DIFFICULTIES CONCERNING PUBLIC SECTOR EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

The ability to measure public sector performance is a necessity for policymakers as well as academics and citizens of a country. This article aims to identify ways of measuring public sector performance using the measurement applicable to all countries and outlining opportunities for comparability among them. Thus, the authors highlight opportunities for performance measurement and public sector efficiency using various methods of non-parametric and parametric analysis. The starting point of the analysis considers the concept of performance, encompasses the proposed terms of productivity, efficiency and effectiveness; therefore, the measurement of public sector performance requires an exhaustive analysis in multidimensional terms, covering all core areas of a country. Moreover, understanding and developing robust international comparison possibilities will give in practice a structural framework for measuring the performance of particular relevance. Study findings indicate that performance measurement and implicitly public sector efficiency is a complex and difficult task that goes beyond simply measuring of productivity and efficiency, and requires aggregation of several key areas related to the results of a state. In summary, the analysis framework of the performance and efficiency of public sector is outlined both in terms of relevance of indicators and the methodology used. It demonstrates that methods of non-parametric analysis work at their best when all aspects of the production process can be captured in a limited number of input and output dimensions.KEYWORDS: performance, efficiency, public sector, non-parametric methods, parametric methods

Scientific Radiography of Healthcare System Process Efficiency Digitalisation

Digitalisation remains a complex process in terms of integration into healthcare, a significant challenge worldwide. This study aims to identify the most influential trends in terms of authors, sources, countries, affiliations, and highly engaged documents that significantly contribute to the healthcare system’s digitalisation. To perform a comprehensive science mapping analysis, a logical data frame of 336 Web of Science database recent papers published between 2018 and 2022 are analysed using R-Bibliometrix. Our results highlighted throughout a scientific mapping and visual framework that digitalisation of the healthcare system is a revolutionary, actual, and pervasive concept, considered a new research area recognised by evolution and consistent growth. Moreover, the results provide different types of networks and highlight the keywords, authors, documents, and countries with the highest interest in the subject of the digitalisation of healthcare

PRIORITETI UPRAVLJANJA JAVNIM KOMUNALNIM USLUGAMA U ZAPADNOJ RUMUNJSKOJ

Public utility services are an important vector for the development of regional and local communities. Providing these services is equally important to citizens, central, regional and local authorities, and academics. The management of public utility services needs to be completed in the spirit of an efficient and performant process. This paper highlights the perception of the users of public utility services regarding the quality of various public services. Also, it identifies potential improvement measures that can be adopted by the authorities with competences in the field of utility services. In this respect, we apply a methodology based on the survey method, considering a sample of 220 respondents, between December 2014 and April 2015 at the level of the Western Region of Romania, namely the counties of Timis, Caras-Severin, Arad and Hunedoara. The main conclusion of the study reveals users’ dissatisfaction with the quality of public utility services provision, as well as the lack of communication between authorities and citizens.The results of the present paper can form a basis for well-grounded proposals for efficient measures which need to be implemented by local and regional authorities in order to improve the provision of public utility services.Javne komunalne usluge važan su vektor razvoja regionalnih i lokalnih zajednica. Te usluge jednako su važne građanima, središnjim, regionalnim i lokalnim vlastima, ali i akademskoj zajednici. Upravljanje javnim komunalnim uslugama mora biti učinkovit i djelotvoran proces. Ovaj rad bavi se percepcijom kvalitete javnih komunalnih usluga od strane njihovih korisnika. Također navodi moguće mjere za poboljšanje tih usluga koje mogu uvesti tijela nadležna za upravljanje komunalnim uslugama. U radu se koristi metoda ankete te se analizira uzorak odgovora 220 ispitanika prikupljenih u razdoblju od prosinca 2014. do travnja 2015. u zapadnoj Rumunjskoj, točnije u općinama Timis, Caras-Severin, Arad i Hunedoara. Zaključak studije otkriva nezadovoljstvo korisnika kvalitetom pružanja javnih komunalnih usluga, ali i nedostatak komunikacije između nadležnih tijela i građana. Rezultati ovog rada mogu biti temelj za predlaganje mjera koje lokalne i regionalne vlasti mogu provesti kako bi poboljšale kvalitetu komunalnih usluga

Entrepreneurship and digitalisation in EU: twinning insights through a panel threshold regression

