Testing Capital Adequacy Ratio in Western Balkan Countries and It's Compliance with Basel Accord III

The capital adequacy ratio (CAR) is critical for banks' solvency and protection against unforeseen occurrences that may emerge as a result of their operations. The capital adequacy ratio is one of the metrics used to assess a bank's ability to sustain an acceptable amount of loss. Therefore, banks must provide adequate capital to comply with national and international regulatory capital requirements. The research primary objective is designed to examine the relationship between capital adequacy ratio and return on assets, liquidity assets to total assets, total assets, loan to assets ratio, and total equity to total assets as explanatory variables in Western Balkan countries. The second objective is to assess capital adequacy ratio and its compliance with Basel III requirement. The research covers the years from 2010 to 2020. The theory has neglected research of capital adequacy estimation in Western Balkan region and this research will address shortcomings enabling policy makers to better monitor capital adequacy compliance. The rationale of research consists of financial structure of Western Balkan economies which is bank-based, being economies in transition and aspiring for EU membership, no research on regional Balkan basis, bank obligations is public good, and depositors of bank have least data on capital standing and risks compare to the other stakeholders. More capitalization make bank safer therefore, capital regulation and compliance with CAR requirements became crucial tool. The econometric methods used are Panel Least Squares and Generalized Method of Moments. Generalized Method of Moments applied in research in banking field reflects new contribution to the existing literature. Novelty of research and contribution in banking is assessed taking into account the final results and empirical findings. The findings show that the banking sector in Western Balkan countries adheres to strong capital adequacy norms that surpass not only national regulatory requirements but also BIS III standard. Empirical findings indicate that Return on Assets has positive highly significant impact and Total Assets has positive impact on the capital adequacy ratio considering them as two important factors in determining capital adequacy ratio. Finally, research implications are of importance for financial regulatory authorities and banking institutions

EVROPEANIZIMI I SHQIPËRISË DHE MAQEDONISË SË VERIUT: NJË ANALIZË KRAHASIMORE E PERIUDHËS 2000-2019

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the field of Europeanisation and European Integration in the Western Balkan, as the potential region to join the European Union. For this purpose, Albania and North Macedonia were used as case studies to measure the progress of Europeanisation through the policy adaptation process in these two countries, from 2000 to 2019. Following this approach, the thesis has developed the main research question: 1) Has the Europeanisation regarding the policy adaptation been reached out on same levels in Albania and North Macedonia during the period 2000-2019? Consequently, the thesis developed the following hypothesis: 1) While Albania and North Macedonia are found at the same stage of the Accession process by the year 2019, it doesn’t neccessarely make the case for the both countries to have the same results regarding policy adaptation in the whole spectrum of the Accession criteria. The thesis employs a comparative analysis based on the “Small-N” case-based approach, aiming to find the similarities and differences in 3 (three) indicators: 1) Political System; 2) Judiciary; and 3) Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation. These indicators are assessed on their Europeanisation progression based on the “three-degree approach” of policy adoption (verbal, legal, and substantive) based on the work of Elbasani (2013). Through this research design, the thesis provides a new approach in the application of the Europeanisation literature in the context of the candidate countries and beyond. In particular, the use Elbasani’s (2013) three-degree level of policy adoption measurement in iii the practice on measuring the Europeanisation on concrete countries through the use of a comparative analysis. The results of the analysis indicate that the Europeanisation of the policy adaptation process in Albania and North Macedonia has been tumultuous and at approximate levels of difficulty but retaining particular differences. In the political system, the most distinctive differences are reflected by their political composition and political maturity. In the Judiciary, the most distinctive differences are reflected by the extension of reforms in this sector and the efficiency of the system. Lastly, in the Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, the most distinctive differences are reflected by the bilateral relations established with the neighbours. Overall, both countries have shown to progress over the years, by addressing several issues, however, considering that North Macedonia has resulted to reach out the EU accession milstones quicker than Albania, and in parallel also the Europeanisation in two of the three variables, it may indicate that it will move at the similar pace even during the accession negotiations phase but taking into consideration that the solving of the issue with Bulgaria will play a role prior to the singing of the accession Treaty. In conclusion, the results serve as reference points that can be useful to predict the dynamics regarding the said indicators of the Europeanisation of these two countries. However, the approach taken for the comparative analysis cannot be considered as the sole model to assess Europeanisation

De-Dehumanising the Autistic Other Between the Image of “Beast” and “Being” in J. K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’

