Productivity dynamics and the productivity trap: problems and solutions in Latvia

By analysing changes in productivity and labour costs in Latvia from 2013 till 2017, we can see that growth of labour costs exceeds the growth of productivity by more than 2 times in both, tradable sector and total economy. Slow growth in productivity compared with the labour and other production expenses lead to an increase in the price of final goods and services, which negatively corresponds with producers’ competitiveness in both internal and external market. Furthermore, this leads to a drop-in consumption of domestic production and inefficient production facility usage, resulting in declining economic growth rates. The rapid growth in labour costs is mainly associated with the tight situation in the labour market. Even though the unemployment rate is still quite high, especially in the region of Latgale, the absence of working hands is perceptible more and more around Latvia, which also maintains the pressure on the salaries. The upward trend for salaries is also influenced by the convergence process, which is inescapable in EU opened labour markets. Comparatively, high labour emigration reflects Latvia’s weak competitiveness in those markets, especially due to the low wage, which in turn is related to the low productivity of internal producers. Therefore, increasing the productivity level and slowing down the gap of productivity with highly developed countries is the most important precondition for Latvia’s competitiveness to strengthen and economy to grow. The goal of the research is to appreciate the dynamics of labour productivity and the level of productivity between Latvia and EU average, as well as, to find the main factors which influence the productivity convergence rates to drop, making productivity trap. The research tasks, to determine possible solutions for labour productivity increases, are to detect the factors which have influenced the labour productivity in last 10 years in Latvia, to compare the productivity in Latvia with EU, as well as, to detect the factors which influenced the productivity convergence rates to decrease. In the analysis, there are used different high quality and quantity research methods, for example, analysis of scientific literature, calculation of average and relative sizes, grouping, comparison, decomposition etc. The results of research conclude, that in the last years productivity growth rates in Latvia before the crisis (2000-2007) were one of the sharpest in EU, which contributed with convergence process, decreasing gap with EU average by 2 pp. annually. However, in after crisis period (from 2011) growth rates of productivity have significantly dropped and the convergence process became more moderate - only 0.8 percent points at average a year, which shows that Latvia is close to or already is into productivity trap. To avoid the trap, it is important to detect separate industry problems (the stud of barriers at individual company and sector level) and to promote the structural changes in the national economy (moving towards high technology industries)

Authentic learning in a B2B context: cases involving undergraduate students from the University of Aveiro

This paper presents the results of an authentic learning project for undergraduate students, in a business to business (B2B) context, more specifically the case of the Information Technology (IT) cluster in Aveiro. The project was implemented between October 2021 and January 2022 with 93 undergraduate students from second and third year of the Bachelor in Marketing and Bachelor in Finance at University of Aveiro, which developed strategic plans and marketing plans for 18 companies belonging to the IT cluster in Aveiro. Results show that benefits overseeded the barriers.publishe

Innovative approaches to teaching and learning: Project Based Learning (PBL) practices for good

The main goal of this paper is to describe a specific teaching-learning project implemented in two higher education courses – Bachelor in Marketing and Master in Competitiveness and Business Development, offered at a higher education institution. The project integrated Project Based Learning (PBL) methodologies and authentic learning, supported by technology, with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), studying real companies from different industries, and aiming to improve the quality of the learning experience, students’ motivation and academic success. A total of 300 students were involved in the 1st semester of the year 2022/2023. The idea of sustainable cocreation was at the base of this pedagogical innovation project, so that students may become aware and assume responsibility on the impact of marketing, strategy and competitiveness decisions in the contemporary society. Students were challenged to include in their works a proposal of actions that had positive impact and contributed to the SDGs defined by the United Nations and to reflect and measure the potential impact of these actions at the level of the community. From an operational perspective, students developed different activities in their academic works, in four different curricular units, in line with the educational level and syllabus of each curricular unit, always related to real companies from different industries and supported by different technologies, using different immersive learning experiences where students could combine authentic learning and SDGs analysis.publishe

