Year 2017, Issue VOLUME 24 Part II
Date published31.5.2017
Table of content
-
Borislav Borisov, Evelina Parashkevova Velikova, Yuriy Kuznetsov
SPATIAL PLANNING AS PART OF THE SYSTEM OF PLANNINGSummary: The purpose of this study is to present the results of a survey and to analyze the characteristics, practices, regulatory and methodological preconditions and limitations of spatial planning as condition for economic growth and... The purpose of this study is to present the results of a survey and to analyze the characteristics, practices, regulatory and methodological preconditions and limitations of spatial planning as condition for economic growth and sustainable development. The object of the study is the process of spatial planning and coordination with its regional development in Bulgaria. The subject of research is the normative, methodological framework and the existing models and practice in preparing documents for the planning and programming of spatial development. The main research thesis is that a planned activity in Bulgaria is carried out in conditions of imperfect institutional framework, including regulatory and methodological, which reflects negatively on the processes of integration, coordination and subordination of spatial and regional development. The results of the study can serve as guidelines for improving the planning process at national level -
Borislav Borisov, Yuliyan Gospodinov, Evelina Parashkevova Velikova
LEGISLATIVE AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE PLANNING ACTIVITY IN BULGARIA – OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTKeywords: planning, legislative planning framework, planning documents, methodologies for strategic planning, regional developmentSummary: The purpose of the paper is to present the results of a study carried out on the legislative and methodological framework of the planning activity in Bulgaria. The object of the study is the planning activity in the field of... The purpose of the paper is to present the results of a study carried out on the legislative and methodological framework of the planning activity in Bulgaria. The object of the study is the planning activity in the field of regional development in Bulgaria, and its subject – the legislative and methodological framework, in which the documents for the strategic planning and programming of regional development are elaborated. The results are the basis for working out guidelines for improvement of the regional development planning practice and defining a list of recommended actions that will increase the quality of the strategic planning process in Bulgaria. The main research thesis is that the planning activity in Bulgaria is carried out under the conditions of imperfect institutional framework, including both legislative and methodological, which has a negative reflection on the development, implementation, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of the planning documents -
Anastasiya Marcheva, Jadviga Chiburiene, Miglena Vachevska, Tanya Nikolova
INCLUSIVE BUSINESS – A TOOL FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AND SOCIAL INCLUSIONSummary: At the beginning of the 21st century in search of innovative solutions relating to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, particular attention is paid to the vulnerable layers of population with low incomes as a source of growth.... At the beginning of the 21st century in search of innovative solutions relating to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, particular attention is paid to the vulnerable layers of population with low incomes as a source of growth. Two expressions are in the focus of attention of researchers in search of synergy – inclusive business and bottom of the pyramid. The purpose of this study is to reveal opportunities for implementing international best practices in the field of inclusive business as a tool for poverty reduction and social inclusion. The realization of the goal set involves performing the main tasks: studying the level and factors of poverty; presenting models and best practices of inclusive business; specifying the fields of interaction between global goals for sustainable development, sustainable growth and inclusive business. The object of this study is inclusive business as a tool for poverty reduction and social inclusion. The subject of the study are business models for the implementation of inclusive business. The thesis argued is that: inclusive business is an innovative tool to tackle poverty and social inclusion. Through its implementation it is possible to achieve sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth. The sustainability of the topic of poverty is linked to the fact that poverty puts a lot of dominants in the world development. In search of solutions to overcome this the inclusive business appears to be a business model that has potentialities for application. Inclusive business is an innovative tool to tackle poverty and social inclusion -
Hristo Sirashki, Yuliyan Gospodinov, Milen Dinkov, Stanimir Slavov, Plamen Pantaleev
QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS - PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONSSummary: The globalization of social and economic life, the scarcity of resources for production, the increasingly high demands of consumers require a new look at quality standards. Quality management is linked to compliance with certain... The globalization of social and economic life, the scarcity of resources for production, the increasingly high demands of consumers require a new look at quality standards. Quality management is linked to compliance with certain standards at national, European and international levels. The purpose of this study is to analyze the problems in organizations related to quality and to propose solutions for their elimination. The tasks that are placed are: a description of the basic principles concerning quality; characterization of standardization and its benefits; description of eco-efficient management; analysis of resistance in a change in the quality standards; clarifying the nature of the investment for training of human resources. The research thesis is related to the fact that problems associated with quality management can harm the competitiveness and sustainability of organizations. This in turn requires rethinking of management, directing the action to environmentally efficient management and adaptation of personnel to the new situation. As a result of this study recommendations are given for organizations to address the existing quality problems -
Ventsislav Perkov
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPLEMENTING REVERSE LOGISTICS IN BULGARIASummary: The study aims to reveal the opportunities of implementing reverse logistics in enterprises in Bulgaria. In order to achieve the aim, the following tasks are defined: to clarify the nature of concepts; to adapt and implement the... The study aims to reveal the opportunities of implementing reverse logistics in enterprises in Bulgaria. In order to achieve the aim, the following tasks are defined: to clarify the nature of concepts; to adapt and implement the methodology for studying the implementation of reverse logistics in enterprises; to determine the degree of importance of reverse logistics; to conduct a graphic and correlation analysis of long-term objectives and clarify the role of reverse logistics in the strategy for development of enterprises; to identify and analyze the motives and barriers to the implementation of reverse logistics. The main thesis is that the implementation of reverse logistics in Bulgarian enterprises is not a priority in the objectives and strategies of top management due to existing external and internal barriers, and in future it will be treated as an opportunity for more efficient use of resources invested and for achieving sustainable growth. The results show that the surveyed subjects cannot precisely define the role of reverse logistics for achieving their long-term objectives and this affects the development of their strategy. The motives for implementing reverse logistics in Bulgarian enterprises are divided into three groups – social, marketing and resultant motives, and the main external barriers are ‘lack of tax incentives’ and ‘administrative obstacles by institutions’. The leading internal barrier is ‘insufficient commitment of management’ -
Emil Nikolov
EVALUATION OF THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BULGARIAN BICYCLE PRODUCERSJEL: Ì14Keywords: corporate social responsibility, sustainable development, stakeholders, evaluation of the corporate social responsibilitySummary: The main purpose of the study is to analyze and evaluate the degree to which Bulgarian manufacturers of bicycles perceive the concept of social responsibility in their policies, plans and actions. Having set the purpose, we can... The main purpose of the study is to analyze and evaluate the degree to which Bulgarian manufacturers of bicycles perceive the concept of social responsibility in their policies, plans and actions. Having set the purpose, we can bring forward the fol-lowing research objectives including a study of the existing scientific and empirical knowledge in the field of social responsibility, developing a methodological set of tools, implementing the methodology in the enterprises of the researched industry and analyzing the results. The thesis which we intend to test is that the Bulgarian enterprises manufacturing bicycles do not benefit from the full capacity of corporate social responsibility as a tool for achieving their strategic aims. The results of the research have found expression in the developed industry oriented methodology for evaluation of corporate social responsibility which is tested in six of the existing nine enterprises that manufacture bicycles in Bulgaria. Having analyzed the received data, we have confirmed the research thesis and identified the main strengths and weaknesses of each of the researched business organizations with respect to their social responsibility -
Radka Nenova
