EFSA

Volume 18, No. 1South East European Journal of Economics and Business

Published January 4, 2023

  1. Petar Kurecic, Filip Kokotovic, Vesna Haluga

    IS CORRUPTION THE DRIVING FORCE OF MIGRATION FROM CROATIA? EVIDENCE FROM A SURVEY

    Migration of higher-educated individuals from Croatia is damaging the long-term perspective of the Croatian economy as lower levels of the participation rate in the Croatian economy may endanger the feasibility of the social, healthcare and pension systems. With Croatia’s accession to the EU, a wave of migration was facilitated as a result of easier access to foreign labour markets. The paper focuses on the causes of migration from Croatia given the relatively limited research devoted to this topic. While there is robust evidence of corruption being one of the main causes of migration globally, this paper questions this assertion specifically in the case of Croatia. The paper analyses information from a survey with a random sampling approach of 223 respondents from the Varaždin County. The data is analysed by implementing different logit regression models. The paper conceptualizes economic and political factors that may cause migration as different variables in order to conduct a robustness check. The main finding of the paper is that monetary causes and a belief that individuals could earn more income abroad are the primary motivator of migration from Croatia. This is contrary to much of the existing literature that identifies corruption as the driving force of migration. Knowing individuals who have migrated abroad also makes it more likely for an individual to migrate from Croatia. While the paper found a significant degree of lacking faith in public institutions, this was common to participants regardless of whether or not they considered migrating from Croatia. As such, the paper considers monetary conditions rather than corruption to be the key driving force behind migration from Croatia.

  2. Adela Delalić, Mirza Šikalo, Selma Numanović

    REGIONALIZATION BASED ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – EXAMPLE OF FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

    This study classifies local self-government units (local communities) in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH) according to socio-economic characteristics by applying the following multivariate methods: principal component analysis (PCA), regression and cluster analysis. The selection of variables was based on literature and adjusted by FBIH specifics, covering the four hypothetical dimensions of regional differentiation: macroeconomic, demographic, infrastructural and socio-cultural indicators. PCA has identified five components: the productivity component, demographic component, component of economic activity potential, spatial component and employment component. Further analysis showed that all identified factors are significant predictors of local communities’ development, measured by the development index. The cluster analysis resulted with four clusters in the FBIH with significant differences in development level. Considering that FBIH municipalities are administrative units of local government and that the classification is based on socio-economic dimensions, identified clusters correspond to the NUTS principles.

  3. Niksa Alfirevic, Jurica Pavicic, Darko Rendulic

    A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC BUSINESS SCHOOL SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTIVITY AND IMPACT IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE (2017-2021)

    In this paper, we analyze the scientific productivity and impact of selected public business schools in South East Europe (SEE) in the 2017-2021 period by using the scientific output indexed in the Elsevier Scopus reference database. The region’s most productive and influential authors, institutions, and publication outlets are identified in the field of business research. Empirical results are discussed from the viewpoints of two research questions related to regional business school research patterns and the research cooperation outcomes. Selected public business schools in the SEE region have been found to have a mixed record regarding research productivity and impact. International collaboration is valuable in increasing the research impact, while institutional collaboration seems more effective in raising impact than national one. Recommendations for business school administrators are identified and discussed.

  4. Mihye Lee

    DETERMINANTS OF FIRM-LEVEL GROWTH: LESSONS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC, HUNGARY, AND POLAND

    This paper examines the determinants of firm-level growth based on three eastern European countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. We investigate whether there exist common firm-level characteristics that play a significant role in determining firm-level performance across the three countries, and whether development in financial markets can facilitate the growth of individual firms, particularly for firms that require external financing (borrowing). Our empirical analysis shows that in the case of Poland, firm-level characteristics, such as firm age and firm size, turn out to be significant, and that the role of these factors on the sales growth of firms is quite consistent with the findings in the existing literature. The same firm-level characteristics do not appear to be significant in the cases of Czechia and Hungary, which suggests that these factors play a different role in the firm-level growth of these countries. However, a firm’s access to external financing matters for the determining the firm’s growth and its development of financial markets, which enables the firm to have easier access to external sources of financing, thereby especially facilitating the growth of the individual firm that might need external funds. Our findings provide additional empirical evidence on the existing literature that emphasizes the positive impact of financial development on the individual firms’ growth based on a cross-country analysis.

