Diversification Of Economic Activities Research Articles

Agritourism resilience against Covid-19: Impacts and management strategies

The current Covid-19 pandemic has impacted tourism industry the hardest and has steered a total standstill in the multibillion industry, causing economic crisis globally. This paper attempts to assess the impacts and management strategies of agritourism in Brunei. Due to the constant evolvement of knowledge and management strategies during this unprecedented time, qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was deemed appropriate for this research. This paper focuses on agritourism farms in Brunei during Covid-19 to study the implication and contingency plans to divert such crises. Findings from this study indicates that strategies employed by the Brunei agritourism farms were (1) the diversification of economic activities towards product innovation and agribusiness expansion to mitigate tourism revenue loss; (2) digital transformation such as, contact tracing app, the introduction of virtual tourism as well as the use of social media to promote agritourism as lower-risk tourism; (3) adaptive human resources strategy by encouraging community capacity building such as upskilling and training of local farmers to stimulate new agritourism skills and establish more future-ready workforce. The strategies adopted by the agritourism farms in Brunei could provide lessons to neighbouring countries and the ASEAN region to prepare for a crisis-resistant agritourism in the future.

СТРАТЕГИЯ ДИФФЕРЕНЦИРОВАННОГО РАЗВИТИЯ СУБЪЕКТОВ РФ И ОЦЕНКА УНИКАЛЬНОСТИ ЭКОНОМИКИ РЕГИОНОВ

The strategic goals of spatial development of the Russian Federation are focused on finding promising specializations and simulating the differentiated development of regions. One of the mechanisms for the formation of regional uniqueness and transformation of the structure of the economy in multidisciplinary regions is the mechanism of agglomeration as a simultaneous pro-cess of intra-industry diversification and industrial concentration of the economic activity of a single industry (MAR effects) and the process of territorial concentration of resources, industries, competencies, dynamizing intersectoral diversification of economic activity (Jacobs effects). The ratio in intensity and strength of MAR and Jacobs effects determines promising centers of growth and specialization of regions. The article is aimed at assessing the uniqueness and substantiating the differentiated development of single-industry regions from the standpoint of identifying MAR and Jacobs effects using the example of official statistics for four regions of the metallurgical profile: Lipetsk, Vologda, Chelyabinsk regions, and Krasnoyarsk Territory. The assessment of in-tegral indices, as characterizing the results of changes in the structure of the economy using the example of these effects, has made it possible to substantiate the spectrum of unique trajectories of sectoral development, which varies from a symmetric polycentric sectoral structure in the Li-petsk Region to the preservation of monocentricity in the Chelyabinsk Region. The developed methodology for assessing regional uniqueness and identifying areas of differentiated develop-ment can become the basis for the formation of a complex of differentiated measures of public administration and support.

Uticaj Covid-19 na privredu Crne Gore sa posebnim osvrtom na poslovanje malih i srednjih preduzeća

The COVID-19 crisis has serious consequences for the economies of the Western Balkans, because at the same time prices and quantities of production are determined at the level of the mentioned countries. The SME sector (hereinafter referred to as SMEs) is an increasingly important segment of the economic development of each country and pleads to become a key driver of development and employment. The development of small and medium enterprises is a basic factor of any modern economy, because they stimulate private ownership and entrepreneurial skills. They are flexible to change supply and demand in the market, create employment, promote the diversification of economic activities, support sustainable growth and make a significant contribution to exports and trade. Given the strength of the SMEs in terms of job creation, innovation growth, it is important to encourage and preserve them in times of this scourge, through appropriate provisions in certain legal solutions at the national level, as well as adequate measures to preserve these treasures. The state and local self-governments are expected to think strategically and take active action, which will be aimed at creating conditions for easier business operations and building a business environment that is stimulating, permanent and predictable for the development of the SMEs.

