paper Wilson proposed a model of the circumstances that give rise to information-seeking behavior (see Figure 3 – simplified model). The main elements of Wilson's model are the situation within which a need for information arises (the PERSON performing a ROLE in an ENVIRONMENT), the barriers that may exist to either engaging in informationseeking behavior or in completing a search for information successfully, and information-seeking behavior itself. Figure 3 has been simplified and amended to show how Ellis (1989) work on information-seeking fits into the model (Wilson, 2002) The authors recommend joining together both theories – human information behavior and consumer behavior theory (in the electronic environment). A vast number of individual differences can influence consumer behavior. Some of the most important include personality, lifestyles and psychographics, and motivation. Personality reflects a person‘s consistent response to his or her environment. It has been linked to differences in susceptibility to persuasion and social influence and thereby to purchase behavior. At the same time electronic environment is different and organizations cannot apply the same standards to the internet purchasing. According to different theories of consumer behaviour and researches done by the authors up to now factors what have influence on consumer behaviour are: social, personal, economic, 196 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. situational, cultural, psychological and marketing mix communication. At the same time factors what influence information seeking process is - personal, role related and environmental? The authors presume that according to both theories factors can be divided in three groups: direct, indirect and situational. Direct factors for the customers are environmental, for example access to the resources, current economical situation in the country (inflation, interest rates etc.), marketing mix and communication. As indirect factors the authors would point out cultural and social factors what are mainly role related, besides some of social factors could be applied to both – direct and indirect groups. Under the group „situational factors‖ the authors presume those who depends on the individual – psychological, personal and situational (with situational factors the authors presume environmental factors, impact of the situation, sales personnel etc). The mentioned grouping would be important for development of recommendations for companies who would like to adopt in the market new tools of e-commerce or channels of communication via the internet. Motivation and Consumer Behaviour in E-environment With an aim to analyze differences in consumer behaving motives in real market and electronic environment, the authors organized survey in the age group 18-25. This age group was chosen because according to the statistical data in 2011 98% of inhabitants in the age between 16 and 25 were using the internet (Eurostat, 2011). The period of survey is November-December, 2011. The total number of respondents was 172, both sexes. The questionnaire contained 6 question groups all oriented on range of parameters. The resume of the survey is described below. According to the survey the target group uses the internet tools for: e-mailing (99%); information search (92%); social portals, peer group activities (84%); online banking (68%); skyping (66%); playing games (45%); using music and movie services (96%); e-shopping (43%). According to the results of this research and researches done before by other companies, email is a leading e-commerce tool what is used by 99% of all internet users. These results clearly show interests of this target audience and simultaneously pay attention to e-sopping as upcoming activity. Therefore it is valuable to forecast how e-shopping could develop in the nearest future and what are motives, pros and cons for e-shopping in this target group. This survey prescribes that benefits of the internet usage and e-commerce for the target group are: speed (95%); saves time (92%); rational (help to facilitate many processes) (87%); possibility to find more information at the same time (84%); accessibility (can use everywhere)(76%); all around the clock (65%); easy to use (63%); always updated (actual) information (59%); overall conveniences (56%); possibility easy to compare products and prices 197 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. (54%); punctuality and accurateness (49%); all kinds of goods in one place (45%); special (just online) discounter (e-coupons) offers (48%); possibility to follow the execution of the order (34%); no paper what should be filled (26%); environment friendly (no paper used no sales materials, brochures etc.) (25%); possibility to cancel order (19%). From the results of the survey we can clearly see that values for the target group are speed and time saving, conveniences, updated information, etc. According to the authors point of view the results of the survey confirm that consumer behaviour is changing under the impact of new technologies and especially under the impact of the internet and e-commerce. The values of today‘s customer are speed of actions, independence, conveniences, economy of resources. By joining together aspects of three main theories - adoption of the technologies and, information seeking behaviour and changing consumer behaviour it is possible to create recommendations for a company who would like to perform in the market with new channel of communication in the internet. For success in the electronic environment this company should be motivating for consumers and of course differentiate themselves (see Table No.1). Table 1. Mix of factors what should be taken into account for development of new