Competitive Opportunities Research Articles

HALAL ECONOMIC: CHALLENGES AND EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES IN MALAYSIA

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the challenges and opportunities for halal industries in Malaysia. Since the market for certified Halal products is developing robustly, both domestically and internationally and Malaysia has become the leader and centre of reference for the world. This research builds on existing research published in the Munich Personal RePEc Archive on challenges and opportunities in halal industry. In addition to an extensive literature review, four segment of halal categories were discussed in order to discover the challenges and opportunities with regards to halal industry in Malaysia. The results show that the future market demands and the competitive opportunities related to halal industry are the main motivators for Malaysia to undertaken the significant initiatives across regulation, trade and industry support to strengthen the status as a Halal hub in the trade-driven of Islamic economy. The early adopters for each of halal segments face several challenges such as ambiguous halal guidelines, lack of international halal certification, lack of collaboration among governing agencies (i.e. Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) and Halal Industry Development Corporation), a lack of cost-effective standards and a general misunderstanding of halal practices. The findings of the present study may help government policy makers recognise the issues that should be addressed in motivating industries players to adopt halal practices. This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge on the challenges and opportunities of adopting halal certificate in Malaysia. Keywords: Challenges, Halal industry, Islamic economic,Opportunities

How Do I Evolve as a Research Nurse Practitioner?

Which career path will enable me to see the impact of my work in real time in improving a patient's life? I wondered this until I earned my first nursing degree, followed by a nurse practitioner degree. Soon after, two highly competitive opportunities, a year-long advanced practice RN fellowship and a month-long National Institute of Nursing Research Summer Genetics Institute at the National Institutes of Health, really helped me to have the necessary training and knowledge to shape my career. So, when I got an opportunity to become a research nurse practitioner and manage chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy clinical trials for patients with multiple myeloma, I knew I had found an answer to my question.

Telling Tales: Inspiring Creativity through the Myths, Legends, and Folklore of England

ABSTRACT In 2019, the charity English Heritage adopted an organization-wide theme, “Telling Tales: The Myths, Legends and Folklore of England,” which sought to highlight the wealth of stories associated with the historic places in its care. In conjunction with this theme, the charity launched a two-stranded Education Beacon Project, which consisted of a national writing competition and regional activity opportunities for schools at English Heritage sites across England. Both strands inspired and enthused teachers and students with stories from England's past, serving to highlight how heritage sites can be used to stimulate learning across the curriculum. This article reviews this specific Education Beacon Project, offering insight into learning outcomes of the project both for participants and for English Heritage staff.

The role of social capital in the formation and development of entrepreneurial ecosystems of digital valleys

Subject. This article analyses the competitive opportunities of the business ecosystems of the digital valleys of the USA, Israel, India, and China. Objectives. The article aims to identify and systematize the key characteristics of the business ecosystems of digital valleys from the standpoint of the network theory. Methods. For the study, we used a comparative analysis. Results. The article identifies horizontally- and vertically-integrated networks supported by government. The article describes the common characteristics of successful business ecosystems of digital valleys. Conclusions. The article concludes that the key success factors of the best practices of digital valleys are the use of the regional peculiarities and advantages, scientific and financial potential, and the development of various institutions and business culture. The network characteristics of cohesion, diversity and fluidity are getting changed, and they depend on the institutional environment and public administration patterns.

Cloud Computing Models for Business

The idea of cloud computing is not a new one, it has been developed and discussed for many years. Cloud computing is a model which allows to get access to the network upon request from the set of adjustable computing services, such as infrastructure, applications and storages. Cloud services and data storage products allow their users to store and share any type of document and file from any device connected to Internet. There are several types of cloud services, which can be subdivided into: SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Besides, there are several deployment models, such as public, residential, hybrid or community cloud. Cloud computing models are based on modern process paradigm, which offers new alternatives to the companies of various ranges for implementation of innovative business models. With the help of these new business models small companies will be able to use cloud computing platforms and to increase gradually their computation capacities and data storage capacities depending on the requirements in real time mode, which creates a unique opportunity for market competition. Keywords— cloud computing, IaaS, OpenStack, PaaS, SaaS.

From Judeo-Polonia to Judeo-Communism, 1912–1922

ABSTRACT This article discusses Polish nationalists’ fear of “Judeo-Polonia,” a notion that emerged before the First World War, gained considerable traction during the war itself, and then began to morph into “Judeo-Communism” by war's end. Focusing on Warsaw, the article discusses the significance of population movements and demographic shifts, the appearance of new opportunities for political competition based both on identity politics and the prospect of an independent Poland, and the preordained failure of the new state to accommodate more than one national group after 1918.

