Service Contracts Research Articles

ЕКОНОМІЧНІ ІНСТРУМЕНТИ СТИМУЛЮВАННЯ РОЗВИТКУ ВІДНОВЛЮВАЛЬНОЇ ЕНЕРГЕТИКИ ТА ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ЕНЕРГОЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ В ЄС

The study highlights the pivotal role of tax discounts and financial incentives, alongside support from grants and subsidies, in fostering renewable energy advancements and enhancing energy conservation within the European Union. Instruments for market oversight, including eco-certifications and carbon emission quotas, along with premium rates for green energy, are key to securing investments and project profitability. Levies aimed at environmental preservation push for a shift away from fossil fuels, and the creation of marketplaces for green energy, coupled with the deployment of modern digital solutions and intelligent networks, bolster the production and delivery efficiency of such energy. In the realm of renewable energy application, particularly regarding heating and cooling, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania, and Denmark stand out as pioneers. Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) play a critical role in enhancing the energy efficiency of the European Union. The integration of TEN-E with renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, facilitates the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner and more efficient forms of energy. The EU promotes the use of energy service contracts, where energy service companies invest in energy efficiency measures at client sites and receive payment from the energy savings. Tax policies aimed at fostering energy efficiency and the adoption of eco-friendly technologies vary widely across the European Union, reflecting the diverse fiscal strategies of its member states. Nonetheless, several common forms of tax incentives have emerged as popular tools for promoting such initiatives. These include: Providing tax deductions for implementing energy-saving upgrades, Applying lower VAT rates to products and services that conserve energy, offering tax relief or reduced tariffs for the consumption of renewable energy, granting tax advantages to businesses that invest in making their operations more energy-efficient, encouraging the acquisition and use of vehicles and transportation modes that are more energy efficient through tax benefits.

Energy saving methods during the life cycle of buildings and structures: Energy service contracts

The scientific article examines the problems and solutions that can be applied in the process of managing the life cycle of construction projects. As an example, a budgetary institution is proposed in which it is necessary to improve energy conservation. The proposed mechanisms that can be applied to budgetary institutions are the most optimal, since there is no funding for energy-saving measures. In order for the entire system of energy service contracts to work effectively, mandatory participation of local governments must be provided. They, in turn, will select suitable energy service contract schemes, draw up methods for paying expenses and conditions for sharing the profits received from saving energy resources for the entire period of the contract.

Paid Services Agreement in Modern Civil Law: Theoretical Construction and Prospects for Legislative Regulation

The reform of Russian civil legislation, which began in 2008, has not yet affected the special part of the Civil Code on certain types of contracts, and remains incomplete. At the same time, one of the most problematic contracts is the paid services agreement, the regulation of which in the Code is too broad and fragmentary. In the context of the growing role of the service sector in modern economic turnover, such a state of legal regulation of the paid services agreement in domestic civil law is inadmissible. The choice of directions for improving the legislative regulation of a service agreement should be based on an analysis of the legal nature of this agreement and the features of its theoretical design. The purpose of the article is to identify the main shortcomings of the legal regulation of the paid services agreement and to determine areas for its improvement. The methods of research are general methods of study (analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, system analysis) and methods of legal science (methods of literal, systematic, teleological and historical interpretation of legal norms). The issues of the theoretical construction of a paid services agreement are considered taking into account the dogmatic development of this issue in domestic civil law and the current state of legal regulation of this contract in the current legislation. It is concluded that the service agreement is always aimed at achieving a certain result in the form of providing services of appropriate quality. The need to improve the general provisions of the service agreement is argued and specific directions for its modernization are proposed. The services requiring additional regulation are defined in special paragraphs of the Civil Code on certain types of service contracts.