VARIETIES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT ACCORDING TO THE METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCHSummary: The main purpose of this study is to research the existing methodologies for assessing carbon footprints and their application in agriculture in Bulgaria. The following tasks are defined: to study the existing standards; to... The main purpose of this study is to research the existing methodologies for assessing carbon footprints and their application in agriculture in Bulgaria. The following tasks are defined: to study the existing standards; to systematize an approach for calculating the carbon footprint of the product; to distinguish between the terms ‘ecological’ and ‘carbon’ footprint; to research the opportunities for applying the lifecycle analysis in agriculture; to identify the extent of environmental statements in Bulgarian agriculture and to make recommendations for improving the current methods for measuring carbon footprints. The thesis is that the carbon footprint of agriculture must take into account the negative and positive impacts on the environment. Based on the study, the following results are achieved: basic concepts are clarified and the approach for calculating the carbon footprint is systematized. An analysis of ecological footprint of Bulgaria is made. It is found that the lifecycle analysis can be applied in agriculture. Environmental statements are not widespread in Bulgaria, and in agriculture – there is not an organization with such a statement. A proposal is made to improve the existing methodologies for assessing carbon footprints by taking into account the stocks of carbon formed -
Elena Yordanova, Desislava Aleksieva, Yoana Petrova
ETHICS AND COMPETENCE IN MANAGEMENTSummary: This study aims to define the principal theoretical and empirical aspects related to the position of ethics and competence in management. In this respect, the main objectives that we have set are: to research and define the... This study aims to define the principal theoretical and empirical aspects related to the position of ethics and competence in management. In this respect, the main objectives that we have set are: to research and define the significance of the problem; to outline the major possibilities provided by ethics and competence for the achievement of a more sustainable managerial process and to bring forward ideas for a more effective application of ethics and competence in organizational development. The scientific and research thesis that we aim to defend is related to the possibility for developing good managerial practices for influencing behaviour which are based on competence and ethical relationships by using adequate training in ethical behaviour and developing a suitable code of ethics. On the basis of the research, we have achieved the following principal results: we have theoretically summarized conceptual formulations of ethics and competence in contemporary management, we have outlined the role and significance of ethical relationships and competence for effective communication in organizations, and we have made recommendations for the application of good managerial practices creating a favourable socio-psychological work climate -
Krasimir Angelov Krumov
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF CSP’S INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN TODAY’S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKETKeywords: Operations Support System – OSS, Business Support Systems – BSS, Software-defined Networks – SDN, Network Functions Virtualization – NFVSummary: The telecommunications sector has been developing rapidly in the last few years. Under the conditions of growing competition and imposing new regulatory frameworks by institutions, telecom operators are increasingly implementing... The telecommunications sector has been developing rapidly in the last few years. Under the conditions of growing competition and imposing new regulatory frameworks by institutions, telecom operators are increasingly implementing innovative approaches to attract new users. The purpose of this study is to present the Operations Support System and Business Support Systems (BSS/BSS) as one of the most important components of the modern telecommunications business in an information and connected society. In order to achieve this goal, the author considered the following tasks: defining the ‘networked’ or ‘connected’ society and the factors for its emergence; briefly analyzing the telecom business in Bulgaria; presenting the main functions of the OSS/BSS systems and the business processes they automate; revealing the major problems and challenges to OSS/BSS systems when launching new services on the market and introducing new technological solutions. The research thesis can be defined as follows: modern telecom business could not have competitive advantages without well-functioning and market-adapted OSS/BSS systems -
Penka Shishmanova, Yuliyan Gospodinov, Evelina Parashkevova Velikova, Kristiyan Korelov
RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF INTERACTIVE METHODS OF TEACHING IN CONTINUING EDUCATIONSummary: This paper presents the results of a conducted study on the usage of interactive teaching methods in the continuing education at the ‘D. A. Tsenov’ Academy of Economics – Svishtov. The focus of the study is the application of... This paper presents the results of a conducted study on the usage of interactive teaching methods in the continuing education at the ‘D. A. Tsenov’ Academy of Economics – Svishtov. The focus of the study is the application of interactive teaching methods based on modern electronic resources in continuing education. In order to meet the objective, the study examines relevant theoretical, strategic and other planning documents at national and European level. An empirical study is conducted that aims to explore the views of the students in different structures of the continuing education at the Academy on the usage of the interactive teaching methods. The results are the basis for formulating conclusions and proposals for improvement of the continuing education. The main research thesis is that the use of interactive teaching methods is a modern approach whose broad application and continuous improvement in the continuing education of the ‘D. A. Tsenov’ Academy of Economics will contribute to the formation of adequate professional skills among students, increase their opportunities for realization on the labour market and in their specific professional activity -
