Economics and Management 5 (4) 2013

The paper presents the concept of process maturity and the idea of organizations’ improvement with CMMI model. The main cognitive goal of this article is to present a goal-driven approach to the identification and categorization of relevant process areas as methodology supporting improvement projects. Article focuses on discussing the role and structure of the process roadmap embedded in the structure of CMMI for Development model (CMMI-DEV). Paper presents recommendations for a roadmap selection, as well as significant determinants and barriers to the implementation of process maturity models.

Keywords:
organization  improvement  maturity model  CMMI-DEV  roadmap 

The aim of the paper was to indicate premises of benchmarking application in higher education institutions and to identify benefits and constrains of benchmarking usage in higher education setting. Benchmarking became a tool systematically used in higher education institutions around the world. In Poland so far it has been used informally or partially. In the course of research, scientific papers and reports from benchmarking initiatives have been analysed. On this basis benefits and constrains of benchmarking usage in higher education institutions have been identified. Also important was practical knowledge of the author gained from the participation in European and Polish benchmarking project as well as conclusions from study visits in HIS Hochschul-Informations-System GmbH in November 2011 and July 2013, a German institution specialised in benchmarking higher education institutions.

Keywords:
benchmarking  management of higher education institutions 

The success of a company is often determined by the employed people whose skills make up the unique quality of capital for each company. The continuous development of human capital is the foundation of business success because people significantly affect the competitiveness and growth of enterprises. Culture, which can form the basis or the reference point for different ways of understanding reality, to a large extent determines this development. The cultural context can establish the preferences of employers in relation to specific areas of human resource management. In order to determine the impact of culture on human resource development, a concise review of the classifications was made, presenting three along with their respective dimensions. These are the classifications of Hofstede G., F. Trompenaars and Ch. Hambden – Turner and R. Gesteland. Then, referring to the selected dimensions of the individual classifications, cultural influences on such aspects of human resource development as the creation of employee career paths, opportunities and kinds of promotion as well as training preferred types were identified. Discovering how cultural dimensions affect the development of human resources in the company enables businesses to properly manage, remaining in line with the belief that most of the important processes for an organization run through the cultural network, rather than the hierarchy.

Keywords:
culture  organization  human resources  management 

Issues of the role of trust and cooperation between companies have been raised in the text. In the perspective of cluster structures formation and development these issues seem to be very important. The main objective of this text is to present the results of research on determining the level of trust and cooperation and readiness to deepen it in the studied com-panies of wood and furniture industry, construction industry and medical service compa-nies.

Keywords:
trust  cooperation between companies  clusters 

This article presents the notion of a manager in a narrow and broad sense. It discusses the key features and competence which are now required of a manager. The need for managerial skills reference to psychological features is indicated. On example of the author’s study the psychological features are presented which construction industry managers recognized that they have.

Keywords:
manager  manager profile  manager psychological features 

This article considers the problem of training which are developing and improving competences for social workers, people who are unemployed, threatened by unemployment and social exclusion. It presents social skills training as a form of raising this skills in behavioral term. It shows a model structure of single training session, methods and techniques which are specific for social skills training and factors conditioning its effectiveness.

Keywords:
social competence  social skills training  training 

This paper presents an application of the TOPSIS method for classification of load profiles in electric power distribution systems. Verification of the proposed method of load clustering was based on the data from selected distribution substations in Bialystok Power Distribution Utility Co. Simulation studies have been performed to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method and an effect of different parameters on its accuracy on the basis of actual data obtained at distribution system substations.

Keywords:
load clustering  power distribution systems  TOPSIS method 

Efficiency is expressed as a ratio between the effects and expenditures. Measurement of efficiency is a very important matter because it provides information about effectiveness of undertaken actions. This article presents the use of one of versions of the DEA method – the input-oriented CCR model, to determine the technological effectiveness of industrial enterprises in Polish provinces. The analysis gives a possibility to create a ranking of regions concerning the efficiency of the transformation of expenditures in effects by industrial enterprises.

Keywords:
efficiency  Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)  voivodships  enterprises 

In the perspective of the closest years the growth of a number of cars will contribute to enlarging energy demand, and to the consumption of oil. This creates problems connected to the growth of pollution of natural environment, particularly the atmosphere, extorting enlarging of the requirements with respect to environmental protection. Simultaneously, many signals indicate exhausting, at least these most accessible, sources of oil. That is why it is necessary to search for supplementary fuels. The intensive investigations are led in both the search for the new resources of mineral fuels (e.g. the shale gas), as well as for alternative fuels. Production of liquid biofuels appears to be an alternative enabling, at least during a certain time, the replacement for the potential shortages of oil, making up the new source of energy for road transport. Moreover the use of biofuels will not increase the negative ecological results. The use of the methyl esters of rapeseed oil is the attempted solution of the problems occurring in energetic economy and environmental protection. The level of substitution of mineral fuels by and RME has the influence on the CO2 emission, which is considered as the main cause for the anthropogenic climate change. The paper presents the scale of the potential demand for biodiesel that can be used as the single component fuel or in the mixture with mineral fuels. The technological routes of the biodiesel production are also described. Analysis of the energetic efficiency of agricultural subsystem, being the basis assuring resources for biofuel production, is also presented.

