Eurasian Economic Perspectives

The aim of the study is to analyse the phenomenon of corruption in France that remains one of the most modern pathologies associated with the globalization process in the economy. Its development is currently determined by huge growth of international transactions. Corruption affects individuals acting on behalf of any organisation that may make beneficial economic decisions in exchange for obtaining material or personal benefits, or the promise of receiving them for making a particular decision. It is therefore always a violation of the performance of duties falling within the scope of one’s work. One of the most dangerous dimensions of corruption is currently known as great corruption, which relates to economic and political elites. This article will present organisations, whose objective is to combat corruption in France (Central Service for the Prevention of Corruption—SCPC) and the estimated scale of corruption, which is constantly increasing. According to statistical data, there are 150–200 cases of convictions due to corruption recorded each year, but the real figure for this pathology is much higher, indicating clearly insufficient tightness of the law on economic regulations in this area.

At crisis times, Public Welfare States are not more enough in order to support the growth of the social and nonprofit economy. This article addresses pivotal and different roles of the Welfare State of private grant-makers in Italy, when competition is not more useful in order to solve allocation of scarce public and private resources. Thanks to coopetition by means of networks, partnerships with several stakeholders, pooling of resources and project leadership, the Private Welfare State of Italian Foundations of banking origin (IFBOs) will be clustered for 2012s performances. Economic performances concern financial assets, which affect solvency, gains and philanthropy. According to reports coopetition is estimated for intensification from pure grant-making and resource pooling to partnerships. Six profiles are significant. When investments are modest, these foundations are profitable and solvent, though coopetition is not optimized. Increasing investments are combined with increasing philanthropy and coopetition. The article concludes that profiles experience a different intensity of coopetition. Findings constitute practical insight into the issue of philanthropic best practices in crisis times.

The paper looks at education policy in the European Union (EU) in the light of the Europe 2020 strategy. The research concerned in particular the scope of EU education policy, its objectives and methods used to measure whether strategy goals are being achieved. The paper examines the following hypothesis: the level of expenditure on education is essential for achievement of EU policy objectives by the Member States of the European Union. To test this hypothesis, EU education policy objectives are described and the methods used in implementing them are presented. This is followed by an analysis of the level of public spending on education in the selected EU countries along with the degree to which European benchmarks have been achieved by individual countries. Statistical methods are used to analyze the correlation between the data. The study found that the variation in the level of spending on education is reflected in the degree to which the individual EU countries have achieved the benchmarks. In addition, the results of research support the conclusion that the degree to which the objectives have been achieved is also determined by objective factors. These include the structure of the education system, management methods, constitutional frames, and by political factors under state policy (reforms implemented, amendments to legal provisions). In conclusion, the progress individual countries have made in achieving EU education policy objectives has been positive.

The new EU directives of public procurement law, which the implementation period expires in April 2016, for the first time in the history of regulation this area of the EU internal market introduced rules concerning the exercise of public contracts. The legal framework of this regulation also covered the issues modification of public contracts during their execution. The rules defining the scope of the admissibility of such changes represent an attempt to find the right formula between the striving for effective execution of the contract in the situation of the need to adapt to changing conditions and requirements of equal treatment and procedural transparency to entities interested in the execution of contracts a given type. The importance of this issue for the protection of the public procurement market competitiveness and fairness to compete for contract in the procurement procedures was noticed in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for many years. The importance of this issue for the protection of the public procurement market competitiveness and fairness to compete for order in the proceedings for many years noticed in the case law the CJEU. The aim of the article is to illustrate the development and evolution of EU jurisprudence on these issues and to show what effect this process has received in legal regulation of the new law on public procurement directives.

For the current stage of development of the world economy, a high degree of interdependence of macroeconomic indicators across countries is characterized. Business cycles pulse transmission can occur through many channels. They can occur as a result of observed shocks of global factors, such as the world price of oil, food products, and unobservable factors, such as the spread of new technologies. In the report the aim is to reveal the relationship of macroeconomic indicators of Kazakhstan and its main trading partners on the basis of a global vector autoregression model. The model includes 12 countries: Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United States. For its construction quarterly data for 1995–2013 years were used. Shocks of variables such as real GDP, inflation, short-term and long-term nominal interest rates, real exchange rate, Gini index, and responses to them in all countries are considered. Also, world oil price shocks has a strong influence. The constructed model makes it possible to assess the impact of the various shocks that arise in partner countries on macroeconomic performance in a small economy, including socio-economic indicators, such as income inequality. In particular, it became clear that a positive shock in real GDP in each country reduces inequality in the country and in other countries. Positive shocks to Russia Gini Index has also increased income inequality in Kazakhstan.

