Recovery and Growth in the Manufacturing Sectors of CEE Transition Economies: Short and Long-Term Efficiency Improving Factors

The first aim of the paper was to explain a cross-sector differences in evolution of gross product of Slovenian manufacturing sectors in the period 1992-98 using different short and long-term factors. Results pointed out great importance of initial conditions (sector orientation to convertible or non-convertible markets, and distorted production structure), as well as structural reforms and macroeconomic and institutional environment. Added long-term factors revealed positive association with short term output growth during the transition period – it is obvious that these factors (FDI, exports, imports of inputs, cooperation) create channels for the transfer of technology, improving the efficiency of production. It turned out also that quality improving exports to the EU countries is significantly positively correlated with the sector output performance. The paper further studies the importance of both direct and indirect means of technology transfer for transition countries and its impact on productivity growth of local firms. Using firm-level data for eight transition countries for the period 1994 - 1998 and employing growth accounting approach, the paper explores the importance of FDI, intra-industry knowledge spillovers from FDI, firm's own R&D accumulation and of international R&D spillovers through trade for firm's TFP growth. Time-invariant firmspecific effects are taken into account using panel data techniques, and potential selection bias for foreign investment decisions is corrected by using a generalized Heckman two-step procedure. After controlling for common economic policy influences and industry effects, our results confirm for five advanced transition countries that technology is being transferred to domestic firms primarily through direct foreign linkages. Evidence on some international R&D spillovers through arm-length trade has been found for four transition countries. Our results also suggest that FDI do not generate positive intra-industry spillovers for domestic firms. Moreover, for three transition countries FDI were found to have significant crowding-out effects for local firms in the same industry.

Agglomeration economies, globalization and productivity. Firm level evidence for Slovenia.

This paper analyzes the impact of agglomeration economies on firm level performance measured by total factor productivity for Slovenia. To estimate total factor productivity, we use a control function approach to capture endogenous input choices and self selection. In contrast to most of the literature, we introduce agglomeration economies that are linked to globalization. In particular, we distinguish between knowledge spillovers related to domestic and foreign sources of agglomeration effects and analyze the impact of regional export market exposure, which we call international market access. We find positive effects of regional knowledge spillovers and international market access on firm level total factor productivity. These effects are stronger for micro and small firms and for firms operating in service sectors. We also show that knowledge spillovers are amplified when there are more foreign multinationals in a region.

Time Dependent Efficiency of Free Trade Agreements - The Case of Slovenia and the CEFTA Agreement

In international trade literature there is a common feature that the abolishment of barriers to trade leads to direct expansion of trade flows. Many empirical studies that simulate welfare effects of trade liberalisation explicitly make use of this direct tariff reduction – trade expansion mechanism. On the contrary, this paper explores panel data to analyse the timedependent efficiency of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). It is shown that trade liberalisation per se needs time to become effective, and that immediately after the enforcement of the FTA the autonomous factors (such as domestic demand for particular import goods) are of great importance. Using an illustrative case of rapid expansion of Slovenian imports from other CEECs in the period 1993–1998, the paper demonstrates that the tariff reductions become effective in the second to third year after enforcement of the FTA. In addition, the relation between tariff reductions and trade expansions is non-linear, which reflects the time needed for new business connections to be established.

La comunità linguistica slovena in Italia e la sua percezione dell'ordinamento giuridico italiano

Damijan Terpin "La comunità slovena in Italia e la sua percezione dell'ordinamento giuridico italiano", in: Tigor: rivista di scienze della comunicazione. A.I (2009) n.1 (gennaio-giugno), pp. 47-50Relazione presentata in occasione del convegno internazionale di studi su La comunicazione giuridica fra enti pubblici e soggetti privati. Analisi del discorso giuridico fra normazione e retorica forense nelle aree di confine fra Friuli Venezia Giulia, Slovenia e Croazia

Nekateri pristopi za izboljšanje delovanja finančne funkcije

Značilnost postsocialističnih držav je, da v času socialistične ureditve niso imele financ oz. so bile finance zelo slabo razvite. Podjetje, ki se spremembam in zahtevam poslovnega okolja prilagaja tudi tako, da razvije in posodobi oz. prenovi funkcije, ki so bile do nedavnega nepomembne (v konkretnem primeru, da obvladuje finančno funkcijo kot poslovno funkcijo), pridobiva na konkurenčni prednosti. Prenova (reorganizacija, reinženiring, preoblikovanje, inoviranje) poslovne funkcije zahteva temeljit razmislek in bistveno preoblikovanje procesa, s čimer je mogoče doseči izjemne izboljšave: zmanjšanje stroškov, povečanje kakovosti in skrajšanje časa. Pogoj za uspešno delovanje finančne funkcije je tesna povezava z drugimi poslovnimi funkcijami in podrejenost računovodskemu nadzoru v smislu računovodskih standardov

The Growing Export Performance of Transition Economies: EU Market Access versus Supply Capacity Factors

The paper examines the reasons for the remarkable growth of transition economies’ export performance. We distinguish between foreign/EU market access and internal supply capacity factors. EU market access has been of great importance, while among supply capacity factors, stable institutional setup, structural reforms, and targeted FDI are in the forefront.Export performance, Transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe, (EU) market access, Supply capacity, Institutional setup, FDI.