П. Ю. Балабан, А. М. Овсієнко МАЛИЙ БІЗНЕС У СФЕРІ ТОРГІВЛІ: ПРАКТИКО ОРІЄНТОВАНА МЕТОДИКА ОЦІНКИ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate methodological approaches to assessing the effectiveness of economic activity of small and medium enterprises The strategy for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises should include, above all, efficient work, cost reduction and profit, which will allow them to compete successfully in regional markets for goods and services. Efficiency and profitable activities are one of the priorities of enterprise management, characterize their opportunities in competition. That is why the economic analysis of qualitative and quantitative indicators and the development of economically sound conclusions and recommendations in the process of assessing the effectiveness of economic activity is a prerequisite for the successful operation of enterprises in a market economy. The article considers the main approaches to assessing the effectiveness of commercial enterprises, taking into account the specifics of small and medium-sized businesses. A simplified assessment methodology has been proposed that can be used by small and medium-sized enterprises in the practice of their economic activity. Methodology of research. To solve the tasks set in the article, general scientific and special research methods were used: analysis and synthesis, economic and mathematical, systematization and generalization. Results. The methodology proposed in the study involves the use of a system of indicators: sales volumes, profits / profitability of economic activity and market share. It is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of the study in three stages: 1) operational evaluation, which allows to determine the level of performance; 2) rating assessment, which involves the calculation of benchmarks, relative coefficients and integrated indicators; 3) determining the competitive position of enterprises. The practical significance of the research results. The method of assessing the effectiveness of small and medium enterprises is tested on the materials of Poltava OTG. Operational assessment of the efficiency of small commercial enterprises allowed to make preliminary conclusions about the level of efficiency and identify problems in the work of individual enterprises at the date of analysis. The calculation of the integrated indicator and ratings of enterprises determined their competitive positions in local markets and allowed to predict the main trends of their changes in the future.

ОЦІНКА КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНОСТІ ПІДПРИЄМСТВА ТА ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ ЙОГО ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ

The concept of competitiveness is multifaceted and multidimensional. There are many different definitions of competitiveness, but there is no acceptable single precise definition. The article analyzes and summarizes the results of a study of publications, which allow us to conclude that the issues of assessing the competitiveness of enterprises require further study. The list of tasks for the formation of the competitive advantages of the enterprise is not fully developed and needs to be clarified. It has been established that the need to overcome the crisis in Ukraine has led to the development of competitive relations and a competitive economy in general, but not all domestic enterprises are ready for competition and can withstand it. The approaches of scientists to the definition of the economic essence of such concepts as "competition", "competitiveness" and "competitive advantages" are considered. The experience of domestic and foreign scientists in the study of existing and the formation of new competitive advantages of economic entities is analyzed. The most significant in this area were the scientific research of M. Porter, who developed the theory of competitive advantages. It was revealed that competitiveness can be assessed only within groups of enterprises producing the same goods. There are many methods for researching competitiveness, for example: the Boston Advisory Group model; M. Porter's model; GAP analysis method; McKinsey method; LOTS method; a method for studying the profile of an object; situational analysis (SWOT analysis); PEST analysis, peer review method; financial and economic way. The listed methods for assessing the competitiveness of an enterprise are characterized by certain advantages and disadvantages that determine the possibility and feasibility of their use by domestic enterprises. The most complete information about the competitive advantages of an enterprise in the market can be provided by several methods at the same time. Finding new competitive advantages or creating them will allow each company to improve its competitive opportunities.

Социальное предпринимательство: вклад в преодоление социально-экономического неравенства в современной России

The subject of the research is the influence of the Institute of social entrepreneurship on the solution of social problems of Russian society through the use of social and market methods of economic activity. The purpose of the work is to identify the socio—economic effect of social entrepreneurship in modern Russian society. The article notes that the institute of social entrepreneurship has been formed and successfully operates in the modern domestic economy. Russian entrepreneurs have learned to recognize "scattered" knowledge, i.e., to capture information, interpret it correctly and perceive new competitive opportunities when solving social problems existing in Russian society. As a research method, an institutional approach was used, which made it possible to establish that one of the catalysts for the growth of entrepreneurial activity in the social sphere in our country was the work of private specialized funds to support social entrepreneurship. The use of the case study method made it possible to analyze successful social projects in a number of regions related to solving problems in the field of additional education of children, the revival of folk crafts and historical heritage, employment of socially vulnerable segments of the population, the formation of a tourist cluster. The presented cases clearly demonstrate the ability of business to be involved in solving social problems of society. Conclusions are drawn that in the last 10-15 years the Institute of Social Entrepreneurship has begun to play an important role in solving socio-economic problems, helping to resolve issues related to the development of territories.