The aim of the paper is to study public procurement market in the European Union (EU) from the perspective of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). An important component of the analysis is the European Code of Best Practices Facilitating Access by SMEs to Public Procurement Contracts of 2008, providing guidelines and good practices, and ongoing public procurement reform. SMEs are found as significant source of jobs, growth and innovation, thus, their share in public procurement should be higher than the current 45% of aggregate contract value above EU thresholds. Thus, SMEs perform much below their economic weight. Considering the fact, that public expenditures on goods, services and works account for approximately 14% of the EU’s GDP, public procurement may be recognized as the important trigger of economic recovery after the global crisis 2008+. Worth mentioning, public procurement may contribute to realization of the key EU2020 horizontal policies, focused on establishing more green, innovative and socially-inclusive economy. A key objective of newly established legislative measures is to open-up national public procurement markets to companies from the other EU countries, including cross-border procurement. Among important solutions aimed at enhancing higher participation of SMEs in the EU public procurement market there are, among others, fragmentation of contracts, reduction of turnover required to enter tender procedure and simplification of documentary requirements.

Public procurement now forms a significant part of the market in economic terms (component of the free market economy). Its importance is increasing continuously due to value of contracts to be awarded, thus, many companies perceive such contracts as the key method for staying afloat on the market. The above brings about a growing competition in the public procurement market, encouraging pathological behavior fully focused at winning contracts, i.e. corruption. Note that the scope and degree of pathological phenomena in the public procurement system is largely influenced by applicable legislation in this field. Admittedly, regularly introduced legal institutions intended to reduce improper behavior proved to be partly ineffective. Curbing the risk of irregularity in the field of public procurement requires a multi-faceted impact, including efficient checks by the special bodies. The paper offers a review of the existing juridical solutions of EU law in respect of the analyzed subject. Relevant regulations of Polish law will be also discussed in this context.

The judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU (“the CJEU”) in the Al-Aqsa case is yet another ruling where the CJEU examines the measures of EU secondary law providing for the freezing of assets of persons and entities suspected of financing terrorism as to their compatibility with EU primary law, particularly with the EU fundamental rights. The stance taken here by the CJEU constitutes an occasion to re-think some very controversial issues regarding the EU’s fight against financing terrorism, including the following: what is the legal status of UN Security Council resolutions in the EU legal order, and whether and, if so, to what extent the EU courts are authorized to assess the compatibility of these resolutions and/or EU acts implementing them with the EU Treaties, with other sources of EU primary law, or possibly with other points of reference, including some norms or principles of public international law; whether we should accept that the CJEU still lowers the standard of protection of the parties affected by the freezing of assets, especially in comparison with its earlier rulings; and whether the allocation of competences between the EU institutions and Member States in the discussed field is indeed optimal.

The aim of this article is to analyze the impact of pension reforms in Poland on the General Government deficit and debt. This issue is important from the point of view of demographic changes, and the pace of economic development, as well as the current and future state of public finances. These factors are crucial to the security of the pension system and the quality of life of future pensioners. On 19th June 2015, the Ecofin Council decided to retract applying the Excessive Deficit Procedure to Poland. As a result of the Excessive Deficit Procedure being imposed upon it, Poland took steps to reduce its deficit through structural reforms—extending the retirement age to 67 years of age and making the retirement age the same for men and women, and reforming the open pension funds (OFE). However, when assessing the effects of the recent pension reform of 2014, it is worth mentioning the previous reforms. The first pension reform, in place since 1999 has proven to be a serious burden to the state budget due to the high costs of the funded pension scheme (OFE), contributing to an increase in public debt. Therefore, in 2011, the government proposed further changes in the pension system, which turned out to be insufficient to improve the state of public finances. Analyzing the next OFE reform of 2014 it is worth noting that OFE transferred to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) assets with a market value of PLN 153.2 billion. This operation transformed Poland’s visible public debt into the state's future liabilities towards its pensioners (so called hidden debt).

