Development Of A Customer Service System In Electronic Commerce

Information technologies and systems are developing rapidly. Therefore, there are significant changes in business entities’ interaction. E-business is an effective tool to make settlements with customers, expand markets for goods and services, seek new partners, and create a positive image. Certain business types are more favourable to introduce e-commerce; thus, their development level is higher. These are trade in intangible goods, securities, banking services, software development and implementation, information services, distance learning, etc. The purpose of this paper is to determine electronic commerce features in customer warranty and service. The following methods were used: bibliometric and content analysis in processing and searching literary sources; comparing protection of consumers’ interests; analysis and synthesis; consolidation and systematization, particularly in the analysis of legislation, literature, and statistics. Service and warranty are key commerce elements. They are customer services. For proper service and to be ahead of competitors, the consumers’ feedback, complaints, suggestions, recommendations, claims, constant response should be set up. Protecting consumer rights in e-commerce is ensured by “On consumer rights protection”, “On electronic commerce”, etc. Improving regulations between a consumer and a seller, and finding new implementing ways are necessary. Ukraine should fulfill its international legal obligations. Despite the fact that protection of consumer rights is regulated, e-commerce is not properly established and there is a negative experience in using it because of poor government control. E-commerce stores’ trends will allow achieving excellence, high ratings, and buyers’ confidence. The country should have a high-quality e-commerce service

Project management in organic agricultural production

Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to present the results of research on the development and justification of the economic and environmental feasibility of implementing innovative projects for organizing of production organic products (on an example of the project of cultivation of organic potatoes using minimal technology (mini-till)). Methodology / approach. The basis for preparing the project for the production of organic potatoes is the author’s methodology, which includes a form and recommendations for the development of a business plan for an innovative agricultural project. The study used the following methods: abstract-logical (theoretical generalization and formulation of conclusions); analysis and synthesis (justification and analysis of project indicators); monographic (depth analysis of the issue under study); calculation-constructive (determination of the main parameters of the project and economic efficiency). Results. The theoretical and practical aspects of project management in organic agricultural production are substantiated (on the example of the project of organization of organic potato production). An innovative project for organizing organic potato production using minimal technology (mini-till) was developed, and the investment attractiveness of this project was estimated. The author’s methodology for developing a business plan for an innovative agricultural project has been tested. Originality / scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the paper is that the regulations on the application of project management in organic agricultural production on the market platform of environmental entrepreneurship have been further developed, which is reflected in the developed environmentally oriented project. This is one of the first papers to examine the project management in organic agricultural production in Ukraine. Practical value / implications. The project of organizing organic potato production has been developed and economically substantiated. It can be used by stakeholders for practical implementation and/or as a basis for preparing such a project taking into account the individual characteristics of a specific agricultural enterprise. The calculated economic parameters of the project are the basis for managing marketing activities, resource support, personnel, cost and efficiency of the project, organization of project financing and project risk management

ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF MACROECONOMIC CRISES AND WAR ON THE ACTIVITIES OF JSC “UKRZALIZNYTSIA”

Despite the substantial threat that macroeconomic crisis and war pose to the economic activity of organizations, little attention is paid in the existing literature to the rigorous identification and quantification of such effects. Given this fact, the purpose of the study is to rigorously estimate and quantify the effects of military aggression on the economic activity of organizations in the context of macroeconomic crises. The research methodology includes empirical and quantitative analysis. The empirical analysis was conducted on the basis of official statistical data of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine. Quantitative analysis is based on Event Study and Difference-in-Difference methods to quantify the impact of macroeconomic crises and the war on the organization. Quantitative estimates of the negative impacts of two macroeconomic crises (2009 and 2014–2015) and military action (which began in 2014, but does not take into account its new stage – war from 2022) in Ukraine on the freight traffic of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia" were obtained. The application of the proposed approach to assessing the effect of war due to its universality is possible for the needs and goals not only of transport companies but also of other organizations. The novelty – among the available developments on this issue, a formal assessment of the effect of military aggression which began in 2014 in the macroeconomic crises’ context was conducted for the first time using the existing methods, which allows obtaining parameter estimates resistant to individual-specific and time-specific heterogeneity

Development of circular agricultural economy: potential sources of financing innovative projects