ДЕТЕРМІНАНТИ КОМПЕТЕНТНОЇ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ

In an attempt to develop an effective algorithm for building a competent organization that can function effectively in unpredictable conditions, scientists direct their researches to substantiate the need to improve the level of employees’ knowledge, expand their skills and abilities, develop professional qualities, emphasizing that these factors are key in the process of creating a competent organization. Finding out what is its basis, confirming the growing role of competencies and competence in the management of organizations; scientists do not stop the scientific search for a common understanding of the essence and content of the concepts, because there is no common opinion on their definition today. This led to the formulation of the purpose of the article, which is to determine the main determinants of a competent organization, to study their essence, content, differences in the interpretation and application of concepts. Achieving the purpose of the study was carried out using the following methods: morphological analysis - to clarify the essence of the concepts of "competencies" and «competence», which are the determinants of creating a competent organization, and to identify the fundamental difference between the interpretation and application of the concepts; determining the essence of key competencies as a form of providing a direct relationship between the competencies of the organization and the staff; dialectical – to justify the need to take into account the level of manifestation of each competence and their totality in general when creating a competent organization. The result was the substantiation in the process of creating a competent organization of the importance of determining the actual organizational competencies, monitoring the level of their manifestation with subsequent consistent development to provide the organization with the highest level of quality, which implies, while maintaining the existing level of costs, the transformation of knowledge and experience into competence, and further into a competitive opportunity.

Թուրքիայի գյուղատնտեսության ներուժը և Հայաստանի՝ ազատ առևտրի զարգացման վերաբերյալ մտավախությունները/ Turkey's Agricultural Potential and Armenia's Fear to Develop Free Trade

The development of Armenian-Turkish relations is one of the most delicate and controversial issues of Armenia's foreign policy. Especially after the forty-four-day war, the views of the Armenian society, including the diaspora, on the development of diplomatic and trade relations with Turkey diverge. The more liberal and pragmatic sector believes that hostile relations are not eternal, while the emotional and conservative side denies the expediency of developing relations with Turkey, preferring the existence of a closed border. How to break this Gordian knot, what is the right choice? Of course, the decision is in the hands of the government, but what will be the reaction? No matter how complex the problem is, the Armenian authorities are taking practical steps to solve it. These steps also concern the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and the development of trade and economic relations. Here, the danger of the expansion of the Armenian economy by Turkey, especially the agricultural sector, is especially emphasized. It is a fact that the consequences of an open Georgian-Turkish border in neighboring Georgia, especially in Adzharia, are alarming. However, in order to have a more sensible opinion, it is necessary to study the competitive advantages of a neighboring country - its own opportunities for equal economic competition. The paper examines the potential of the Turkish agricultural sector, the potential risks of Armenia in the context of open borders and free trade.

Marketing strategic analysis of the competitive potential of commercial enterprise

The essence, properties and conditions of the formation of the competitive potential of the commercial enterprise are investigated in this paper. Competitive potential is formed from competitive opportunities of internal and external origin, which makes it possible for the enterprise to compete effectively in market conditions. The competitive position of the commercial enterprise is formed by managerial, intellectual, resource, production, innovation and marketing factors. Factors shaping the marketing potential of the commercial enterprise include: the level of qualification and experience of marketers, the enterprise's market share, brand information, the marketing mix, the enterprise's image, consumer/client loyalty, and partnerships with suppliers and intermediaries. Marketing strategic analysis of competitive potential is the basis for forming balanced strategy of the enterprise development. The algorithm for conducting marketing strategic analysis of the competitive potential of the commercial enterprise involves the sequential execution of certain stages: determining the factors influencing the competitive potential of the enterprise and their assessment, evaluating the internal resources of the enterprise, forecasting the likely impact of factors of the business environment, and developing recommendations for the formation of strategy for using the competitive potential of the commercial enterprise. The main functions of marketing strategic analysis of the competitive potential of the commercial enterprise are the following: analysis of factors that determine the growth of competitive potential; identification of factors and reasons for the current state of the enterprise; preparation and justification of management decisions; identification and mobilization of reserves for qualitative and quantitative improvement of competitive potential. Marketing strategic analysis makes it possible to identify both internal and external reserves of competitive potential. Evaluation of the competitive potential of the commercial enterprise can be carried out on the basis of resource, performance and reserve approaches. The theory and practice of evaluating the competitive potential of the enterprise operates with a significant number of various methods, which differ in the complexity of use and feasibility of application depending on the scale of production and the specifics of the field of activity of the commercial enterprise. Such methods can be classified in the following way: according to the direction of information base formation (criteria and expert methods); according to the method of displaying the final results (graphical, mathematical and logical methods); by suitability for the development of management decisions (simultaneous and strategic assessment methods); by assessment method (indicative and matrix methods). Advantages and disadvantages of the listed methods of assessing competitive potential, as well as the conditions for the effectiveness of their application are investigated in this paper.