The promotion of cluster structures in Japan has risen in importance in the face of growing global and regional challenges in the field of competitiveness and innovation. Innovation policy-oriented clustering involved central and local government structures, allowing for cooperation with a broad range of public and private organizations and business representatives. The main purpose of this article is to present the cluster policy in Japan and an indication of the role the Ministries of MEXT and METI play in this area. Additionally, this paper will introduce the evolution and prospects of the Japanese clustering policy.

This paper explores complementarities among innovation strategies in transition economies. Specifically, on the basis of data from the fifth round of Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS V), we have investigated the existence of possible complementarities between various types of innovation modes (product, process and non-technological (marketing and/or organizational) innovations) in their impact on the firm’s productivity. The study reveals complementarity between the following two combinations of innovations: product/process and process/non-technological innovations. Further, the results of the study show that only those combinations of innovation modes that assume all the types of innovations and/or the combination of process and non-technological innovations have positive and statistically significant impact on the firm’s productivity. In the paper, we account for the simultaneous occurrence of different types of innovation inputs—in-house knowledge generation and out-house knowledge acquisition activities—and estimate their joint effects on various modes of innovation. The study results suggest that implementation of internal research and development (R&D) strategy can stimulate not only technological innovations but non-technological innovative activity as well. However, we find that external knowledge acquisition strategy has positive and statistically significant effect on innovation output only when the firm’s innovation mix incorporates non-technological novelties.

Housing is a key condition and a factor of human life because it satisfies the wide range of basic human needs. But the housing problem is one of the most pressing problems in the contemporary society. The scale of the problem is large and the forms of its manifestation differ, depending on natural-climatic and socio-economic environment of the country. Methods of the housing problem solving, the forms of central and local authorities’ participation, the extent and mechanisms of financial support depend on certain situation. The main factors are the level of economic development of the country; standard of living, availability and affordability of housing; state of the housing stock; mortgage lending development; terms of residential mortgage loans; state of housing construction sphere; features of the legislation regulating the housing sector. Though some features of contemporary housing problem in CEE countries have common genesis the others are specific and formed in previous period as well as in transition. The objective of the current paper is to compare of the main features characterizing the housing problem and the ways of its solving in CEE countries. Research methodology includes analysis of theoretical and applied scientific publications on financial-economic aspects of the housing problem and analysis of official statistics by comparisons and identifying structural and tempo proportions. The data of Eurostat are used. The study considers the theoretical positions related to the economic and financial aspects of the housing problem, implements the analysis of the current situation and trends of the housing problem in CEE countries. The explanation of some differences is suggested and recommendations for practical application of theoretical positions are made.

As a result of deteriorating demographics and associated fiscal problems, many European countries face reforms that are believed to reduce pension system generosity. However, despite the fact that generosity is a term that is very often used in reference to the social policy outcomes, the current literature does not define it precisely, relying instead on its intuitive meaning. The paper aims at identifying and discussing different approaches to the concept of pension system generosity as seen from the microeconomic and macroeconomic perspective. It also attempts to evaluate and compare the generosity of pension systems in the European countries. The empirical research covers aggregated data for 27 states and employs selected indicators of pension system generosity associated with its identified dimensions. Statistical correlation analysis is also used to compare the convergence of the results of the generosity assessment from different perspectives. Consequently, this paper presents and collates several rankings of the studied countries in terms of the generosity of their pension systems. The main finding of the study is that the concept of pension system generosity is multidimensional and the perspective chosen affects the results of the assessment.

The Republic of Macedonia received EU candidate status in 2005, and although the negotiations for its accession and the EU agenda are widely supported, the country is still struggling to comply with EU socio-economic standards. One of the challenges relates to the level of inclusiveness of the labor market and high unemployment among marginalized segments of the country. The aim of this study is therefore to examine structural disparities confronting the Macedonian labor market. This, specifically as it relates to unemployment as a common source of social exclusion. The study examines unemployment at multiple levels for various periods from 2004 to 2014. Despite several interventions by Government to reduce unemployment and to ensure a more inclusive labor market, findings show that the country is still struggling with high unemployment. Certain segments of the country are much more vulnerable to unemployment. The study observes that youth and citizens with Albanian or Roma origin are much more vulnerable to unemployment and at much higher risk of social isolation. Findings suggest notable regional disparities, but no notable disparity between male and female unemployment rates.

