‘The price is different depending on whether you want a receipt or not’: examining the purchasing of goods and services from the informal economy in South-East Europe

Evaluating the Impact of the Informal Economy on Businesses in South East Europe: Some Lessons from the 2009 World Bank Enterprise SurveyThe aim of this paper is to evaluate the variable impacts of the informal economy on businesses and employment relations in South East Europe. Evidence is reported from the 2009 World Bank Enterprise Survey which interviewed 4,720 businesses located in South East Europe. The finding is not only that a large informal sector reduces wage levels but also that there are significant spatial variations in the adverse impacts of the informal economy across this European region. Small, rural and domestic businesses producing for the home market and the transport, construction, garment and wholesale sectors are most likely to be adversely affected by the informal economy. The paper concludes by calling for similar research in other global regions and for a more targeted approach towards tackling the informal economy.

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Characteristics of Undeclared Work in Service Sector in Countries of South East Europe

Zagreb International Review of Economics and Business ◽

10.2478/zireb-2019-0015 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 107-131

Author(s):

Predrag Bejaković ◽

Ruslan Stefanov

Keyword(s):

Informal Economy ◽

Small Businesses ◽

Service Sector ◽

Tax System ◽

Informal Work ◽

East Europe ◽

Services Sector ◽

South East Europe ◽

Labour Intensity ◽

Undeclared Work

Abstract The undeclared work is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has been present in all countries, regardless of its social and political establishment. Notwithstanding, the empirical evidence suggests that informal economy is more prevalent in countries with lower levels of GDP. Furthermore, the informal economy is present in sectors with lower level of capital and higher level of labour intensity. Therefore, the theory and everyday experience imply that the informal economy is more widespread among the services than the goods sectors. This paper provides an overview on the informal work and unofficial economy in the services sector in the former socialist countries in South East Europe. For the reduction of undeclared activities, it is necessary to simplify the procedures for establishing small businesses, to stabilize the tax system, to ensure high tax morale and trust in society and towards institutions, and to decrease the state regulatory burden.

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EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF INFORMAL SECTOR COMPETITION ON FIRM PERFORMANCE: SOME LESSONS FROM SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1142/s1084946718500255 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (04) ◽

pp. 1850025 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

COLIN C. WILLIAMS ◽

SLAVKO BEZEREDI

Keyword(s):

Firm Performance ◽

Informal Sector ◽

Informal Economy ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Policy Implications ◽

East Europe ◽

South East Europe ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Do So

A widespread assumption is that competition from the informal sector has a negative impact on the firm performance of legitimate enterprises. This is because of the unfair competition they face from such enterprises in the informal sector. The aim of this paper is to provide an evidence-based evaluation of whether this is the case based on an analysis of the relationship between the firm performance of enterprises and their perception of the prevalence of informal sector competition. To do so, data is reported from a representative sample of 1,430 enterprises in Bulgaria, Croatia and FYR Macedonia. The finding is that enterprises asserting that their competitors participate in the informal economy have significantly lower real annual sales growth rates compared with those who assert that their competitors do not participate in the informal economy. The theoretical and policy implications are then discussed.

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The impac t of carbon prices on CCS investment in South East Europe

ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ◽

10.3280/efe2013-003004 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 91-120

Author(s):

Vladimir Franki ◽

Vladimir Valentic ◽

Alfredo Viskovic

Keyword(s):

East Europe ◽

South East Europe ◽

Carbon Prices

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South East Europe Regular Economic Report, No. 3

10.1596/26832 ◽

2012 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Economic Report ◽

East Europe ◽

South East Europe

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Determinants of Export Oriented Entrepreneurs from Southeast Europe Region

Economic Themes ◽

10.2478/ethemes-2018-0025 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 439-452

Author(s):

Bojan Leković ◽

Miodrag Petrović ◽

Nemanja Berber

Keyword(s):

Early Stage ◽

New Technology ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Southeast Europe ◽

Social Phenomena ◽

East Europe ◽

Individual Level ◽

International Orientation ◽

Entrepreneurial Behaviour ◽

South East Europe

Abstract The subject of this research represents analysis of internationalisation activity of early-stage entrepreneurs in South East Europe region (SEE). The goal of this study is to determine characteristics of export oriented entrepreneurs from SEE region through the study of factors influencing international orientation. Geographical area of this research consists of countries from the South East Europe region. The research sample was formed on the basis of GEM - Global Individual Level Data, covering six countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and FYR of Macedonia), 12027 respondents of which 645 export-oriented entrepreneurs were identified. Collected data are processed using the software package for statistical analysis. With the help of Ordinal Logistic regression, significant influence of individual factors on the international orientation of entrepreneurs was identified. Research results showed that entrepreneurial motives, entrepreneurial KSA’s, innovation and new technology have a positive relationship with internationalization activity. One of the significant limitations of this paper is the lower Nagelkerk coefficient, which is characteristic for social phenomena. Bearing in mind the fact that this research trying to explain entrepreneurial behaviour, lower coefficients can be very meaningfull.

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THE IMPACT OF INFLATION AND OPERATING CYCLE ON THE CORPORATE CASH HOLDINGS IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

How to Cope With Disrupted Times ◽

10.31410/eman.2018.950 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Aleksandar Naumoski ◽

◽

Péter Juhász ◽

Keyword(s):

Cash Holdings ◽

Operating Cycle ◽

East Europe ◽

South East Europe ◽

The Impact ◽

Corporate Cash Holdings

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Integrated development strategy of the catchment area of the Tisza river

Acta Agraria Debreceniensis ◽

10.34101/actaagrar/60/2019 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 31-36

Author(s):

Pompei Cocean ◽

Ana-Maria Pop ◽

Lelia Papp

Keyword(s):

Development Strategy ◽

Catchment Area ◽

Contemporary Literature ◽

Great Emphasis ◽

East Europe ◽

South East Europe ◽

Living Space ◽

Main Challenge ◽

Transnational Cooperation ◽

Tisza River

The main challenge for mankind has always been to eliminate the borders of its living space, as well as to explore and discover its new faces. Contemporary literature strengthens this postulate. It is the preference of the experts of various fields in spatial analysis is to consider space to be repairable, changeable and organisable. In accordance with this axiom, the five affected countries in the catchment area of the Tisza river (Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia and Serbia) worked out an integrated, mutual standpoint to support the problems of the catchment area and to exploit its opportunities with the aim to support transnational cooperation. They laid great emphasis on the existing resources which could become the driving force behind regional development directions. This study contains the summarised outcomes of the TICAD project (SEE/A 638/4.2./X) which was drawn up as a result of cooperation between renowned institutions of the five affected countries within the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme (lead partner: VÁTI, Hungary).

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