ПОДАТКОВА КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНІСТЬ КРАЇНИ ЯК ВАЖІЛЬ ДЕТІНІЗАЦІЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ

With the significant diversification of economic activities and a wide range of operations carried out in the country, the processes of making management decisions by economic entities are significantly complicated. Justification of the feasibility of a transaction should be based on objective indicators, which in addition to the characteristics of the operation should take into account the level of favorable economic environment in the country as a whole. One of the indicators that allows to make informed management decisions is the tax competitiveness of the country, the concept of which is currently poorly understood and non-uniform. The article analyzes the economic content of the tax competitiveness of the country as a driver of de-shadowing of the economy. According to the results of the analysis, it was concluded that there is no unified understanding of the nature and role of tax competitiveness in the economic development of the country. Based on the systematization of scientific approaches to understanding the essence of tax competition, the classification features of the country’s tax competitiveness are identified and systematized, the analysis of the connection between tax competitiveness and the level of shadowing of the economy is carried out. The authors propose to classify the tax competitiveness of the country by the following signs: depending on the level of state power, the duration of storage, the criterion of efficiency, the scale. The main indicators of tax competitiveness of the country, which negatively affect the level of shadowing of Ukraine include the imperfection of the tax system, its inability to compete with the tax systems of economically developed countries, high tax burden, high complexity of tax accrual and payment processes. The analysis of sub-indices of formation of tax competitiveness of Ukraine allowed us to make a conclusion about its low level in comparison with other countries of the world. According to the results of the study, it is concluded that increasing the level of tax competitiveness of the country is a necessary prerequisite for reducing the level of shadowing by increasing the attractiveness of the tax system for both international and domestic economic entities.

ANALYSIS OF POLICY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY OF ITAPIPOCA, CEARÁ

The Environmental Policy is a set of activities and procedures aimed at the management of the environment and coordinated by the different levels of competence and supranational organizations, of the State and non-governmental companies and organizations, which intend to reach the final goal of protecting the environment. and nature conservation. Brazilian municipalities face a series of problems in relation to environmental management. The objective of this research was to analyze the environmental policy in the municipality of Itapipoca-CE based on its environmental licensing and activities, and inspection actions. A qualitative, descriptive case study was carried out, establishing a relationship between the factors addressed in this work and those of a bibliographic nature. The municipality of Itapipoca has great potential for diverse economic activities. Comparing the data of the records drawn up over the years 2017, 2018 and until July 2019, there is an increase in complaints, inspections and environmental assessments. In addition, different Environmental Education strategies were observed in the application of projects and actions at the municipal level. The assessment of the management and environmental policy of the municipality of Itapipoca-CE showed the clear process of decentralization, where municipalities are organizing themselves and taking action in relation to their environmental issues, where licensing and inspection activities are increasingly being carried out.

Diversification as a tool for sustainable development of rural areas in the con-text of decentralization

The article substantiates diversification as a tool to ensure sustainable development of rural areas in decentralization, which contributes to increasing incomes of the rural population, increasing gross agricultural and non-agricultural products, ensuring the competitiveness of rural areas, achieving economic, food and environmental safety, rational use, protection and reproduction of natural resources. In the process of researching the level of sustainable development of rural areas, monographic and graphic methods and scientific generalization were used. The study identified internal factors that affect the sustainable development of rural areas. Social factors include living conditions, the situation on the labor market, the state of social infrastructure. Economic factors should include the provision of agricultural land, the state of diversification of agricultural and non-agricultural activities, the amount of investment in economic development, the level and structure of household income in rural areas. Environmental factors include the level of air pollution, the situation with waste, the use of freshwater, the application of fertilizers to soils, the production and restoration of forests, the level of investment in environmental protection. External factors influencing the sustainable development of rural areas include the political situation in the country and the world; decentralization process; state programs to support rural development and agriculture; the level of supply and demand for goods and services produced in a particular area, etc. It is substantiated that diversification is a tool to ensure sustainable development and strengthen the competitive advantages of rural areas. It is stipulated that attracting investments in rural development and diversification of economic activity will contribute to job creation; income growth of rural residents; the revival of local crafts, customs and crafts, improvement of villages and change of consciousness of villagers. Further research should be carried out in the direction of calculating the integrated index of sustainable development of rural areas in Ukraine to identify regional disparities in the social, economic and environmental spheres of the functioning of these areas in the context of decentralization.