echannel Constructs for new technology (also web) adoption Compatibility Group of factors what influence information seeking behaviour and consumer behaviour (in impact order) Direct, situational Ease of use Image Relative advantage Results demonstrability Visibility Voluntary participation and use Situational Situational, Indirect Situational, Direct, Indirect, Indirect Situational, Direct Situational, Indirect, Direct Most important factor to what the company should pay attention Starting, browsing, monitoring, extracting etc. Differentiation Differentiation Benefits Monitoring, verifying Monitoring, extracting Starting, chaining By applying the method of synthesis of theoretical developments and practical experience is possible to develop models for development and adoption of new e-commerce tools. All factors what influences the consumer behaviour could be analyzed more profoundly and, by linking them with practical examples could plan of strategic activities could be developed. Conclusions The research contributes to better understanding of the specifics of factors what influences consumer behaviour in electronic environment. There are a lot of potential for further analysis of consumer behaviour. Therefore it is important to develop new methods and techniques for evaluation of consumer behaviour in e-environment. 198 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Research results confirm that it is valuable to merge tighter three different theoretical approaches which have the same background. However, the field of research is very wide and this study presents just an insight into the large scope of different questions, which have to be tackled in the e-consumer behaviour research. References 1. Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. California: Wiley Publishing: 179-211. 2. Battelee, J. (2005). The Search. New York: Penguin Group Inc. 3. Davis, F.D. (1989). Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology, MIS Quarterly, 13 (3): 319-340. 4. Ebner, D., Baumgartner, R.J. (2006). The Relationship between Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility, Retrieved November 15, 2011 from http://www.crrconference.org. 5. European Commission (2000). Retrieved November 15, 2011 from http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch/index.cfm?fuseaction=ri.content&topicID=66&countryCode=L V&parentID=65 6. Eurostat (2011). Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/p age/portal/science_technol ogy_innovation/data/database. 7. Figge, F. Hahn, T. (2004). Sustainable value added – measuring corporate contributions to sustainability beyond eco-efficiency. Ecological Economics 48 (2): 173-187. Retrieved from February 20, 2012. http://www.csiprogress2007.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1. 8. Gupta, A. et. al. (2004). An empirical study of consumer switching from traditional to electronic channels: A purchase-decision process perspective. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 8(3): 131-161. 9. Hsia, T.L., Wu, J.H., Li E.Y. (2008). The e-commerce value matrix and use case model: A goaldriven methodology for eliciting B2C application requirements. Information & Management, 45(5): 321-330. 10. Johnstone D., Tate M. (2011). Bringing human information behaviour into information systems research: an application of systems modelling. Retrieved October 23, 2011 from http://www.informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper191.html. 11. Kaasinen, E. (2005). User acceptance of mobile services-value, ease of use, trust and ease of adoption. Retrieved November 2, 2011 from http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/publications/2005/P566.pdf. 12. Knight J. (2005). Cross-Border Education: Developments and Implications in the Asia and the Pacific Region, UNESCO Forum Occasional Paper, Korea. 13. Moore, G. C., Benbasat, I. (1991). Development of an Instrument to Measure the Perceptions of Adopting Information. Retrieved October 28, 2011 from http://www.informationr.net/ir/94/paper191.html. 14. Phillips, A., Wright, C. (2008). E-Business‘s impact on organizational flexibility.‖ Journal of Business Research. Article in press. 15. Statistical Yearbook of Latvia (2011). Riga: Statistical Bureau of Republic of Latvia, 499-505. 16. Sung, T. (2006). E-commerce critical success factors: East vs. West. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 73(9): 1161-1177. 17. Venkatesh V, Morris M, Davis G, and Davis F. (2003). User Acceptance of Information Technology: Toward a Unified View, MIS Quarterly, 27(3): 425-478. 199 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. 18. Wilson T. D. (2011). A General model of information-seeking behaviour. Retrieved October 02, 2011 from http://www. informationr.net/tdw/publ/infbehav/chap2.html 19. Wilson, T.D. (1999). Models in information behaviour research. Retrieved December 11, 2011 from http://www.informatio n.net/tdw/publ/papers/1999JDoc.html 20. Wilson T.D. (2011). Information behaviour, an interdisciplinary perspective. Retrieved November 18, 2011 from http://www. informationr.net/tdw/publ/infbehav/chap2.html 200 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. THE IMPACT OF ELECTRICITY MARKET REFORM ON INVESTMENTS IN RENEWABLES IN LITHUANIA Dalia Štreimikienė Mykolas Romeris University Faculty of Economics and Finance management Ateities str. 20, LT-80303, Vilnius, Lithuania E-mail: daliastreimikiene@mruni.eu Abstract. The paper focuses on the impact of the electricity market regulation on generating technologies, including renewable in Lithuania. The paper aims to identify how the regulatory and non-regulatory factors have influenced investors‘ choices. A country case study approach has been adopted to analyse and address the following key topics