Well-being Of Country Research Articles

The role of the ecological culture of the teacher for the sustainable development of the state

The concept of sustainable development (SD) was born, developed and is actively evolving in many national and international strategies, official reports, modern scientific research in various directions. The context of sustainable development is present in the official and scientific chronicle of the development of society, summarized in documents and studies. However, in pedagogical works, this tendency is not covered in such detail. The idea of SD is aimed at systematic, multidimensional development, at the well-being of countries, peoples, an individual, at eliminating inequalities: demographic, social and political stability and neutralizing factors dangerous for the development of nature. The basic element of SD in the 21st century is higher education, which was declared at the Paris World Conference on Higher Education in 2009. The evolution of education in a society of sustainable development contributes to a change in the ecological culture of an individual and groups of people based on a value attitude towards nature, safety, health, well-being, unity and cultural diversity. The article is based on the idea of the leading importance of the formed ecological culture of the teacher for the sustainable development of the state. The developed foundations for the formation of environmental culture in the context of sustainable development of university students imply the definition of its goals and conditions, clarification of the structure and relationships between the components, patterns and principles, methods and forms of organization of training, criteria and indicators for assessing the development of components of environmental culture.

The Role of ICT and Entrepreneurship in forming Sustainable Supply Chains: Before and After the Covid-19 Pandemic

Supply chain management is currently undergoing a significant digital transformation driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of digital technologies and entrepreneurship in improving the efficiency of supply chains in the pre-crisis and post-crisis periods. The paper considers GDP per capita as a value characterizing the degree of the country's well-being in the pre-crisis period; the LPI logistics efficiency index which determines the degree of development of the logistics environment in the country; the TIDL digital life index, which assesses the degree of development of the economy from the standpoint of digitalization; the GEI entrepreneurship index reflecting the degree of development of entrepreneurship in the country. A cluster analysis of countries by regression coefficients of the dependence of GDP per capita on the year is carried out. The result of the cluster analysis was the division of many countries into clusters, from which two economies were taken for further analysis. The work resulted in conclusions about a significant relationship between ICT and logistics efficiency, between the level of entrepreneurship and the efficiency of logistics in the pre-crisis period. It is shown that developed economies have high efficiency of logistics systems, high values ​​of the rating of digital life and the level of entrepreneurship, which cannot be argued for countries with a level of development starting from the middle and below. The main conclusion of the study is the fact that, firstly, the active introduction of ICT makes it possible to restore supply chains destroyed by the crisis, to increase their efficiency, and secondly, the development of entrepreneurial activity in the country gives a serious impetus to the efficiency of supply chains, as a result of which businesses get a chance not only to survive amid a pandemic, but also gain significant benefits. This work is constrained by the lack of post-crisis data, so there is a huge spectrum to complement the current research on the stability and resilience of supply chains during and after pandemics.

Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Refugees

In recent times there has been a large increase in the numbers of people who are refugees1 seeking asylum, safety, and a secure future in countries across the globe. The countries to which they seek to gain access have often placed barriers to their arrival, sometimes overwhelmed by the numbers. People who have become refugees have the same human rights and basic needs as anyone else. Rehabilitative work is limited in most instances, although if properly addressed would afford most people who are refugees the opportunity to integrate into their new countries, and enable them to contribute in a meaningful manner to that country's well-being and development. Displaced peoples have a broad profile, including people with disabilities, some being acquired on their migration journey. Social justice practice includes addressing the needs of refugees, especially the most vulnerable among them. This article will examine these issues, establishing the context of current displacement, with projected numbers for the future; it will describe and discuss the impact of the difficult journeys undertaken by refugees; and propose the key elements for focus by rehabilitation professionals, particular reference to the European situation, especially that of Greece. The article is based on the author's first-hand experiences while working in European refugee camps, including one specifically for those with disabilities. The article will draw upon information, statistics, and other evidence supporting the issues addressed, including Human Rights Watch; Pew Research Center; Aida: Asylum in Europe Database, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the United Nations.

