Suchergebnisse

This paper discusses the efficiency of the central banks in the field of the integration process of the European System of Central Banks. The authors have based their research on a number of opinions regarding the effectiveness of expenses of central banks and the analysis of efficiency indicators of the EU central banks and the European Central Bank. The innovative aspect of this paper lies in finding trends for the efficiency indicators and policy developments of the central banks of the EU countries. Some differences have been detected for several indicators of the central banks of the EU15 countries and the central banks of the other EU countries, which prove that there is still room for improving the accountability and transparency of the European System of Central Banks.

The Lithuanian language is the state language of the Republic of Lithuania, the status of which wasconsolidated by the citizens of the Republic in the Constitution enacted through the Referendum of October25, 1992. The Lithuanian language is the only state language of the Republic of Lithuania. The aim ofthe article is to analyze the policy of the Lithuanian language as well as to evaluate its administrative results.The following basic research methods were applied: analysis of scientific sources, juridical documents,consideration of needs of the society. It is shown that principles of interaction among various instructionsfor language policy implementation require coherent regulation and provision of some nationallaws and the European Union legal acts.

Aiming to reveal contemporary trends in the area of research on governance and management of the highereducation institutions in Lithuania, the article analyses scientific issues and solutions that have been presented inthe last decade monographs and dissertations.As the analysis shows, higher education in Lithuania has been undergoing huge deformations, so its ambitionsare to enter the common space of higher education in Europe. So academic community tries to catch up with thedeveloped countries. Therefore the most research works have been directed toward justification of fundamentalconcepts, such as democratic or massive higher education and to emphasize corresponding ideas necessary for thepromotion of reforms in higher education. The significance of these aims is envisaged in laying theoretical foundationsfor improvement of governance and management in the institutions and system of higher education. There arealso issues researched concerning culture fluctuation of academic community, quality assurance and evaluation aswell as management of finance, that point out the strive of researchers for the adoption of "new management"conditions.The analysis of the above mentioned scientific works enabled to draw out conclusions: researches have beenfocused mainly on the control of introducing change in higher education institutions settings, followed by suchcategories as acculturation, modernization and quality assurance.

The influence of workers for economy development is unquestioned phenomenon. The modern managerial theories highlight the emergence of new engines which stimulates the growth processes of economy. Knowledge and information consider as new types of growth engines totally changed the features of XXI'st century's economy. As a consequence of USA's economy's transformations new class of workers – knowledge workers – emerged in the early 1960's. It is a key to stress that economies' of different world countries are shaped by many micro- and macro-factors. One of them is migration. As a rule knowledge-based economies' (KBE) are particularly sensitive for the consequences of knowledge workers migration. Mentioned factors stimulated the choice of the object for the research. Wherefore comparing and systemizing different scientific works the definition of knowledge workers and classification of knowledge workers categories considering occupation are presented in the article. The analysis is pointed out to the explanation of factors of knowledge workers migration in the individual and governmental level. The conclusion was made that migration of knowledge workers usually causes the effects of "brain drain", "brain gain", "brain circulation", "brain exchange" and "brain waste". The expression of these is analyzed in the article as well. In order to suggest the concrete actions how to suspend and attract knowledge workers to Lithuania the tendencies of knowledge workers migration in EU and the world were presented in the article. There was highlighted the main destinations of knowledge workers migration as well as the traditional consequences of knowledge workers migration for the country's economy.

Neoliberal economic policies focus on supply-side measures emphasising the role of the market in efficient resource allocation. Neoliberal policies advocate the case for a minimalist, non-interventionist government, stating that social welfare can be best advanced by promoting individual entrepreneurial freedoms. The role of the state should be limited to providing and protecting the preconditions for economic growth and the unimpeded functioning of the market. Neoliberalism promotes a market-driven society where every person is a homo economicus. In competitive markets, the rational decisions of utility-maximising consumers and profit-maximising producers will lead to market equilibrium. Since 1992, the development of the Estonian economy has been guided by neoliberal economic policies. Decision-makers and policy-shapers tend to measure good business environment with the extent to which neoliberal policies have been implemented. However, Estonia's exceptionally high economic growth rates have not been matched by substantial improvements in the quality of life. Although its economic development has been impressive from a production-oriented point of view, from a people-oriented perspective the achievements have been much more modest. It seems that corporate welfare has replaced social welfare as an economic objective. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse neoliberal economic policies and to demonstrate their adverse socio-economic effects in Estonia. This article addresses the issue of growth versus development.