The First World War (WWI), referred to as the Great War, claimed over 16 million lives and involved over 70 countries, affecting the course of history in many parts of the world. This paper presents partial results from a larger study (n = 2490) investigating global opinions about remembrance of WWI today, and focuses on how respondents from Britain (n = 184) differed from those from three of its colonies—Australia (n = 104), New Zealand (n = 34), and Canada (n = 194). Differences between respondents from these countries are presented regarding three variables: (1) how they describe WWI, (2) factors that influence their memories of WWI, and (3) reasons for wanting to keep the memories of WWI alive. Data were collected over a period of 6 months in 2012 through an online survey. Researchers defined and tested six descriptors of WWI, eight factors that influence respondents’ memories of WWI, and seven reasons to for keeping the memories of WWI alive. Data were analyzed using the SPSS package. T-tests and ANOVAs were used to examine the differences between respondents. Results indicate that respondents from the colonies differ from their British counterparts on all three variables. Implications for organizations that promote tourism to WWI heritage sites are also discussed.

The aim of the article is to study the implications of mega-regional trade agreements, namely, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and Free Trade Area of Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) on the multilateral trade system under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The regional trade agreements (RTAs) tend to perceived as manifestation of regionalism, however, both in terms of building or stumbling blocks. The World Economic Forum defined mega-regional trade agreements as deep integration partnerships taking the form of regional trade agreements (RTAs) engaging countries or regions accounting for major share of world trade and foreign direct investment (FDI). The emergence of mega-regionals might potentially threaten the relevance and centrality of WTO, undermining the greater inclusiveness of the multilateral trade system. Thus, evolution of the latter would be a logic consequence of mega-regionalism in trade.

The problem of cultural differences in business is the focus of interest of both practitioners and scholars interested in international relations. According to many studies, helpful in understanding the characteristics of foreign markets may be the typologies of national cultures. One of the most interesting and widely used ones are the Hofstede cultural dimensions. The main purpose of the paper is to compare Poland and India in the light of cultural dimensions and to verify the importance of particular dimensions from the point of view of doing business by Polish companies in India. Furthermore, the purpose of the paper is to draw conclusions for Polish companies interested in taking business activities in Indian market, basing exactly on dimensions. Poland and India differ significantly in many aspects. The crucial differences relay to hierarchy perception, individualistic versus collectivist approach or the degree of uncertainty avoidance. Although both countries exhibit high level of Power Distance, in India there is much more respect for hierarchy. Poles as individualistic culture, may be surprised with the strong group, family in particular, orientation and influence on individual’s decisions. Indians seem to be much more relaxed than Poles, not everything has to go according to the plan or schedule. Patience and long-term relations are important. All these differences are visible in negotiation process, project management and implementation, everyday cooperation and subordinate/superior relations.

Study described and analyzed in these papers is focused on perception of Czech entrepreneurs, executives and managers of companies from different regions, legal form, economical classification of business area or number of employees, regarding accession of Czech Republic to the European Union and its consequences on entrepreneurship area. Investigated areas were total evaluation of accession to the European Union, indebtedness, accessibility and qualification of labor, impact on corruption or in general biggest advantages or disadvantages of European integration. In general, most of the respondents has agreed that accession to the European Union had more positive than negatives. Open European market supported trade, cancellation of boarders and duties, accelerated supply chain and logistics, increase opportunities to enter other markets, reach out foreign capital, most of respondents agreed on positive impact on business results. On the other hand, opened market has supported globalization, caused increase of competitiveness on Czech market, increase pressure at effectiveness resulting in close out of inefficient companies or even industries. Most of respondents did not agree with acceptance of Euro, while those who agreed had been estimated 2020 as ideal year to access Eurozone.