  5. Nevenka Čučković, Valentina Vučković

    COVID-19 AND GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS PARTICIPATION: EXPORT PERFORMANCE OF CROATIAN FIRMS

    For the last two-three years, the disruptions of the GVC caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have forced the business sector to restructure and adjust, sometimes very costly and painful. Moreover, with the recent war in Ukraine foreseeable negative implications, it is very certain that large-scale disruptions in the global economic trade and investment flows, and ultimately in the GVC, will dictate the survival and sustainability of business in many economic sectors in the years to come. The main goal of this paper is twofold. First, to review the existing research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global trends affecting the current reconfiguring and reshaping of the GVC. Second, to analyse the characteristics of Croatian firms that recorded a decrease in their (indirect and direct) exports in the COVID-19 period by performing a logit model and utilising the World Bank’s Enterprise Survey 2019, backed up by the Enterprise Surveys Follow-Up on COVID-19 (3 rounds up to now).

  6. Ljiljan Veselinović, Jasmina Mangafić, Danijela Martinović

    THE EXTENT INDIVIDUALS ARE WILLING TO UNDERTAKE ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES: EVIDENCE FROM BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

    This paper studies the extent individuals are willing to undertake energy efficiency measures, with evidence coming from a developing country (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The goal of this paper is to analyze energy savings behaviors, aiming to understand what is typically meant under the term energy efficiency, who is more likely to know the meaning, and the extent individuals are willing to undertake some energy efficiency measures. The sample size used in this paper is a random stratified sample of 1,415 individuals coming from various backgrounds. Our logistic regression models found no statistically significant predictor across all ten measures used in the study. However, past experience, age, and being married are relatively common across these ten energy-saving behaviors. These results might be beneficial in defining policies in order to promote energy-saving behaviors.

  7. Lejla Turulja, Amra Kožo, Emir Kurtić, Mirjana Pejić Bach

    HRM PRACTICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: MEDIATION EFFECT OF INNOVATION

    The main aim of this study is to explore the mediating effect of innovation in the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational performance. HRM practices are observed through selective hiring, training, participative decision-making, and rewarding. Innovation is conceptualized over behavioral, product, process, and market innovation. The study relies upon the principles of social exchange theory and resource-based theory. Data were collected from 408 managers in an emerging economy context. The proposed conceptual model is evaluated with structural equation modeling using Lisrel 8.8 and SPSS 22. Study findings suggest that innovation influences the relationship between selective hiring, training, and participative decision-making and organizational performance. However, no mediating effect of innovation was found in a relationship between rewarding and organizational business performances. Since human resources and innovation are among the leading sources for building competitive advantage for companies, the study findings contribute to HRM and innovation.

  8. Rijad Kovač, Miroslav Verbič

    WEALTH INEQUALITY AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: MACROECONOMETRIC EVIDENCE FROM A GLOBAL SAMPLE

    This paper examines the empirical relationship between institutions, particularly financial institutions, and wealth inequality using a global panel data set for the period 2010–2016. We conduct a dynamic economet- ric analysis of these relationships based on the Credit Suisse and World Bank data. Our results reveal that control of corruption and government effectiveness do not have statistically significant effects on wealth inequality. However, the findings indicate an unfavourable effect of domestic credit on wealth inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient for wealth. The long-run effect of domestic credit is persistent and cumulates over time. We also find evidence of relationships between wealth inequality on one hand, and inflation rate, employment in agriculture and government expenditure on the other. The findings imply that policy makers need to re-examine the role and rules in the financial intermediation sector to address the issue of wealth inequality and equal opportunities.

  9. Siniša Sovilj, Marina Tkalec, Dominik Pripužić, Zvonko Kostanjčar

    MODELLING NATIONAL ECONOMIC SYSTEM: A CASE OF THE CROATIAN ECONOMY

    In this study we evaluate a national economic model using a system dynamics approach. We use a set of macroeconomic data for a transition economy to validate the model behaviour in the past, and then simulate the alternative paths of key macroeconomic variables. Instead of studying only a fraction of the economy, or using simple and abstract models, we build a large-scale national economic model. As the study is based on system dynamics information feedback, it provides additional insights about the macroeconomic effects of the economic policy, making it a valuable tool for economic policy analysis. Such insights are instrumental for understanding the total effects of economic policies and their full economic consequences. To demonstrate this, we have simulated one actual economic policy intervention and its alternative scenario.