Purpose. The purpose of this paper was to highlight the results of the study of potential sources of financing the circular economy in the agricultural sector and modeling the factors influencing the formation of financial support (with own resources) for the implementation of innovative circular projects of agricultural enterprises. Methodology / approach. This study uses the following methods: bibliometric (to determine the state of the problem under study based on the Scopus and Web of Science databases); correlation analysis (to identify and assess the close relationship between the factors influencing the formation of financial support (with own resources) for the implementation of innovative projects of agricultural enterprises); econometric modeling (to build a mathematical model of the dependence of the investment profit of agricultural enterprises of the Kharkiv oblast on production costs per 1 ha of agricultural lands and their areas); graphical (for building three-dimensional graph and visual representation of the revealed dependencies); monographic and abstract-logical (for generalization of the research results). The empirical part of the study was performed on the example of data from 506 agricultural enterprises of Kharkiv oblast in 2019. Results. European practices of financing circular projects are summarized. The results of a correlation analysis of the impact on the formation of financial support (with own resources) for the implementation of innovative projects of agrarian enterprises of the following factors are presented: staff motivation, concentration, intensity of land use, intensification, specialization, diversification, outsourcing. It is established that the fundamental basis for obtaining high indicators of income, marginal income, cash flow and investment profit is the formation of the appropriate amount of production costs per hectare. For example, an increase in the size of production costs by 1 thsd. UAH/ha of agricultural land contributed to an increase in the total amount of investment profit by 0.3199 mln UAH, an increase in the area of agricultural land per 1 ha – an increase in this profit by 0.0037 mln UAH. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, one- and two-factor linear econometric models were developed, which made it possible to carry out quantitative assessment of the impact of the intensification of production and land concentration on the formation of the investment profit of agrarian enterprises as the main potential source of self-financing of innovative projects. The provision on the formation of financial support for the implementation of circular projects in the agricultural sector, was further developed. Practical value / implications. The main results of the study can be used for (i) improving the policy of financial support for the implementation of circular projects in the agricultural sector; (ii) assessment and forecasting of the impact of factors on the investment profit of agricultural enterprises as a potential source of self-financing of innovation circular projects; (iii) management of identified factors from the standpoint of maximizing the formation of own cash flow as a potential source of self-financing of innovation circular projects

Economics of soil erosion: case study of Ukraine

Purpose. The main objective of this paper is (і) to determinate the economic loss due to crop productivity loss caused by soil erosion in Ukraine, and (іі) to present the results of the econometric modeling of soil erosion impact on the efficiency crop production at the regional and district level. Methodology / approach. This study uses the following methods: expert assessments and monographic (for the assessment of economic losses due to crop productivity loss from spreading soil erosion); graphical (for building three-dimensional graphs); econometric modeling (to develop a mathematical model of the dependence of the gross crop production and income from sales per 100 hectares from the share of eroded arable land in its total area and production costs in crop industry per 100 hectares); abstract-and-logical (for generalization of the research results). To solve the assigned tasks, linear and quadratic econometric models (production functions) were developed using a dataset (і) from 168 observations (on the example of Ukrainian regions for 2010–2016) and (ii) from 189 observations (on the example of districts of Kharkiv region for 2010–2016). This study was conducted in order to test the hypothesis that the increase in the area of eroded arable land has a negative effect on the gross output of crop production. Results. Our expert assessment of economic losses due to crop productivity loss from spread of soil erosion on agricultural land in Ukraine is 224 mln USD. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis about the negative relationship between gross crop output and the level of land erosion. The obtained data confirm that an increase in the area of eroded arable land by 1 % leads to a decrease in the gross output of crop production by 0.20 % per 100 hectares of agricultural land in total, and in the third group of the studied subjects (the share of eroded arable land in their total area is more than 50 %) – by 0.61 %, respectively. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, linear and nonlinear (quadratic) econometric models were developed, which made it possible to carry out quantitative assessment of the impact of the soil erosion and the financial support (production costs in crop industry) per hectare on the formation of the financial results (gross crop output and income) of business entities in Ukrainian agriculture. The provision on the economics of soil erosion was further developed in terms of expert assessment of losses from this type of degradation and confirmation of the effect of the economic law of diminishing returns, which should be taken into account when developing measures for sustainable land management. Practical value / implications. The main results of the study can be used for the development, substantiation and implementation of soil protection measures for the sustainable use of agricultural land and/or to informed decision-making at different levels of management concerning restoration of eroded land

Factors Forming the Consumers’ Willingness to Pay a Price Premium for Ecological Goods in Ukraine

