The aim of the current paper is to survey significant literature on the role of institutions in e... more The aim of the current paper is to survey significant literature on the role of institutions in economic performance. A recent body of literature has argued that the institutions are the fundamental cause of differences in economic development. Section II outlines the debate on the role of state in economics. Section III describes the theoretical framework of institutions. Section IV illustrates the role of institutions in economic performance by quantitative proof. Section V concludes the article
The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the crosssector a... more The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the crosssector and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia. The methods used are document analysis (research papers, policy papers), a survey of professionals in sectoral ministries on the cross-sectoral and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia, as well as a participant observation of the regional policy planning and cross-sectoral policy coordination from 2008 to 2010
Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas... more Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas reģionos 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā, kā arī sniegt priekšlikumus ES Kohēzijas politikas finansējuma sadales optimizēšanai starp Latvijas reģioniem. Dati par ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā liecina, ka finansējuma sadalījums ir tuvs iedzīvotāju skaita sadalījumam reģionos, un vairāk finansējuma un finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju saņēmuši augstāk attīstītie reģioni. Izņēmums ir 4.prioritāte „Lauku un zivsaimniecības attīstības veicināšana”, kuras ietvaros vairāk finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju saņēmuši vājāk attīstītie reģioni. Izmantojot metodiku, ar kādu ES fondu finansējums tika sadalīts starp ES NUTS II reģioniem 2007.-2013.plānošanas periodā, un statistikas datus par 2005.gadu, tika aprēķināts finansējuma sadalījums starp Latvijas NUTS III reģioniem. Piedāvātā aprēķina metode līdzsvaro finansējuma sadalījumu starp reģioniem, vairāk finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju piešķirot vājāk attīstītiem reģioniem un novēršot situāciju, kad finansējuma sadalījums ir tieši proporcionāls iedzīvotāju sadalījumam reģionos. Vienlaikus reģionālo kvotu ieviešanai nepieciešams veikt būtiskas izmaiņas ES fondu vadības sistēmā, veidojot ES fondu reģionālās darbības programmas
Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas... more Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas reģionos 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā, kā arī sniegt priekšlikumus ES Kohēzijas politikas finansējuma optimizēšanai starp Latvijas reģioniem. Dati par ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā liecina, ka finansējuma sadalījums ir tuvs iedzīvotāju skaita sadalījumam reģionos, un vairāk finansējuma un finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju saņēmuši augstākattīstītie reģioni. Izmantojot metodiku, ar kādu ES fondu finansējums tika sadalīts starp ES NUTS II reģioniem 2007.-2013.plānošanas periodā, un reģionālās attīstības rādītājus, tika aprēķināts finansējuma sadalījums starp Latvijas NUTS III reģioniem. Piedāvātā aprēķina metode līdzsvaro finansējuma sadalījumu starp reģioniem, vairāk finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju piešķirot vājāk attīstītiem reģioniem un novēršot situāciju, kad finansējuma sadalījums ir tieši proporcionāls iedzīvotāju sadalījumam reģionos. Izmantojot piedāvāto aprēķina metodi, ES struktūrfondu finansējums atbilstoši ES kohēzijas politikas pamatprincipiem veicinātu vājāk attīstīto reģionu attīstību. Tādējādi tiktu celts dzīves līmenis un konkurētspēja visā valsts teritorijā, jo attīstības koncentrēšanās atsevišķās teritorijās neļauj pilnībā izmantot visas Latvijas teritorijas attīstības potenciālu, kavējot ilgtspējīgu valsts reģionālo attīstību. Vienlaikus reģionālo kvotu ieviešanai nepieciešams veikt būtiskas izmaiņas ES fondu vadības sistēmā, ieviešot ES fondu reģionālās darbības programmas
The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the cross-sector ... more The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the cross-sector and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia. The methods used are document analysis (research papers, policy papers), a survey of professionals in sectoral ministries on the cross-sectoral and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia, as well as a participant observation of the regional policy planning and cross-sectoral policy coordination from 2008 to 2010
Zinātniskā monogrāfija apstiprināta publicēšanai RTU Zinātnes padomes sēdē 2019. gada 16. septemb... more Zinātniskā monogrāfija apstiprināta publicēšanai RTU Zinātnes padomes sēdē 2019. gada 16. septembrī, protokols Nr. 04000-3/8. The collective scientific monograph has been published in accordance with the resolution of RTU Scientific Council of 16th September, 2019, Minutes No. 04000-3/8.
