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Rumen Vyrbanov
The Business Potential of Social Media Platforms
Summary:
Web 2.0 technologies have changed the business environment and have become a ‘must’ of any business strategy, whether it is a large company or a small and medium-sized enterprise.
Modern social media have a lot of sophisticated tools and technologies that can be successfully used to attract new customers, promote brand (recognizable identity for our product or service), boost sales, increase a company’s website traffic, build effective customer relationships, manage online reputation, facilitate communication with customers, incl. online, optimize search engines, etc. However, at the same time, social media are not just a collection of new tools and technologies – they develop and establish new business models, and require that managers and business owners have a lot of new knowledge and a new way of thinking.
In the social media environment small enterprises can successfully compete with large companies, regardless of the different advertising and marketing budgets. Although modest, the existing experience shows that with an adequate viral campaign organized in the social Web space small and medium-sized enterprises can generate huge traffic to their sites, improve communications with customers and achieve greater sales.
This study attempts to offer practical solutions for using social media in business processes. It focuses on several questions:
• What the Web 2.0 potential is expressed in for businesses and what ad¬vantages it provides;
• What the specific characteristics of social Web space are that are important in the use of Web 2.0 for business purposes;
• What the content behind the term ‘social media’ is and what its business poten¬tial is;
• What the nature and scope of social media is and what reasons justify the huge interest of businesses in them in recent years;
• How Social Media Optimization (SMO) and Social Media Marketing (SMM) can be used in the interest of businesses.
The first part of the study examines the basic characteristics and specific features of the second generation of Web services contributing to the use of Web 2.0 for business purposes. According to the author the new way of interaction and the ease of integration that are characteristic of Web 2.0 are expected to make radical changes in corporate information systems (IS), and hence in the business of companies.
The second part analyzes the nature and manifestation of social media. It gives a brief overview of social media and describes their potential for the development of small and medium-sized businesses, concluding that social media tools can be used successfully to attract customers, increase traffic to the website, boost sales, promote the brand and form a target audience. However, at the same time social media are something more than business tools – they require a new way of thinking, a new ap¬proach to the business of the company and to customers, an orderly and reasoned strategy for working in the new social environment.
The third part presents the capabilities of the two new and still not widely used tools for the popularization of the site in the social media – Social Media Optimization (SMO) and Social Media Marketing (SMM). Companies that will migrate to Web 2.0 have to have a good understanding of SMM tools in order to be able to determine which of them are suitable for a particular business and how to approach their actual use. The author argues that the good performance of the site on the Web and providing more traffic today require an integrated approach in using the various techniques for digital and traditional marketing.
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Hrabrin Bashev
THE IMPACT OF MARKET, PRIVATE, COLLECTIVE AND HYBRID MODES OF GOVERNANCE ON AGRARIAN SUSTAINABILITY IN BULGARIA
Summary:
The specific governance systems in different countries, regions, sectors, etc., are a factor which largely (pre)determines the rate and type of socio-economic development. Despite its tremendous theoretical and practical significance, little empirical research has been conducted in Bulgaria, and south Eastern countries in general, of the dominant governance structures in agriculture and their impact on agrarian sustainability. The aim of this study is to adapt the interdisciplinary New institutional economics and to assess the impact which the different modes of governance (market, private, collective, public and hybrid) have upon agrarian sustainability at the current stage of development of our country. The study first presents the methodology of the research. Next, typical governance modes are identified that are employed by Bulgarian farms of different legal type, size, production specialization, environmental position and geographical location, the impact of those governance modes on agrarian sustainability in its economic, social and environmental aspects. In conclusion, recommendations are made about conducting further research and improving public policies and private governance strategies. Agricultural producers employ various combinations of efficient market, private, collective and hybrid modes of governance in their activity and relationships. The factors and modes which contribute the most to raising agrarian sustainability at this stage are: managers’ confidence and initiatives; economic resources and innovation potential; a short-term profit and gains strategy; price level and dynamics; EU payments per area, and informal agreements. The research of the relationship between governance structures and agrarian sustainability should continue further to improve its representativeness and enlarge the scope of the specific modes of governance which farms of different types employ, to assess the impact of institutions upon agrarian sustainability and the effect of governance at different hierarchical levels. The latter, however, requires employing a new type of micro and macro data and close cooperation between different stakeholders.