ՀՀ էներգետիկ ենթակառուցվածքների զարգացման հեռանկարները. ռիսկեր և նոր հնարավորություններ/RA Energy Infrastructure Development Prospects։ Risks and New Opportunities

Today, in addition to meeting domestic demand for electricity, Armenia also exports electricity to neighboring countries. This fact indicates that the sector can be of vital and strategic importance for the development of the national economy and increasing the economic competitiveness of the country. Therefore, the further development of the sector and the more effective use of existing competitive opportunities can be the best preconditions for promoting the country's economic growth, increasing economic competitiveness and ensuring national security. The paper addresses the current trends in the modern energy system of the Republic of Armenia and the possible risks and challenges arising from them, as well as the motivations for the development of the sector by the public and private sectors.

The role of strategic flexibility on the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on new product development

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to adapt to the changing environment in order to maintain their business. Environmental turbulence can be solved by managing strategic flexibility in exploiting the company's ability to enhance competitive opportunities. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and strategic flexibility on new product development in furniture SMEs. The managers of furniture SMEs in the Jepara district were surveyed for this study. The number of questionnaires analysed with PLS-SEM was 158. The results of the study are that entrepreneurial orientation and strategic flexibility have influence on new product development. This research contribution illustrates the importance of strategic flexibility with flexible use and coordination of resources to create new products through dynamic capabilities. The spirit of entrepreneurial orientation is needed in dynamic market conditions through proactive, innovative, and courageous actions to be able to change strategies quickly by taking opportunities to develop new products so that SMEs still exist in markets, and that this has never been explored in previous studies.

Structural Equation Modeling of OTOP Entrepreneur Improvement to Build Sustainable Competitive Opportunity in The Market

The objectives of this study were to analyze and develop a structural equation modeling of OTOP entrepreneur improvement to build sustainable competitive opportunity in the market. A quantitative research methodology was used in this study, the sample consisted of 286 OTOP entrepreneurs of Tak Bai District, Narathiwat Province. Questionnaires were used to collect data, which were analyzed using frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of the research can be summarized as follows: 1) the guideline of OTOP entrepreneur improvement in Phraiwan Subdistrict, Tak Bai District, Narathiwat Province, the overall mean is at a high level. The aspect with the highest average was building the competitive advantages, followed by product development, the lowest average was business network; 2) the structural equation modeling of OTOP entrepreneur improvement to build sustainable competitive opportunity in the market; the factors that affect the OTOP entrepreneur development to build competitive opportunity, entrepreneurial potential development, competitiveness enhancement, which had a direct causal effect on the guideline of OTOP entrepreneur improvement.

The necessity for Zambia's vitamin A sugar fortification requirement

Zambia faces a serious vitamin A deficiency (VAD) that affects most infants and expectant mothers, leading to night blindness, maternal deaths, and more. One of the efforts to address this is by permitting only the manufacture, sale, or import of household consumption sugar which is fortified with vitamin A - which is seen as a disguised restriction on international trade. Through a desk-top research study, the article examines the question, as to what extent Zambia's fortification requirement complies with the necessity principle in the Technical Barrier to Trade Annex to the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Trade (TBT Annex) and Article 2(2) of the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement). The research finds that the measure is a technical regulation with a legitimate objective to protect the health and lives of a target VAD Zambian population. Further, it is applied to both domestic and like foreign products; therefore, it is neither discriminatory nor directly linked to the lack of competitive opportunities for like foreign products. Even if fortified maize meal could be opted for instead of sugar, it cannot achieve the equivalent contribution in dealing with the VAD problem because of challenges, such as, the uncertainty in regulatory regime, and its irregular consumption pattern. Consequently, the sugar fortification requirement is not more trade restrictive than necessary under the TBT Annex and Article 2(2) of the TBT Agreement.