In 2010 Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia formed a Customs Union. This union is known as a new generation of regional organizations in the post-Soviet space. The reasons of formation of such kind of Union are either economical or political. In 2015 all the above mentioned core countries formed Eurasian Economic Union with the inclusion of Armenia and Kyrgyz Republic. Statistical analysis shows that Customs Union had a significant impact on regional trade. Internal trade boosted during 2011–2012 and then tended to decline due to slowdown of Russian economy. Russian economic decline negatively impacted on regional growth and trade. Thus, objective of this paper is to determine the impact of Customs Union on regional trade with application of gravity model. By using data for the period of 2000–2015, we show that impact of Customs Union on regional trade was negative, but insignificant. These results can be explained by the structural problems of the regional economy, unfavorable external conditions, low level of economic diversification and a short period of the Customs Union functioning.

The housing stock, its qualitative and quantitative characteristics, is indicator that ensures sustainable development of the regions. State housing has a direct impact on the national economy; quality of life; conditions for the formation and development of human capital; management of the structural balance and the introduction of innovative processes. Due to this fact the housing stock assessment and management decisions on the basis of it are actual problem. The article presents a historic aspect of housing stock management and analysis of housing stock as object of management. Also, the authors propose to introduce the term “quality of the housing stock”, which evaluate its quality. The proposed algorithm is being tested, and then on the basis of algorithm it makes management decisions to improve the state of housing at the regional level.

The purpose of this article is to present two main pathology of a financial nature: money laundering and forgery, from the perspective of the frequency of their implementation, the general scale indicated phenomena and their level of intensity in selected Western European countries (France, Belgium). The proposed in the article juxtaposition indicated pathology is expedient, because they represent some of the most dangerous economic phenomena affecting the destabilization of economies of state at the macroeconomic. Presented in article analysis is to determine whether the countries that in economic and financial terms have many similarities, are also similar in the scale of pathogenic events. According to data provided by the Traitement du renseignement et action contre les circuits financiers clandestins (TRACFIN) in France the number of suspicious transactions, using money laundering continues to increase. In 1996 estimated value was approx. 9785 while in 2006 this number increased to 13,206 and in 2014 reached the level of 29,508. Meanwhile, for comparison with the data presented by the Cellule de Traitement des Informations Financières [Belgian Financial Intelligence Processing Unit] (CTIF) in Belgium, the number of suspicious transactions in 2010 reminded at the level 17,122 and in 2012 increased slightly to 19,152. Already, therefore, the preliminary findings confirmed that these threats etiology financial maintain upward trend, albeit with varying intensity.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is one of the least understood concepts in international economics. Their main proponents argued that FDI is a long-term and stable cross-border flow of capital that enhances productive capacity of domestic economies and helps them to meet their balance-of-payments shortfalls. Moreover, FDI supports transfers technology and management skills and links domestic economies with the wider global markets. But, in reality, the effects from FDI for the host countries are very ambiguous. There are number of debates among scholars and policy makers regarding its nature and impact on capital accumulation, technological progress, industrialization, growth and development in the host countries. However, in the last two decades, FDI has increasingly been viewed by policy makers in the Western Balkan countries (WBCs) as one of the most important external sources to finance development, increase productivity and import new technologies. This has been accompanied by an increase in competition among the WBCs to attract FDI, resulting in higher investment incentives offered by the host governments. So, for policy makers one of the most important issues is being able to determine which factors are crucial in driving FDI inflows and what the real effects of these policies are. Thus, the main focus of this paper is to address these questions.

The aim of this paper is to present the methodology of creating innovation indices and to define best practices concerning the effective use of factors determining their values. The analysis of creating innovation indices involved specifying factors which determine the position of a particular country in terms of innovativeness. The analysis of the ranking of EU Member States will enable to study and classify problems and obstacles to innovative activity. Once these factors are identified, general recommendations, whose application will contribute to an increase in the number of innovations implemented and the level of enterprise competitiveness, will be presented.

Structural and economic transformation takes place during the course of economic development. Generally, these changes are associated with the shift in economic activities from agricultural sector towards non-agricultural sectors. It is attributed to the fact that there are bleak prospects of employment after a point in the agricultural sector that ultimately shifts the trajectory of development towards industrialization and services sectors. However, in the Indian context, industrial offtake remained slow. Since 1950–1951, the contribution of industrial sector has doubled only to hover around 28% of GDP. Moreover, it has failed to offer large-scale employment to the labor force in the economy. Hence, present study is undertaken to assess the industrial performance and its prospects in future in terms of nature of industries, productivity and capacity utilization since 2000–2001.