The study methodologically employs, in a novel perspective, the panel threshold analysis, considering the time frame 2006–2020, to capture the relationship between new business density rate, as a proxy for entrepreneurship, and individuals’ digital inclusion, as a proxy for digitalisation in EU countries. Based on the human capital theory, the results indicated a strong single threshold effect between individuals’ digital inclusion and new business creation, confirming that entrepreneurship is influenced by the skills, knowledge, and experience of the entrepreneurs, including their education, training, and work history. For EU countries, individuals’ digital inclusion boosts business creation only after reaching a certain level. When separating the EU countries from the perspective of their Innovation Index performance, the threshold effect was statistically evidenced in all categories but with different values. The strongest positive influence from digitalisation towards entrepreneurship was visible in emerging countries, while the lowest was for countries classified as moderate innovators. The research provides an original framework for understanding the complex factors that drive entrepreneurship and can help researchers and practitioners develop strategies for promoting entrepreneurial activity. Digitalisation’s opportunities are significant, and entrepreneurial individuals and organisations able to adapt and innovate are more likely to be successful

Modelling framework of the Tandem Supply Chain Efficiency and Sustainable Financial Performance in the Automotive Industry

U ovom radu istražuje se uzročna veza između učinkovitosti opskrbnog lanca i održivog financijskog rezultata na temelju dokaza iz literature koja se bavi prijelazom s financijskog odlučivanja na temelju financijskog ishoda, uključujući financijsku podlogu za oblikovanje opskrbnog lanca, poslovanje i upravljanje. Studija slučaja obuhvatila je 100 tvrtki odabranih iz sektora proizvodnje automobila tijekom deset godina, od 2010. do 2019. godine. Metodološki, studija primjenjuje statistički fiksne modele i modele slučajnih učinaka, uzimajući u obzir parametre modela kao zavisne varijable odnosa imovine i učinkovitosti te kao nezavisne varijable omjera financijske uspješnosti koje se odnose na povrat na imovinu, kapital, kapitalne troškove i prodaju. Odabir modela s fiksnim ili slučajnim efektima postiže se provođenjem Hausmanovog testa. Rezultati panel analize ukazuju na uzročnu vezu za predložene modele, naglašavajući važnost omjera učinkovitosti kao što su omjer obrta dugotrajne imovine, omjer ukupnog obrta imovine i obrta dugotrajne imovine. Iz perspektive praktičara, konstrukcija modela i rezultati rada stječu uvid u strateška područja opskrbnog lanca kojima se može dati prioritet za povećanje učinkovitosti i korporativne konkurentnosti, promicanje održivog financijskog rezultata kroz strukturu imovine, učinkovitost imovine i upravljanje zalihama.The research examines the causal relationship between supply chain efficiency and sustainable financial performance based on the evidence from the literature dealing with a transition from financial decision-making based on the financial outcome, including financial rationale in supply chain design, operations, and management. The case study has included 100 companies selected from the automotive production sector over ten years, from 2010 to 2019. Methodologically, the study includes statistically fixed and random effects models, considering within the model parameters as dependent variables asset and efficiency-based ratios and as independent variables financial performance ratios related to returns on assets, equity, capital expenses, and sales. The selection of the fixed or randomeffects model is accomplished by performing the Hausman test. The results of panel analysis indicate a causal relationship for the proposed models, highlighting the importance of efficiency ratios such as Fixed Assets Turnover Ratio, Total Assets Turnover Ratio, and Fixed Assets Turnover. From practitioners` perspective, the models` construction and the paper’s results gain insight into strategic supply chain areas that can be prioritised for increased efficiency and corporate competitiveness, promoting sustainable financial performance through asset structure, asset efficiency, and inventory management

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY FOR INVESTMENTS IN REFRACTIVE SURGERY

The current paper proposes a methodology of cost – benefit analysis for investments in the field of refractive surgery over the Romanian-Serbian cross-border region. While refractive surgery services have the potential of generating financial gains for the investor, they can also generate significant social impact. When the investments are made from public funds, the net social benefits are usually targeted. Although the potential impact of such an investment over the quality of life of the local population is important, a feasibility study is mandatory as a basis for the decision to allocate the necessary funds. Through a previous research, we established a benchmark for the conversion of the net social benefits of refractive surgery into monetary form. Through the current article, we propose a way of integrating the converted net social benefits into a cost – benefit analysis. The proposed methodology can be used in feasibility studies over the Romanian-Serbian cross-border region and can easily be adapted to other regions

