Scoping Review on Research at the Boundary Between Learning and Working: A Bibliometric Mapping Analysis of the Last Decade

Context: The research field at the boundary between learning and working is multidimensional, fuzzy, dynamic, and characterized by high growth. A study that comprehensively maps and aggregates this research field is missing. Approach: Using tools of bibliometric analysis (bibliographic coupling, co-citation analysis and co-occurrence analysis), we map the research at the boundary between learning and working in a scoping review study. Our study considers peer-reviewed articles published between 2011 and 2020 and recorded in Scopus. In total, 5,474 articles are included in our analysis. Findings: Focusing on the intellectual structure of the research field, we identified the most publishing and most cited countries, journals, and authors, as well as latent collaborative networks among countries, journals, and authors. Furthermore, we used references and keywords to identify the conceptual structure of the research field and distinguished four types of conceptual clusters: motor clusters, highly developed and isolated clusters, emerging or declining clusters, and basic and transversal clusters.Conclusions: Research at the boundary between learning and working is highly parcelled out internationally. This scientific parcelling represents a disadvantage for exchanging ideas and accumulating knowledge. In addition to forming a parcelled field, a dividing line runs between centre, periphery and excluded countries and scientists. Especially scientists from developing countries and nations, economies in transition and those from post-conflict situations are excluded from the international discourse. This situation is more than just a disadvantage for the exchange of ideas and the accumulation of knowledge. Instead, there is a systematic bias in the research landscape here.

The Impact of Interplay Between Formal and Informal Institutions on the Development of Innovation Networks: A Comparative Study of CEECs

The aim of this paper is to present the results of comparative case study research concerning the impact of the interplay between formal and informal institutions on the development of innovation networks of the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). The primary contribution this article makes is to link the literature on the interplay between institutions related to innovation networks in a broad range of economies in transition like CEECs. This paper provides an understanding of how interplay between these institutions may influence the development of innovation networks of CEECs. Practical policy recommendations are to introduce a risk guarantee mechanism, which may promote the innovation process at different levels and influence the development of innovation networks later.

Mineral Raw Materials’ Resource Efficiency in Selected ESEE Countries: Strengths and Challenges

The mineral raw materials’ resource efficiency is currently recognized in Europe as the way for the future development of the European mining economies. With this aim, a West Balkan Mineral Register was created in the EIT Raw Materials RESEERVE Project, including Primary and Secondary Raw Materials of six Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (ESEE) countries, i.e., Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Within the Project, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) and Gap Analysis was also performed for the development of the raw material sector in the region. This paper summarizes the main strengths to be exploited, i.e., the significant geological potential, the presence of critical raw materials (e.g., Sb, Co, REEs) in primary and secondary raw materials, and the challenges to address, i.e., compliance of resources/reserves classification with international standards, integration of state’s mineral policy with spatial planning strategies, improvement of the business environment, capacity building of the raw materials workforce and enhancement of the public acceptance of the sector, in order to achieve the sustainable development of the mineral resources of the six ESEE countries. These opportunities comply with the objectives of the EU Raw Materials Initiative and are expected to contribute in the further enhancement of those economies in transition for the upcoming years.

Definition of conceptual basics of nanoeconomics as inclusive society environment

The definition of nanoeconomics can relate to different levels and areas of economic life. First of all, this is the nanolevel of the economic system. As a human economy, nanoeconomics provides for the allocation of an individual factor within the framework of a socio-economic phenomenon. The nanoeconomic aspect is central to the definition of inclusion. So, the inclusion of a person, as the main subject of nanoeconomics, to the formation and stabilization of economic systems is the initial one in the integration of an individual in relation to production processes and economic development. A person is involved in academic and social life by making decisions about their own business and integrating it into the sectoral and national economic space. It is proved that its indicators are the conditions for clustering the economic system. The study carried out a cluster analysis of the innovation system in a country with an economy in transition. In addition, the study outlined that inclusive phenomena in the economy are close to integration and are the opposite of segregation and isolation. It is noted that different institutions of integration can be used to form objective conditions for the development of babyeconomics. Public decisions of inclusion involve the use of Arrow's impossibility theorem. The research results can be used: – the individualistic functions of inclusion should be used in the formation of the babyeconomics, the human economy and the economy of nanotechnology; – states of inclusion must be created at all levels of the economic system; – a person and wealth are an individualistic aspect of an inclusive economy, because national wealth consists of individual wealth. Nanoeconomics is just beginning to be included in the systemic processes of inclusive economic phenomena, especially in countries with economies in transition

Bank Regulation in the Economies in Transition

Given that banking in economies of transition fluctuate heavily, we explore the effect of regulatory norms on performance of banking industry. In particular, we examine the effect of Reserve Requirements, Activity Restrictions, and Capital Stringencies on the overall industry profitability and stability of the financial institutions. We utilize the Generalized Methods of Moments methodology to the panel data regressions over 17 different transitional economies during, and after the crisis period of 2008 through to 2019. Our results show that the Reserve Requirements regulatory norm is the only significant factor that improves the profitability and diminishes the risk of financial instability. The findings are confirmed with our tests over the regional sub-samples. This research sheds the light on the necessities of political and economic reforms in banking for these markets in transition.