Population decline is taking place in rural areas in Latvia as well as in rural areas in Europe. ... more Population decline is taking place in rural areas in Latvia as well as in rural areas in Europe. There is a question of utmost importance - will people choose to live in the rural area doing remote work or will they choose the job in the towns. Increased pace of population declining is forecasted in the event of steady decreasing working places and services. Growing service costs per inhabitant may infl uence lowering of accessibility of some services in the territory. Till nowadays measurements of telework potential have been made in the national and regional level. There is shortage of these measurements in different municipalities. The purpose of this article is to study the attitude of Latvian people with regard to telework adoption in two municipalities: Limbazi and Balvi in Latvia. Scientists indicate a positive effect of the information and communication technology (ICT) on the local economy if it is integrated into rural economy relating with needs of entrepreneurs and inhab...
Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a kn... more Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a knowledge economy. However, rural SMEs experience various obstacles that hinder the adoption of innovation. The aim of this paper is to identify the main challenges and opportunities for the introduction of innovation in rural SMEs. The evidence is drawn from relevant literature and stakeholder discussions covering six European countries (Bulgaria Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and Slovenia). The main challenges in adopting innovation in rural SMEs are shortcomings in the environment for innovation, inappropriate innovation policies and support measures, lack of knowledge and skills within companies, difficulties to hire a new skilled work force and low competitiveness compared to urban counterparts. Consequently, policy recommendations are proposed for promoting innovation in rural SMEs by focusing on cooperation and networking, information and training, innovation support program...
Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. Th... more Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. The policy coordination enables synergy or at least prevents overlapping and conflicts of sector policies, which is increasingly important due to growing complexity of many policy issues. The article analyses the notion of policy coordination and offers a classification of the types of policy coordination. It also evaluates the policy coordination in Latvia by analysing national legislation, policy papers and the opinion of public administration officials. Consequently, the article proposes solutions for increasing the policy coordination in Latvia.Esminiai iššūkiai visuomenei yra iš dalies sutampantys ir neatitinka administracinių struktūrų. Politikos koordinavimas užtikrina sinergiją ar bent jau užkerta kelią painiavai ir konfliktams tarp įvairių sričių politikų, o tai labai svarbu turint omeny vis didėjantį sprendžiamų klausimų painumą. Parašytuose darbuose analizuojama politikos koordi...
The proportion of rural population is decreasing all over Europe; young and qualified people are ... more The proportion of rural population is decreasing all over Europe; young and qualified people are the first to leave because of the lack of challenging jobs in the countryside. The in-migration of qualified professionals, which have good market-contacts with the core regions, only to a small extent mitigates the decrees of socioeconomic activity in the periphery (Grimes, 2000). However, the establishment of smart work centres relying on networks and market contacts can help repopulate rural communities
Cities and towns are the socioeconomic growth poles. The purpose of this article is to evaluate s... more Cities and towns are the socioeconomic growth poles. The purpose of this article is to evaluate socioeconomic development tendencies of major cities and towns (with more than 10 000 inhabitants) in Latvia. To illustrate development in a focused way, three main indicators are used: income of inhabitants, unemployment level and density of inhabitants. Separate development level and rate indexes are elaborated for each of indicators, as well as an aggregated indicator for the overall socioeconomic development rate and level. Indexes are combined in development level-rate matrix, where x axis represents development level and y axis – development rate. Horizontal axis crosses vertical axis at 0,5 which is the average possible value of development level and rate index. It enables to place cities and towns in four quadrants, as follows: leaders, up-and-comers, losing ground and laggards. The matrix also graphically represents the number of inhabitants in each city and town. The evaluation ...