The article concentrates on the problem of sustainability at country level in European Union. Special attention is given here to the relations between two pillars of sustainable development concept: social order and economic order. Thus, the aim of the article is to analyze relationship between the social and economic spheres for European Union members states. The concept of sustainability and its pillars are considered as a multiple-criteria and latent phenomenon. As a result they are analyzed with application of structural equation modeling (SEM). The applied methodology includes confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. SEM model was used here as it enables to analyse the interrelations between latent variables, which are the result of influence of many factors. The research is conducted with application of data provided by Central Statistical Office of Poland for the years 2004–2013. The applied model enabled to confirm significant influence of the social order on the economic order.

The key issue of this paper is the analysis of the perspectives of the European Union under the framework of the tendencies of mainstream economics, which leads us towards the creation of mega-capitalism (i.e. the last phase of capitalism where the business of mega corporations is the key driver). In fact, the EU has fallen into the trap of the economic reality of globalization and the application of virtual neoclassical ideology. The process of structural adjustment of the European Union into the global economy has brought to the surface two contradictions which became differentia specifica of a protracted systemic crisis. The first contradiction will be presented from the aspect of the core-periphery model by describing the development strategies and structural differentiations in the European economic area. The second contradiction of the systemic crisis refers to the erosion of ‘the social state and national state’. Discrepancies between the promoted values for economic and social equality and the widening economic gap among the states make this process of erosion very obvious. This creates a dangerous potential for opening a new chapter in European history which will be characterized by intense processes of disintegration and fragmentation, deepening of the connection with the elite agglomerate enclaves of mega-capitalism and reducing the power of the national (social) state. Both processes have a common denominator and are products of the global market capitalism and the functional integration of mega capital. They confront the EU with the challenge to improve the competitiveness of its economy. Thus, the perspectives of the EU regarding its catching up with the global competitiveness will be analyzed from the point of view of this position, and the prospects of the Euro on the global market.

The main goal of the article is to present the contemporary role of innovation in economic growth. The increasing globalization, information revolution and rapid technological progress are considered to be the most important cause of creating a new competitive landscape. According to the newest growth theories improvement of innovation and human capital have a major impact on the development of the country. Main research problem in the paper was innovation catching up. Author presented the level of innovation for group of countries divided in terms of income. Moreover, article highlighted the strongest and weakest factors of innovation for the poorest countries and areas that should be improved in order to increase their competitiveness. Through innovations developing countries are able to make up for the delay to the developed countries. However, developed countries have a significant advantage. This study did not confirm decrease in the innovation gap between developed and developing countries. Positive is the fact, that poorer countries are becoming more efficient in the innovation process. Although, countries with lower income do not have adequate infrastructure and human capital, and thus do not achieve the significant innovative results. Investments in the innovation-friendly environment should be key area for the state activity. Also important are innovation programs supported by government, like improvement in the framework conditions for innovation and implementation of innovation policies targeting innovation players and relationships between them.

One of the possible approaches to assess the level of the sustainable development is to combine the Footprint Indicators, allowing also for the available biocapacity, with the Human Development Indicators. This approach was used to assess the sustainable development path of the European Union (EU) and its countries. The EU countries achieving the higher levels of the human development also show the higher levels of the Ecological Footprint. However, the characteristics of the economies are different, especially those determining the Ecological Footprint and some outliers in the group can be found. The relations between the human development and the available biocapacity are not so straightforward. Allowing for inequality as regards the level of human development, the social dimension of the sustainable development shows significant losses in several developed countries.