Productivity and its impact on the competitiveness of Latvia

Productivity is the main key factor for Latvia to increased prosperity, ensuring efficient use of resources. Due to limited availability of resources and the increasing competition in the global markets, it is important for Latvia to support its economic growth through increased productivity. Since 2010 the productivity of Latvia’s economy has been at the level of 40-45% of the EU average (Eurostat Database, 2017). A further increase in labour costs is inevitable in the open labour market conditions, therefore, strengthening the competitiveness of Latvian is largely determined by the ability to reduce the productivity gap with the advanced economies. One of the main challenges for Latvia is the creation of new competitive advantages that are associated with investments in the latest technologies, innovation, research, human capital, efficient allocation of resources and redistribution that comes with the behavioural changes of economic subjects. Economic structural transformation process is largely dependent on the quality of the institutional framework, which provides goods and resources market efficiency, minimizing the redistribution process costs and risks, thereby strengthening the country's competitive benefits. The aim of the research is to assess the potential for productivity growth to improve competitiveness of Latvia to identify the main obstacles that limit the attraction of resources and redistribution of higher value-added products and prepare recommendations for policies on the micro, sectoral and macro level. Research has high practical value that is related to OECD recommendation to monitor productivity in Latvia.peer-reviewe

Bone remodeling markers and bone metastases: from cancer research to clinical implications

© 2015 International Bone & Mineral Society All rights reserved.Bone metastasis is a frequent finding in the natural history of several types of cancers. However, its anticipated risk, diagnosis and response to therapy are still challenging to assess in clinical practice. Markers of bone metabolism are biochemical by-products that provide insight into the tumor-bone interaction, with potential to enhance the clinical management of patients with bone metastases. In fact, these markers had a cornerstone role in the development of bone-targeted agents; however, its translation to routine practice is still unclear, as reflected by current international guidelines. In this review, we aimed to capture several of the research and clinical translational challenges regarding the use of bone metabolism markers that we consider relevant for future research in bone metastasis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Photodynamic therapy as a new therapeutic approach of oral lichen planus

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic, immunologically mediated disease, defined by periods of exacerbation and quiescence. The disease is associated with a low mortality risk, but in some instances, morbidity can be important, especially in extensive, erosive forms, with a significant impact on the quality of life. OLP is a chronic T-cell mediated inflammatory disease involving the oral cavity, the most common lesions being located on the oral mucosa, tongue and gums. Its etiology remains in part unknown, but several factors proved to be involved in the development of the disease (drugs, dental materials, infectious agents, psychological factors, autoimmunity and genetic predisposition). The therapeutic approach should take into account the type of lesion and the extent of the disease, as well as the possible adverse effects. Although several therapies are available, OLP treatment still remains a challenge. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is widely used in dermatology, finding applicability in the treatment of an increasing number of conditions. Recent research has shown the role of PDT in the treatment of OLP. It is a minimally invasive therapy with few side effects and promising results

Molecular mechanisms of bone metastasis: which targets came from the bench to the bedside?

© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Bone metastases ultimately result from a complex interaction between cancer cells and bone microenvironment. However, prior to the colonization of the bone, cancer cells must succeed through a series of steps that will allow them to detach from the primary tumor, enter into circulation, recognize and adhere to specific endothelium, and overcome dormancy. We now know that as important as the metastatic cascade, tumor cells prime the secondary organ microenvironment prior to their arrival, reflecting the existence of specific metastasis-initiating cells in the primary tumor and circulating osteotropic factors. The deep comprehension of the molecular mechanisms of bone metastases may allow the future development of specific anti-tumoral therapies, but so far the approved and effective therapies for bone metastatic disease are mostly based in bone-targeted agents, like bisphosphonates, denosumab and, for prostate cancer, radium-223. Bisphosphonates and denosumab have proven to be effective in blocking bone resorption and decreasing morbidity; furthermore, in the adjuvant setting, these agents can decrease bone relapse after breast cancer surgery in postmenopausal women. In this review, we will present and discuss some examples of applied knowledge from the bench to the bed side in the field of bone metastasis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Beeinflussen berufstypische Arbeitszeitmerkmale die Unterbrechungsdauer von Frauen? Eine längsschnittliche Analyse der Bedeutung beruflicher Merkmale für die Berufsrückkehr von Müttern in Deutschland