Mathematical Modeling of Intellectual Capital and Business Efficiency of Small and Medium Enterprises

Our paper aims at testing the impact of separate elements of the intellectual capital (IC) represented for instance by the human, structural, and customer capital, on the functioning and performance of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using mathematical modeling. We assess the intellectual capital with respect to the resource-based view theory. Our study is based on the data obtained from the 206 surveys with the representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises from Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. We employed a mathematical modeling approach as well as the SPSS application package in order to test our hypotheses about the influence of intellectual capital on the enterprise’s efficiency. Our results helped us to determine that the concept of intellectual capital is practically not used in the management of small and medium-sized enterprises in CIS countries. It becomes apparent that individual techniques for managing intellectual resources can only be identified intuitively, based on an in-depth analysis of the current tasks facing managers. These findings confirmed the positive impact of intellectual capital on the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in the conditions of the economies in transition represented hereinafter in our paper by CIS countries, but only with the availability of financial resources and with some important reservations.

Economic sovereignty and economic security of Ukraine (interrelation and mutual understanding) in the context of their doctrinal and legal support

The purpose of this article is to address current issues of doctrinal and legal security of economic security of the state with the actualisation of issues concerning the relationship between the concepts of “economic security” and “economic sovereignty” in their relationship and mutual understanding. The authors pay attention to the analysis of existing in the national legal doctrines of individual countries scientific approaches to the definition of “economic sovereignty”, clarify its main features, analyse the scientific approaches of domestic and foreign researchers to define the concept of “economic security” and on this basis own vision of the instrumental content of these definitions. It is argued that the concept of “economic sovereignty” is primary in relation to the concept of “economic security”. The article examines the national systems (models) of economic security of the state, including, in particular, American, Japanese, Chinese, models of institutional entities (in particular, the EU), models typical of countries with economies in transition. The authors found that Ukraine is characterised by a system (model) of economic security of countries with economies in transition, which is fragmented and inconsistent in its construction, which ultimately affects the state of economic security of the state as a whole. It was found that the main goal of Ukraine at this stage of its development in the context of building a national model of economic security is to create an effective system of means to overcome or minimise existing or potential threats, especially in the context of globalisation of trade and economic relations. The paper emphasises the need to borrow positive foreign experience of legal support of relations for the creation and implementation of national systems of economic security of the state to gradually transform Ukraine into an important participant in the processes of international economic security

Market transformations in the banking sector of Ukraine: a view through the prism of "non-economic" policy

The author analyzes the processes occurring in the banking sector of Ukraine from the standpoint of "non-economic" policy, the theory of which is currently being discussed in modern economics. According to the author, the impact of such a policy does not allow Ukraine to find the optimal strategy for its development, in particular regarding the regulation in the banking sector. One of the reasons for this is the shortage of public administration, which is generally characteristic of countries with economies in transition. It is proved that the NBU's "settlement" of the banking market after 2014 was extremely unsuccessful from an economic point of view. Quantitative estimates of losses suffered by the Ukrainian economy as a result of the campaign to clean up the banking sector during 2014-2016 are presented and analyzed. Through the prism of the typology of "non-economic" policy, the author considers the processes of demonetization of Ukraine's economy and current problems of the national stock market. It is determined that during the reforms in the banking sector, the adoption by the ruling elite, as well as the by the judiciary, of a series of uncalculated and unconsidered decisions poorly consistent with Ukraine’s specific features led to destructive consequences, which affect the long-term development of the country's economy. In addition to economic losses (more than 10 billion USD) and the planting of a ticking bomb under the future lending, the "bankfall" brought about social damage, which is the loss, by the most active segment of the population, of the confidence in the economic strategy proposed by government officials. In recent years, after the crisis of 2014, no banking institutions have been registered, while the number of banks’ separate branches is rapidly declining, along with the corresponding number of jobs. The author concludes that the current practice of selling liquidation assets of bankrupt banks will have a long-term negative effect, because it benefited bad creditors who bought their overdue debt at a discount through third parties, while the most active part of the population (depositors "200+" and small and medium businesses) suffered losses and lost confidence in banks. It is noted that the main reason for Ukraine to choose the "non-economic" policy is the separation of the management decisions from real socio-economic needs. As a result, the economic decisions initiated in this area not only cause material damage, but also hinder this country’s civilizational advancement.

Municipal Bonds as a Financial Component of the Development of Territorial Communities in Ukraine

The world economic thought has a number of tools, the use of which helps attract financial investment and helps accumulate additional funds for infrastructure and social projects of municipalities. The issue of municipal bonds as a financial component of the development of territorial communities is considered vital for this research in which the factors that determine the ability to borrow are highlighted. The advantages and disadvantages of using municipal bonds by local governments are also identified. It is realized that the world experience in the application of municipal bonds is contradictory and ambiguous. It is established that the best results from the use of bonds have been the municipalities of countries with a high level of development and municipal management, which determines the demand for this type of securities from investors. The use of municipal bond in countries with economies in transition has led to a number of municipal defaults, resulting in severe restrictions on their issuance by central authorities. The united communities of Ukraine require additional financial resources. Smaller municipalities are characterized by a high rate of budget subsidies and low average income per community. Ukrainian territorial communities’ municipal bonds are used insufficiently in comparison to developed industrial countries. Factors that shape the risks of implementing a system of local borrowing in Ukraine are identified and include lack of recognition and registration of local governments as legal entities under public law, imperfection of legislation, lack of experience in local borrowing, lack of clear information about the available resources of local communities and their valuation.