Social Policies in Kosovo: institutional reforms in the context of globalization and internatin aladministration

Social policy broadly focuses on pensions system, health insurance, education, family policies, disability and injury insurance, unemployment benefits, war victims’ benefits and other aid to the poor. The main features of Western Balkans’ welfare system during communism can be characterized by three pillars: full employment and quasi-obligatory employment: broad and universalistic social insurance: and a highly developed typically company-based, system of services and fringe benefits. This system was eliminated after the fall of communism, as it became impossible for the state to provide the necessary funds to cover new social costs associated with transformation. The welfare system reform in the form of introduction of choice and marketization was delayed and implemented unevenly due to protracted conflicts, internal and external determinants. The paper initially will comparatively examine the similarities and differences in social policy in Western Balkans taking into account different initial conditions, legacy, political systems and the influence of international actors. Secondly, it details the case of social policy in Kosovo explaining resulting institutional set-up and policies adopted in the context of international administration and globalisation

Is there a European Innovation Crisis!? The impact of product and labour market deregulation

Economists have often talked about the European Paradox:” - Europe having the necessary knowledge and research but failing to utilize these advantages and bring them to the markets. The perception, largely attributable to the media reporting, is that Europe lags behind the United States in innovation. While it is true that most of the e-commerce innovations were developed in the United States, Europe’s economies did well over the 1990s despite the lack of major breakthroughs in hightech sphere. Thus, it is hard to say that Europe is facing an innovation crisis, and I will argue that Europe has other advantages that make it competitive globally. While Europe might not have as much success in innovation as the United States, it nevertheless, has been successful in more developed and mature segments of the markets. Moreover, I will argue that country’s specialization depends on the setup of the institutions in the political economy. The countries utilize their comparative institutional advantage (CIA) to maintain competitive globally. Finally, I will argue against the idea of drastic deregulation of the product and labor markets in Europe. Doing so would be like shooting yourself in the foot since individual European countries would lose their comparative institutional advantage that allows them to stay competitive globally in the market for incremental innovation products

The impact of product and labour market deregulation

Economists have often talked about the European Paradox:” - Europe having the necessary knowledge and research but failing to utilize these advantages and bring them to the markets. The perception, largely attributable to the media reporting, is that Europe lags behind the United States in innovation. While it is true that most of the e-commerce innovations were developed in the United States, Europe’s economies did well over the 1990s despite the lack of major breakthroughs in high-tech sphere. Thus, it is hard to say that Europe is facing an innovation crisis, and I will argue that Europe has other advantages that make it competitive globally. While Europe might not have as much success in innovation as the United States, it nevertheless, has been successful in more developed and mature segments of the markets. Moreover, I will argue that country’s specialization depends on the setup of the institutions in the political economy. The countries utilize their comparative institutional advantage (CIA) to maintain competitive globally. Finally, I will argue against the idea of drastic deregulation of the product and labor markets in Europe. Doing so would be like shooting yourself in the foot since individual European countries would lose their comparative institutional advantage that allows them to stay competitive globally in the market for incremental innovation products

THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY USING VCD LEARNING TO THE KINDERGARTEN LEVEL IN SMART AND FUN COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH COURSE SAMARINDA

The researcher used VCD Learning to help kindergarten level students Smart and Fun Communicative English Program Samarinda on learning English vocabulary. The contents were relevant to the vocabulary for students in kindergarten level of Smart and Fun Samarinda.This study was aimed finding whether there was significance difference between experimental and control groups and whether there was significant difference between post experimental and control groups. It is a kind of experimental research. This study’s design was two group-pretest-treatment-posttest design. The population of this study was 60 students. The researcher took 40 students from two classes as the sample of this study. Then, took other 20 students as try out test respondents. The test was tried out to 20 respondents consisted of 30 items. After being analyzed, its reliability coefficient was 0.462. The experimental group’s mean score on the post-test was 80.17 while on control group was 70.67. After analyzing the two mean scores by using the program of SPSS 16.0, it was found that the difference significance value between the two mean scores t - computed 4.068 was higher than t - table 2.093 with the level of significant 5%. The computation showed that the two groups’ mean scores of significantly differed. Thus, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted and the Null Hypothesis (Ho) is rejected. It could be concluded that there was significant difference of English vocabulary achievement among students of kindergarten level of Smart and Fun by using VCD Learning