"Der Beitrag geht der Frage nach, ob berufstypische Arbeitszeitmerkmale die Erwerbsunterbrechungsdauer von Frauen nach der Familiengründung beeinflussen und welche Bedeutung berufstypische Arbeitszeitmerkmale für Frauen mit unterschiedlichem Bildungsniveau haben. Dazu wurden die Längsschnittdaten der Erwachsenenkohorte des Nationalen Bildungspanels über ein Daten-Linkage mit aggregierten Berufsdaten aus dem Mikrozensus angereichert. Die Ergebnisse der empirischen Analysen zeigen, dass sich berufstypische Arbeitszeiten neben Individualmerkmalen signifikant auf die Berufsrückkehr von Müttern auswirken. Für hochqualifizierte Frauen erwiesen sich lediglich die für einen Beruf typischen Überstunden als einflussreich. Dieses Ergebnis deutet darauf hin, dass die Rückkehr von Akademikerinnen aufgrund von höheren Opportunitätskosten und womöglich auch einer höhere Erwerbsneigung durch die arbeitszeitlichen Gegebenheiten im Austrittberuf kaum tangiert ist. Für mittel- und insbesondere geringqualifizierte Frauen sind jedoch andere Faktoren, nämlich die Arbeitszeitlänge, die Verbreitung von Heimarbeit und - für beruflich nicht qualifizierte Frauen - auch die Verbreitung von Nacht- und Wochenendarbeit relevant. Insgesamt legen unsere Ergebnisse nahe, dass berufstypische Arbeitszeiten insbesondere für die Unterbrechungsdauer von geringgebildeten Müttern eine bedeutende Rolle spielen." (Autorenreferat)"This article analyses how occupation-specific hours of employment influence the employment interruptions of women after family formation, and whether employment hours have an impact on different educational groups. This study uses detailed longitudinal data from the German National Educational Panel Study and aggregated occupational data from the Microcensus. Our results show how occupation-specific employment hours, even after controlling for individual characteristics, significantly influence the employment interruptions of mothers. The interruption duration of women with tertiary education is solely influenced by the amount of overtime working hours associated with specific occupations. This result indicates that the return-to-work of tertiary educated women remain mostly unaffected by their hours of employment, and likely to be attributed to both elevated opportunity costs and higher career orientations. Whilst medium and less educated women reduce their time-out from their occupation when the working hours are short and working from home is possible. Atypical employment hours, such as night-shift or weekend work, are found to be exclusively relevant for less educated women. Overall, our results demonstrate that hours of employment play an important role for the employment continuity of women without a tertiary education." (author's abstract

LA TERCERA VÍA

In the functional space of liberal democracy has been prioritizing with much vigor the praxis of “savage capitalism”, an economic and political theory that struggles to consolidate at all costs the increase in securities linked to the most powerful investors, without stopping to think the ruin of small businesses and the growing impoverishment of the majority population. It is in this way that the macro-economics of certain emerging countries “grow” formally in statistical figures, while, in pathetic contrast, real inequality between the few haves and the many have nothing deepens.En el espacio funcional de la democracia liberal ha venido primando con mucho vigor la praxis del “capitalismo salvaje”, una tesis económico-política que pugna por consolidar a toda costa el incremento de los valores bursátiles vinculados a los inversionistas más poderosos; sin parar mientes acerca de la ruina de los pequeños empresarios y la pauperización creciente de las mayorías poblacionales. Es de esta forma que la macroeconomía de ciertos países emergentes “crece” formalmente en los guarismos estadísticos, al tiempo que, en patético contraste, se ahonda la desigualdad real entre los pocos que tienen mucho y los muchos que no tienen nada

La Investigación Sociojurídica: Retos de Cara a la Globalización

Dentro del marco de esta edición, vienen a la mente una serie de reflexiones relacionadas con la pertinencia de los diferentes proyectos que han de presentarse, puesto que, de suyo se sabe que, son precisamente los distintos renglones de la vida social los que imponen al investigador un rutero para su actividad; en efecto, la realidad es más ingeniosa que el más acucioso legislador y en ese orden, siempre existirán ‘lados ciegos’ en los que habrá necesidad de precisar la intención de las disposiciones y suplir aquellos vacíos que surgen casi espontáneamente. &nbsp