  10. Emin Efecan Aktaş

    DOES TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH AMELIORATE SOCIO-ECONOMIC STANCE? NEW FINDINGS FROM CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

    National income calculations may not include knowledge that directly concerns the socioeconomic stance in an economy. Knowledge plays a significant role in promoting the economic growth of a country; however, its socio-economic role has received little attention in the literature. Total factor productivity, which is the main source of long-term economic prosperity, expresses the increase in productivity in all production factors. This paper attempts to quantify the effects of total factor productivity growth on economic prosperity. The analysis is conducted for the 2007-2020 period and 18 Central Eastern Europe countries. The “Legatum Prosperity Index” is utilized in the econometric analysis, in line with the purpose of the study. Results of the study with panel ordinary least squares, panel fixed-effects, panel random effects, panel-corrected standard errors (robustness check), and system-generalized method of moments (robustness check) confirm that total factor productivity growth positively correlated with economic prosperity.

  11. Martina Pezer, Nora Mustać, Chrysa Leventi

    THE DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACT OF SOCIAL SPENDING ON IN-KIND AND CASH CHILD TRANSFERS IN CROATIA

    Social spending in Croatia is mainly based on social protection, public healthcare and education policies. There are two forms of investing in children through the social spending provided by central and local governments: cash and in-kind transfers. This paper describes the impacts of such social spending on households with children in Croatia and its capital, Zagreb. Making use of a microsimulation model, the income distribution of cash and in-kind transfers and their impacts on poverty and inequality are assessed. Com- pared to cash transfers, in-kind transfers, including local government subsidies, are relatively evenly distributed, income independent, and thus roughly equally important for the entire population. Their value greatly exceeds that of monetary transfers. Results demonstrate the progressive effect of transfers in kind on income distribution by reducing income inequality and poverty. This research seeks to emphasise the importance of using augmented income in the analysis of income inequality and poverty, instead of solely monetary disposable income.

  12. Mite Miteski, Magdalena Petrovska, Artan Sulejmani

    MEASURING THE NATURAL INTEREST RATE FOR THE MACEDONIAN ECONOMY: A MULTI-MODEL APPROACH

    This paper identifies the natural interest rate for the Macedonian economy using quarterly data for 2001Q4- 2019Q3. To this end, the estimation is made by using different types of models, such as the Holston, Laubach, and Williams model and the full-fledged country-specific structural MAKPAM model. The empirical results show that the natural rate of interest in the Macedonian economy has declined over time, which is similar to the findings for other countries. The decomposition of the natural rate suggests that the main driver for the decline is the slowdown of the Macedonian potential GDP growth in the period after the global economic crisis, although there are signs of its recovery at the end of the sample period. In addition, the results indicate that the monetary policy conditions in the Macedonian economy have been broadly accommodative from 2011Q4 onwards. The substantive conclusions are unchanged across the multiple models used in this study.

  13. Berat Havolli

    ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE COST OF GOVERNMENT BORROWING IN EUROPEAN TRANSITION ECONOMIES

    Given the need of transition economies to fund the investments necessary for development partly through borrowing, this paper investigates empirically the economic consequences of the government cost of borrowing for European transition economies during the period 2003-2016. The investigation analyses the impact of sovereign borrowing costs, in turn, on interest rates on loans to businesses and households, on the growth rates of investment and consumption, and, ultimately, on general economic activity. By utilizing a panel VAR technique our results indicate that consequent upon a positive shock to the cost of sovereign borrowing, the cost of borrowing for loans to both Non-Financial Corporations (NFCs) and households increases. We find that the price transmission from government borrowing costs to the private sector is at play with respect not only to borrowing rates but also to macroeconomic activity at large. Following an increase in sovereign borrowing costs, we observe substantial negative responses in the growth rates of investment, household consumption, and GDP growth. Also, while a price of borrowing increase for NFCs is found to negatively affect investment, household consumption is unaffected by an increase in household borrowing rates. These findings have valuable policy implications for policymakers and stakeholders in transition economies. Specifically, the results suggest that efforts to reduce the cost of sovereign borrowing could have a positive impact on the economy by lowering borrowing costs for households and businesses, promoting investment and consump- tion, and ultimately boosting economic growth.