PENGARUH PELAKSANAAN PRAKTIKUM TERHADAP KETERAMPILAN GENERIK SAINS SISWA SMA NEGERI 5 MAROS

Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan metode eksperimen semu yang bertujuan untuk mengetahui Pengaruh Pelaksanaan Praktikum Terhadap Keterampilan Generik Sains Siswa SMA Negeri 5 Maros. Penelitian ini menggunakan dua kelas yaitu kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol, Instrument penelitian yang digunakan adalah tes essay sebanyak 5 nomor, lembar observasi keterampilan generik sains sebanyak 9 nomor yang telah divalidasi. Data penelitian ini dianalisis dengan menggunakan SPSS Versi 25 yang diajar dengan metode pembelajaran praktikum pada kelas eksperimen dengan nilai rata-rata 86.06 dan standar deviasi 6.131 sedangkan pada kelas kontrol yang diajar dengan menggunakan model pembelajaran konvensional yang nilai rata-rata 81.63 dan standar deviasi 8.092. Hasil analisis menggunakan SPSS Versi 25 uji t diperoleh nilai sig sebesar 0.012 < 0.025 maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa analisis hipotesis H0 ditolak dan H1 diterima ini berarti bahwa terdapat pengaruh pelaksanaan praktikum terhadap keterampilan generik sains siswa SMA Negeri 5 Maros pada materi sistem pernapasan manusi

A Critical Analysis of the Kosova Customs Service Process and Procedure: Internal Customs Clearing; Opportunities for Increased Efficiency and Regional Success

If one were to ask if re-engineering various systems and procedures of the Kosova Customs Service would be in the service of government of Kosova, the service itself, the broader local, regional and international business community, and the general population as a function of a national strategy designed to bring Kosova closer to European Union Standards the answer to that question would be a simple yes. The more precise question needs to identify specific process and procedure, and in this regard the question then becomes has the time come for the Kosova Customs Service to implement Internal Customs Clearance procedures? And, if so we must then analyze why the implementation of this procedure has not occurred sooner, identify the benefits, and finally by proposing how the internal customs clearance process can be implemented we can also identify efficiencies. What is internal customs clearance? In the most simple form internal customs clearance is a customs procedure that does not restrict importers to clearing customs only at customs terminals at border crossing points, rather by using pre-existing Customs infrastructure and more public customs warehouses importers can decide where and when they will clear customs, in strict compliance with all applicable rules and regulations, throughout the territory of Kosova. Based on International Management theory and practice studies in the UBT International Engineering Management Masters program and combined with field interviews and experience this thesis will argue that implementing such a procedure is possible and would contribute to a contemporary, functional, and regional customs regime aligned with regional policy and trends in support of Kosova’s EU aspirations

Improving Speaking Fluency of The 7th Graders Students Through The Communicative Approach In SMPN 1 Tenggarong

The study was about improving speaking fluency of the students by teaching them using communicative approach. The objective of the study was to find out: 1. How the communicative approach improved the students’ speaking fluency, 2. How the perception of the students about communicative approach.This research was conducted by using CAR (Classroom Action Research). This research had two cycles. There were nine classes of the seventh graders in SMPN 1 Tenggarong. The writers chose one class as the subject that had a middle level ability of speaking English. After the first cycle, the students were given a test. After the scores out, the treatment was applied by the writers. To see whether it was successful or not, the writers themselves gave the post-test. Then the writers did the same thing like on the first cycle for the next cycle. The writers also gave an interview with an open-ended question to find out the students’ perception of communicative approach. The result showed that there was increased in their speaking fluency. In the first cycle, the score was 75,45 and 77,30. In the second cycle, the score was 79,6 and 81,60. Secondly, the perception of the students toward communicative approach showed that the students had a positive relationship with the teacher and the other students and also had a better cooperation in the class. It also showed how the students became more active in the classroom

IMPLEMENTASI LEAN MANUFACTURING UNTUK MEMINIMASI WASTE MENGGUNAKAN METODE VALUE STREAM MAPPING PADA PT. MJ DI PASURUAN

PT. MJ merupakan perusahaan manufaktur yang memproduksi minuman dalam kemasan gelas. Produk yang dihasilkan PT. MJ ialah minuman teh dalam kemasan gelas dengan merk Seven Tea dan minuman sari asam jawa dalam kemasan gelas dengan merk Asam Jawa. Masalah yang terjadi pada PT. MJ yaitu adanya pemborosan (Waste) dalam proses produksi akibat aktivitas operator. Penelitian ini menggunakan Metode Waste Assessment Model dan Value Stream Mapping, yang melakukan pendekatan menggunakan Analisa kuantitatif deskriptif yaitu Analisa mendalam terkait dengan fakta yang telah ditemukan. Berdasarkan hasil rekapitulasi perhitungan menggunakan metode Waste Assessment dapat diketahui bahwa Waste terbesar yaitu Waste Defect dengan prosentase 21,6% diikuti oleh Waste Overproduction 16,9% diurutan kedua dan selanjutnya Waste Inventory 16,3% diurutan ketiga. Berdasarkan Analisa menggunakan Value Stream Analysis Tools dihasilkan usulan perbaikan untuk masing-masing waste yang terjadi yaitu, penambahan departemen PPIC guna melakukan perencanaan dalam pembelian bahan baku, penjadwalan dalam produksi dan penambahan operator dalam proses penyortiran agar bahan baku yang harus disortir agar lebih teliti sehingga bahan baku yang akan digunakan merupakan bahan baku dengan kualitas yang baik