One of the main economic problems is to explain what factors make some economies grow faster than others. In the literature there are many theories explaining the economic growth. In practice identification of factors affecting economic growth helps in understanding the determinants of socio-economic development of world leaders and in clarifying developmental delays of other countries. The main goal of the article is to identify main competitive advantages for modern economies. The Japanese economy from many years is the world leader, that’s why this country has been chosen by author for analysis. To achieve research goal main macroeconomic indicators for Japanese economy have been presented, inter alia: GDP, GDP per capita, import and export goods and services also import and export ICT and high-tech goods. In addition the article discusses innovation and human capital indicators as a key factor of economic growth, inter alia: spending on R&D, level of education, demographic aspects and its forecast, labour productivity, unemployment rate, patents. Finally article presents short overview and assessment of government activity.

The increased of foreign direct investment (FDI) worldwide, as a driving forces of globalization, is the main characteristics of a new world economy. Understanding of the contradictory nature of FDI as the main factor for integration and disintegration processes is crucial to define their place in the government policy to attract FDI and assess their importance for the economic development of the country. Therefor the objective of research in the paper is the relationship between foreign capital inflow and FDI-related polices in transition economies, due to the country’s economic development. We analyze the FDI determinants in the Republic of Macedonia according to OLI-Paradigm. The research in the paper is made with the SWOT analysis in context of the FDI policy of the country. The conclusion is that Republic of Macedonia has to ensure their specific location advantages in order to transform FDI in the economic development.

Gender equality as one of the main values of the European Union still has not been totally reached in none of the European Union countries. The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) announced the Gender Equality Index for the year of 2012 for the EU 28 countries, which was only 52.9 out of 100. Persisting inequality between women and men deepens the social economic inequality of the society and serves for the development of such negative trends as persisting pay gap and society polarization, which lead to diminishing middle class and growing gap between the rich and the poor. Due to prevailing stereotypes of gender roles, the group of women is constantly facing bigger social economic challenges caused by, firstly, stereotypical choice of education/profession, secondly, vertical and horizontal segregation of labor market and thirdly, less income, which in the long term forms less old age pensions for women. This research aims to analyze what is the influence of gender inequality to society’s social economic inequality and to explore the different positions of women and men in the fields of income, material deprivation, vulnerability and resilience as well as to suggest recommendations for the reduction of gender inequality as inseparable part of social economic inequality and for the effective use of women’s labor force as one of the hidden potentials for economic growth. The background of this research is theoretical framework and empirical evidence based on a sociological survey methodology (questionnaire). It is found that position of Lithuanian women is worse than men and requires special measures to be taken in the fields of income, material deprivation, vulnerability reduction and other spheres.

In Lithuania, socio-economic inequality (hereinafter: ‘SEI’) has recently overstepped the threshold of economic security and has become an impediment to economic development and the source of social tension. As the global research shows, firstly, excessive inequality impedes economic growth; secondly, distribution of the products created in defiance of social justice also has a negative impact on the population’s quality of life. The object of the present research is interdisciplinary, it encompasses economics and psychology and is examined at the macro- (state) and micro- (individual) levels. The methodology of the assessment of SEI adapted to Lithuania is developed, the factors determining SEI in Lithuania are explored at the macro- and micro-levels, social and economic inequality (income, consumption, material standard of living) of various groups of Lithuanian society and its consequences for the country’s economic and social development and the population’s quality of life are analyzed. The research pursues the aim of examining SEI in Lithuania as the essential factor of the quality of life of the population, basing the factors determining SEI and consequences for the population’s quality of life by means of scientific research and providing possible methods and tools for the reduction of SEI.

We begin with examining the variation of income distributions after trade starts from the viewpoint of globalism. Specifying parameters in the Heckscher–Ohlin model randomly, we compute the probability of declining international income inequality to be 63%, while that of rising domestic income inequality to be 62%. Extending the model to the three-country-three-factor model, we compute the probability of declining international income inequality to be 70%, while the one of rising domestic income inequality to be 70%. Subsequently, from the viewpoint of innovation, we construct the Pareto-type or log-normal type income distribution for a society. The model is constructed from the idea of dynamic population growth and successive commodity invention. It is shown that when each sector producing the newly invented commodity is possessed solely by the workers specific to that sector, the income distribution tends to follow that of the Pareto-type; when each sector is possessed by the whole workers, it tends to follow that of normal type; and finally when each sector is partly possessed by part of the workers specific to that sector, it tends to follow that of the log-normal type. We conclude that the econometric observations are compatible with the pure economic theory.