Značaj tehnološkog napretka u mjerenju ekonomskog rasta u Bosni i Hercegovini

Economic growth is one of the most important concepts in the world economy. Although some authors critically believe that the level and rates of economic growth do not necessarily reflect the actual standard of living, it still remains the main way to measure a country's well-being. Different views on the topic of economic growth, as well as the factors that influence it, have been present throughout the history of economic thought from the very beginning. Unlike many theories of economic growth, which believe that in the long run there will be diminishing returns on factors of production such as labor and capital, Paul Romer in his theory of endogenous growth believes that technological progress, through knowledge accumulation, idea creation and innovation, leads to increasing returns, and thus contributes more to long-term economic growth, unlike other factors. In this paper, on the example of economic growth in B&H, the hypothesis that the activities of knowledge-based services contribute more to the gross domestic product, compared to other sectors was tested. To prove the hypothesis, a multiple linear regression model was made based on a time series of 48 consecutive quarterly values of B&H gross domestic product and sectoral gross value added according to the income and production approach. In the model, activities were grouped into those that are predominantly labor-intensive, knowledge-based services, personal and social services, and other activities. The results showed that the average value of gross value added per worker employed in the sectors of knowledge-based services has a 2.5 higher contribution compared to a worker in the labour-intensive sectors and a 2.47 higher contribution compared to one worker in the personal and social services segment. Also, tests of the implemented model show that additional employment in the sectors of knowledge-based services leads to accelerated economic growth in B&H.

National Intelligence Is More Important for Explaining Country Well-Being than Time Preference and Other Measured Non-Cognitive Traits

Patient people fare better in life than impatient people. Based on this and on economic models, many economists have claimed that more patient countries should fare better than less patient countries. We utilize cross-national data in non-cognitive traits measured in the Global Preference Survey (GPS). This survey measured six non-cognitive traits — risk and time preferences, positive and negative reciprocity, altruism, and trust — across 76 countries in about 80,000 persons. As such, it provides the best current database of economics-focused non-cognitive traits. We combine this database with existing estimates of national intelligence (national IQs) and model country outcomes as a function of these predictors. For outcomes, we used the 51 national well-being indicators from the Social Progress Index (SPI) as well as the composite extracted from this, the general socioeconomic factor. We find that non-cognitive variables, time preference included, are only weakly predictive of national well-being outcomes when national IQs are also in the model. The median β across the indicators was 0.11 for time preference but 0.39 for national IQ. We replicated these results using six economic indicators, again with similar results: median βs of 0.15 and 0.52 for time preference and national IQ, respectively. Across all our results, we found that national IQ has 2-4 times the predictive validity of time preference. These results are fairly robust to inclusion of a spatial autocorrelation control, alternative measures of national IQ and time preference, or no controls. Our results suggest that the importance of national non-cognitive traits, including time preference, is overestimated or that these traits are mismeasured.

A practical method for setting coastal water quality targets: Harmonization of land-based discharge limits with marine ecosystem thresholds

The Caribbean Sea provides significant ecosystem services to the livelihood and well-being of countries in the region. Protection of the marine ecosystem requires policy on coastal water quality that considers ecologically-relevant thresholds and has a scientific foundation linking land-based discharges with seawater quality. This study demonstrates a practical method for setting local-scale coastal water quality targets by applying this approach to Cartagena Bay, Colombia, and setting targets for end-of-river suspended sediment loads to mitigate offshore coral reef turbidity. This approach considers reef thresholds for suspended sediments and applies a field-calibrated 3D hydrodynamic-water quality model (MOHID) to link the marine thresholds to fluvial loads. Monitoring data showed that suspended sediments were consistently above the coral reef ecosystem threshold of 10 mg/l, and the model adequately reproduced field observations. It was shown that ecosystem thresholds could be maintained within the extent of the bay by reducing suspended sediment loads in the Dique Canal from current load estimates of 6.4 × 103 t/d (rainy season) and 4.3 × 103 t/d (transitional season) to target loads of 500–700 t/d, representing reductions of ~80–90%. These substantial reductions reflect ongoing issues in the Magdalena watershed which has experienced severe erosional conditions and intense deforestation over the past four decades. The presented method is practical for countries without access to long-term datasets, and could be applied to other parameters or discharge types. The method is particularly beneficial for developing site-specific targets, which are needed considering the natural and anthropogenic variability between different coastal zones and water bodies.