to draw some policy guidelines regarding the main factors that have influenced investors‘ choice of technology mix in both mature markets and those that are in transition in Lithuania. The major findings of the analysis entail: the main driving forces behind the rationale for reform; electricity reform characteristics; and electricity market reform and non-reform related factors that have influenced investor‘s choice for a specific generation technology or a technology mix in Lithuania. Key words: electricity market, liberalization, investment, renewables. Introduction The Lithuanian electricity sector since 1997 has undergone a reform process away from the regulated system towards a market based system (Siugzdaite, Norvaisas, 2001, Junevicius, Narbutiene, 2005; Milciuviene, Trinkute, 2009). There are 3 periods of electricity sector reform in Lithuania: 1997-2002; 2003-2009 and since 2010. The main reasons for electricity reform during these two periods were corporatization and commercialization (Jankauskas, 2006). In third period since 2010 the main objectives of electricity sector reform are based on European Union (EU) Third energy package requirements that aims to create competitive electricity market and to ensure fair competition; to ensure and promote the effective electric energy generation; to ensure the constancy and reliability of electric energy generation, transmission and distribution; to promote the development of internal electricity market and electricity export, modernization of infrastructure of market implementation, energy pricing clarity and transparency; to impose public service obligations which may relate to security of society, environmental protection and generating 201 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. installations using local, renewable and secondary energy; to create favourable conditions for investments in the electricity sector; to promote environment friendly technology (Lithuania Energy Agency, 2002). However it important to assess if the aims of electricity market reform have been achieved and how electricity market liberalization impacts investments in new technologies. The aim of the paper is to identify how the regulatory and non-regulatory factors have influenced investors‘ choices The objectives of the article are as follows: to review stages of electricity market reform in Lithuania; to review regulator arrangements, risk allocation and electricity prices in Lithuania; to assess impact of electricity market opening on investments in electricity sector Electricity Market Reform In the past, the electricity industry has been organized as vertically integrated monopolies that were sometimes also state owned. The growing ideological and political disaffection about vertically integrated monopolies and the liberalization successes in other network industries have led to liberalization initiatives worldwide in the electricity industry. In EU Vertically integrated utilities have been vertically separated or unbundled and barriers to entry in generation and supply are being removed to create competition, seen as a vehicle to increase the competitiveness of the electricity industry (Republic of Lithuania, 2001). Before restructuring of the electric energy sector in 2002, the Special Purpose JSC Lithuanian power operated as a vertically integrated natural monopoly carrying out production, supply, transmission and distribution of the electricity in Lithuania. In 2010 the Lithuanian electricity sector has undergone important changes. Lithuania became a net importer country after closure of Ignalina NPP in the end of 2009. Wholesale and Retail electricity markets were further developed and AB Lietuvos Energija was restructured by separating TSO (LITGRID) and Market Operator (BALTPOOL) activities into separate companies and establishing JSC Energy Supply as independent energy supplier. The start up of Power Exchange from January 1, 2010 by applying the NordPool model. Regulated tariffs are removed for large consumers (consumption totalling 35% of Lithuanian demand). The main background for these changes was The European Union Third energy package entered into force on September 2009. Lithuanian electricity market expansion plan was adopted on July 2009 and Common Baltic Electricity market plan agreed among Baltic States on April 2009 and will be established by 2013 (Republic of Lithuania, 2009). 202 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. As of January 2010 the Lithuanian market is based on the same principles as the Nordic power market (for wholesale trade organization), where price and flow are calculated at the same time to increase market efficiency (implicit auction). The main players at Lithuanian electricty market since 2010: JSC Litgrid and JSC Baltpool. JSC Litgrid, is the electricity transmission system operator. The company performs electricity planning, dispatch control and operational planning. JSC Baltpool organizes wholesale electricity trade in Lithuania (JSC Lithuanian Power Company, 2010a; b). Regulatory Arrangements and Energy Prices In the process of the electricity market liberalization in Lithuania the Government has gradually withdrawn from electricity sector regulation by transferring these functions to independent institution. The price setting principles and the prices themselves, entry to the market (licensing), promotion and supervision of competition, defence of customer rights - these and other functions were passed over to the National Control Commission for Prices and Energy (NCCPE) established in 1997 which were not subordinate to the Government. The responsibilities of NCCPE include tariff setting, licensing, monitoring of supply service quality and dispute resolution (NCCPE, 2010a). The NCCPE regulates