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Daniela Georgieva
Digital Competences of Accountants within the Context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Summary:
The aim of this research is to identify the major digital competences that are required for accounting professionals. The focus of the research is on three positions in the National Classification of Professions and Positions (NCPP – 2011) – those of a chief accountant, an operational accountant and a bookkeeper. The objective of the research is to make a comparative analysis of the different classes in the NCPP-2011 and the major digital competences required for them according to the main duties of the people appointed to those positions. Our research approach is based on the methods of logical reasoning, deduction and comparison, as well as analysis and synthesis of the legal requirements which have been adopted at a national and an international level in terms of the competences and professional duties for each position. In addition, an analysis has been made of proposed classifications and identified competences in related economic literature. The propositions and conclusions we give will contribute to raising the awareness of employees, employers and educational institutions about the digital competences and knowledge required from persons practising the profession. The research has been funded by the MES Program ‘Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Students’ through a grant made to the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University. The author would like to acknowledge the support which has been provided through the program.
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Irena Misheva
ENVIRONMENTAL INSURANCE –
A PART OF RISK MANAGEMENT
IN ENTERPRISES UTILISING HAZARDOUS PRODUCTION
Summary:
This study focuses on the problems related to the management and regulation of environmental risks and environmental behaviour in enterprises utilising hazardous production. The main focus is placed on environmental insurance as part of enterprise risk management. Priority is given to the relationship between insurance and risk management in the management structure of business entities. The relationship between enterprise risk management and other types of management in enterprises with hazardous production in relation to environmental protection is also examined. The author analyses the dynamics in the demand for environmental pollution liability insurance by industrial enterprises.
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Gergana Nikolova
The Non-financial Declaration in the Context of the New Accountancy Act
Summary:
The issue of the Annual Financial Statement is ongoing. Our interest in it was aroused by the adoption of the new Accountancy Act, in force since the beginning of 2016, which first introduced the requirement for preparing and publishing the Non-financial declaration as part of the Annual activity report within the general-purpose Annual Financial Statement (AFS) of entities specified by the law. This study attempts to examine the Non-financial declaration from different aspects in order to reveal its nature, content, purpose and possibilities for improving the information capabilities of AFS. On this basis, conclusions are drawn and options for further research are outlined regarding issues related to the Non-financial declaration.
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Margarita Marinova, Emiliya Vacheva
FROM THE HISTORY OF TRADE AND BANKING IN SVISHTOV. TRADING-AND-BANKING
(MONEY-CHANGING) COMPANIES AND BANKING HOUSES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR THE TOWN ECONOMY (1878-1912)
Summary:
Based on archival sources not used so far, periodicals and other sources of information, the study reviews the economic life of Svishtov in the period 1878-1912, with an emphasis on the development of trade. Against this background, it examines the issue of re-directing trading capital to banking. The focus of the study is the trading-and-banking (money-changing) companies and banking houses (8 partnerships and 9 sole proprietorships). The study answers a wide range of questions concerning their emergence, institutional characteristics, the nature of the capital mobilized in them; the banking operations and services they offered, with a focus on credit and the circumstances that allowed banking houses at certain periods to make a greater contribution to lending money to local trade and production; the psychological profile of the Svishtov merchant; the reasons why the joint-stock principle did not establish itself firmly and permanently in the economic life of the town. It also reveals the leading role of the Bulgarian National Bank in lending money to local trade and to the two savings joint-stock companies that existed in the 1890s and shows the importance of the banking houses for the development of the town’s economy in three directions – they were subjects in the process of initial capital accumulation; they provided short-term credit and increased the common funds for performing payment operations; they brought stability to the functioning of the banking and lending system especially in times of changes in the central bank’s policy. They also played the role of a ‘financial buffer’ that ensured the survival of companies in times of temporary hardships. The conclusion reached is that being away from joint-stock entrepreneurship, especially in banking, and the inability of local economic forces to create a joint-stock bank, was one of the main reasons for the economic backwardness of the town, beginning at the end of the nineteenth century.
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Petya Ivanova
MODERNIZING THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN BULGARIA IN ORDER TO PROMOTE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Summary:
The scope, the role and the essence of the relationship between tourism and transport are presented conceptually and in terms of their modern aspects, as well as the impact of that correlation upon the development of tourist destinations. We analyse the findings of a quality assessment of the different types of infrastructure in Bulgaria and in several countries which are our immediate rivals as tourist destinations. Evidence is provided to support the thesis that the transport infrastructure in Bulgaria needs to be improved to meet the demands of tourism, including by promoting easier access and mobility, and thus contribute to the image of the country as a sustainable destination. Key aspects for providing more efficient public transport in tourist destinations are identified. The paper also pays attention to strategic transport planning that should meet tourism demands and to improving the coordination between the institutions in both sectors in order to achieve visitors’ satisfaction, especially in terms of transportation.
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Krassimira Kostadonova Naydenova
SOME CONSEQUENCES OF BULGARIA’S NON-MEMBERSHIP IN THE EURO AREA
Summary:
The accession of Bulgaria to the Eurozone has been a problem for 10 years now, and the non-persistent attempts of the Bulgarian governments have faced the organized opposition of the European institutions. The rules for adopting the European currency are known, but they seem unread, and the political interpretation of the full-scale criteria has placed Bulgaria outside the “inner” European club.