This study discusses the identification of factors affecting consumers’ willingness to pay a price premium for ecological goods. The study was carried out in selected regions of Ukraine, in the cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv. The study applied various research methods, in particular public opinion analysis based on conducted surveys and the statistical inference method. The conducted research may constitute the scientific basis for the assessment of this market segment development. The comparison of consumer attitudes, presented by the residents of major Ukrainian cities regarding environmental goods, revealed their willingness to pay a price premium depending primarily on the purchasing power of the population, but also on gender, age, and social status. The analysis of differences in the cross-tabulation of quality characteristics was performed using Pearson’s chi-square test, which showed that, for example, men were more willing than women to choose environmental products due to their environmental safety and their selection was more often than in case of women based on environmental goods’ price. The collected research results can be used to assess the development prospects of environmental goods’ market, to construct the set of measures increasing the willingness level of domestic consumers to pay a price premium for ecological products, and to take up decisions about the production of ecological goods

Consumer willingness to pay a price premium for ecological goods: a case study from Ukraine

The aim of this paper was to define and analyze local consumers’ willingness to pay a price premium for ecological goods in the regions of Ukraine (on the example of the residents of Kharkiv and Kyiv). For this purpose, different methods were used in the research: surveys; abstract-logical; induction and deduction; monographic; comparative analysis; graphic. The scientific value was provided by the theoretical development and methodological principles of assessing the willingness of consumers to pay a price premium for ecological goods in the regions of Ukraine. These have become the scientific basis for assessing the future development of this segment of the market, since more than half of consumers are ready to buy ecological products, even more expensive than ordinary ones, but there is a certain limit for the price premium. It was revealed that the potential for market development is the greatest, provided that the price premium for the environmental properties of the goods is not more than 25%. Accordingly, the higher the price premium on ecological goods, the less consumers are willing to buy them. The comparison of consumers’ attitudes from different regions (examples from the residents of Kharkiv and Kyiv) on ecological goods and their willingness to pay a price premium for them showed that one of the key factors is the level of the purchasing power of the population. The obtained results of the research can be used to assess the prospects for the development of the market in ecological goods, to develop a set of measures to increase the level of readiness of domestic consumers to pay a price premium for ecological products and the adoption of managerial and marketing decisions in the relevant segment of the market

Development of innovation activities of agrarian enterprises: towards agribusiness 4.0

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to highlight the results of the assessment and analysis of trends, the current state and sectoral features of the development of innovative activities of agrarian enterprises and readiness for agribusiness 4.0. Methodology / approach. The study uses the following methods: bibliometric and cluster analysis using the VOSviewer program – to determine the status and clustering of studies based on the Scopus database; calculation-and-analytical – for calculating the Global index of digital transformation and readiness for agribusiness 4.0 of Ukraine and EU countries, evaluating the innovative activity of agricultural enterprises; grouping – for analytical processing of calculation results; correlation analysis – to identify the relationship between individual indices; mathematical alignment of dynamic series – to determine trends of change and predict the indicators of innovative activity; graphical and cartographic – for a visual presentation of the obtained results; monographic and abstract-logical – to generalize the results of the assessment. The empirical basis of the study was global innovation indices, data from Eurostat, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, and data from agrarian enterprises of the Kharkiv region. Results. The absolute leader according to the Global index of digital transformation and readiness of countries for agribusiness 4.0 was Sweden (81.3 points out of a possible 100). Among the analyzed countries, Ukraine took the last 29th place (49.7 points), which indicates a very low level of digital transformation and readiness for agribusiness 4.0. The assessment of the innovative activity of agrarian enterprises was carried out, which made it possible to identify the trends, current state and industry specifics (in crop production using the example of winter wheat, in livestock production using the example of milk) of the indicated activity. In crop production, enterprises were distinguished by a slightly higher level of innovative activity than in livestock production, but the differences are not very significant. The analysis of the innovative activity of agrarian enterprises in the European and national dimensions proved the presence of great opportunities for the innovative-and-anticipatory development of the agricultural sector, the implementation of which is often hampered by a lack of financial resources and an insufficiently effective policy for the introduction of innovations. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, the results of the calculation and analysis of the Global index of digital transformation and readiness for agribusiness 4.0 of Ukraine and EU countries are presented. Methodological provisions on the evaluation of the innovative activity of agricultural enterprises were further developed in terms of the use of indirect indicators of the number and specific weight of entities that have reached a certain level of productivity, as well as the comparison of the indicators of Ukraine and the EU. Practical value / implications. The results can be used for (i) improving the policy on increasing the innovative activity of agrarian enterprises, taking into account the industry characteristics and the achieved level; (ii) country-level assessment of the Global index of digital transformation and readiness of countries for agribusiness 4.0; (iii) making management decisions by managers of agrarian enterprises to increase their innovative activity