The cyber-industrialization of catfishing and romance fraud

We examine a new form of online fraud, which we refer to as Intimacy Manipulated Fraud Industrialization (IMFI). This type of fraud bears a strong resemblance to traditional online romance fraud and catfishing, but is “industrialized” through enterprise business practices, software platforms, and customer service processes. To gain a better understanding of this operation, we conducted an inductive analysis of publicly available testimonial and review data provided by current and prior employees of a specific company in the online customer service contract space. Companies hire individuals online to work as “chat moderators” or “customer service providers” who are told that their task is to advance engagement on social media platforms. In fact, they are being recruited as “sexting” workers, paid on a per-text basis to engage in intimate chatting with clients who believe they're interacting with individuals of the opposite gender on a dating site. The process is mediated via client management processes that monitor employee productivity and monetize all interactions between “clients” and “workers.” The company executes these processes with great efficiency by algorithmically assigning multiple workers to individual clients and assembling background files on clients in real time. We find that workers serve as both exploiters of their clients as well as victims of the company they work for. The implications of our study could significantly impact how we address AI-generated online fraud in the future, shedding light on the complex dynamics at play within these fraudulent enterprises.

家庭医生签约服务模式在农村老年高血压患者中的研究进展

家庭医生签约服务模式在农村老年高血压患者中的研究进展

Bonus or Penalty? Designing Service-Level Agreements for a Decentralized Supply Chain: The Implication of Return on Investment

We study the coordination of two-echelon supply chains via service level-dependent bonus and penalty contracts and assume that the manufacturer maximizes its profit while enabling the supplier to achieve its performance target. Profit and return on investment (ROI) are considered as the supplier’s performance measures. We compute optimal contract parameters and perform a numerical study. In addition, we perform a simulation-based study to analyze the profit risk of the considered parties. For supplier profit targets, bonus and penalty contracts lead to the same profit for both parties, but bonus contracts lead to lower costs, hence, a higher ROI. For supplier ROI targets, bonus contracts always lead to higher manufacturer profit, and no optimal penalty contracts exist. For every contract service level, optimal bonus contracts exist that maximize profit and ROI of the manufacturer simultaneously. Thus, we analyze the profit risk for the manufacturer and the supplier and show that it can be significantly reduced by setting an appropriate contract service level. The manufacturer usually should prefer bonus contracts. They allow to optimize profit and ROI simultaneously and even offer an additional degree of freedom to reduce the profit risk.

La Importancia de los Sistemas de Gestión Basado en Estándares ISO en el Abastecimiento de Recursos Estratégicos para la Defensa Nacional: La Experiencia de la Agencia de Compras de las Fuerzas Armadas

The aimof this article is to present the experience and the first results that the Agencia de Compras de las Fuerzas Armadas has had in the implementation of managementsystems based on ISO quality standards,anti-bribery management, and the Integrity Model thatcomes from Policy National Fight Against Corruption. Likewise, it intends to show the relevance of these systems to achieve an efficient and transparent contracting of goods, services, works and consultancies, which strengthen the strategic planning of purchases and the adequate execution of the strategic contracting of the Defense Sector, contributing effectively to the constitutional mission of the Armed Forces.

Come Together, But How? Zooming Into Economic Development Collaboration Between State and Local Governments, and Nongovernmental Organizations

Economic development at the local level presents an intrinsic tension produced by competitive and cooperative dynamics. While empirical studies have identified drivers for collaboration at the local level, less is known about the scope of activities promoted by state-level agencies and the institutional mechanisms that state and local actors create to cooperate. This study exploits a unique data set created by the State of Iowa reporting the economic development agreements from 2007 to 2018. The findings illustrate how workforce development activities are the most prevalent activity while fiscal incentives are the least recurrent practice. In terms of institutional mechanisms, service contracts are used most frequently. Additionally, a state agency and nonprofit organization dyad is the most common collaboration, which highlights the role of state governments in shaping local economic development strategies. This exploration of mechanisms, activities, motivations, and duration contributes by improving theories of formal collaboration and intersectoral governance.

ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫХ ЗАКУПОК В СООТВЕТСТВИИ С ТРЕБОВАНИЯМИ ЭФФЕКТИВНОГО ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ БЮДЖЕТНЫХ СРЕДСТВ

The article considers the organization of procurement for public needs as the most important tool in the structure of the modern economy based on the requirements of effective use of budgetary funds. For a better comprehensive understanding of the modern practice of public procurement, the work uses the experience of the relevant type of activity for the period from 2014 to 2021 of the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia – the leading educational organization subordinate to the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia. Step-by-step work in this area at the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia has been studied in terms of creating a contract service and a unified procurement commission in accordance with the requirements of the legislation on the contract system. In order to establish the impact of the quality of work on the organization of public procurement on the efficiency of the use of budgetary funds, the procurement activities of an educational organization are analyzed. The importance of obtaining and using financial savings for the needs of the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia is shown by the example of procurement of contract works for the overhaul of educational organization facilities.

Revitalizing PT. Sindo Energy (SE): A Forward-Thinking Proposed Scenario Planning to Navigate Coal-Regulatory Changes and Ensure Sustainability

Coal is a valuable natural resource that belongs to the Indonesian state and serves as a crucial raw material for fulfilling the country’s primary energy requirements. Starting from 2022, the Government has made a formal declaration to attain Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by the year 2060. Presidential Decree no. 112 of 2022 has been issued to expedite the development of renewable energy for electricity supply. One of the consequences of this decree is the discontinuation of coal-based power plants, reflecting the government’s dedication to transitioning to alternative energy sources in the future. Sindo Energy (SE) is a mining contractor services company that operates under the Indonesia Mining Alliances (IMA). It specializes in the coal industry and has a significant market share, contributing to a Gross Profit Margin of 93.43%. Naturally, projects that collaborate with SE are firms that own coal and so have the power to influence the overall business operations. This study aims to offer a comprehensive and enduring perspective on the potential future occurrences of scenario planning. The fundamental basis for creating the four scenarios, namely Believing Spirit (BS), Pioneer of Changes (PC), Truly Fighter (TF), and Chameleon Specialist (CS), involves identifying the major focal issues, driving reasons, and sources of uncertainty. This research outlines four scenarios that depict the projected industrial conditions in 2040. Each scenario presents different ramifications and possibilities, as outlined in the study. This research also generates pre-emptive indicators for SE business, which will subsequently prove valuable for corporations in formulating strategic measures that the company can adopt to confront potential situations in the face of future uncertainty, via implementation plans spanning a minimum of 15 years, in the upcoming year.

Willingness to maintain contracts with family doctors among Chinese residents: results from one national cross-sectional study and a meta-analysis of 25 studies.

A number of studies have investigated the influencing factors regarding the renewal of contracts associated with Family Doctor Contract Services (FDCS) in different regions of China since it was officially implemented in 2009; however, none of the previous studies have been considered using a nationally representative sample in combination with a meta-analysis. A multistage stratified sampling method was used to investigate participants' socio-demographic characteristics, health status, understanding, use, and evaluation of the FDCS, and their willingness to renew contracts in Eastern, Central, and Western China from September to November 2021. We searched the PubMed, Ovid Medline, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and SinoMed databases to retrieve previous studies related to the willingness of Chinese residents to renew contracts with their family doctor (FD), and a meta-analysis was performed to systematically summarize the willingness to maintain contracts and influencing factors. Among 2,394 residents, 2,122 (88.64%) were willing to renew their contracts. The mixed-effect logistic regression model results demonstrated that residents who (1) preferred primary health service institutions, (2) had a better knowledge of FDCS, (3) were more willing to visit primary health service after signing the contract with FDs, (4) were not intending to change FDs, (5) were satisfied with FDCS, and (6) trusted in FDs reported a higher level of willingness to maintain contracts with FDs. Our meta-analysis confirmed that older age, being married, having chronic diseases, choosing primary medical institutions for the first contact, having a good knowledge of FDCS/FDs, being satisfied with FDCS and the medical skills of FDs, and trusting FDs were all positively associated with residents' willingness to renew contracts (p < 0.05). The willingness of consumers to maintain contracts with FDs in China varies in different areas. Giving priority services to groups of high need contributed to an improved rate of renewal. We suggest that in order to continue to increase annual contract renewal, it is necessary to strengthen consumer awareness through effective marketing and continue to work toward meeting consumer expectations, thereby increasing confidence and trust in FDCS.