The aim of the paper is to quantitatively evaluate the quality of institutions in innovation-driv... more The aim of the paper is to quantitatively evaluate the quality of institutions in innovation-driven economies. First, the authors define institutions as socially approved behaviour models that restrict the rationality of an individual and constrain or encourage specific behaviour and classify institutions into two groups - governance institutions and value institutions. Secondly, the authors propose and implement an innovative and consistent yet simple and informative methodology for quantitative evaluation of institutions. The core of the methodology is the Institution Index Matrix that combines Institution Index and Institutional Potential Index in a single framework, where the level of quality of institutions is placed on X axis and the results of policies that facilitate growth-friendly institutions– on the Y axis.To measure the quality of institutions several World Bank’s World Development and Worldwide Governance Indicators are used as well as the results from the World Value ...
Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. Th... more Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. The policy coordination enables synergy or at least prevents overlapping and conflicts of sector policies, which is increasingly important due to growing complexity of many policy issues. The article analyses the notion of policy coordination and offers a classification of the types of policy coordination. It also evaluates the policy coordination in Latvia by analysing national legislation, policy papers and the opinion of public administration officials. Consequently, the article proposes solutions for increasing the policy coordination in Latvia.
“The most successful economies and societies in the twenty-first century will be creative ones. C... more “The most successful economies and societies in the twenty-first century will be creative ones. Creativity will make the difference – to businesses seeking a competitive edge, to societies looking for new ways to tackle issues and improve the quality of life.” is written in the foreword of United Kingdom’s Creative Industries Mapping Document 2001. Indeed research shows that cultural and creative sector is a well performing by increasing its share of economic activity and indirectly contributing to growth in others sectors and local development in general. According to three T’s economic growth theory by R. Florida, main drivers of development are technologies, tolerance and the creative class and talent – people that are well educated and deal with creative or conceptual tasks in their professional life. Taking this into account, the aim of this article is to verify hypothesis that cities in Latvia with higher share of creative class and talent perform better than the others. It will be done by analyzing the correlations between the proportion of creative class and talent with the trends of socioeconomic development in 10 major Latvian cities. The research only partly approves the hypothesis that cities with higher share of creative class and talent develop at a faster rate. Analysis of trends of socioeconomic development and creativity indicators in 10 major Latvian cities confirms that cities with higher share of creative class (scientists, engineers, artists, musicians, architects, managers etc. as a proportion of working age population) develop more rapidly and attracts more residents. However there is no significant correlation between the growth rates and the share of human capital (working age inhabitants with tertiary education), scientific talent (working age inhabitants employed in life, physical and social science occupations) and bohemians (working age inhabitants employed in arts, design, entertainment and sports occupations). The research shows that more talented cities, especially regarding the share of creative class and human capital, have higher overall development level and lower unemployment. Also there is an evidence of direct link between the share of human capital and creative class and the level of personal income
Via Latgalica ir recenzējams izdevums ar starptautisku redakcijas kolēģiju. Visus iesniegtos raks... more Via Latgalica ir recenzējams izdevums ar starptautisku redakcijas kolēģiju. Visus iesniegtos rakstus pirms to publicēšanas recenzenti novērtē un akceptē. Via Latgalica is a peer-reviewed journal with an international panel of reviewers. All articles
In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic re... more In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic region. Drawing evidence from the 1897 population census in the Russian Empire, we find that localities with a higher share of German historical population are inclined to be more developed in contemporary Latvia and Estonia. Furthermore, based on the Life-In-Transition Survey (LiTS), we use robust regression discontinuity and identify persistent differential patterns of socioeconomic and political preferences across the borders of the former imperial territories of Estland, Livonia (Swedish Livonia), Letgallia (Polish Livonia) and Courland. Hence, we argue for the persistence of legacies as drivers of divergent development paths in the regions of Latvia and Estonia.