the prices by setting price caps. The price caps are set for the threeyear regulatory period. Price caps set by the NCCPE are subject to annual revision in the event of changes in the forecasting data of the sold or transported electricity volume, annual inflation rate, taxes payable by the service provider or other factors beyond the service provider‘s control affecting price cap computation. (NCCPE, 2010 b). The development of electricity prices in Lithuania is provided in Table 1. Table 1. Electricity prices in Lithuania, €/kWh 2003 2004 0,0535 2003 0,0550 2004 0,0513 Electricity prices for household 2005 2006 2007 0,0609 0,0609 0,0658 Electricity prices for industry 2005 2006 2007 0,0498 0,0498 0,0548 2008 0,0729 2009 0,0799 2010 0,0955 2008 0,0829 2009 0,0924 2010 0,0991 From 01 January 2010 Regulated tariffs are removed for large consumers (consumption totalling 35% of Lithuanian demand). From 01 January 2015 Regulated supply tariffs for all consumers shall be abolished except the guaranteed tariffs for the groups designated by EU regulations: (Table 2). 203 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Table 2. Application of regulated tariffs Starting from Application of regulated tariffs 1st of January 2010 Regulated tariffs is going to be abolished for the consumption totaling 35% of Lithuanian demand (consumers with >400 kW capacity) 1st of January 2011 Regulated tariffs is going to be abolished for the consumption totaling 45% of Lithuanian demand (consumers with >100 kW capacity) 1st of January 2012 Regulated tariffs is going to be abolished for the consumption totaling 55% of Lithuanian demand (consumers with>30 kW capacity) 1st of January 2013 Only hausehold consumers shall fall under the regulated supply tariffs scheme 1st of January 2015 Regulated supply tariffs for all consumers shall be abolished except the guaranteed tariffs for the groups designated by EU regulations. Source: European Regulation Group for Electricity and Gas, 2010 Risk Allocation The physical electricity market or spot market is only one aspect of an electricity pool or exchange. In addition to the physical day-ahead markets, the financial markets play an important role in Lithuanian electricity market Contracts are signed between the different market players wishing to protect themselves against fluctuations in the „spot electricity prices― or to allocate their risks to other parties. Only direct participants in the market - such as transmission or distribution systems operators, electricity suppliers, importers, exporters and producers - are allowed to trade. Consumers are not treated as direct participants in the wholesale market and accordingly they cannot buy electricity at the power exchange. To become a direct market participant in order to trade electricity on the Lithuanian power exchange, a company must acquire a supplier‘s, transmission or distribution systems operator‘s, importer‘s, exporter‘s or producer‘s license issued by authorized institutions. In addition, a contract must be made with a balance energy supplier on the sale or acquisition of balance electricity. Trading on the stock exchange is pursued under its regulations determining trade and clearing conditions, responsibility for the breach of rules, market conduct rules, ethical guidelines, payment schedules and trading fees; and under agreements, concluded between the participants and the power exchange operator. The Impact of Electricity Market Opening on Investments Until 2002 there was no investment in generating capacities in electricity sector of Lithuania because Lithuania has inherited from soviet past very huge overcapacities in power sector. Electricity generating capacities exceeded domestic demand more than 3 times. Besides that 204 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Ignalina NPP generated more than 80% of total electricity consumption in Lithuania. The price of electricity produced at Ignalina NPP was significantly lower comparing with other generation sources (CHP or Lithuanian thermal power plant). There were no price incentives to develop renewable as well. The electricity prices were low and stable and significantly exceeded new entrant costs. Up to 2010 the structure of electricity market didn‘t have impact on electricity generation mix in Lithuania. The power exchange started in 2010 allows competition in electricity generation sector however the new investments in electricity generation capacities are mainly based on Feed-in tariffs for electricity produced from renewables as Lithuanian electricity market is small and isolated. The biggest electricity generation source - state owned Lithuanian thermal power plant is being subsided through public service obligation (PSO). The List of Public Service Obligations approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for the purpose of implementation of the provisions of the Law on Electricity. Therefore just Feed-in tariffs attract new investments into renewable generation. As there are no possibilities to develop hydro power plants in Lithuania because of environmental legislations the main investments were into wind power plants. However the investments in wind generation is also limited because of the difficulties with the acquisition of permit to build wind power plant and various environmental requirements imposed by state for building new wind power plants. The type of ownership up to know didn‘t have the direct impact on the choice of electricity generation technology. There were no significant new investments in electricity generation sector until 2002. Since 2002 private generators were investing mostly in renewables. Public power producers were responsible for running Hydro power pumped storage and Lithuanian Thermal Power Plant