It was aspired to analyze the theoretical foundation of public participation invoking different theories explainingthis phenomenon. Theses involve the most widely used theories as: Theory of Social Capital – becauseit is still the most popular foundation in solving participation problems; Rational Choice theory – because it hasnot only features of universal theory, but is successfully used in all behaviour sciences, and certainly explainsmeasuring process (what it is the base of decision assumption in any individuals activity, in participation aswell) of participation's benefit and loss; Theory of Democracy – because it is treated as an essential assumption,the foundation to the further construct analyze and practical realization of participating ideas. Such anapproach was taken, because there is no only one universal theory explaining the phenomenon of participationinvolving different attitudes. There are chosen different theories depending on context. Authors do not intend togenerate such a theory, this is just assay to discuss the main theories, often over-passing limits of the other one,identifying problems, which hinder to shape an universal theory of participant foundation. There is confinedfrom comprehensive public or participant concepts' operationalization.

Establishment of Competence Centres is one of the main tasks on the European Union agenda. The article aims to analyse the possible impact such Competence Centres might have in Lithuania. The main purpose of Competence Centre is to encourage science and business collaboration in increasing effectiveness and efficiency of high added value article production. The newly established and currently not wide spread Competence Centres are encouraged by EU: the main goal of Lisbon Strategy is to set up necessary conditions for creation of critical mass in particular research areas. Developing significant European Competence Centres, which would be ready for international collaboration and for attraction of high qualified scientists from all over the Europe, could encourage competitiveness of the region as well as the competitiveness of EU itself. Therefore, this would be a huge step of Lithuania's Knowledge Economy in catching up with the EU innovation leaders. Thus, the article captures: analysis of science and business potential in Lithuania, analysis of success stories of Competence Centres and suggestions on the possible model for boosting the development of Competence Centres in Lithuania.

The paper deals with the impact of European integration on civil societies of the Baltic states in 1988-2004. The research applies an analytical framework derived from theories of civil society, democratization,and Europeanization. Identified are 4 mechanisms of the impact of the integration into the EU on thedevelopment of civil society of the Baltic states: the Political Accession Criterion of Democracy and the Ruleof Law; the EU programmes for democracy promotion and the direct aid; reforms and adaptation of acquiscommunautaire; transnational networks and interest representation at the EU level. Along with these mechanisms,the impact of the integration into the EU on civil societies of the Baltic states is analyzed as theprocess of socialization and learning.

The history of literary copyright in nineteenth century Britain is dominated - understandably perhaps - by a preoccupation with the passing and impact of the Copyright Amendment Act 1842, so ably lobbied for by Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd. This article, however, draws attention away from the 1842 Act towards the Copyright Act 1814, the first legislative provision within British copyright law to introduce a lifetime term of protection for the author. Why and on what basis did the legislature do so? In bringing a renewed attention to this often overlooked legislative measure, we consider the context and logic that underpinned to grant of a copyright term that was tethered to the life of the author. In doing so, we might also find a useful prism through which to look afresh at current copyright debates concerning the appropriate nature and scope of copyright protection in the 21st century.

This paper analyses the long – term trends of social and economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe under the conditions of EU enlargement and the processes of globalization. The general and specific trends before and after EU enlargement as well as in the future are described and compared. Some new non-traditional ideas and models of possible economic development in the future are discussed. The processes of development of integral European economic, social and cultural space, the processes of the creation of knowledge based society and knowledge economy are analyzed. The following features of economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe in the period of EU enlargement and further globalization in the future deserve particular attention: intensive diversification of traditional economic structures, profound changes in all sectors of the national economic systems, creation of new forms of interregional cooperation in the new integral economic space; very uneven economic growth in the various countries, regions and sectors, increasing differences and disparities in economic and social development as well as between various groups in the society; intensive innovation processes taking various forms, and the realization of new models of innovation activities; controversial industrial development, very uneven technological progress, multiplication of high–technologies and new forms of industrial activity influencing the new quality life as well as new social and economic difficulties and problems.

