"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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  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

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  TERRITORIAL DIVISION OF BULGARIA - PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

  The new territorial division is one of the hottest topics in the country's regional policy. It is not accidental that they call it Pandora's box because regional and local authorities have issues related to Cohesion Policy instruments and their regional impact, which is difficult to be objectively assessed. The objective of the study is to ... The new territorial division is one of the hottest topics in the country's regional policy. It is not accidental that they call it Pandora's box because regional and local authorities have issues related to Cohesion Policy instruments and their regional impact, which is difficult to be objectively assessed. The objective of the study is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the different scenarios for a new territorial division of the country, to identify those that are most appropriate to the purposes of sustainable and balanced development and to formulate target-oriented development policies.The research thesis is that decisions for territorial division should be based on in-depth research with appropriate scientific tools, the results of which are considered to be objective criteria when defining the boundaries of territorial units. The tasks of the survey are: study of the legal framework of the territorial division in the EU and in the country; GAP analysis of existing territorial zoning, incl. asymmetries between existing planning regions; comparative analysis of options for a new territorial division; developing targeted development policies for the regions. All scheduled tasks are met. Five scenarios have been analyzed and a variant for territorial division is presented, which corresponds to the legislative framework and specifics in the country despite some weaknesses. Among the most important conclusions is the need to reach a political consensus on the balanced sustainable development of the country, which should be considered a medium and long-term priority objective.