Public administration in EU countries: selected comparative approaches

The focus of the paper is on selected comparative models in public administration (human research system, model based on the system of government and models of local government and territorial organization). The aim of this paper is to provide a more thorough view on public administration in the EU-28 countries and to assess the selected comparative approaches and the financial dimension according to the levels of public administration. Evaluation of the selected indicators of financial dimension of public administration was carried out using the method of analysis, whose outcomes confirmed the most notable differences between the EU-28 countries in the first and third cluster in fiscal decentralization of expenditure and in total general government expenditure

Forms of Providing and Financing Long-Term Care in OECD Countries

Long-Term care is being prioritised due to population ageing, and hand in hand with the development of professional provision of long-Term care, public expendi-Tures will be increasing. Mainly countries with a sharp increase in the number of people aged 80+ will have to address the sustainability of long-Term care systems and the pro-curement of relevant services. This paper aims to evaluate the forms of provision and financing of long-Term care in selected OECD countries. Provision and funding of long-Term care in terms of a formal system are assessed based on selected criteria using analytical methods (principal component analysis and TwoStep cluster analysis). Results of the evaluation carried out in 2008 and 2013 by means of the selected indicators of long-Term care, using TwoStep cluster analysis, confirmed both similar as well as different approaches to the provision and financing of long-Term care in the analysed countries. The most marked differences in the provision of care based on indicators LTC recipients aged 65+ and LTC recipients in institutions as a percentage of total LTC recipients were found between the first cluster (Australia and Korea with the highest share of LTC recipients) and the second cluster (Czech Republic, Estonia, with the lowest share of LTC recipients). In financing of long-Term care (LTC expenditures on institutions as a percentage of total LTC expenditures), the most significant differences were observed between the first (Australia, Korea, with the largest share of LTC expenditures on institutions) and third cluster (mainly Nordic countries, with the lowest share of LTC expenditures on institutions of total LTC expenditures). © 2017 Renáta Halásková et al., published by De Gruyter Open 2017.Operational Programme Education for Competitiveness [CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0296]; Evaluation of Public Policy Objectives in the Context of Sustainable Development and Performance of Regions [RO/2016/08

Innovation performance and R&D expenditures in Western European regions: Divergence or convergence?

Although Western Europe is a global leader in innovation activities among the OECD countries, these activities are not distributed evenly across NUTS 2 regions. Thus, the analysis of convergence or divergence related to innovation performance and R&D expenditures among Western European NUTS 2 regions is posed as the aim of this paper. Applying differential local version of spatial autocorrelation (LISA), difference-in-difference estimation the paper reveals the local variation of convergence and divergence and general spatial regime divergence in innovation performance and R&D expenditures within Western European NUTS 2 regions. Moreover, spatial lag cross-sectional regression provides support to the consideration of R&D expenditures as determinant for innovation performance along with the continuing divergence between most of Western and Southern European NUTS 2 regions and the others. Thus, the results confirm the stability in innovation performance and R&D expenditures in Western European NUTS 2 regions which could be the source of lagging behind not only other OECD countries but BRICS countries as well. On the regional level several NUTS 2 regions demonstrated the convergence dynamics, however, the general spatial divergence regime should lead to more actions regarding R&D polices under the EU programming period of 2014-2020. © Foundation of International Studies, 2018 and CSR, 2018

The structure and financial dimensions of public administration in EU countries

Various traditional trends and roles of public administration can be traced across the European Union member states. These countries, however, are obliged to abide by common administrative and legal principles of the European administrative area. This paper focuses on the structure and differentiation of public administration in EU (28) countries, levels of local government and internal division of administrative structures, using the ESA methodology and a comparison of expenditures made by public administration in 2003, 2009 and 2013. The fi scal aspect of public administration is evaluated also through fi scal decentralization (revenues, expenditures). Cluster analysis is used for the comparison of selected areas of public expenditures according to the levels of public administration, showing that EU (28) countries can be divided into three clusters. The most signifi cant differences in public expenditures according to levels of public administration were observed in EU countries in the fi rst and third cluster, where fi scal decentralization of expenditures constitutes the most notable difference. The smallest differences in all clusters are perceived in total general government expenditures as % of GDP.Web of Scienceno. 45E574

