"Scientific research" Almanac

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  CHALLENGES TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

  The technical and economic paradigm of the information age since the beginning of the 21st century has led to new structures and processes in the international business in the European Union. In the economic sense, this is a prerequisite for deepening the division of labour, increasing its productivity and expanding the sphere of the use of ... The technical and economic paradigm of the information age since the beginning of the 21st century has led to new structures and processes in the international business in the European Union. In the economic sense, this is a prerequisite for deepening the division of labour, increasing its productivity and expanding the sphere of the use of capital. The consequences for the European Union concern all the enterprises on the path to internationalization. We believe that the challenges to them are related to the changes imposed by modern information and communication technologies and the realities of the new millennium. The purpose of this paper is to present the trends and the challenges in areas important for the international development of companies in the European Union that are affected by the modern changes, namely: energy as the basis for the development of the industries that have directed their efforts abroad; international investment as an important factor for a country's prosperity and an increase in exports and the labour market, providing the necessary human resources for the success of internationalizing business organizations. This purpose should be achieved by solving the research tasks related to revealing the latest theoretical formulations on the subject under consideration and highlighting the trends in the studied areas. The main research thesis is that the knowledge gained in the study of the fields important for the international development of the European Union companies: energy; foreign direct investment and the labour market can be seen as a technical, economic, managerial and, above all, strategic instrument aimed at maintaining and enhancing the national and international competitiveness of international business organizations and the achievement of economic growth in each member-state and the whole Union. As a result of the research, we have come to the conclusion that changes require action in order to adapt to the dynamics caused by a number of factors: technological, economic, political, socio-demographic and psychological factors. Using all provided opportunities can foster the prosperity of businesses abroad, economies of the countries and the industry of the European Union as a whole.

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  OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING THE QUALITY OF DATA FROM ONLINE SURVEYS

  The emergence and evolution of Internet and related applications have changed many areas of public life. The methods of gathering marketing information have also changed. Less and less often surveys are printed on paper and are conducted in a web environment. The reasons are simple – online surveys are conducted faster and cheaper, they are easy ... The emergence and evolution of Internet and related applications have changed many areas of public life. The methods of gathering marketing information have also changed. Less and less often surveys are printed on paper and are conducted in a web environment. The reasons are simple – online surveys are conducted faster and cheaper, they are easy to spread, they offer useful functionalities. A major challenge for marketing researchers is to ensure that online surveys are representative. The main purpose of this study is to examine whether the structure of a sample, drawn from an online survey, corresponds to the structure of the studied aggregation. Another objective of the study is to examine how respondents react to incentives offered for participation in an online survey. This study presents the results of three online surveys. Each survey examines specific aggregation: Facebook page fans; visitors to a web site; population of Bulgaria aged 13-54. Two surveys were conducted through Facebook advertising. One survey was conducted among the visitors of a web site. To compare the sample and general aggregation, we have used χ2 criterion for one sample and Kiril Gatev’s integral coefficient. In the case of studying Facebook page fans, the sample matches the set of variables "sex" and "residence". In order to validate the three samples, the following information sources were used: The National Statistical Institute; Facebook page Insights; Google Analytics reports. In both surveys made via Facebook advertising, a very low cost was obtained for a response. In the survey of site visitors, the cost of a response is practically zero. To test how incentives affect respondents' activity, two types of prizes are offered – USB Flash memory stick (3 pcs.) and External hard disk drive (2 pcs.). In this study, we have found that the incentives offered do not increase respondents’ responsiveness to a degree justifying the costs of purchasing and delivering the prizes.

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  IMPACT OF CONSUMER PROMOTIONS ON CUSTOMER-BASED BRAND EQUITY

  The present research paper outlines the effects of consumer promotions. Its subject is the type and frequency of effects of consumer promotions on customer-based brand equity dimensions. The leading role of consumer promotions within the communication mix, both nationally and globally, along with the lack of unambiguous evidence about their effect ... The present research paper outlines the effects of consumer promotions. Its subject is the type and frequency of effects of consumer promotions on customer-based brand equity dimensions. The leading role of consumer promotions within the communication mix, both nationally and globally, along with the lack of unambiguous evidence about their effect on brand equity as a top intangible asset, underlie the motivation of the current research. The present work aims to confirm the research thesis that consumer promotions can generate both positive and negative effects on customer-based brand equity depending on their type and frequency. The negative effects of monetary promotions, the positive effects of non-monetary promotions and promotions frequency on perceived quality and brand loyalty are estimated by structural equation modelling and finite mixture approach. The segmentation analysis provides estimates of the effects according to the degree of brand loyalty. According to the results, monetary promotions are more appropriate for the non-loyal segment, while non-monetary promotions are more appropriate for the loyal segment.