The deprivation of our country from Eurozone membership has not only social or political, but also financial consequences. The annual losses are significant and the national economy, financial markets and society remain only partially integrated.
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Ivanka Daneva
THE ROLE OF VOLUNTARY PENSION INSURANCE IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Summary:
The model of corporate governance of human capital in contemporary business organisations is essential for applying the concept of corporate social responsibil-ity, of which supplementary voluntary pension insurance for employees with contributions made by employers is an important element. Supplementary voluntary pension insurance is fully funded and is a way to diversify sources of pension income. Insurance in voluntary pension funds has a marked potential not only to raise the gross replacement rate, but also as an element of the general model for corporate governance of human resources in any company regardless of its core business, yet this potential has not been fully exploited so far. In order to employ it as a factor increasing personnel motivation and to increase its efficiency, a number of prerequisites and specific actions are required.
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Rumen Vyrbanov
SOCIAL BUSINESS: USING WEB 2.0 AND SOCIAL NETWORKS
IN THE BUSINESS OF COMPANIES
Summary:
Over the recent years Web 2.0 has been at the forefront of high-tech tools and technologies that companies are seeking to use in their business processes. Web 2.0 has emerged as a new wave of business innovation that gives new dimensions to the Internet as a means of communication, cooperation and doing business.
This study examines the evolution of the Web in the context of opportunities for implementing technologies in companies’ businesses. Emphasis is placed on the second generation of Web technologies and the social business concept – the new opportunities for adapting and using the Web’s ideas and technologies in companies’ businesses. The nature and specific approaches and strategies of social business are presented as a new generation of technologies capable of achieving an increase in companies’ income and profits, seizing new market niches, as well as increasing sharply the labour productivity of employees and their incorporation into the main goals of the business.
The first part analyzes in brief the evolution of the Web technologies and their impact on the business of companies. The focus is on the nature and changes that the second and third generation of technologies (Web 2.0 and Web 3.0) impose on business processes.
The second part examines the priority areas for the application of social technologies in business: management of internal corporate communications, design and development of new products and knowledge management (Intranet environment); corporate communications and interactions with external partners and customers (Extranet environment, B2B model); e-commerce (online stores, B2C model). The practical possibilities of the three approaches for using the social networks in e-business are discussed: opening a representation (an online store) on Facebook or another social network, as an addition to the already existing traditional online store; online trading directly in the social network, without an online store; using the social networks as a complement and alternative to the search engines.
The third part of the study examines social business as an opportunity to use new social platforms for communication between companies and their customers. The nature of the new concept of social cooperation, which ultimately reflects in higher productivity and returns on investment, is analyzed. The author presents and analyzes several aspects of social business in a company’s activities – marketing in a Web 2.0 environment and working with clients of the company, interactions with business partners, personnel management and knowledge management in the company.
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Vasil
TERRITORIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LIVING STANDARDS IN BULGARIAN REGIONS
AND DISTRICTS (2010–2017)
Summary:
The article reviews differences in the living standard at the level of regions and districts. Living standard is defined and assessed in terms of material living conditions by employing multiple indicators which are grouped in three modules (subject areas): economic development; income and consumption; income inequality and poverty. We employ relevant statistical indicators to measure differences and specific methodology to assess the living standard so that we could rank territorial units according to their distance from the best regional score. The findings of our empirical research of the living standard indicate that: (a) there is a slight trend towards a decrease in the differences between regions, while differences between districts remain the same; (b) there are significant changes in the arrangement of regions and districts according to their scores in the different years of the research; (c) divergent trends are identified in the development of territorial differences measured through the summary scores for the three modules; (d) the living standard has deteriorated in a significant number of the territorial units.
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Stefan Simeonov, Teodor Todorov
DESIGNING THE INVESTMENT PROFILE OF THE SHARES TRADED ON THE BULGARIAN STOCK EXCHANGE IN THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 2016 TO DECEMBER 2017
Summary:
The analysis of shares performance is normally focused on risk and yield, while the third investment parameter, market liquidity, is usually ignored. In contrast to the world’s biggest stock exchanges where market liquidity is taken for granted, it seems to be a major issue for developing capital markets, such as the stock exchanges in new Balkan economies. This research paper introduces and employs a model of complex market liquidity assessment of the traded companies. We employ the Frequency Analysis of Volatility to add to the research value of Risk analysis, the coherent alternatives of VaR and the investment profile of traded shares. Based on the complex set of methods employed in our research, we present comprehensive investment profiles of the companies with the highest and the lowest market capitalization which are constituents of the four Bulgarian Stock Exchange indices about the period from August 2016 to December 2017.