Aneliya Radulova, Mariyana Pavlova Banova, Georgi Angelov, Alexandrina Alexandrova
MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES – A PREREQUISITE FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF STUDENTS` TEACHING PROCESSSummary: The main purpose of this study is to assess the degree of effectiveness of using new and innovative training methods and to outline the opportunities for turning them into an instrument for manifesting students’ activity and... The main purpose of this study is to assess the degree of effectiveness of using new and innovative training methods and to outline the opportunities for turning them into an instrument for manifesting students’ activity and initiative in acquiring new knowledge. The objective set is achieved by: theoretically studying modern innovative teaching methods; approving multimedia products in the training process; measuring the impact of multimedia technologies on the acquiring of the material taught by conducting a survey; assessing the need for implementing multimedia technology in the training process in order to enhance the effectiveness and the degree of acquiring specific knowledge. The working thesis of the present study is formulated as follows: “The use of multimedia technologies in the training process helps increase its effectiveness by achieving a synergistic effect between the different methods and techniques of teaching and creating conditions for turning students into equal participants in the learning process”. The analysis of the results enabled us to assess the degree of effectiveness of training and acquiring new knowledge through the use of multimedia technologies. The conclusions of the survey prove that the thesis set by our team has practically-applied significance and are aimed at improving the quality of the learning process -
Iskra Panteleeva, Lyubcho Varamezov, Sergey Naydenov, Emil Nikolov, Zoya Ivanova, Georgi Gutsev, Iliyan Angelov
STUDENTS’ ENTREPRENEURIAL ATTITUDES FOR STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS AND/OR FOR IMPLEMENTING ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEASKeywords: small business, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial attitudes, knowledge, skills and competencies, studentsSummary: The purpose of this study is to present the results of an empirical study of the attitudes and intentions of students from D. À. Tsenov Academy of Economics, the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies for starting a small... The purpose of this study is to present the results of an empirical study of the attitudes and intentions of students from D. À. Tsenov Academy of Economics, the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies for starting a small business, on the basis of which to identify opportunities for positive impact on students’ entrepreneurial behaviour. In this regard several tasks are set: to investigate the views of the respondents, to compile a profile of students in terms of the defined problems and to propose ideas for adequate effects. The main research thesis that is defended is that by exploring and identifying students’ entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions, the knowledge and skills for successful management of their own business it is possible to create conditions, including through training, for the successful realization of entrepreneurial initiatives. Based on the study the following key results are achieved: respondents’ opinion is studied, a students’ profile is drawn, and opportunities are identified to improve students’ attitudes, knowledge, skills and competencies for starting their own business and/or implementing an entrepreneurial idea -
Mihail Chipriyanov
STUDYING THE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS FOR MASTER’S DEGREE FULL-TIME STUDENTS’ TRAINING AND RESEARCHJEL: A-20Summary: This study is focused on examining the opportunities for improving the conditions for Master’s degree full-time students’ research and the prospects for future wider inclusion of that component in the training. Preserving and... This study is focused on examining the opportunities for improving the conditions for Master’s degree full-time students’ research and the prospects for future wider inclusion of that component in the training. Preserving and developing the position of D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics on the market of Master’s degree educational products requires constant research and use of different options for improving the quality of the elements of the educational process. Researching the opportunities for future broader integration of students’ research in their training is a prerequisite for improving competitiveness in the future. The sustainability of the research results is guaranteed by introducing the results, ideas and suggestions in science, practice and teaching process. First, the theoretical research in the provision of Master’s degree educational products/services is complemented. Second, particular measures for improving the equipment and infrastructure used for training are implemented. Third, possible solutions are offered for better integrating the research of Master’s degree full-time students to the overall process of their training -
