This paper investigates the outcomes of integrated health care model in terms of its economic efficiency and quality. The quality refers to subjective assessments of a patient, measured by a satisfaction indicator, as well as to the health benefits to a patient, measured by health status. A systematic literature review has been applied to study the results of care coordination. The author performed the ordered analysis of existing research evidence, based on peer-reviewed literature available on health science and business databases. The model of integrated health care delivery seemed to have positive effects on the quality of care. This encompasses mainly the quality of life, functional status, health outcomes, and process outcomes. The equal positive impact of integrated health programmes on economic efficiency has not been revealed. Only 15% of the effects reported in the reviews have been significant. The work contributes to the worldwide debate dedicated to the impact of integrated health care programmes. The gathered research evidence concerning positive influence on costs remains unclear. It might require further investigations. The work also revealed some significant gaps that are prevalent in the field of standardized instruments of measurement referring to integration outcomes, including quality and efficiency over time at levels of the system, programme, provider, and patient.
Keywords:
integrated health care performance measurement quality improvement cost containment
The main aim of this article is to demonstrate the ability of cooperatives to create internal resources of a region through foreign direct investments and the creation of financial, physical, human, and social capital. It concerns the comparing and emphasizing of the stability of resources created in a region by these forms of action. In order to demonstrate the stability of internal resources of a region, generated through foreign direct investment, a research was conducted involving the analysis of the rankings of the largest foreign investors in Poland, statistical data from the Central Statistical Office and the NBP, showing the inflow and outflow of FDIs, the number of companies with foreign capital participation, and the number of people working in them. In addition, a case study was used for the regions where the investments have been withdrawn, showing the importance of cooperatives for the stabilization of the potential of the regions. The study shows that the transfer of FDIs is always guided by the maximization of profit, tax optimization of a location, and the native currency exchange rate fluctuations. The following consequences of withdrawal have no significance to foreign investors but affect the regions: the increase in the unemployment rate, the reduction in the income of local residents, the increase in debt, the acquisition of real estate purchased on credit. The case study shows that cooperative enterprises can replace foreign capital in the region, ensuring the stability and durability of its internal resources. The concepts and strategies for regional development should focus on cooperatives as a way to create the internal resources of a region, which are seen as the current development source. Co-operatives can prevent the leaching of resources and backwash effects. The economic policy must ensure the equal treatment of all of the entities investing in the region. Currently, Poland gives the priority to foreign investors over the domestic ones. Cooperative enterprises are particularly discriminated against through double taxation. It is worthwhile to examine the scale of the cooperative movement in the economy of the EU and the US and the policy instruments applied to this form of business in those areas.
Keywords:
resources of the region foreign direct investments cooperatives stability of capital
The aim of this article is to present the essence of a functional area as a new tool of the EU regional policy and the course of designing an integrated approach to the development of the functional area. The study is a case study and relates to the methodical process of creating a development concept for the Functional Area of Oder Communes (FAOC). This article is based on the analysis of the domestic and foreign literature on regional development and own experiences and reflections of authors resulting from the work in the team for the development of a strategy for this area. The analysis of domestic and foreign literature allowed for presenting a new paradigm of the local development. The current approach is characterized by a focus on the use of endogenous potentials and territorial targeting of the development, which promotes the creation of functional and spatial structures such as functional areas. Their development requires integrated development planning that provides benefits both in the social and economic dimension. The study presents the new paradigm of the local development in the context of the National Spatial Development Concept 2030. The study presents the theoretical and practical basis for creating a concept for integrated development of a functional area.
Keywords:
functional area regional policy spatial policy local development development concept
The aim of this study is an attempt to interpret the concept of „empowerment” in the perspective of open innovation issues. The text consists of a brief introduction, four sections, and summary. The main background of the research is related to the importance of the social reality of the organisation to evolving paradigms of innovation. In the face of globalization challenges, the innovation management could be interpreted as a specific system based on interdisciplinary analysis of an organisation’s social potential. The methodology involves desk research and theoretical deliberations. As the results, this study distinguished attributes and role of empowerment in the social development process. The possibilities of an adoption of this concept to management in the open innovation context provide the theoretical contribution.
Keywords:
empowerment management open innovation organisation
The scientific objective of the paper is to present the findings of a study into the use of artificial neural networks in quantifying activity related risks of an innovative enterprise and to optimize its insurance cover in order to minimize the probable financial losses whenever they materialize. The Kohonen network involving the activation of 51 input variables was applied in the study. The outcomes of the stimulation for the given set of variables made it possible to determine the probability of a threat occurring in the classes. The results of the analysis were used to prepare an optimal insurance cover for the activities of the innovative company. The research findings are suitable for use in risk theory as well as in issues relating to entrepreneurship and insurance. The analytical device employed can also be put to practical use as a support tool in corporate risk management.