International organizations and the political economy of reforms

We develop a simple dynamic model of policy reform that captures some of the determinants that underlie the differences between the reform paths taken by a number of countries since the early 1990s. The model focuses on the interaction between domestic institutions and international organizations that promote reform, on the one hand, and the political incentives for reversing reforms, on the other. At equilibrium, there are three types of reform paths. A country can undergo a full-scale, lasting reform, can carry out a partial but lasting reform, or can go through cycles of reforms and costly counter-reforms. Domestic institutions, along with the incentives provided by international organizations, determine the equilibrium path. A politically myopic international organization may induce cycles of reforms and costly counter-reforms, thereby reducing the country's well-being. An international organization that only provides funds to promote reforms may have a less beneficial effect than one that assists the country with fresh funds to defend reforms when there is a risk of reversal. International funds that promote reforms can also influence domestic institutions. For example, due to the intervention of an international organization, countries could have incentives to dismantle institutions that build up reversal cost and/or do not fully build their fiscal capacity.

Конституционные традиции, институты, поведенческие предпосылки и благополучие стран

Well-being of countries depend on several factors. According to new institutional economics one of the main factors of national well-being is the level of institutional development. Drawing on econometric analysis, we prove this hypothesis and show that such indicators as constitutional culture, behavioral prerequisites and perception of institutions are indispensable for the well-being of a country. The paper presents various approaches to "measuring" these indicators and issues related to this.

Testing the China Threat paradigm: China's high-speed railway diplomacy in Southeast Asia

ABSTRACTVying for high-speed railway projects overseas has become a prominent feature of China's diplomacy in recent years, including in Southeast Asia. These efforts have been widely depicted within the premises of the China Threat narrative – as a part of Beijing's agenda to alter the power balance in Southeast Asia at the expense of the economic, political, and security well-being of countries in the region. This paper challenges such interpretations and concludes that these projects do not have either the intention or capacity to facilitate such a hostile and far-reaching agenda toward the region.