Keywords:
biofuels  biodiesel  rape  transportation 

This paper describes and comments on legislation in the field of priority nanotechnologies in the economy of the region of Podlasie. Legal normalization of marketing antiseptics using nanomaterials are covered by the content of the European Parliament and the Council Di-rective 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use (OJ L 311, 28.11.2001). Marketing of implants, which are tissue engineered products, is regulated by the European Parliament and the Council Regulation 1394/2007/WE on advanced therapy medicinal products and amending Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation 726/2004/EC (OJ L 324, 10.12.2007). The detailed information that must be included in the request for authorization to place the medicinal products and advanced therapy medicinal products, quality and the likelihood of adverse effects control, and obligation of the holder of the authorization to transfer to the supervisory authorities the information about the potential threats associated with their use serves to minimize risk and improve patient safety. The marketing of implants using nanomaterials is regulated by the Council Directive 93/42/EEC concerning medical devices (OJ L 169, 12.07.1993). Medical devices are subject to conformity assessment procedures performed by the manufacturer, with the participation of the notified body – in accordance with the New Approach Directives of the European Union which relate to product safety requirements. Products meeting the essential safety requirements may be admitted to trading. Essential safety requirements are set out in gen-eral terms in the New Approach Directives and refined in the national standards that implement the harmonized standards published in the Official Journal of the EC. Free movement of the products takes place without prescreening completion of the essential safety requirements if the conformity assessment procedures by the manufacturer and the notified body are made.

Keywords:
law  nanotechnology  medicinal products  medical devices 

The article is a continuation of author’s previous publications’ series (2007, 2009, 2012) devoted to optimal methods of Polish macro variables forecasting with special attention to Gross Domestic Product. In this survey quality of nowcasts and forecasts was prepared with Mariano and Murasawa (2003) dynamic factor model with mixed frequencies and missing data handling (MFDG-DFM) was compared with quality of nowcasts/forecasts computed with multivariate Markov switching model proposed by Kim and Nelson (1999) and operationalized by Hamilton and Chauvet (2005). The article presents mathematical background of both models and describes in detail combined Kalman filter and maximum likelihood method used to estimate nonlinear Markov switching model. Achieved results show modest advantage of Mariano and Murasawa MFDG-DFM model Polish GDP forecasts, however in the case of nowcasts both models provide almost equal quality output.

Keywords:
dynamic factor models  Markov switching models  forecasting Polish GDP 

Prerequisites of rural development in the slits of three naturally economical zone of Transcarpathian region are investigated in the article. They are: low ground, foothill and mountainous. The specific of the region due to its advantage geoeconomical arrangement, possibility of growing ecological clean agricultural products, social ensuring and improvement of the territories.

Keywords:
rural development  regional prerequisites  naturally-economical areas  Transcarpathian region  social ensuring 

International intellectual migration as a phenomenon emerged at a late stage of the development of international labor migration. It has a complex structure. Along with the category of international intellectual migration equally use of the category of migration management and, in particular the international intellectual migration, due to its uneven impact on donor countries and recipient countries. The paper presents the positive and negative effects of the international intellectual migration. Developed also external and global politics and management methods of the international intellectual migration.

Keywords:
intellectual migration  management of migration processes 

Purpose of the article is an analysis of expenditure on R&D in 35 countries, with a particular focus Polish space. Polish comes in a distant place in terms of expenditure on R&D. Leaders in expenditure on R&D activities are Swedes, Danes and Finns. The smallest expenditure on R&D activities were recorded in Romania and Bulgaria. In Poland there are unfavorable structure of financing by institutional sectors. The preferred structure of financing of R&D, ie, a high share of the business sector was recorded in Japan, South Korea, China and the United States and among the EU countries, Finland, Sweden, Luxembourg and Austria. The largest increase in expenditure on R&D was in China and in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Keywords:
R&D  innovation  Europe  Poland 

The experiences of member states of the European Union in the initiative Leader allowed to introduce the Leader approach into the politics of rural areas development. The idea of Leader approach is to entrust local partnerships formed as bottom-up partnerships – Local Action Groups, the study and direct implementing of Local Development Strategies. The Leader approach is aimed at the activation of country communities, implementing local in-itiatives and the development of rural areas. The purpose of the article is the evaluation of current implementing of bottom-up local initiatives on the example of the Leader approach in Rural Development Programme for 2007-2013 with particular reference to podlaskie voivodeship.

Keywords:
Leader approach  Local Action Groups  local development strategies