Keywords:
innovative enterprise risk neural networks Kohonen networks business insurance
The aim of this paper is to examine the role and scope of the influence of leadership on the sustainable development of SMEs. Research methods included the theoretical analysis of scientific literature and a direct survey. The quantitative sample for analysis contained 138 managers, the representatives of companies (SMEs) located in Poland. The data was collected in November and December 2015. The obtained results show that leadership is one of the key aspects that enable sustainability. It is more important than employee approval, beliefs of employees from individual departments and teams, a long-term strategy for the sustainable development of the company, approval by external stakeholders, and substantial financial resources. There is a statistically significant relationship between taking action related to sustainable business in the company and manager’s conviction (awareness) regarding the concept of sustainable business development as well as the influence of the manager on employees and the stimulation of their behaviour, including their development, decent treatment, communication with the manager, and the system of rewards and promotions. Managers undertake some action aimed at developing their employees. They also establish relationships with external stakeholders. The paper presents theoretical reflections on the relationship between the sustainable business development of SMEs and leadership, also verified by the empirical study conducted among managers of private companies. The findings of the study contribute to the understanding of the connections between these constructs. The relationship between the creation of sustainable business development is analysed in depth with reference to SMEs. Entrepreneurs and managers of SMEs can benefit from the study in order to build an organisation capable of achieving effective and sustainable development.
Keywords:
sustainable development sustainable business corporate sustainability small and medium-sized enterprises leadership
The article contains a behavioural analysis of the aim-formulating stage of the project. The purpose of the article is to point out that in the process of formulating the aim of the project, it comes to such decision-making situations which favour heuristic thinking. The article presents the results of the secondary research. As a result of verified theory, according to which in the process of formulating the aim of the project, the interference in decision-making processes may occur on the part of the heuristics and the resulting cognitive biases.
Keywords:
project management behavioural economics cognitive bias aim of the project
Transport is considered one of the basic aspects of the movement of people, raw materials as well as goods from the place of origin to the destination. Moreover, in the wider sense, transport includes economic bodies that aim to achieve goals similar to those of businesses that produce a wide range of goods required by customers. Hence, the efficient operations of basic branches of the transportation system determine the entire national economy. Furthermore, transport is considered a basic factor of development, both on the macro- and microeconomic scales. The aim of the paper is to attempt the assessment of the road transport in Poland as an important element of macro logistics. Furthermore, one of the aims of the investigation was the explanation of its influence on the level of economic development in Poland. As the source of information, the research used the data drawn from the Central Statistical Office of Poland. The main methods implemented in this study were both classic and order synthetic measure construction. Further, these measures were used in econometric models as well as for the prediction of their values. The main result of the analysis indicates that the development level of the widely considered infrastructure is strictly correlated with the socio-economic development of particular voivodships. The study on the level of road transport development can lead to a better understanding of the socio-economic development of particular areas of Poland as well as the more efficient use of the support funds.
Keywords:
road transport synthetic measure econometric model prediction
The article investigates the state of bank lending in Ukraine, identifies the source of the severe banking crisis, that broke out in Ukraine in 2014-2015. Additionally, it suggests recommendations for the enhancement of the role of bank lending in the process of expanded incentives for investments in order to facilitate the exit from the economy crisis towards the economic growth. Using the general scientific methods of empirical and theoretical research, the dynamics of bank lending in Ukraine in 2003- 2014 was analysed and the following periods were distinguished: 2003-2007, which is the period of the rise of a strong banking system and the increase of bank lending; 2008-2009, when the crisis and post-crisis recovery processes have been attempted, and 2014-2015, which is the period of an unprecedented crisis and a wave of bank failures. The analysis revealed the following main factors constraining the lending to the economy of Ukraine in today's conditions: a slowdown in the economic growth, increasing economic and political risks of inflation and devaluation expectations, rapid fluctuations of exchange rate, a high cost and the lack of credit because of insufficient domestic resources and the mismatch of terms and conditions of bank loans with the aim to attract resources, a significant credit risk and imperfect methods of management, the lack of clear mechanisms for loan repayment applicable to insolvent borrowers, and inadequate protection of the rights of lenders and borrowers. The article substantiates that the stimulation of the lending process should be based on the following: the improvement of the investment climate in Ukraine, using stricter lending criteria, ensuring effective mechanisms for provisioning for credit risks, and the improvement of measures for the protection of rights of lenders and borrowers. The state should focus on new projects stimulating – international investments by introducing the European standards on domestic enterprises, including joint investment projects in strategic sectors; the promotion of investment projects in support of small and medium enterprises; and intensified efforts to stimulate foreign banks to open credit lines for small and medium-sized businesses to implement energy efficiency projects under the state guarantee.
Keywords:
bank lending real sector of economy banking crisis investment process