Bank Annual Reports: The Place of Sin, Relationships and Social Metrics

Bank Annual Reports: The Place of Sin, Relationships and Social Metrics Ray Kinsella Banks are expert at measuring all kinds of key performance indicators, but they have yet to learn how to reflectively engage with the moral implications of their decision-making processes on society. In practical terms, this should begin with including social metrics in their annual reports. The capacity to reflect ‘Leadership’, that most misused of words, encompasses a capacity to reflect on the integrity of the relationships on which a bank depends to survive and prosper, and also on the strength of character required to apply to the considerations how best to measure and report on these relationships. Banks rely, of course, on relationships with the markets for, for example, funding their activities. But the single most important relationship that a bank has is with society, from which it gets its legitimacy. Yet while financial relationships are reported in great detail, social metrics do not feature in typical annual reports. It’s worth exploring this dichotomy. These two attributes, reflection and character, should animate all of the technical skills, systems and capabilities needed to manage a bank, especially in relation to risk. Good stewardship, encompassing a capacity and willingness to reflect, sets a bank apart from its peers. They cannot be faked or outsourced. They are part – or not – of a bank’s DNA. They are part of what Alexandre Havard talks about in his classic book, Virtuous Leadership.1 Virtues can be acquired and, through effort, sustained. They can also be squandered, bartered and lost. The history of banking – especially in recent times – demonstrates this all too clearly. Key questions Two key questions arise that wouldn’t arise if reflection and character were taken seriously. The first is: why are there are so many mediocre banks – more specifically, how is it possible that the regulatory fines for wrongdoing 146 Studies • volume 106 • number 422 Ray Kinsella Studies • volume 106 • number 422 147 Bank Annual Reports: The Place of Sin, Relationships and Social Metrics imposed on banks since the 2008 banking crisis run to tens of billions of dollars, a crisis which, through its impact on societies, has wrenched the history and well-being of countries into wholly different trajectories? The second, closely related, question is: what, in addition to all of the financial and accounting metrics, should also be included in a bank’s annual report? In other words, what is missing if the annual report is to be taken seriously as a communication, grounded in character, and reflecting a bank’s relationship with the lives of people? The answer to the first question – why are there so many mediocre banks? – isembeddedinthisproposition:thebesettingsinofglobalbankingandfinance for the last two generations is a wilful refusal to reflect on relationships (greed is a consequence of a failure to reflect). Banks are not connected in a twoway relationship with society and the ‘public good’ – other than on their own terms and those enforced by regulators (whose effectiveness, incidentally, can be measured in ex post fines of hitherto unimaginable billions of dollars). The global banking industry is full of technical excellence but largely devoid of any tradition of reflection on the social economy as an end in itself. There are exceptions but they are rare. ‘Society’ and the public good are orphaned twins, faces pressed up against the window of the HQs of banks and the circle of lotus-eaters encamped around them. Sin versus guilt in banking The words ‘sin’ and ‘reflect’ are carefully chosen. Let me explain. The university chaplain in my undergraduate days was a wise and insightful man. In his talk to students at Mass one Sunday evening, he drew a distinction between ‘guilt’and ‘sin’. For me, at least, it was a life insight. He pointed out to us that guilt was intrinsically unhealthy; it looked inward and focused on the ‘me’. Sin, on the other hand, was intrinsically healthy because it looked outward and asked: how has my behaviour affected the ‘other’. How has it impacted my relationships with the ‘other’? A couple of years ago — not too long after the global banking crisis with all of its attendant consequences — there was a view that it...

An Econometric Investigation of the Determinants of Sustainable Wellbeing of Countries

In this study, we intended to analyze the socioeconomic, political and environment factors affecting the sustainable wellbeing of nations (measured by the Happy Planet Index), for a sample of 108 countries for the year 2009.The empirical evidence showed that Human Development Index (HDI), Carbon emission, political freedom and colonial background of nations are significant predictors of the sustainable wellbeing of nations. HDI has a direct effect on HPI of nations, while the level of carbon emission is negatively related with HPI. The HPI levels among different political regimes are different, while the countries without colonial background are better off in terms of achieving sustainable wellbeing than countries with colonial background. .

Does Information and Communication Technology Lead to the Well-Being of Nations? A Country-Level Empirical Investigation

This paper examines the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in enhancing the well-being of nations. Extending research on the role of ICT in the productivity of nations, we posit that the effects of ICT may not be limited to productivity (e.g., GDP), and we argue that the use of ICT can also improve the well-being of a country by helping citizens to develop their social capital and achieve social equality, enabling access to health-related information and health services, providing education to disadvantaged communities, and facilitating commerce. Using a number of empirical specifications, specifically a fixed-effects model and an instrumental variable approach, our results show that the level of ICT use (number of fixed telephones, Internet, mobile phones) in a country predict a country's well-being (despite accounting for GDP and several other control variables that also predict a country's well-being). Furthermore, by using an exploratory method (biclustering) of identifying both country-specific and ICT-specific variables simultaneously, we identify clusters of countries with similar patterns in terms of their use of ICT, and we show that not all countries increase their level of well-being by using ICT in the same manner. Interestingly, we find that less developed countries increase their level of well-being with mobile phones primarily, while more developed countries increase their level of well-being with any ICT system. Contributions and implications for enhancing the well-being of nations with ICT are discussed.

