ASSESSMENT OF STAFF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCES IN HEALTH CARE ORGANISATIONS

As a consequence of globalisation, people's mobility has been increasing, which brought cultural diversity to a number of countries of the world, therefore intercultural competences became a particularly important research object in organisation management. Scientific literature is rich in publications on the topic, however, the latter problem and its specificity has been insufficiently studied in health care organisations whose performance is especially important for each patient and the cost of errors, possibly caused also by insufficient intercultural competences, may be very great. The conducted research justifies the meaning and significance of intercultural competences in health care organisations and identifies the principal problems in organisations faced when communicating in an intercultural environment. The development of intercultural competences was not sufficiently promoted in health care organisations, leaving that to the staff's responsibility. Quite a few of health care services providers had a poor knowledge of etiquette and did not know much about the customs and traditions of other countries.JEL Codes - M140; M520; M54

The Main Obstacles and Possibilities of the Cooperative Movement in Lithuania

Abstract The article analyses the obstacles of the cooperative movement in Lithuania and proposes new insights for the development of their activities. Analysis was based on and carried out using the Delphi survey methodological approach. The experience of a transnational Association of Producers Organisation "First International Association Fruit" was investigated as a relevant example. Suggestions for the development of Lithuanian cooperatives were worked out

The identification of the retail internationalization elements EFFECTED UPON CONSUMERS

The paper theoretically justified most important elements having direct effect upon consumer. Purpose of research is to develop theoretical model of retail internationalization elements effect upon consumers. by analyse retail internationalization process, retailers fails and success topics, consumer expectations was used general scientific methods of research – scientific literature, comparative and systematic logical analysis. The most important participant in the process of the internationalisation of retail trade is the consumer who actually determines the success or failure of a retail trade company. The analysis of the results of the survey of Lithuanian consumers allows seven principal elements of the process of the internationalisation of retail trade which potentially have a direct effect on the consumer to be identified: the format of the store, the range of the goods, the price, the country of origin of the product, advertising, communication and the image.KEYWORDS: internationalisation, retail trade, impact, consumer

PROTECTIONISM SOURCES OF TRADE DISPUTES WITHIN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Peculiarities of modern intercountry trade disputes and their subject-object characteristics, protectionist methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been studied in the article. The purpose of the article is to study the features and tools for the implementation of modern interstate trade disputes in the context of strengthening protectionist policies and the spread of the COVID-19 crisis. The research methodology is presented by historical and logical method, statistics and graphic methods, comparative method, correlation regression method, forecasting method, method of theoretical generalization have been used in the article. Dominance and detecting protectionism policy within the process of protecting national markets of goods from international competition have been highlighted and manifestation form of protectionism actions has been defined. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of trade disputes of countries within WTO has been carried out; their subject-object characteristics have been defined; major tools of the most active member countries being a complainant or a respondent have been analyzed. It has been discovered that the largest number of disputes have taken place between the USA and the EU, the USA and China, and China and the EU; methods and tools for trade disputing between the above mentioned countries were identified

DEVELOPMENT OF FAEROES AND ÅLAND ISLAND’S WITHIN THE WORLD TRADE SYSTEM

The article deals with the problem of “ultra small region”, which being the independent subject of the West European countries, istheir territorial, political and economic part, possessing constitutional independence. The initial factors of such regions special statusare national-cultural ethos type and geopolitical position. The goal of the article is the identification of ultra-small territories, revealingfeatures of their economic development and the modern trade status in a world and European trade system context. Ultra-smalltrade is diversified geographically and the main trading partners of these autonomous areas are the large highly developed countries,except for the four neighboring countries of Northern Europe. The main summing up conclusion is that Ålands and Faeroes island’sultra-small autonomous territories are converting nowadays into the business bridges between different European regions and countries,into the “competitive sub-peripheries” areas and points out the role of their trade in this conversion.Key words: small-scaled economies, ultra-small regions, “core-periphery”, foreign trade.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/rfds.v9i1.59