O FILĂ DIN ISTORIA DREPTULUI MUNCII: STATUTUL SERVITORILOR ȘI MUNCITORILOR AGRICOLI ÎN OLTENIA PRIMEI JUMĂTĂȚI A SECOLULUI XX

The 1866-1918 period was characterized by the elaboration of a vast legislation in the field of labor relations. The constitution of 1866 was followed by a whole series of laws - the Missir Law, the Orleanu Law, the Nenițescu Law for the organization of trades, credit and workers' insurance from 1912, etc. - through which a series of minimum protection rights of workers were established, following that their legal regime will be concretized by ordinary laws, laws which, however, were left waiting for a long time in certain fields. If there were, however, certain salary norms for industrial workers, and a series of regulations of the Communal Councils establishing the clauses of service contracts for servants, for agricultural workers there could be no question of establishing a remuneration regime. The payment of the agricultural worker was made according to the custom of the land, in money or in kind, the value of the salary oscillating depending on the set of concrete conditions existing in the respective region at the given time. In fact, until 1937, Romanian legislation did not include any rule regulating the use of labor in agriculture, and the institution of the collective labor contract, able to ensure favorable conditions of stability and wages for workers, was unknown and, through therefore, inaccessible to agricultural workers.

Collaboration among circular start‐ups and incumbents in the circular economy context

AbstractCircular economy (CE) has emerged as a sustainable alternative to the current “take, make, waste” linear approach. Although prior studies have highlighted the salience of collaborative efforts between start‐ups and incumbents, little is known about the mechanisms behind collaboration in a CE context. This study enhances our understanding of the topic by drawing on six cases of circular start‐ups (CSUs) operating in the United Kingdom's business‐to‐business market and investigating the mechanisms by which start‐ups collaborate with incumbents. Using the Context, Intervention, Mechanism, Outcome framework, the paper's findings demonstrate that CE does not necessitate high‐risk and expensive changes and show that CSUs can collaborate with incumbents in low‐risk ways by outsourcing and developing service contracts.

RESPONDING TO THE HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT: DEVELOPMENT OF CBO NETWORKS TO ADDRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Abstract AAAs, with their wide array of community partnerships and ability to respond to local needs and context, are an important connection between social and health care. Recent research describes the impact of AAA services and partnerships on population health, and AAAs are increasingly contracting with health care systems and payers to provide a variety of supportive services that enable older adults to live at home and in the community. To better meet the needs of health care partners, and to maximize their service reach and impact, AAAs and other community-based organizations (CBOs) are increasingly forming networks to contract with health care entities. Data from the 2021 CBO-Health Care Contracting Survey shows that 44 percent of AAAs are part of a network that provides contracted services to health care entities, but little is known about how these networks are formed and sustained. Findings from a new qualitative study on CBO networks, which consisted of 23 semi-structured interviews with network leads (also known as community hubs) and member organizations, describe how AAAs and other CBOs are developing networks and contracting with health care entities. This session will share findings from the qualitative study to describe the opportunities and ongoing challenges of network participation. Networks allow CBOs to serve more people and contract with health care partners to provide integrated care, but ongoing challenges include lack of data infrastructure and financial viability for members that may have fewer clients to serve. This session will also discuss the policy implications of these findings.

