FORECASTING CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI) USING TIME SERIES MODELS AND MULTI REGRESSION MODELS (ALBANIA CASE STUDY)

In this work we analyse the CPI index as the official index to measure inflation in Albania, Harmo-nized Indices of Consumer Prices (HICPs) as the bases for comparative measurement of inflation in European countries and other financial indicators that may affect CPI. This study is an attempt to model CPI based on combination of multiple regression model with time series forecasting models. In the first approach, time series models were used directly on the CPI time series index to obtain the forecast. In the second approach, the time series models (SARIMA, ETS) were used to model and simulate forecast for each subcomponent with significant correlation to CPI and then use the multiple regression model to obtain CPI forecast. The projection of this indicator is important for understand-ing the country's economic and social development. This study helps researchers in the field of time series modeling, economic analysis and investments.

ECO-INNOVATIONS: DIFFERENCES IN THE TURNOVER OF ENGINEERING AND THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY FIRMS

This paper aims to examine the similarities between innovative companies in the Engineering and the Electrotechnical industry in the Czech Republic. The main question is whether R & D spending in companies with eco-innovation leads to a rise in turnover even in a short period of time. The paper uses the Burea Van Dijk database – Amadeus as a data source. This data source includes 186 large enterprises with information on employee’s numbers, turnover, sector affiliation and R & D expenditure. A binomial test of statistical significance was used for the comparison of the two groups of companies. The authors find that approximately one-third of enterprises record revenue slump. There was no statistically significant difference at the level of significance α = 0,05 between the shares of enterprises with eco-innovations that showed a decrease in turnover.

TEAMWORK IN MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENT

Even though various work organization forms and instruments exist for efficient manufacturing pro-cess and economic efficiency achievement in manufacturing enterprises, the issue is still topical which of the factors in production management – human resources or technologies is the main impellent in performance achievement in manufacturing enterprises. Research aim is to find out whether ap-proach based on teamwork is applied in performance achievement. Different level managers of eight manufacturing enterprises (total 21 managers) from Liepaja City (Latvia) and suburban area were questioned. Research results prove that in manufacturing enterprise performance characteristics of teamwork can be noticed in general. However, size of manufacturing enterprise (number of employ-ees) is the determinant factor to whether employees’ strive for a common goal and believe in team-work in

COMPUTATION INTELLIGENCE BASED DAILY ALGORITHMIC STRATEGIES FOR TRADING IN THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE MARKET

Successful trading in financial markets is not possible without a support system that manages the preparation of the data, prediction system, and risk management and evaluates the trading efficien-cy. Selected orthogonal data was used to predict exchange rates by applying recurrent neural network (RNN) software based on the open source framework Keras and the graphical processing unit (GPU) NVIDIA GTX1070 to accelerate RNN learning. The newly developed software on the GPU predicted ten high-low distributions in approximately 90 minutes. This paper compares different daily algorith-mic trading strategies based on four methods of portfolio creation: split equally, optimisation, orthogonality, and maximal expectations. Each investigated portfolio has opportunities and limita-tions dependent on market state and behaviour of investors, and the efficiencies of the trading sup-port systems for investors in foreign exchange market were tested in a demo FOREX market in real time and compared with similar results obtained for risk-free rates.

CONCEPTUAL NEW SERVICE DEVELOPMENT MODEL

In order to stand out in a competitive environment, companies are forced to consider the develop-ment of new services. In the context of globalization changes, the development of new services is be-coming an effective tool for adapting to the changing needs of consumers through the introduction of technological innovations or management solutions. By using service development models, compa-nies create favourable environment for generating and selecting ideas, and can prepare more effec-tively for the deployment of a new service. After the critical evaluation of the new service develop-ment models, conceptual new service development model was formulated. The indicators of concep-tual new service development model were presented, also the unique features were highlighted. The results of this research revealed that new service development models are perceived as an unbroken cycle, that includes additional tasks for business subjects, consumers and company employees.

EFFECTIVENESS OF RISK CAPITAL (OWN FUNDS) IN THE POLISH BANKING SECTOR IN THE YEARS OF 2002–2016

The analysis of effectiveness of risk capital in the Polish banking sector have become the main aim of the study. In the article, statistical and econometric methods were used, based on a linear regres-sion model of net profit in relation to the value of own funds of the banking sector in Poland in the years of 2002–2016. Next, through the quartile method, there were estimated the relations between effectiveness and a level of risk capital of the largest banks in Poland. Conducted research were aimed to verify the research hypothesis stating that in the Polish banking sector there is a positive cor-relation between net profit and banks’ own funds, which constitute an essential component of bank risk capital.

METHODS OF SERVICE QUALITY ASSESSMENT – PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SURVEY FOR ENTERPRISES

There are many service enterprises on the market, which offers different type of services practically every day. Quality assessment of such services is very difficult. There are many methods that can be used in such a situation, but it should be emphasized that in such researches customers’ opinions are usually used. The purpose of the paper is to present a survey on the use of methods of service quality assessment. In the paper preliminary results of the survey from point of view of the service enterprises are presented. The enterprises were asked to indicate what methods they used, what information they received thanks to such research, what happened to the obtained results and what problems they en-countered. Preliminary research was carried out between September and December 2017. The re-search will be continued throughout 2018. At the same time, the research is conducted from the point of view of the customers of such enterprises. The final results of the research will help the service en-terprises to choose right research method and can be used by various service companies.

THE ROLE OF INNOVATION AND ICT’S IN THE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SECTOR

Sustainability and innovation are strongly connected in terms of productivity and finding innovative solutions for the short and the long terms. The purpose of this article is to analyze ICT models for in-novation and sustainable development processes in the energy management sector and to identify possible solutions (Lebanese case). Using the comparative analysis method, the article will illustrate the difference between using ICT models in innovation and sustainability in energy management and the previous models used for energy production and management focusing on the results after im-plementation.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CYCLE: A SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Recently the knowledge management processes are analysed as the main source of uniqueness for the organisations, while they are facing the challenge of implementing the most efficient processes that affect their performance (Chang, Hsu, & Yen, 2012; Kianto, Vanhala, & Heilmann, 2016; Raudeliūnienė & Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė, 2016; Raudeliūnienė, Davidavičienė, & Jakubavičius, 2018; Känsäkoski, 2017). The scientists distinguish different combinations of knowledge manage-ment processes in approaching the knowledge management process and analysis has shown that knowledge management processes, studied by most scientists, do not have a clear knowledge man-agement structure (García-Fernández, 2015; Raudeliūnienė et al., 2018). The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge management concept and knowledge management cycle considering the different interpretations of scientists. The study is grounded on scientific literature review.

DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

During last years there are many new modern attitudes and trends in the field of human resources management. The article is focused to one of these trends – diversity management. The aim of the authors is to evaluate single components of diversity management namely in the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In addition different possibilities of application of diversity management in practice as instruments of CSR are submitted to analysis. The end of this article shows the results of research oriented to experience with diversity management put into practice in the selected companies in the Czech Republic.