Health care services and their classification

The article is dealing with the conception, structure and specifics of health care service market. The concept of the health care is distinguished from the health concept and defined as a specific sphere of service, the products of which have all the main service features. Four types of actors such as: consumers, doctors, hospitals and insurance companies are singled out in the Health Care Service Market. The Health Care Service Market is characterized by market failure, which is caused by the provision of the public services, externalities, natural monopoly, asymmetry of information and the moral hazard. Health care is an important part of every national economics. The international health organization defined health as physical, spiritual and social well fare. That is why health sector becomes a rather-complicated concept. The health care concept such as general state function was created in order to solve this problem in Lithuania. The health care is defined as a whole complex of relations within state and social life. The opinion of the economists regarding the health care service notion is different. The "Laize Faire" supporters maintain that health care services do not differ from other types of services, but their opponents do not think the same. The cause of these problems is the identification of health and health care service concepts. It is important to clearly define these concepts. It has been common to describe health care service as service, which is created in any economic or home sector to provide better human health. The health care service market should be defined as a place in a health sector, where the licensed health care specialists provide their customers with the care service and needs

Health care services and their classification

The article is dealing with the conception, structure and specifics of health care service market. The concept of the health care is distinguished from the health concept and defined as a specific sphere of service, the products of which have all the main service features. Four types of actors such as: consumers, doctors, hospitals and insurance companies are singled out in the Health Care Service Market. The Health Care Service Market is characterized by market failure, which is caused by the provision of the public services, externalities, natural monopoly, asymmetry of information and the moral hazard. Health care is an important part of every national economics. The international health organization defined health as physical, spiritual and social well fare. That is why health sector becomes a rather-complicated concept. The health care concept such as general state function was created in order to solve this problem in Lithuania. The health care is defined as a whole complex of relations within state and social life. The opinion of the economists regarding the health care service notion is different. The "Laize Faire" supporters maintain that health care services do not differ from other types of services, but their opponents do not think the same. The cause of these problems is the identification of health and health care service concepts. It is important to clearly define these concepts. It has been common to describe health care service as service, which is created in any economic or home sector to provide better human health. The health care service market should be defined as a place in a health sector, where the licensed health care specialists provide their customers with the care service and needs

E-health services and their requirements evaluation

E-health could be defined as the use of modern information technologies within the health care facilities in order to better satisfy expectations and needs of the patients, medical staff and administration. As the research shows economic profits exceed investments in the e-health three times. Studies in Lithuania in December of 2008 show that only 38 % of the country hospitals have online WebPages. Only large hospitals located in the major Lithuanian cities have internet sites. Situation within the outpatient facilities is even worse. Only 12 % of these health care facilities had online services offered to the public according to the survey completed at the end of 2008. There is insufficient focus for doctors’ advices and not enough links to other websites. Additionally, many sites do not contain information about career opportunities within a facility. Finally, online sites lack such information as the institution’s service charges or their implementation for various projects. Only a few hospitals have an online registra-tion feature and very few provide work hours. Outpatient service facilities do not reflect the institution’s activities adequately. None of the outpatient service facilities provide business reports; there is no information about their participation in the international projects. Only four WebPages contain sections providing the career opportunities for the office and a list of new doctor positions available. By the comparison of the Webpages of polyclinics and health care facilities one can indicate that polyclinic facilities have better online pages. Most of the health care consumers would use the Internet to find out such information as the doctor’s qualifications and work experience, information about main diseases and their symptoms, the medications and their side effects, tips on healthy lifestyle, as well as utilize registration to a specialist feature. Most of the respondents surveyed also indicated that there should be more information about health care services and their prices, institution’s medical equipment and devices as well as their methods of treatment. The best practice for the e-Health website is classifying it into four groups: information on the health care institution, information relating to the services provided, information on the medical staff working in the office, other information. 48 % of the respondents were not familiar with the online registration possibility, and 74 % of survey participants would like to use the feature. Only 13 % of the respondents knew that they could fill prescription online and only 10 % were aware of the electronic medical record. All of this leads to the conclusion that Lithuanian consumers lack information about the e-health. Elektroninės sveikatos paslaugos ir jų poreikio vertinimas Straipsnio kalba: Lietuvių