Meeting Marginal Demands in New Welfare Governance? China’s Contracting of Welfare Services in the Sectors of Disability and HIV/AIDS

Abstract Since 2013, China has rolled out a policy to contract welfare services to non-governmental forces. This has stimulated a growing body of research on the change of China’s welfare governance. This article focuses on a topic that needs to be added, which is the variation of contracting across different service sectors and the operation of the policy in meeting the needs of marginal people. Based on policy analyses and in-depth interviews, we examine services contracting in the sectors of disability and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). We found a lack of services provision for the marginal groups in the general contracting of public service. Between the two sectors, we found variations in their definition of welfare services, institutional settings, and specific contracting practices. We argue that while contracting is often seen as a new welfare governance mechanism, it fails to revitalise social services and reproduces welfare inequalities across different groups in China.

The Mechanism of Avoiding Riba in Islamic Financial Institutions: Experiences of Indonesia and Malaysia

The issue of discrepancy between business goals and sharia principles related to debt raises a problem. Financial institutions seek profit, but lending and borrowing money (qardh) in Islam is not for profit. This has the potential to generate usury (riba), and must be avoided by Islamic Financial Services (IFS). This article examines several Islamic legal opinions (fatwa) from the Indonesian National Sharia Council and the Malaysian Sharia Authority Council utilizing a normative and descriptive legal study approach, in conjunction with the science of Islamic jurisprudence (ushul fiqh). The results of the study outline that Islamic financial institutions must create products to avoid riba practices on unlawful debts. Two models for the creation of anticipatory riba were found by tracing and testing Islamic financial products using a credit schemes (qardh), namely entering into a service contract (ijarah) and conducting several transactions (bay' al-'inah) for one object. This product highlights the repetition of an old practice long-debated in classical fiqh because it is prohibited in a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad. This finding has implications for Sharia compliance as long as Sharia financial products do not shift to profit-sharing or buying and selling-based financial products.

The Relationship of Religiosity and Spirituality to the Resilience of Employees Terminated from Contract Service

The Relationship of Religiosity and Spirituality to the Resilience of Employees Terminated from Contract Service

Механизмы и применение энергосберегающих технологий при управлении жизненным циклом объекта строительства – бюджетного учреждения

This paper describes the main problems and proposals for their solution, used in managing the life cycle of a construction project - a budgetary institution for the purpose of energy saving. The mechanism for using energy service contracts for budgetary institutions is the most optimal due to the lack of funding for energy saving measures. In this case, the participation of local authorities is mandatory, which must select a suitable contract scheme, draw up methods for paying expenses and conditions for dividing the profit received from savings for the entire duration of the contract.

Monitoring costs in local service provision. Comparing contract forms in Poland

ABSTRACT This paper adopts a transaction costs (TCs) approach towards analysing the transactions of local governments in the service sector. The objective of the paper is to expand the analysis of the TCs concept by going beyond the conventional service-type-driven models. This study examines the cost of monitoring (MC) service contracts in Poland as perceived by local government officials, focusing on different forms of externalisation. The research involves utilising quantitative methods to examine how five distinct governance structures influence perceptions of TCs. The study suggests that the entity type, whether a public or private agent, affects the perceptions of monitoring costs in contractual agreements. The research found that the monitoring costs associated with public sector contracts are perceived to be higher than in public-private transactions, challenging previous findings. Further research on Inter-Municipal Cooperation should focus on the final product quality monitoring area, representing the most costly aspect of multi-principal structures.

Predicting Federal Contractor Misconduct

ABSTRACT Between 1995 and 2021, the United States’ Federal Government imposed $162.5 billion in penalties upon government contractors who had engaged in improper behavior as part of the procurement process. Despite the enormity of contractor misbehavior, the characteristics associated with contractor misconduct are relatively underexplored in academic literature. In this study, we examine whether and to what extent firm characteristics predict federal government contractor misbehaviors, which range from minor statutory violations to fraud. We document a consistent association between contractor characteristics (size and total amount of government contracts received), contract-specific characteristics (service-type contracts and awarding agencies GSA and DOE), and the act of committing misconduct. Misconduct severity increases in size and total amount of government contracts, is not affected by service contracts, and has an inverse U-shape for government agencies. Taken together, our results suggest that characteristics of the contractor, contract, and government agency are predictably associated with committing procurement misconduct. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: H11; H57; M41.