Change of EU28 countries research and development indicators between 2010 and 2015

In the paper evaluation of research and development efficiency change in EU28 countries between 2010 and 2015. The authors used the non -radial and non oriented Malmquist index of available R&D indicators of EU28 countries (five inputs and two outputs) and have found six groups of EU28 countries from the viewpoint of three index terms values (efficiency shift, frontier shift and Malmquist index). The relatively best group of countries with progress in both efficiency shift and frontier shift terms (Malmquist index >1) is represented by two countries: Italy and Germany. The last group contains the six relatively worst countries with regress in all three terms (efficiency shift, frontier shift and Malmquist index < 1): Netherlands, Greece, Malta, Poland, Luxembourg and Portugal. It was found by means of the nonparametric test that post-socialist countries are not different from capitalist EU countries from the viewpoint of efficiency change between 2010 and 2015. The biggest change in R&D efficiency using the Malmquist index between 2010 and 2015 was found in Spain, Latvia, Denmark and Ireland. Conversely, the smallest change in R&D efficiency is demonstrated by Poland, Luxembourg and Portugal.project Operational Programme Education for Competitiveness [CZ. 1.07/2.3.00/20.0296]; Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport of the Slovak Republic; Slovak Academy Sciences [VEGA 1/0843/18

The effect of government expenditures on the economic and institucional dimension of governance in European countries

The aim of the study is to examine the effect of government expenditures on institutional and economic dimensions of governance from the standpoint of selected indicators. We evaluate the effect of government expenditures on selected governance indicators (government effectiveness, regulatory quality and the control of corruption) according to two dimensions (institutional and economic dimension of governance). The research covers the period 2002-2021, applying a panel data analysis and the fixed effects method on the sample of 29 European countries. For the purposes of further examination, the European countries are divided into two groups (by GDP per capita in PPS). The results confirmed the effect of differing categories of government expenditures on the evaluated indicators of governance between European countries with higher and lower economic levels. European countries with a higher economic level manifested the strongest positive effect of government expenditures on secondary education and expenditures on police services in relation to the economic dimension of governance (government effectiveness and regulatory quality). The results of countries with a lower economic level show that the control of corruption is affected, both positively and negatively, by government expenditures on education. Government expenditures on pre-primary and primary education had the largest impact in the economic dimension of governance in relation to the reduction of government effectiveness and government expenditures on sporting and recreational services in terms of the reduction of regulatory quality. The reached findings can be beneficial to creators of public policies at all levels of public administration in the creation of concepts and strategic goals.Web of Science311art. no. 169

Research and development efficiency in public and private sectors: An empirical analysis of EU countries by using DEA methodology

Both the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) and its embedded technology diffusion exponentially progress and grow in terms of technical change and socioeconomic impact. The aim of this study was the evaluation of research and development efficiency in the public and private sectors in EU countries. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology, within which the slack-based model was applied, was used to achieve this aim. The Malmquist index (MI) was used to calculate changes in research and development efficiency during 2010/2013 and 2014/2017. The results present a decrease in total Research and Development (R&D) productivity in public and private sectors for an average of EU countries (28). However, Spain, Slovenia, and Portugal (in the public sector), and Ireland and Romania (in the private sector) revealed an increase of a total R&D productivity during 2010/2013 and 2014/2017 that was primarily influenced by an increase of technical efficiency (catch-up effect). Similarly, the results confirm the differences in R&D efficiency in private and public sectors in the European countries. The study's results also provide a valuable platform for creators of national strategic and innovative investment and educational plans, and creators of relevant policies and create a platform for national and international benchmarking indicators. © 2020 by the authors.Research and Development Agency GA AA [21/2020]; research project VEGA [1/0794/18