The representation of autism in literature is a novelty of a delicate sense for what impact it can have on readers. Autism shows more frequently in the lines ofYoung-Adult fiction (YA), a genre known for its large audiences, which makes contemplating the image of an autistic person, as an actual character or a theme, either a means of access or a block to public awareness of the spectrum, respectively. The selected YA fiction works for this paper are Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, as screenplay (2018) and book (2001). The screenplay is not an adaptation of the book, but a background to the times when a character wrote his study book on the beasts that surrounds his environment. In the works, the use of terms like “monster” and “beast” seems to refer to a dehumanised image of the represented, which raises questions on why the writer would allude readers to relate autism to monstrosity; is she maintaining the habit of using illness as a narrative thematic tool or does she suggest otherwise? In order to formulate a ground for these inquiries, we will visit the text in relation to Lacan and Derrida’s thoughts on “Subjectivity” and how it defines fellowship from alterity and monstrosity. The objective of this research is to investigate the representation of autism in Rowling’s screenplay while backing up with examples from the book to see how far it meets the real or contrastingly contributes to reinforcing another stereotypical other

Reflections at its 30th anniversary over the coherence in the EU integration processes.

At its 30th anniversary, the Maastricht Treaty remains a milestone in the history and practice of the European Union. This referring to the adhesion process, since the set of conditions that a country must accomplish have been settled and derived by the treaty, but also for the fact that now, after 20 years of entering in force, the Euro, the Union currency, has performed and faced different consecutive challenges, thus becoming observable concerning it effects and role, and as a consequence, its theoretical and practical validity. But there is yet a vast area, in the center of Europe, that is still dragging on its calvary of adhesion, that of the Western Balkans. At this point, considering the processes that the countries of this area have been going through, by pursuing the adhesion path, the analysis of the dominating factors that have determined the trajectory of their EU membership, becomes essential. The paper questions and analyses the validity of the Maastricht Treaty and subsequent criteria for the adhesion of the Western Balkan countries, as well as highlights on the ‘ad-hoc’ criteria and evaluations often applied during the process and their consequences in terms of the attitudes of the Balkan populations and their determination toward the EU and the Western Balkans adhesion

Social and economic development leveraging in the R&D and Innovation capabilities

An overview of the Italian scenario has been developed considering the driving role SMEs play in the economic structure of the country and the pioneering function they have played in R&D and Innovation of Italy and of the whole Union in general. Through secondary data provided by various sources, such as the Cordis1 database, Istat and CIS 20182 we have done the analysis of regional disparities, which is also evident in the access to the European funds for research and innovation of SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the position held by Italy in relation to the opportunities offered by the European Union in the field of R&D and innovation, reflecting the changes that can be undertaken by the Italian national policy to serve as a bridge between the European institutions that offer these types of funds and SMEs and to better guide the latter towards the appropriate resources based on their distinctive characteristics which constitute a great development potential

The relationship between school ethical climate and school effectiveness in Israel 2020

The current research discusses the ethical aspects that were currently not studied yet in the context of the teacher attrition phenomenon and its impact on school effectiveness, which is measured in this research by promoting achievements basing the assumption that teacher perception of ethical climate might explain teacher attrition behaviors, including leaving teaching (Rosenblatt & Shapira-Lishchinsky, 2017). This research has examined teacher perceptions of school ethical climate through three dimensions found to be relevant in the 21st-century era in the aspects of organizational climate in general and school climate in particular, caring ethical climate, law and code ethical climate, and instrumental ethical climate. For this purpose, quantitative research is based on the pioneer researchers Victor & Cullen’s (1987, 1988) questionnaire and self-report of teachers regarding teacher tendency to leave the teaching profession, and their perception of learner achievement promotion in the context of ethical climate in their school was used. To deepen and expand the understanding of teacher perceptions, qualitative research including in-depth interviews was also performed. The research population consisted of 223 teachers from elementary and junior high schools in Israel. The current research indicates a principal finding that expresses the influence and importance of a caring ethical climate in reducing attrition behaviors and teacher attrition intentions and promoting learner achievements. Moreover, it was found that law and code ethical climate is correlated with promoting student achievements, and therefore integrating these two ethical climate dimensions will be the foundation for a program for new and senior teacher preservation in the education system. The research findings are currently relevant since the education system in Israel faces a severe shortage of teachers due to increased teacher attrition of teaching