Impact of indirect cost on access to healthcare utilization

Background: Majority of the citizens in developing country like India seeks healthcare in private facilities. In spite of several sustainable measures taken by the government, public healthcare facilities often face various problems, including worker absenteeism and dual public–private practice, low demand for their use, and shortages of supplies and staff. In contrast, private healthcare varies greatly in quality of care, being unregulated and financed largely through out-of-pocket payments. Accessibility, affordability, and availability to healthcare services are the significant factors in improving utilization of public health facilities. Objectives: This study explores the challenges faced in healthcare sector especially in terms of indirect cost (user fees) incurred by the rural households of rural Karnataka in seeking a public health care center. Materials and Methods: A set of well-structured questionnaire was administered to examine the indirect cost incurred by the households in terms of travel cost, waiting cost, and out-of-pocket expenditure. A total of 600 samples were randomly collected. To study the demand for healthcare services provided by public hospitals in rural Karnataka, we conducted a regression analysis. Results: Findings explains that odds ratio is higher for the nearest healthcare center than that in the next village, which specifies that accessibility to the nearest center is more significant than that in the next village. It is inferred that when distance increases, accessibility to public hospitals is impossible every time. In case of waiting time and out-of-pocket expenditure, both are statistically significant to use. Conclusion: The economic performance of the healthcare services is crucially linked to the overall economic well-being of country and its citizens; there is a need for alternative option to come out of this indirect cost incurred by rural households.

O ensino superior politécnico em portugal: presente e futuro

Res_eng:The richness and well-being of countries, organisations and individuals have been founded on the creation, dissemination and use of knowledge. Therefore, there are moments in the life of peoples and societies, where sharing a common enlarged civic feeling leads to consensus over the imperative to act with courage and determination on an emergent need, namely: What are the needs of higher education in Portugal? In what way can higher education contribute so that Portugal may face the challenges for the next decades? An usual conclusion is that gobal reordering is considered as a priority. The time signs point to an interplay of favourable conditions to this quality leap, namely a huge contextual change, an international opportunity and the insatisfaction among meaningful segments of society. The timely initiative of promoting a discussion about the condition of the Portuguese higher education remains a central issue in a debate that is still lively and should lead us to a calm yet courageous reflection on the matter. The redefinition of the university and polytechnic sub-systems is urgent, with well distinct competencies translated to practice. Currently decades of academic governance are under discussion. Hence the need to name the main proposals for the future of the Portuguese polytechnic higher education, on the path to its construction and in accordance with a strategic vision aiming at a thorough and rigorous reform.

Introduction: Presidential disability and presidential succession

This introduction to the special issue on presidential disability and succession focuses on the distinctly positive contributions that invocations of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment have made to American political life since the Amendment's ratification in 1967. It also underlines the importance for Presidents, their family members and aides to understand the necessity for putting the welfare of the country first, above all else-even at times above the wishes of a disabled Chief Executive. As the articles in this special issue make clear, the Twenty-Fifth Amendment provides an effective constitutional mechanism by which the country's well-being can be maintained while simultaneously showing compassion and respect for a disabled leader. The idea for this issue emerged from a conference organized by Professor Robert E. Gilbert focusing on presidential disability and succession held on the campus of Northeastern University in April 2014. Papers from the conference assembled here clarify and add to the historical record about presidential inability while illuminating the many political, legal, and constitutional contingencies that future presidential administrators may face. Contributors to this issue have varied disciplinary and professional backgrounds, including expertise in American politics, constitutional law, the presidency and vice presidency, presidential impairment, and, of course, the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

The Impact of Inflation and Unemployment on Subjective Personal and Country Evaluations

The authors use data from the Gallup World Poll to analyze what determines individual assessments of past, present, and future personal and country well-being. These measures allow the analysis of two dimensions of happiness data not previously examined in the literature: the better-than-average effect and optimism. The authors find that individuals tend to evaluate their personal well-being as being better than their country’s and tend to expect that their future well-being will improve. The authors also analyze the impact of inflation and unemployment on these subjective measures and find that both variables have a negative effect on individuals’ assessments of past and present well-being for themselves and their country; in contrast with other studies, however, they do not find that the effect of unemployment is significantly different from that of inflation.

