"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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  BENEFITS FOR TOURISM ENTERPRISES FROM THEIR ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION

  Globalization and free movement of goods and services put new opportunities for Bulgarian businesses to achieve a competitive advantage based on quality. The study of this problem in the economic practice is especially relevant, considering the predominance of the service sector in the national economy and the complexity of maintaining a ... Globalization and free movement of goods and services put new opportunities for Bulgarian businesses to achieve a competitive advantage based on quality. The study of this problem in the economic practice is especially relevant, considering the predominance of the service sector in the national economy and the complexity of maintaining a consistent quality of services. The main objective of the present study is to highlight the key benefits of the business standard and the relative advantages it can bring to tourism businesses, based on a retrospective and situational analysis of ISO 9001 certification. In order to achieve this goal, the following research tasks are solved: study of the distribution of ISO 9001 standard by economic sectors; analysis of the benefits from introduction of the standard for Bulgarian enterprises; presentation of the main tools for ensuring the quality of tourist services; exploiting the potential benefits of ISO 9001 certification for tourism business. The results of the study show that ISO 9001 is the most common among ISO certification standards; it is a clearly recognizable sign of quality among businesses; it is adapted for every business; brings real benefits to organizations; can be applied in the tourism business. The results obtained from the study prove the author's thesis that certification under the most common international standard provides a number of business benefits that can also be used in the tourism business.

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  MEASURING CONSUMER SATISFACTION WITH THE OMNI-CHANNEL EXPERIENCE

  Most consumer brands today are available in both physical and online stores, and marketing specialists are constantly seeking new ways to contact and engage their customers. More and more companies are trying to adapt to the digital world and create multiple channels to satisfy consumers' requirements for an optimal buying experience. These ... Most consumer brands today are available in both physical and online stores, and marketing specialists are constantly seeking new ways to contact and engage their customers. More and more companies are trying to adapt to the digital world and create multiple channels to satisfy consumers' requirements for an optimal buying experience. These channels include physical stores, websites, mobile apps, social media and more. The present study presents the results of an empirical study aimed at offering measurement models of consumer satisfaction with and expectation of the omni-channel customer experience. The study has also sought an answer to the question: how much the expectations of the different aspects of omni-channel experience affect the degree of customer satisfaction. The research tasks can be summarized as follows: (1) analysis of scientific literature in the field of omni-channel marketing, customer experience and satisfaction in an omni-channel setting; (2) collection and analysis of data about customer’s expectations and satisfaction with their experience in an omni-channel buying environment, as well as validation of their measurement models and a structural model of their relationship. The partial least squares method has been used in order to test the measurement and structural models. It has been found that customers are satisfied with their omni-channel experience if companies: offer them relevant offers, synchronize their promotions across channels, offer the "Click & Collect" option, integrate data on user devices and enhance the return options for products purchased through different channels. The results also show that only the expectations for integrating data from different devices used by consumers to contact the brand have a small effect on the level of consumer satisfaction