"Scientific research" Almanac

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  OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE INFORMATION ECONOMY

  As early as the second half of the twentieth century, it was already clear to all the scholars and researchers of the society and its inherent economy that the industrial economy was on the wane, and its place was gradually occupied by a new, post-industrial (information) economy. The aim of the present paper is to highlight some aspects of the ... As early as the second half of the twentieth century, it was already clear to all the scholars and researchers of the society and its inherent economy that the industrial economy was on the wane, and its place was gradually occupied by a new, post-industrial (information) economy. The aim of the present paper is to highlight some aspects of the nature and characteristics of the information economy as à necessary intrinsic part of the information society and to identify the strategic and particular conditions for business investment in this new environment. The problems to be solved in relation to the stated objective of the research are: to characterize the emerging information economy and its peculiarities; to outline the branch orientation of the foreign direct investments in the information economy; to highlight the motives that have the most significant impact on investment decisions in the post-industrial economy; to provide guidelines for adapting economic policy in line with the new realities. The research thesis is that: the information economy changes the conditions for conducting business and also the behavior of enterprises, particularly transnational corporations, which necessitates the adaptation of the economic policy to the new realities. The main results of the research can be summarized as follows: The theoretical foundations of the information society and economy have been clarified; The motives for direct foreign investment have been analyzed and the factors that are of major significance for FDI in the new conditions have been derived. On this basis, the relationship between the information economy and the opportunities for direct investment has been assessed; An analysis of FDI in the service sector has been made, with special attention paid to greenfield investments and mergers and acquisitions; Recommendations have been made to the economic policy so that it can be adapted to the new business and economic environment.

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  STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO OF BULGARIAN INSURANCE COMPANIES

  The structure of the portfolio of insurance companies shows what consumer preferences to different insurance products are. The comparison of product structures makes it possible to determine whether there is a change in the pattern of insurance consumption, to outline the reasons if there is a change and insurers to take adequate actions in line ... The structure of the portfolio of insurance companies shows what consumer preferences to different insurance products are. The comparison of product structures makes it possible to determine whether there is a change in the pattern of insurance consumption, to outline the reasons if there is a change and insurers to take adequate actions in line with new trends in consumer demand. The objective of this article is to assess the strength of the structural changes in the product portfolio of Bulgarian insurance companies. The assessment of the structural changes is done by tracing the dynamics in the distribution of Gross Premium Income by insurance sectors and insurance classes and also on the basis of the values of the integral coefficient of structural changes. The thesis defended is that tracking changes in the product structure makes it possible to identify the dynamics of the market shares of the insurance sectors and the insurance classes, to outline the trends in their market positions and to assess the degree of change in the consumer preferences. In order to achieve the objective and to prove the thesis, the following tasks have been formulated: formation of the structure of the insurance market by calculating the market shares of general and life insurance; formation of the structure of the product portfolio in general and life insurance by calculating the market shares of different types of insurance; establishing the changes in the positions of the individual insurance sectors and insurance classes in the product structure; characterizing the strength of the outlined structural changes. The survey results show that there have been changes in consumer preferences for different insurance products during the period under review. The changes in the product structure of life insurance are the most significant.

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  DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL BANKS BRANCH NETWORK ‒ A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THEORY AND PRACTICE

  This study focuses on commercial banking and the development of branch networks as an essential part of the banking system. At the centre of the analysis is the relationship between the expansion of the branch networks of commercial banks and the influence of the following four factors: the dynamics of the economic development cycle at global, ... This study focuses on commercial banking and the development of branch networks as an essential part of the banking system. At the centre of the analysis is the relationship between the expansion of the branch networks of commercial banks and the influence of the following four factors: the dynamics of the economic development cycle at global, national and regional levels; the processes of consolidation in the banking system; the evolution of information technology and electronic banking and regulatory policy and restrictive measures including insolvency procedures that the central bank establishes in its supervisory capacity for the banking sector. The aim of this study is to offer a critical evaluation of the factors influencing the decision-making concerning the dynamics in the branch network of commercial banks, both at a sector level and in the context of the individual banks. The paper comprises four main parts: Firstly, a critical review of the regulatory system and contemporary scientific studies in the area of bank administration and branch network management, including the structure of decision-making factors in relation to expanding, maintaining or reducing the network of bank branches; Secondly, historical and empirical-applied analysis of the dynamics in the licensed banking institutions and their positioning on the competitive banking market in Bulgaria; and thirdly, analysis of the financial indicators for the banking system and the related trends in the development of the branch network of the commercial banks in Bulgaria and their staffing. As a result of the study, it has been confirmed by the empirical data for the Bulgarian banking market that after 1989 the dynamics in the branch network was originally due to the dynamics in the creation and merger of banking institutions. During the period of EU membership, this process has been based mainly on the key factors developed with the priority of the regional demand and supply of banking services. About the two leading banking institutions, in terms of bank staff numbers, number of branches and personnel per branch for the two leading Bulgarian banks, the analysis has shown the following results: 3049 people, employed in 173 branches with a 17.6 average number of employees per bank branch for Unicredit Bulbank (data relating central management as well) and respectively, in the system of DSK Bank - 4115 people with an