for the purpose of maintaining system balance and other economic and social benefits related with security of supply. The construction of a 450 MW new combined cycle gas fired plant at state owned Lithuanian Thermal Power plant net is underway and will be completed by the end of 2012. Network/access regulation has impact on investments in electricity generation technologies. The Law on Electricity sets forth that the NCCPE must control that network connection conditions and tariffs. If the transmission and distribution conductivity of networks is limited, the operators must ensure priority for transportation of electricity produced from renewable energy sources. There was no impact of electricity market structure on investments in energy sector because there was no real competition on the electricity market until 2010. There were no new generation capacities built since 1990 except small industrial CHP and renewables, mainly wind because of policy tools: Feed-in tariffs, financial mechanisms, GHG emission trading scheme. Development of generating capacities in Lithuania is presented in Table 3 (JSC Lithuanian Power Company, 2010a). 205 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Table 3. Development of generating capacities in Lithuania Power plant Nuclear Ignalina NPP Thermal Lithuanian PP (n.gas HFO) Vilnius CHP (n.gas, HFO) Kaunas CHP (n.gas, HFO) Mazeikiai CHP (HFO) Other CHP (n. gas) Hydro Kruonis HPPS Kaunas HPP Other small HP Other renewables Other renewable (biomass) Wind PP Total 1990 3000 3000 2656 1800 384 190 210 72 106,1 100 5.3 5861 Installed capacity, MW 2001 2006 3000 1300 3000 1300 2649 2330 1800 1500 384 380 180 180 200 160 85 110 1015,8 1027 900 900 100 100 15 27 69 20 49 6665 4726 2010 2015 2380 1500 370 170 160 180 1030 900 100 30 115 25 90 3525 2460 1500 370 170 160 260 1030 900 100 30 340 40 300 3830 Regulated electricity tariffs have impact on investments in electricity generation sector as the National Regulator (NCCPE) may send respective signals about the need for investments to the market players and apply required measures via pricing. Under the Law on Energy, energy undertakings engaged in activities with regulated prices have to approve planned investments with the NCCPE. To retain diversity of energy sources the use of renewable ones is encouraged by increasing buying costs and by setting support for new energy sources, such as solar energy. Regulatory institution (NCCPE) procedures such as licensing, monitoring and other regulatory arrangements have direct impact on investments in generation technologies. NCCPE was established as an independent institution in 1997 however based on the aforementioned discussion; it appears that the regulator‘s independence does not have a direct influence on the attractiveness of investment climate of the electricity industry as there were no investments in electricity sector up to 2008. Non-reform related factors have the most significant impact on investments in electricity generation. Since 2002 the investments in renewable energy sources were increasing in Lithuania because of policy measures to promote use of renewable. Under the directive 2001/77/EC of European Parliament and Council of 27 of September 2001 on the Promotion of the Electricity produced from Renewable Energy Sources in the International Electricity Market Lithuania has obligated that in 2010 the electricity produced from alternative energy sources will make 7 per cent of the total consumed amount. Up to 2004 in Lithuania the main kinds of renewable energy resources were wood and hydro power. The generation of wind energy and production of biofuel have been rapidly developing since 2004 (Table 4). 206 International Scientific Conference Practice and Research in Private and Public sector – 2012. April 26 – 27, 2012. Table 4. Development of renewable capacities in Lithuania 2000-2010 Total solar capacity, kW Total biogas el. capacity, MW Total wind capacity, MW Small HPP capacity, MW 2000 0.1 2001 0.1 2002 0.2 2003 0.4 2004 2 2005 2.7 2006 9 2007 10 2008 30 2009 50 2010 60 1.25 1.21 1.21 2.14 1.955 2.71 2.71 3.04 4.24 4.5 4.7 0.16 0.16 0.85 1.1 48.1 52.3 54.4 62.8 92 16.5 18.3 19.6 23.5 24.4 24.7 25.0 26 27 13.1 13.4 Source: Enlargement Network for Agripolicy Analysis, 2009 The economic and environmental impact of GHG emission trading in Lithuania was negligible. During the study conducted by Lithuanian State Control (State Control of Republic of Lithuania, 2008) it was detected that it is not established as to which purpose the income of enterprises received for the sold allowances should be used, therefore there was a risk in Lithuania that these funds may be used not for reduction of air pollution, but for other purposes. Based on recommendations of State Control Lithuanian parliament in 2009 has adopted the Law on Climate change management financial instruments where requirement for installations participating in GHG emission trading are set to use some percent of received income from sold allowances for GHG emission reduction measures and implement new energy efficient technologies and switch to renewables. Conclusions The liberalization of electricity market in Lithuania was implemented because of EU requirements since 2001. There was no impact of electricity market on investments in energy sector because there was no real competition on the electricity market until 2010. There were no new generation capacities built since 1990 except small industrial CHP and renewables, mainly wind because of policy tools: Feed-in tariffs, Financial mechanisms, GHG emission trading scheme. The Lithuanian government has very strong policy to promote RES and this policy had impact on increase of renewable capacities. 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