The factors of public administration improvement in the article are being analyzed. These factors aretypical to any public administration institution regardless of its size, performance particularity or level.The goal to diagnose the condition of all public administration institutions in Lithuania was not raised forthis research. For this particular reason, the administrations of Lithuanian district municipalities becamethe object of the empirical research. The diagnosis of the condition of Lithuanian district municipalities'administrations was accomplished. On the basis of theoretical and empirical investigations of the authors,a model of performance improvement of Lithuanian public administration institutions (on the selfgovernmentlevel) was developed.

In recent years a gap between the competence and qualification of the university graduates and the labour market demand is continuously growing. That is the main reason of the overall, government supported university study curricula review and upgrade in the country, as well as motivation for introduction of new pedagogical approaches to enhance active learning. This paper deals with first activities of implementation of the contemporary study methodology into Electronics Study program at the Riga Technical University. The new curricula will introduce innovation in the study process: the change of the learning paradigm – enhancement of active learning. Besides that, the innovative aspects of the new methodological approaches lie in the meeting of the market driven requirements and development of competitive new specialists. Additionally to the individual benefits of new specialists and their future employers, the new study curricula will bring remarkable impact to the competitiveness of the university and will raise the image of the whole country. Innovative approach is used in the curricula development based on application of the Enterprise Knowledge Development method.

Performance is one of the key terms of modern public administration. Most of reform proposals speak in one or another form of strengthening performance or of introducing new performance measures/instruments into public sector organizations. Traditional public administration is usually poor in offering stimulating job contents, particularly because of over-bureaucratized regulations and narrow decision-making competencies which limit the job autonomy of civil servants. In contrary, implementing performance appraisal into public personnel management makes job more attractive regarding to career perspectives (clear and secure promotion) and extra payments for outstanding performance.

The paper aims to evaluate the main features of the creation and development of the integral culturalspace in Europe and the main problems of provision of equal rights in the context of the transitionprocesses in the Central and Eastern Europe. The paper has used the outcomes of the researchconducted over the recent several years, dedicated to the diagnostics of the problems of transformationsas well as economic and social development in Central and Eastern Europe with a special referenceto the development of the integral cultural space and human rights. Major findings show that thecreation and development of the integral cultural space in Europe is a very complex and controversialprocess and in this course various problems and conflicts arise. Therefore, to encourage the creationof the integral cultural space in Europe appropriate cultural policies are necessary to be implemented.These policies may embrace many priorities including: the preservation of cultural diversity,adaptation and dissemination of integrated European dimensions, elimination of inappropriate factorswithin humanism and democracy of all European countries, provision of equal rights in all groups ofmodern society. For implementation of key priorities of cultural policies the use of a number of pan-European scale special programmes is suggested.

The article deals with five attributes of the NGO–municipal relations: institutionalization, intensity, functionality,mutual trust and resource dependence. A theoretical model of NGO–local government relations was formedon the basis of those characteristics. The model is based on normative assumption that institutionalized,intensive, functional, based on mutual trust and in terms of resource independent NGO–municipal relationssustain local democracy.The survey conducted in municipalities of Vilnius city and Ukmerg district revealed that interaction betweenmunicipalities and NGO' s is limited by those major obstacles which is possible to distinguish into three majorproblem groups:• Intolerant attitude of municipal representatives towards NGO;• The lack of activity of NGO' s and citizens in general;• Different attitudes towards cooperation among representatives of municipalities and NGO's which negativelyaffects functionality of interaction.The identified problem groups have proximate relationship, where the first problem group (the attitude ofmunicipal representatives) has an impact on the third one (functionality of cooperation) and the second problemgroup (NGO activity), as research results suggest, may have impact on the first and third problem groups. Theresearch identified differences of interaction between municipalities and NGO' s in Vilnius city and Ukmergëdistrict, it was revealed that NGO' s are more independent and forms of their activities are more varied in Vilniusthan in Ukmergë district. Some problems that cause obstacles to the NGO-municipal interface are closely relatedto the work specifics of non-governmental and municipal organizations as well as civic culture, social psychologyand mentality of the inhabitants of Lithuania.