Foreword: International Dispute Resolution - Demystifying the New Frontier

As a trading nation and one that has always looked to the wider world, New Zealand's international engagement is key to the country's wellbeing and prosperity. Despite this, it seems that there is a lack of awareness and understanding of issues with regards to international dispute resolution in New Zealand. This article serves as a foreword for this issue of the Victoria University of Wellington Law Review which introduces the inaugural New Zealand Law Foundation International Dispute Resolution lecture given by Lucy Reed of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, as well as the following seminar on the same issues.

Methodological Foundations Concepts Of Norms And Institutions For Institutional Analysis

Institutional analysis of the Russian economy becomes relevant in the process of transformation and development. Relevance of research institutions due to the fact that institutions have an impact on the national business model. The long process of institution building, the difference between their composition and properties in comparison with the economies of the European Union and the U.S., confirms the inevitability of self-development of each country. The author sees a problem in the fact that the development of a market economy in Russia, by the standards of industrialized countries, are inevitable: a long time, significant social costs and social consequences. As the research activities of Russian corporations and for the establishment of a modern economy the problem is not to create a market mechanism of the economy, and to build its institutional environment, which allows the market to function efficiently with acceptable social consequences. Investigation of the role of institutions in the prosperity and well-being of countries with market economies, led me to the need to separate the coordination and distribution functions of institutions. It is suggested that in the context of asymmetric information these functions determines the appearance and coordinating the distribution of effects. The first mechanism is to reduce the uncertainty of the market environment, the second - the mechanism of diversification of resources and the benefits of economic agents. The interaction of these mechanisms, in my opinion leads to lower costs of economic agents. Moreover, the degree of asymmetry of information, the level of costs and the role of institutions in regulating the interactions of agents are directly proportional. As a result, it was concluded that the institutions are the most important instrument of formation, development and management behaviors of economic agents.

The Impact of Inflation and Unemployment on Subjective Personal and Country Evaluations

The authors use data from the Gallup World Poll to analyze what determines individual assessments of past, present, and future personal and country well-being. These measures allow the analysis of two dimensions of happiness data not previously examined in the literature: the better-than-avera ge effect and optimism. The authors find that individuals tend to evaluate their personal well-being as being better than their country’s and tend to expect that their future well-being will improve. The authors also analyze the impact of inflation and unemployment on these subjective measures and find that both variables have a negative effect on individuals’ assessments of past and prese nt well-being for themselves and their country; in contrast with other studies, however, they do not find that the effect of unemployment is significantly different from that of inflation. (JEL D60, I30, E31, E24, Z13)

Intellectual Property and Security: A Preliminary Exploration

This article explores the relationship between the concept of ‘security’ and intellectual property. Security today encompasses traditional state-centric, military concerns (such as prevention of external aggression) to ‘human security’ concerns, which places individuals rather than states as the main objects in need of security. The intellectual property system, consisting of copyright and related rights and industrial property, seeks to encourage creativity and inventiveness, which are necessary components of the economic, cultural and technological well-being of countries. This preliminary examination reveals that national security concerns and questions of ‘ordre public’ have permeated international intellectual property treaties since the late nineteenth century. In today's context of international struggle against wanton terrorism (and possibly nuclear terrorism), of geo-economic competition among countries and of the struggle to become free from the shackles of poverty, intellectual property has emerged as a critical factor for individual, national and international security. This paper examines the relationship between security and particular aspects of intellectual property – patents, patent information and trade secrets.