Purpose of the article: More usually companies are using telework – a wide-spread practice that a... more Purpose of the article: More usually companies are using telework – a wide-spread practice that allows employees and their tasks to be shared across settings away from central place of business or physical organizational location. Flexible work arrangements are increasingly seen as a key in helping women and men strike a better balance between work, private and family life. Moreover, telework may serve as a tool for regional development as it allows reaching the concentration of resources by using information and communication technologies. Methodology/methods: The article has been prepared based on the analysis of primary and secondary sources, outcome synthesis and the evaluation of results of a survey of public officials of Latvia (n=1244) and semistructured interviews with five teleworkers. Scientific aim: The purpose of this research is to assess the demand for telework in Latvia and make suggestions for the facilitation of telework (not only in metropolitan, but also less popu...
In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic re... more In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic region. Drawing evidence from the 1897 population census in the Russian Empire, we find that localities with a higher share of German historical population are inclined to be more developed in contemporary Latvia and Estonia. Furthermore, based on the Life-In-Transition Survey (LiTS), we use robust regression discontinuity and identify persistent differential patterns of socioeconomic and political preferences across the borders of the former imperial territories of Estland, Livonia (Swedish Livonia), Letgallia (Polish Livonia) and Courland. Hence, we argue for the persistence of legacies as drivers of divergent development paths in the regions of Latvia and Estonia.
Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a kn... more Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a knowledge economy. However, rural SMEs experience various obstacles that hinder the adoption of innovation. The aim of this paper is to identify the main challenges and opportunities for the introduction of innovation in rural SMEs. The evidence is drawn from relevant literature and stakeholder discussions covering six European countries (Bulgaria Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and Slovenia). The main challenges in adopting innovation in rural SMEs are shortcomings in the environment for innovation, inappropriate innovation policies and support measures, lack of knowledge and skills within companies, difficulties to hire a new skilled work force and low competitiveness compared to urban counterparts. Consequently, policy recommendations are proposed for promoting innovation in rural SMEs by focusing on cooperation and networking, information and training, innovation support program...
The aim of the current paper is to survey significant literature on the role of institutions in e... more The aim of the current paper is to survey significant literature on the role of institutions in economic performance. A recent body of literature has argued that the institutions are the fundamental cause of differences in economic development. Section II outlines the debate on the role of state in economics. Section III describes the theoretical framework of institutions. Section IV illustrates the role of institutions in economic performance by quantitative proof. Section V concludes the article
The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the crosssector a... more The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the crosssector and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia. The methods used are document analysis (research papers, policy papers), a survey of professionals in sectoral ministries on the cross-sectoral and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia, as well as a participant observation of the regional policy planning and cross-sectoral policy coordination from 2008 to 2010
Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas... more Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas reģionos 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā, kā arī sniegt priekšlikumus ES Kohēzijas politikas finansējuma sadales optimizēšanai starp Latvijas reģioniem. Dati par ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā liecina, ka finansējuma sadalījums ir tuvs iedzīvotāju skaita sadalījumam reģionos, un vairāk finansējuma un finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju saņēmuši augstāk attīstītie reģioni. Izņēmums ir 4.prioritāte „Lauku un zivsaimniecības attīstības veicināšana”, kuras ietvaros vairāk finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju saņēmuši vājāk attīstītie reģioni. Izmantojot metodiku, ar kādu ES fondu finansējums tika sadalīts starp ES NUTS II reģioniem 2007.-2013.plānošanas periodā, un statistikas datus par 2005.gadu, tika aprēķināts finansējuma sadalījums starp Latvijas NUTS III reģioniem. Piedāvātā aprēķina metode līdzsvaro finansējuma sadalījumu starp reģioniem, vairāk finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju piešķirot vājāk attīstītiem reģioniem un novēršot situāciju, kad finansējuma sadalījums ir tieši proporcionāls iedzīvotāju sadalījumam reģionos. Vienlaikus reģionālo kvotu ieviešanai nepieciešams veikt būtiskas izmaiņas ES fondu vadības sistēmā, veidojot ES fondu reģionālās darbības programmas
Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas... more Raksta mērķis ir izdarīt secinājumus par 1.mērķa ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu Latvijas reģionos 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā, kā arī sniegt priekšlikumus ES Kohēzijas politikas finansējuma optimizēšanai starp Latvijas reģioniem. Dati par ES struktūrfondu finansējuma sadalījumu 2004.-2006.gada plānošanas periodā liecina, ka finansējuma sadalījums ir tuvs iedzīvotāju skaita sadalījumam reģionos, un vairāk finansējuma un finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju saņēmuši augstākattīstītie reģioni. Izmantojot metodiku, ar kādu ES fondu finansējums tika sadalīts starp ES NUTS II reģioniem 2007.-2013.plānošanas periodā, un reģionālās attīstības rādītājus, tika aprēķināts finansējuma sadalījums starp Latvijas NUTS III reģioniem. Piedāvātā aprēķina metode līdzsvaro finansējuma sadalījumu starp reģioniem, vairāk finansējuma uz vienu iedzīvotāju piešķirot vājāk attīstītiem reģioniem un novēršot situāciju, kad finansējuma sadalījums ir tieši proporcionāls iedzīvotāju sadalījumam reģionos. Izmantojot piedāvāto aprēķina metodi, ES struktūrfondu finansējums atbilstoši ES kohēzijas politikas pamatprincipiem veicinātu vājāk attīstīto reģionu attīstību. Tādējādi tiktu celts dzīves līmenis un konkurētspēja visā valsts teritorijā, jo attīstības koncentrēšanās atsevišķās teritorijās neļauj pilnībā izmantot visas Latvijas teritorijas attīstības potenciālu, kavējot ilgtspējīgu valsts reģionālo attīstību. Vienlaikus reģionālo kvotu ieviešanai nepieciešams veikt būtiskas izmaiņas ES fondu vadības sistēmā, ieviešot ES fondu reģionālās darbības programmas
The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the cross-sector ... more The goal of this paper is to analyse the current trends and future prospects of the cross-sector and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia. The methods used are document analysis (research papers, policy papers), a survey of professionals in sectoral ministries on the cross-sectoral and multi-level policy coordination in Latvia, as well as a participant observation of the regional policy planning and cross-sectoral policy coordination from 2008 to 2010
Zinātniskā monogrāfija apstiprināta publicēšanai RTU Zinātnes padomes sēdē 2019. gada 16. septemb... more Zinātniskā monogrāfija apstiprināta publicēšanai RTU Zinātnes padomes sēdē 2019. gada 16. septembrī, protokols Nr. 04000-3/8. The collective scientific monograph has been published in accordance with the resolution of RTU Scientific Council of 16th September, 2019, Minutes No. 04000-3/8.
Population decline is taking place in rural areas in Latvia as well as in rural areas in Europe. ... more Population decline is taking place in rural areas in Latvia as well as in rural areas in Europe. There is a question of utmost importance - will people choose to live in the rural area doing remote work or will they choose the job in the towns. Increased pace of population declining is forecasted in the event of steady decreasing working places and services. Growing service costs per inhabitant may infl uence lowering of accessibility of some services in the territory. Till nowadays measurements of telework potential have been made in the national and regional level. There is shortage of these measurements in different municipalities. The purpose of this article is to study the attitude of Latvian people with regard to telework adoption in two municipalities: Limbazi and Balvi in Latvia. Scientists indicate a positive effect of the information and communication technology (ICT) on the local economy if it is integrated into rural economy relating with needs of entrepreneurs and inhab...
Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a kn... more Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a knowledge economy. However, rural SMEs experience various obstacles that hinder the adoption of innovation. The aim of this paper is to identify the main challenges and opportunities for the introduction of innovation in rural SMEs. The evidence is drawn from relevant literature and stakeholder discussions covering six European countries (Bulgaria Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and Slovenia). The main challenges in adopting innovation in rural SMEs are shortcomings in the environment for innovation, inappropriate innovation policies and support measures, lack of knowledge and skills within companies, difficulties to hire a new skilled work force and low competitiveness compared to urban counterparts. Consequently, policy recommendations are proposed for promoting innovation in rural SMEs by focusing on cooperation and networking, information and training, innovation support program...
Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. Th... more Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. The policy coordination enables synergy or at least prevents overlapping and conflicts of sector policies, which is increasingly important due to growing complexity of many policy issues. The article analyses the notion of policy coordination and offers a classification of the types of policy coordination. It also evaluates the policy coordination in Latvia by analysing national legislation, policy papers and the opinion of public administration officials. Consequently, the article proposes solutions for increasing the policy coordination in Latvia.Esminiai iššūkiai visuomenei yra iš dalies sutampantys ir neatitinka administracinių struktūrų. Politikos koordinavimas užtikrina sinergiją ar bent jau užkerta kelią painiavai ir konfliktams tarp įvairių sričių politikų, o tai labai svarbu turint omeny vis didėjantį sprendžiamų klausimų painumą. Parašytuose darbuose analizuojama politikos koordi...
The proportion of rural population is decreasing all over Europe; young and qualified people are ... more The proportion of rural population is decreasing all over Europe; young and qualified people are the first to leave because of the lack of challenging jobs in the countryside. The in-migration of qualified professionals, which have good market-contacts with the core regions, only to a small extent mitigates the decrees of socioeconomic activity in the periphery (Grimes, 2000). However, the establishment of smart work centres relying on networks and market contacts can help repopulate rural communities
Cities and towns are the socioeconomic growth poles. The purpose of this article is to evaluate s... more Cities and towns are the socioeconomic growth poles. The purpose of this article is to evaluate socioeconomic development tendencies of major cities and towns (with more than 10 000 inhabitants) in Latvia. To illustrate development in a focused way, three main indicators are used: income of inhabitants, unemployment level and density of inhabitants. Separate development level and rate indexes are elaborated for each of indicators, as well as an aggregated indicator for the overall socioeconomic development rate and level. Indexes are combined in development level-rate matrix, where x axis represents development level and y axis – development rate. Horizontal axis crosses vertical axis at 0,5 which is the average possible value of development level and rate index. It enables to place cities and towns in four quadrants, as follows: leaders, up-and-comers, losing ground and laggards. The matrix also graphically represents the number of inhabitants in each city and town. The evaluation ...
The aim of the paper is to quantitatively evaluate the quality of institutions in innovation-driv... more The aim of the paper is to quantitatively evaluate the quality of institutions in innovation-driven economies. First, the authors define institutions as socially approved behaviour models that restrict the rationality of an individual and constrain or encourage specific behaviour and classify institutions into two groups - governance institutions and value institutions. Secondly, the authors propose and implement an innovative and consistent yet simple and informative methodology for quantitative evaluation of institutions. The core of the methodology is the Institution Index Matrix that combines Institution Index and Institutional Potential Index in a single framework, where the level of quality of institutions is placed on X axis and the results of policies that facilitate growth-friendly institutions– on the Y axis.To measure the quality of institutions several World Bank’s World Development and Worldwide Governance Indicators are used as well as the results from the World Value ...
Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. Th... more Key societal challenges are cross-sectoral and do not correspond to administrative structures. The policy coordination enables synergy or at least prevents overlapping and conflicts of sector policies, which is increasingly important due to growing complexity of many policy issues. The article analyses the notion of policy coordination and offers a classification of the types of policy coordination. It also evaluates the policy coordination in Latvia by analysing national legislation, policy papers and the opinion of public administration officials. Consequently, the article proposes solutions for increasing the policy coordination in Latvia.