PUBLIC DECISION-MAKING IN THE CIVIL SOCIETY CONSTRAINTS CONTEXT

The frequency with which individuals are assessed as having competences to influence decisions taken by the authorities is an indicator of the extent to which they consider their own society as being democratic. This paper is outlined from the 2013 Eurobarometer survey in witch Romania "emphasize" through the lowest level of organizations membership, only 3-4% of respondents declaring themselves members of NGOs, although 66% of Romanian state that they share values and interests of organizations and they have confidence that they act right in order to influence public decisions. In this paper we tried to observe which are most effective ways to influence policy making for Romanians. It can notice that there is a proportion of over 75% in terms of voting in local and national elections, respectively a proportion of over 65% in the degree of attachment of Romanians towards the NGOs. However, the contradictions are obvious because turnout fell in the last 10 years below 50% in terms of parliamentary elections

EMPIRICAL STUDY REGARDING THE DETERMINING FACTORS OF THE ROMANIAN COMPANIES COMPETITIVENESS

The complexity of the concept of competitiveness lies in the fact that the term is used in various levels of aggregation, allowing the generation of its different meanings at microeconomic, mezzo-economic and macroeconomic level. This study is focused on the concept of company competitiveness, on the relevant factors in order to analyze and explain the advantage of competitiveness for a company in regard to another, as well as the dimension and intensity which it uses the sponsors’ capital, the organizational capital, the human capital, the innovational capital and the capital represented by the customers portfolio. Secondly, using the questionnaire method as a research method, the objective of this paper is to provide some empirical evidences designed to assess the factors determining the Romanian company competitiveness on the competitive market. By using an initial dataset of 300 companies, which are part of the 14 fields of activity provided in the activity classification of the national economy, Reviewed NACE 2, we have made their classification on size classes, taking into account as classification criteria the number of employees, the annual net turnover and the value of the total assets held, then testing the opinions of the managers from the selected sample concerning the factors determining the competitiveness of the companies they manage. According to the results, the analysis of the sample structure reflects the control of microenterprises followed by the small and medium sized enterprises. The manner of administration and organization and the quality of the employed human factor are influenced by the company dimension and position held on the market. We consider that the managers of the small size companies, as well as the ones from the provided sample, rely on a preponderant intuitive management, they deal the administered businesses based on the spur of the moment inspiration, make decisions subjectively not starting from objective economic criteria, being concerned only with the management of the current problems. Since they aren’t the beneficiaries of a managerial education, they don’t possess the necessary competences to focus on the elaboration of certain strategies by which to provide competitiveness and performance on the long-term. However, the managers’ training and competence influence on the identification and use of the factors which are able to provide the company development

THE CIVIC EDUCATION IMPACT AMONG YOUTH IN A DEMOCRACY

This paper seeks to address awareness, importance and applicability of the concept of "citizenship" based on the assumption that schools can play an important role in the development of youth civic education. Such education and the role that the school plays in the development of participatory citizenship has become of considerable importance in recent decades due to the fact that, in most developed countries, schools are required to provide civic education and active youth. Studies addressing youth civic education led to the conclusion that there is a noticeable lack of involvement and education of young people in terms of their ability to meet the challenges of civic behavior. It must be necessary to consider mandatory continuing training civic and social skills to another level of understanding as education level ISCED 5 and ISCED 6, where the generalization and abstraction concepts already previously acquired, can develop flexible civic and social skills pointed directly through a constructive participation in community life and decision-making process at all levels, by the turnout

New Evidence for Romania Regarding Dynamic Causality between Military Expenditure and Sustainable Economic Growth

Military spending and sustainable economic development have been widely discussed in recent decades. Especially in Romania, the defense budget is valued at $4.8 billion, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.57$7.6 billion in 2023, according to a report by Strategic Defense Intelligence. There is no consensus in current research and less attention is paid to Eastern European countries. Considering the significant increase in military spending in Romania in recent years, as well as the occurrence of political events, this paper focuses on the dynamic causal relationship between military spending and sustainable economic growth in Romania. The bootstrap rolling window causality test takes into account the structural changes, and therefore, provides more convincing results. The results indicate negative effects of military expenditure on sustainable economic growth between 1996–1999 and 2002–2004. It can be attributed to the crowding-out effect of public expenditure on private investment. The positive effect between the two variables analyzed is noticed with the accession of Romania to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Conversely, it is found that economic growth does not have a significant effect on military spending in Romania. Policymakers should guard against the crowding out of private consumption and investment due to excessive military spending and ensure to increase military expenditure on the premise of sustainable economic development