Comparison Of Achievement Sport Systems Between Indonesia And China

Sport as a model of human creativity is a form of physical activity that has very complex dimensions, which undergo a systematic process in the form of all activities or efforts that can encourage, arouse, develop and foster one's physical and spiritual potential. as individuals or members of society. in the form of games, competitions/contests, and intensive physical activities to obtain recreation, victory, and peak potential. Sport is currently a trend or lifestyle for some of the general public, even to the point of becoming a basic need in life. National development through the development of sports in Indonesia in this reform era has become a strategic vehicle, especially improving the quality of human resources, as well as the formation of the character and character of the nation, in this paper many factors play a role in success in the field of sports, one of which the author wants to examine the differences and similarities between the performance sports system that runs in Indonesia and China. This study aims to compare the development of achievement sports systems carried out in Indonesia and China in order to improve the quality and competence of sports. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method with data collection techniques through documentation studies. The results of this study conclude that the government's contribution is needed in preparing winning strategies, training facilities, increasing competition opportunities and increasing resources that can be assisted by a team of academics and researchers from universities to find new techniques in training to support the maximum use of sport science. Keywords: achievement sports system, Indonesia, China.

IMPACT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL TOWARDS STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES OF MANUFACTURING SMEs IN MALAYSIA

Research on SMEs in Malaysia has become more significant nowadays as SMEs in Malaysia contribute national income to the country. Internationalisation of SMEs is imperative as smaller firms operating international business today develop their own capabilities and competitive advantage. Thus, it is important for SMEs especially those in emerging countries like Malaysia to look into their social capital and put their efforts to strategize their capabilities to respond to the global competition and business opportunities. This study was conducted to examine the impact of social capital towards the SMEs capabilities before they adopt the best strategic approach to face challenge situations at hand. A quantitative approach was employed in this study and a total of 187 responses from manufacturing SME exporters were received and further analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS) technique. The results demonstrated that social capital of manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia has significant impact only on innovation, marketing and technology capabilities but not market-linking and management capabilities.

Foraging networks and social tolerance in a cooperatively breeding primate (Callithrix jacchus).

Within-group competition over food resources can be a major cost of social living. In the wild, foragers are confronted with social (e.g. hierarchical rank) and ecological (e.g. food availability and distribution) challenges that affect their foraging decisions and feeding success. Exhibiting prosocial behaviours, such as tolerance at feeding sites, can benefit group members by developing affiliative social relationships, enhancing access to resources and maximizing fitness. We examined social tolerance at feeding sites in Callithrix jacchus, a cooperatively breeding primate species. We investigated the set of social (rank, age and sex) and ecological (food availability) factors that influence the structure and dynamics of within-group foraging association networks. We designed and conducted an experimental field study of four wild groups of common marmosets in which we controlled food distribution (concentrated or scattered) and productivity (high, medium or low food rewards). Then, we used social network analyses to assess the number and strength of foraging associations among group members, their effects on individual food consumption, and whether recent experiences with conspecifics during foraging affected subsequent associations. Overall, common marmoset foraging association networks were cohesive, as group members jointly occupied feeding sites. The number and strength of associations varied depending on the ecological context. Associations were stronger during conditions in which food was concentrated at a single site. Individuals obtained greater access to food resources when sharing a feeding site with conspecifics, but once a food item was obtained, the forager moved to a nearby tree and consumed it away from others. Additionally, the strength of previous foraging associations and subsequent levels of social tolerance at feeding sites were positively related, a relationship compatible with the ability of memorizing associations over time and recalling the information in future decision-making. In sum, marmosets adjusted their partner choices and the strength of foraging associations in response to food availability. They exhibited increased social tolerance at feeding sites during conditions in which opportunities for contest competition were expected to be greatest. These cooperative breeding primates appear to mutually benefit by maintaining cohesive and strong affiliative relationships, and by increasing opportunities for coordinated behaviour and offspring survival.

Fevers and the social costs of acute infection in wild vervet monkeys

Fevers are considered an adaptive response by the host to infection. For gregarious animals, however, fever and the associated sickness behaviors may signal a temporary loss of capacity, offering other group members competitive opportunities. We implanted wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) with miniature data loggers to obtain continuous measurements of core body temperature. We detected 128 fevers in 43 monkeys, totaling 776 fever-days over a 6-year period. Fevers were characterized by a persistent elevation in mean and minimum 24-h body temperature of at least 0.5 °C. Corresponding behavioral data indicated that febrile monkeys spent more time resting and less time feeding, consistent with the known sickness behaviors of lethargy and anorexia, respectively. We found no evidence that fevers influenced the time individuals spent socializing with conspecifics, suggesting social transmission of infection within a group is likely. Notably, febrile monkeys were targeted with twice as much aggression from their conspecifics and were six times more likely to become injured compared to afebrile monkeys. Our results suggest that sickness behavior, together with its agonistic consequences, can carry meaningful costs for highly gregarious mammals. The degree to which social factors modulate the welfare of infected animals is an important aspect to consider when attempting to understand the ecological implications of disease.