Lyubka Ilieva, Ventsislav Perkov, Plamen Kynev, , ,
IMPROVEMENT OF TRAINING IN TRADE AND TOURISM BY APPLYING ICTJEL: L81Keywords: å-learning, information and communication technology, interactive training, web-based trainingSummary: The research thesis of this paper is that under the conditions of high-tech economic development the requirements to specialists in commerce and tourism are increasing, therefore access must be ensured to the information and... The research thesis of this paper is that under the conditions of high-tech economic development the requirements to specialists in commerce and tourism are increasing, therefore access must be ensured to the information and educational resources that extend the theoretical and practical knowledge of commerce and tourism theory and practice at all levels of higher education. The main purpose of this study is to draw key recommendations for improvement through situational analysis of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) applied in the training of students by the Department of Commercial and Tourism Business in the three educational levels. To achieve this purpose the researchers set themselves the following objectives: to present the ICT established in the practice of teaching; to present the good practices in the use of ICT in teaching students of ‘Economics of Trade’ and ‘Tourism Economics’; to explore the ICT and resources used in the training of doctoral students in ‘Economics and Management’ (Trade) and (Tourism) doctoral programmes. As a result of the study several major conclusions are made, the most important one is that the use of professionally-oriented programme packages provide an opportunity for students to work with them at any time during and after their studies -
Eva Tsvetanova
STUDYING THE USE OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PLATFORMS AS PART OF THE TRAINING IN THE ‘BACHELOR’ EDUCATIONAL-QUALIFICATION DEGREE – ‘PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION’ AND ‘STRATEGIC AND BUSINESS PLANNING’Summary: The main purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of electronic learning platforms as an appropriate innovative tool to support students’ training in the educational-qualification degree ‘Bachelor’ – ‘Public... The main purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of electronic learning platforms as an appropriate innovative tool to support students’ training in the educational-qualification degree ‘Bachelor’ – ‘Public Administration’ and ‘Strategic and Business Planning’ .The main tasks are related to: identifying the consumer characteristics of students; studying the consumer attitudes toward the additional online electronic resources offered; assessing the satisfaction of students trained in the educational-qualification degree ‘Bachelor’ in ‘Public Administration’ and ‘Strategic and Business Planning’ with the use of the innovative educational platforms, and defining specific recommendations and measures to increase student satisfaction with the electronic educational resources. The thesis is that the specialized e-learning platforms are applicable as an innovative tool to assist learning in the educational-qualification degree ‘Bachelor’ – ‘Public Administration’ and ‘Strategic and Business Planning’ by increasing the quality of knowledge and practical skills of students in the course of the learning process and their competitiveness in the labour market. The study systematizes the results of the quantitative analysis of the attitudes of students towards the additional e-learning platforms. To solve the problems revealed by the survey specific recommendations and measures are outlined to help build a creative learning process -
Rosemary Papworth, Ventsislav Dikov
A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO PROMOTING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, RETENTION AND ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATIONSummary: This study details a social constructivist-based methodology to learning English as a foreign language via a multi-disciplinary approach. The approach used bases learning in a novel, real-world situation so that learners can benefit... This study details a social constructivist-based methodology to learning English as a foreign language via a multi-disciplinary approach. The approach used bases learning in a novel, real-world situation so that learners can benefit from the experience of learning and gaining tacit knowledge within a scenario that is designed to enhance motivation. The research hypothesis is that the teaching and research methods in this study aim to improve student engagement with subject materials via added-value and added interest through the use of a practical project, which, in turn, is hoped to improve class retention and student achievement. The analysis of the results has proved that a social constructivist-based methodology to learning English as a foreign language via a multi-disciplinary approach improves students’ motivation, engagement and class retention and thus – their acquisition of foreign language skills and knowledge and overall achievement