Development of Innovation Activities of Agrarian Enterprises: Towards Agribusiness 4.0

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to highlight the results of the assessment and analysis of trends, the current state and sectoral features of the development of innovative activities of agrarian enterprises and readiness for agribusiness 4.0. Methodology / approach. The study uses the following methods: bibliometric and cluster analysis using the VOSviewer program – to determine the status and clustering of studies based on the Scopus database; calculation-and-analytical – for calculating the Global index of digital transformation and readiness for agribusiness 4.0 of Ukraine and EU countries, evaluating the innovative activity of agricultural enterprises; grouping – for analytical processing of calculation results; correlation analysis – to identify the relationship between individual indices; mathematical alignment of dynamic series – to determine trends of change and predict the indicators of innovative activity; graphical and cartographic – for a visual presentation of the obtained results; monographic and abstract-logical – to generalize the results of the assessment. The empirical basis of the study was global innovation indices, data from Eurostat, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, and data from agrarian enterprises of the Kharkiv region. Results. The absolute leader according to the Global index of digital transformation and readiness of countries for agribusiness 4.0 was Sweden (81.3 points out of a possible 100). Among the analyzed countries, Ukraine took the last 29th place (49.7 points), which indicates a very low level of digital transformation and readiness for agribusiness 4.0. The assessment of the innovative activity of agrarian enterprises was carried out, which made it possible to identify the trends, current state and industry specifics (in crop production using the example of winter wheat, in livestock production using the example of milk) of the indicated activity. In crop production, enterprises were distinguished by a slightly higher level of innovative activity than in livestock production, but the differences are not very significant. The analysis of the innovative activity of agrarian enterprises in the European and national dimensions proved the presence of great opportunities for the innovative-and-anticipatory development of the agricultural sector, the implementation of which is often hampered by a lack of financial resources and an insufficiently effective policy for the introduction of innovations. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, the results of the calculation and analysis of the Global index of digital transformation and readiness for agribusiness 4.0 of Ukraine and EU countries are presented. Methodological provisions on the evaluation of the innovative activity of agricultural enterprises were further developed in terms of the use of indirect indicators of the number and specific weight of entities that have reached a certain level of productivity, as well as the comparison of the indicators of Ukraine and the EU. Practical value / implications. The results can be used for (i) improving the policy on increasing the innovative activity of agrarian enterprises, taking into account the industry characteristics and the achieved level; (ii) country-level assessment of the Global index of digital transformation and readiness of countries for agribusiness 4.0; (iii) making management decisions by managers of agrarian enterprises to increase their innovative activity

Управління проектами в органічному аграрному виробництві

Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to present the results of research on the development and justification of the economic and environmental feasibility of implementing innovative projects for organizing of production organic products (on an example of the project of cultivation of organic potatoes using minimal technology (mini-till)). Methodology / approach. The basis for preparing the project for the production of organic potatoes is the author’s methodology, which includes a form and recommendations for the development of a business plan for an innovative agricultural project. The study used the following methods: abstract-logical (theoretical generalization and formulation of conclusions); analysis and synthesis (justification and analysis of project indicators); monographic (depth analysis of the issue under study); calculation-constructive (determination of the main parameters of the project and economic efficiency). Results. The theoretical and practical aspects of project management in organic agricultural production are substantiated (on the example of the project of organization of organic potato production). An innovative project for organizing organic potato production using minimal technology (mini-till) was developed, and the investment attractiveness of this project was estimated. The author’s methodology for developing a business plan for an innovative agricultural project has been tested. Originality / scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the paper is that the regulations on the application of project management in organic agricultural production on the market platform of environmental entrepreneurship have been further developed, which is reflected in the developed environmentally oriented project. This is one of the first papers to examine the project management in organic agricultural production in Ukraine. Practical value / implications. The project of organizing organic potato production has been developed and economically substantiated. It can be used by stakeholders for practical implementation and/or as a basis for preparing such a project taking into account the individual characteristics of a specific agricultural enterprise. The calculated economic parameters of the project are the basis for managing marketing activities, resource support, personnel, cost and efficiency of the project, organization of project financing and project risk management