Fiscal decentralisation of services: The case of the local public sector in European countries

Services are a dynamically developing economic sector in all countries. The paper focuses on public services, evaluated from the perspective of fiscal decentralization. It aims to evaluate the level of fiscal decentralization of expenditures in selected categories of public services in European countries. For this purpose, government expenditures by the local government sector are analyzed in the set of the selected 28 European countries in the period 2010-2018. Cluster analysis has been carried out in order to determine four clusters of countries based on their level of decentralization of expenditures on services. The results show differences in the extent of decentralization between the European countries in the provision of specific public services and reflect the form of financing of local public needs. A low level of fiscal decentralization of expenditures on services (public order and safety; housing and community amenities; recreation, culture, and religion) was observed in the majority of the countries. However, the majority of the countries failed to prove a high level of fiscal decentralization of expenditures on services (social protection, health, education) and a medium level of decentralization of expenditures in terms of general public services and services of economic affairs. These findings demonstrate that the degree of decentralization of public services is determined, to a certain degree, determined by country history and its geographical location, as well as by the different roles of sector-specific public policies. The findings can be helpful for creators of local public policies, strategic plans, and financial concepts.Web of Science1223432

What affects the interest rate on deposit from households?

The contribution aim to identify the factors influencing the level of the interest rate in the conditions of the Slovak banking sector. The analysis itself is carried out using a correlation and regression analysis based on quarterly data from the database of National Bank of Slovakia for the period from 1st quarter 2006 to the 4th quarter of 2017. The research has been motivated by the three research questions about the impact of the selected market and intra-bank variables (Does the growth of market concentration lead to a decrease in deposits interest rates? Does the interest rate on the interbank market have a positive impact on deposits interest rates? Does the growth of liquidity lead to a decrease in deposits interest rates?). Based on the results of regression model we have found out, that the increasing concentration, declining interbank interest rate, disinflation, increasing bank capitalisation and declining bank liquidity have a significant impact on the decline in interest rates on deposit products under the conditions of the Slovak banking sector. This support the Structure-conductperformance hypothesis which states that higher market concertation leads to less favourable pricing to customers. We have also found out, that highly capitalised banking sector has a lower pass-through for deposits, which means that the pricing behaviour of this banking sector is least tied to market development. So when the market rate decrease, the deposit rate of highly capitalised banking sector must also decrease and this decrease must be higher than the decrease in market rate.Web of Science152574

Effect of public and private sector R&D indicators on innovation performance and competitiveness: Case of the western European NUTS 2 regions

Innovation performance is considered a crucial indicator of the competitiveness of countries and regions. Studies on innovation performance also need to assess it, distinguishing between public and private sector R&D indicators at the regional level. The objectives of this article are to explore the groups of innovation performance and their spatial distribution in NUTS 2 Western European regions and to evaluate the effect of selected public and private sector R&D indicators on innovation performance in 2014-2021. The fixed effects model on the panel data was used to analyse the impact of selected public and private sector R&D indicators on innovation performance. Research shows that innovation performance increases with time; however, performance suffers from regional disparities, which are affected by selected structural determinants from the public and private sector perspectives. The results of the panel data analysis suggest that the population aged 25-34 who have completed their tertiary education, the most cited scientific publications, and public-private co-publications are statistically significant R&D public sector indicators for the innovation performance of Western European NUTS 2 regions. Furthermore, the results indicate that SMEs that introduce product innovations, employment in knowledge-intensive activities, patent applications, and innovative SMEs that collaborate with others are statistically significant private sector R&D indicators. However, the results reveal various effects of these indicators on individual groups of innovation performance in both the public and private sectors. These findings can benefit policymakers in developing research and innovation systems when finding tools to increase innovation performance and, thereby, the competitiveness of left-behind NUTS 2 regions.Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně, (RO/2022/07)project VEGA [1/0683/21]; SGS Project [SP2022/74]; Tomas Bata University in Zlin [RO/2022/07