Applying financial evaluation techniques to the maritime investment projects: The case study on port business

Limanlar, deniz taşımacılığının aktarma noktalarıdır. Limancılık sektörü, teknolojinin, hukuksal düzenlemelerin ve edinim biçimlerinin sürekli değiştiği bir sektördür. Liman elleçleme ekipmanlarının, diğer liman üstyapı elemanlarının, liman altyapı bileşenlerinin, depolama alanlarının, hizmet kalitesi ve verimliliği gözeterek günümüz koşullarına uygun tutulması gerekmektedir. Bu gereklilikler, liman işletmelerini sürekli olarak yatırıma yönlendirmektedir. Bu yatırımlarım finansal boyutları çok yönlüdür. Bünyesinde barındırdığı sayısız risk faktörleri de dikkate alınarak liman yatırım projeleri dinamik yöntemlerle değerlendirilmelidir. Bir limanın komple yeni yatırım olarak inşa edilmesinden, içindeki küçük bir ekipmanın yenilenmesine kadar, liman yatırım projelerinin finansal açıdan değerlendirilmesi büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, limancılık sektöründe yapılacak olan yatırımların değerlendirilmesinde kullanılacak olan yöntemleri açıklamak ve proje değerleme ölçütlerini ortaya koymaktır. Bunun yanında projede, proje değişkenlerinde meydana gelebilecek olası değişimlerde yapılabilirlik kararlarının nasıl etkileneceği açıklığa kavuşturulmuş, bu değişkenlerin eşik değerleri, duyarlılık göstergeleri ve faaliyeti durdurma değerleri ortaya konmuştur. Bu aşamada, projenin risk düzeyi de ölçümlenmiştir. Her ne kadar, limancılık yatırımlarının yapılabilirliğine finansal açıdan doğru karar verebilmek; teknolojinin, dünya ticaret akışının, finansal ve ekonomik göstergelerin, politik ve güncel gelişmelerin sıkı takibine ve yorumlanmasına bağlıysa da; yatırım kararının finansal değerleme yöntemleri kullanılarak yapılacak olan değerlendirmesi de o derece önemlidir. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre, günümüz ekonomik koşullarında bu değerlendirmenin dinamik yöntemlerle yapılması, projenin riskinin belirlenmesi, değişkenlerin duyarlılık analizinin yapılması bir gerekliliktir. Ports are the transfer points of maritime transportation. Port industry has continuous changes in the aspects technology, legislations, forms of the ownership and acquisition. Port handling equipments, other port superstructure components, port infrastructure components are required to be kept updated by considering service quality and productivity. This requirements continuously canalizes the port sector to the investments which are very complex in financial aspects. Considering the numerous risky components port industry has, investment projects should be evaluated by using dynamic methods. From constructing a port as a completely new investment to renewing a little equipment inside, the financial analysis of the port has great importance. The aim of this proposal is to define the technics to be used in port project evaluation and assess the criterias. Besides that, the risk level of project and the effects of the changes in the project variables to the feasiility of the study are cleared in this study. Threshold values, sensitivity indicators and switching values of key variables are calculated as well. In spite of the affects of technology, world trade flow, financial and economic indicators, political environment to the port investment project decision, evaluation methods are also important in deciding to investment. Acoording to the findings, in todays economic conditions, projects should be evaluated by dynamic methods. Projects? risk assessment and sensitivity analysis of variables are required to be carried out

Promoting mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: the transtheoretical model of change and social marketing approach

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how social marketers can use the Transtheoretical Model of Change to enhance their web-based campaigns promoting mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Transtheoretical Model of Change was adapted and applied in a COVID-19 mental health context and qualitative content analysis was conducted on 20 websites promoting mental health during the Pandemic from all around the world. Results show that campaigns vary in terms of their adherence to the Transtheoretical Model of Change. Some are very consistent, whereas others could benefit from incorporating specific relevant information. Particularly, the maintenance stage of change has been ignored by most websites analyzed. Designers of such campaigns could use this paper for inspiration, to check for the completeness of their websites, and to adapt their messages while the situation unfolds and individuals move from one stage of change to the next. Incorporating knowledge from a widely used and effective theoretical model is likely to make websites more successful in helping individuals maintain their mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Developing a framework for communications encouraging personal budgeting – a social marketing approach

This article illustrates how a framework can be developed and used to guide social marketing communications encouraging personal budgeting but also how academics can promote behavior change by summarizing information of importance for the general population. Academic literature, books, and thirty personal budgeting campaigns were identified, reviewed, and analyzed to assess WHAT needs to be communicated in terms of personal budgeting and also HOW best communicate information about personal budgeting to different kind of target groups. Keywords, themes and messages were identified and revised, and a two-page Table summary framework for personal budgeting social marketing communications was proposed. This paper links practice with theory in a very original way. No theoretical framework for personal budgeting messages has been found in the existing literature; therefore a framework was proposed by combining knowledge from academia with practice. Whereas previous research generally suggests using existing theoretical frameworks to guide and/or evaluate communications, the current research also shows how practice can guide theory. Designers of such initiatives can use this research for inspiration, to proceed when theoretical frameworks are not available, to design solid interventions based on available data, and also to contribute toward bridging the gap between theory and practice. Individuals looking to improve their financial situation can benefit from having significant accumulated knowledge easily available to them. In the personal budgeting context, individuals suffering from financial distress and living paycheck-to-paycheck can benefit the most from this research