Religion and the modern education

The purpose of the research is to solve the paradox of religion integration in education, by the new balance between religion, philosophy and science, during the post communism transition. In the field of thinking, the process is the transition from ideology to integral thinking. It is realized through the re-evaluation of the topics of the integration of religion, transitology and integral though, education, inclusiveness, solidarity, new laicity and new secularity. In the philosophical sense, integration is the objective process of being developed. This is understood as a return to identity towards a universal being. In the context of the social being, the process realizes the opening and cooperative development of all mental, spiritual-religious, scientific, creative-artistic, economic, cultural, material and non-material political fields. It includes the individual, the community, and all institutions of social life. The path of integration development is the transitive movement in a spiral form. In Albania, with the fall of communism, freedom of religion was legalized according to the standards of European democracy. The rehabilitation of religious figures that had been condemned and persecuted by the totalitarian regime began. The post-communist transition brought profound changes in the field of faith and religion such as the new dimension in the relationship of society with religion, new and unfamiliar attitudes of believers to religion, new relations between the state and religious institutions, new relations between education and religion in public institutions, opening of religious schools and increasing the influence of religion through the media and religious literature. What is considered tolerance in Europe, in the Albanian case is respect. Albanians are the best model for religious tolerance (respect). There has never been a religious clash in Albania for any reason. Respect for the religious affiliation and religious belief of the other in the Albanian case is modeled as the guiding value of their identity and appears in everyday life as the acceptance of the other. For this reason, they are the best model of respect and acceptance of the other, regardless of religious affiliation. This is an ontological value, built over the centuries and continues to this day. Albanians have not converted, but have adapted to a religious belief for economic and survival reasons. Marriages with different religions and keeping two names (Christian and Muslim) are natural phenomena among Albanians. In Albania, there are in the family and tribe people with Christian and Muslim religions individuals with two names, Christian and Muslim: Kristo and Muhamed. Albanians have lived in peaceful symbiosis with the Slavs in the centuries of the latter’s influx into Albanian lands. They have also lived peacefully with other neighbors, Greeks or Romans. This is even though the neighbors have not always been peaceful with the Albanians

The Woman as the “Other” in Yamina Bachir’s “Rachida” and Aziz Salmy “Amours Voileés”

This article focuses on the representation of woman as the “Other” in Algerian and Moroccan Films. Such representations reveal how questions pertaining to the status of woman in a much patriarchal society became at the hub of cinematic forms of expression. Through their female protagonists, Yamina Bachir’s “Rachida” (2002) and Aziz Salmy “Amours Voileés” (2008) represent the traumatic experience of women with alienation and dependency, institutionalized violence and the “containment” of their sexuality. As counter-cinematic representations, these films try to depict the very sense of victimhood of the female protagonists as they defy accepted ideas and stereotypes about gender and offer a voice to the voiceless. To this point, the paper further focuses on how these women manage to transgress the threshold and offer a much newer interpretation of women and their role in society

Employment on the strand of options, capabilities and access.

Rural area represents the population with a high work capacity, but with less employment opportunities than in urban areas, so in order to have a decent job 5 (five) needs are referred to: working conditions should be safe, both physically and mentally, people should have access to medical facilities, health, working hours should be ones in which you can rest and have time for family and compensation should be acceptable for the work done. The employment opportunities that people have differ depending on the environment they come from, so in rural areas the job opportunities are discrete, as it is the quality in work, both of them depending strongly on the area characteristics - whether it is developed or underdeveloped- and by its infrastructure, always considering that agriculture is most increased activity in these areas. The study aims to map and depict the occupational situation of people living in Romanian rural areas, coping with limited job opportunities, compared to those living in towns and cities, as well as how people in rural areas choose their jobs, how the labour market has influenced them to find a suitable job and where they can get or acquire the skills they need. As people in rural areas choose to migrate, the population is an ageing one and over time, villages will depopulate and the labour force and human resources will shrink

SI KA NDIKUAR ZHVILLIMI DEMOKRATIK NË SHQIPËRI, NË SUNDIMIN E SË DREJTËS, TË DREJTAT E NJERIUT, DHE ZHVILLIMIN NJERËZOR NGA 2013 DERI NË 2021, DHE SI QYTETARËT SHQIPËTARË I PERCEPTOJNË NDRYSHIMET?

Living in a new Democratic regime, most of us, we, the people who live in Western Balkan country like Albania, we may wonder: Does democracy enhance the quality of our everyday life? Numerous researchers have accepted that is does, even though recent researchers have raised their question about this. As transitional democracy Albania is yet suffering from many diseases in economic, politic, and social aspects, and are mostly characterized by lacking progress in further development. This research study focus on finding the correlation of democracy in Albania with, rule of law, human rights, and the human development based on the global Indexes from 2013 to 2021. The focus of this study goes further into describing how Albanian citizens perceive the democratic development of Albania, the development of rule of law, the development of human rights, and human development in the last 8 years. Through calculated measures from a time period of 8 years, and from the responses of Albanian citizens, we will be able to test the null hypothesis (h0): Democratic Development in Albania, has increased the Rule of Law, increased Human Development, and has increased Human Rights. The examination is reached out through correlation matrix methods, OLS regression analysis, SPSS analysis, and content analysis. Primarily from the investigations of this study resulted that democracy development in Albania has a negative correlation with development of the rule of law, according to the global Indexes data’s. There was found a non-statistically significant positive correlation between democratic development in Albania and human rights, including human development. iii Secondary the investigations of this study resulted that Albania citizens do not agree with the fact that democracy has developed in last decade, nor they agree with the development of rule of law over the last 8 years, neither do they agree with the fact that human rights or human development in Albania have increased over the last 8 years