Cultural Ecosystem Services: The Case of Coastal-Rural Area (Nemunas Delta and Curonian Lagoon, Lithuania)

The benefits or harms of external and internal consequences for the viability of ecosystems are revealed through the impact on the quality of human life. The issues of assessing these benefits or harms are significant for the whole society and are therefore analyzed from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The article seeks to theoretically examine the coherence between humans and ecosystems, ensuring the social and economic well-being of present and future generations in the context of cultural ecosystem services (CES). As well, the article seeks to present the empirical research, carried out on the possibilities of adapting human activities to CES in the specific area, i.e., coastal-rural area, evaluating the past, present and future CES potential in the Lithuanian coastal zone, Nemunas Delta and Curonian Lagoon in Lithuania. Elderships located near the Curonian Lagoon or within the protected area of the Nemunas Delta Regional Park were selected for the study. For this purpose, the empirical study involved representatives of different (public and private) sectors and stakeholders. The research was carried out in local tourism cultural centers and elderships with four group respondents (tourists, farmers, entrepreneurs, eldership employees). The research revealed the past and the current situation of CES potential and showed the possible CES potential future development directions. The article described the opportunities for the rural population (a potential supply of cultural ecosystems) to achieve diversification of economic activities and the needs of tourists (a potential demand for cultural ecosystems) to achieve service differentiation. Therefore, the recommendations have been formulated on how to exploit future CES of a specific territory by “employing” available natural resources, i.e., the ecosystems.

A atividade leiteira em Minas Gerais: a sucessão está em risco?

O Estado de Minas Gerais permanece como o maior produtor de leite do Brasil, apesar da clara estagnação em termos da sua capacidade produtiva. O presente artigo teve por objetivo analisar as características socioeconômicas e as práticas de gestão e manejo dos produtores de leite com e sem familiar trabalhando junto consigo na atividade leiteira. Utilizou dados secundários referentes aos Censos agropecuários de 1975, 1995, 2006 e 2017 do IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística), como também, dados primários gerados a partir de um survey aplicado a 1.611 produtores de leite. A perspectiva teórico-analítica do estudo pautou-se na concepção de prática, compreendida como habitus herdado e adquirido. Os resultados da pesquisa revelaram diferenças entre os dois grupos de produtores analisado em termos: 1) do perfil socioeconômico; 2) do tipo de mão- de-obra empregada na propriedade; 3) da faixa de produção diária de leite e, 4) da diversificação das atividades econômicas. Entretanto, o perfil tecnológico de ambos os grupos de produtores não evidenciou contrastes expressivos. Concluiu-se que, embora tenha havido redução no número de estabelecimentos que praticavam a atividade leiteira, em Minas Gerais, entre 1975 e 2017, foi predominante entre os que permaneceram, a presença de familiar de outra geração trabalhando junto com o produtor na atividade. Embora as práticas de gestão e manejo do rebanho não tenham sido características de uma racionalidade econômica, os produtores com familiar o sucedendo na atividade leiteira apresentaram maior tendência à práticas pautadas pela racionalidade econômica.

Measuring the participation of local markets in the composition of agricultural income in different productive systems in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul- Brazil

The objective of this study was to investigate the production and commercialization systems, focusing on the role of short food chains in the income formation of farmers in the northwestern Region of Rio Grande do Sul. These pieces of data were collected between January and March 2018, by means of a structured road map and an Agrarian Systems approach was used to economically estimate the systems of five farmers. The results show that incomes derived from the short supply food chains represent approximately 60% in two production units; more than 75% in two others; in only one of them the income is approximately 46% of the total income. This configuration in the income formation demonstrates the importance of this type of market in the socioeconomic reproduction of the analyzed farmers, especially when observing the income composition in a stratified form. The forms of insertion in the local markets were motivated by different expectations such as: increased income, diversification of economic activities or even traditional and cultural aspects of the region.

Theoretical and methodological aspects of territorial strategic management concerning socio-ecological and economic development of depressed regions

The socio-ecological-economic space of the RF regions is positioned as a multifunctional and complex object of strategic management. The effectiveness of the strategic management concerning the regional socio-ecological-economic system directly determines the vector and results of the diverse economic entity activities on the territory, and hence the ways to increase the economic potential of the region, the level of income and life quality of the local population. Effective regulation of economic processes and sustainable development provision of regional systems can be achieved only if all these processes are studied, ie their structure, tendencies, rates have been established; the factors contributing to and hindering development are identified, their fluctuations are diagnosed;

State policy for the development of rural areas in conditions of limited natural resources (on the example of Japan)