“The most successful economies and societies in the twenty-first century will be creative ones. C... more “The most successful economies and societies in the twenty-first century will be creative ones. Creativity will make the difference – to businesses seeking a competitive edge, to societies looking for new ways to tackle issues and improve the quality of life.” is written in the foreword of United Kingdom’s Creative Industries Mapping Document 2001. Indeed research shows that cultural and creative sector is a well performing by increasing its share of economic activity and indirectly contributing to growth in others sectors and local development in general. According to three T’s economic growth theory by R. Florida, main drivers of development are technologies, tolerance and the creative class and talent – people that are well educated and deal with creative or conceptual tasks in their professional life. Taking this into account, the aim of this article is to verify hypothesis that cities in Latvia with higher share of creative class and talent perform better than the others. It will be done by analyzing the correlations between the proportion of creative class and talent with the trends of socioeconomic development in 10 major Latvian cities. The research only partly approves the hypothesis that cities with higher share of creative class and talent develop at a faster rate. Analysis of trends of socioeconomic development and creativity indicators in 10 major Latvian cities confirms that cities with higher share of creative class (scientists, engineers, artists, musicians, architects, managers etc. as a proportion of working age population) develop more rapidly and attracts more residents. However there is no significant correlation between the growth rates and the share of human capital (working age inhabitants with tertiary education), scientific talent (working age inhabitants employed in life, physical and social science occupations) and bohemians (working age inhabitants employed in arts, design, entertainment and sports occupations). The research shows that more talented cities, especially regarding the share of creative class and human capital, have higher overall development level and lower unemployment. Also there is an evidence of direct link between the share of human capital and creative class and the level of personal income
Via Latgalica ir recenzējams izdevums ar starptautisku redakcijas kolēģiju. Visus iesniegtos raks... more Via Latgalica ir recenzējams izdevums ar starptautisku redakcijas kolēģiju. Visus iesniegtos rakstus pirms to publicēšanas recenzenti novērtē un akceptē. Via Latgalica is a peer-reviewed journal with an international panel of reviewers. All articles
In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic re... more In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic region. Drawing evidence from the 1897 population census in the Russian Empire, we find that localities with a higher share of German historical population are inclined to be more developed in contemporary Latvia and Estonia. Furthermore, based on the Life-In-Transition Survey (LiTS), we use robust regression discontinuity and identify persistent differential patterns of socioeconomic and political preferences across the borders of the former imperial territories of Estland, Livonia (Swedish Livonia), Letgallia (Polish Livonia) and Courland. Hence, we argue for the persistence of legacies as drivers of divergent development paths in the regions of Latvia and Estonia.
Purpose of the article: More usually companies are using telework – a wide-spread practice that a... more Purpose of the article: More usually companies are using telework – a wide-spread practice that allows employees and their tasks to be shared across settings away from central place of business or physical organizational location. Flexible work arrangements are increasingly seen as a key in helping women and men strike a better balance between work, private and family life. Moreover, telework may serve as a tool for regional development as it allows reaching the concentration of resources by using information and communication technologies. Methodology/methods: The article has been prepared based on the analysis of primary and secondary sources, outcome synthesis and the evaluation of results of a survey of public officials of Latvia (n=1244) and semistructured interviews with five teleworkers. Scientific aim: The purpose of this research is to assess the demand for telework in Latvia and make suggestions for the facilitation of telework (not only in metropolitan, but also less popu...
In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic re... more In this paper, we explore the long-run effects of cultural and imperial legacies in the Baltic region. Drawing evidence from the 1897 population census in the Russian Empire, we find that localities with a higher share of German historical population are inclined to be more developed in contemporary Latvia and Estonia. Furthermore, based on the Life-In-Transition Survey (LiTS), we use robust regression discontinuity and identify persistent differential patterns of socioeconomic and political preferences across the borders of the former imperial territories of Estland, Livonia (Swedish Livonia), Letgallia (Polish Livonia) and Courland. Hence, we argue for the persistence of legacies as drivers of divergent development paths in the regions of Latvia and Estonia.
Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a kn... more Adoption of innovation plays a crucial role in the transformation of the countryside towards a knowledge economy. However, rural SMEs experience various obstacles that hinder the adoption of innovation. The aim of this paper is to identify the main challenges and opportunities for the introduction of innovation in rural SMEs. The evidence is drawn from relevant literature and stakeholder discussions covering six European countries (Bulgaria Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and Slovenia). The main challenges in adopting innovation in rural SMEs are shortcomings in the environment for innovation, inappropriate innovation policies and support measures, lack of knowledge and skills within companies, difficulties to hire a new skilled work force and low competitiveness compared to urban counterparts. Consequently, policy recommendations are proposed for promoting innovation in rural SMEs by focusing on cooperation and networking, information and training, innovation support program...
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Papers by Alise Vitola