It is shown that agriculture is sometimes not the main branch of the rural economy. It is emphasized that ensuring control over the impact of agricultural production on the environment is the responsibility of the state. It is revealed that in view of the rapid development and change of international relations, the definition of “food security” as the independence of the state solely through its own production is no longer relevant, today it depends more on the foreign and domestic policy of the country, as well as the importance of its opinion for other countries. It is noted that despite membership in the World Trade Organization, Japan has formed and implemented a policy of comprehensive support for its own producers and encourages the diversification of economic activities in rural areas. Legislatively approved principles of environmental policy of agriculture, forestry and fisheries are strictly controlled and are binding on all business entities. It is emphasized that Japan does not approve of the practice of renting agricultural land in other countries and makes maximum use of its own natural resources. The ways in which Japan provides support and assistance to developing countries to improve the condition of rural areas and agriculture were analyzed, and it was noted that the amount of this assistance is more than 21 % of total assistance. It is shown that in order to preserve agricultural lands, Japan creates artificial territories (islands and coastline extensions), on which large buildings and airports are built. The careful quality control of food introduced by the Government of Japan is noted. The flexible state policy of Japan on the redistribution of resources, which prevents the creation of critical situations in the provision of food to the population, is analyzed. Japan promotes the accelerated construction of vertical farms, which have no analogues in the world in the degree of environmental friendliness. It is shown how powerful Japanese companies - manufacturers of electronics on a global level are willing to expand their scope of activities by growing ultra-pure fruits and vegetables. The need for further research on the policy of rural development and agriculture of the State of Israel was emphasized.

Удосконалення організаційно-економічного механізму регулювання рівня життя сільського населення в умовах децентралізації

Abstract. In modern conditions, the main problems in rural areas are high unemployment, increasing migration of rural population, reducing the network of socio-cultural institutions, wear and obsolescence of their material and technical base, lack of resources to preserve and reproduce the productive potential of the village. These and other problems have remained relevant to this day, and their negative impact on rural development limits the formation and use of socio-economic potential of the village, causes problems in agricultural production and is accompanied by the destruction of traditional rural life, negatively affects the level and quality life of rural population. Purpose. Formulated and substantiated scientific conclusions and practical proposals are the basis for the organization of integrated development of rural territorial communities and ensuring a high standard of rural population living. Results. It has been determined that the main problems in rural areas are high unemployment, increased migration of the rural population, reduction of the network of socio-cultural institutions, wear and obsolescence of their material and technical base, lack of resources to preserve and reproduce the productive potential of the village and the quality of life of the rural population. It has been argued that the basis of rural development is the development of rural economy, services, improving the living standards of the rural population, creating a comfortable living environment for peasants, that the basis of measures aimed at increasing the living standards of the rural population is economic development of rural areas. It is necessary to move the village from its agrarian concept to a more diversified one, which provides for stimulating the development of other spheres of human activity. The organizational and economic mechanism of regulation of a living standard of the population at the level of a rural territorial community has been offered. It has been established that the standard of living is formed based on efficient functioning of the spheres of production, distribution, exchange and consumption, forming intensive factors of economic growth. Conclusions. The standard of living of the population is formed based on the efficient functioning of the production spheres, distribution, exchange and consumption. At the same time, intensive factors of economic growth have been formed: expansion of employment in rural areas, growth of real incomes of participants, acceleration of scientific and technological progress both in the production sphere and in the sphere of service; advanced training of employees; rational use of working capital; increasing the efficiency of economic activity due to its better organization; increase local budget revenues. Keywords: standard of living; employment; unemployment; diversification of economic activity; factors of economic growth.

Ecosystem Services of Chariganga and Arpara Beel in Nadia District, West Bengal: A Geographical Enquiry

The ecological set up of the deltaic Bengal has immensely been benefitted by the ecosystem services extended by the freshwater wetlands. Along with the diverse ecological benefits, those floodplain wetlands serve the adjacent agrarian community through the provision of free goods and services. The present study has attempted to identify the ecological resources provided by the Chariganga and Arpara Beel and its impact on the livelihood patterns of the rural inhabitants. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques have been used for the study. Ecosystem Service Index (ESI) has been computed to quantify the values of ecosystem services in each category for the dry and wet periods. Nearly 33 ecosystem services are identified which have significantly influenced the socio-economic lifestyle of the inhabitants of three adjacent villages like Arpara, Gotpara, and Sultanpur but not homogeneously in terms of space, time, and status of stakeholders. The computed ESI values reveal that the maximum index value in each category of ecosystem services has been recorded at Chariganga Wetland in both dry and wet seasons. Moreover, the fluctuation of ESI between the two seasons is least at Chariganga Wetland (0.03) compared to Arpara Wetland (0.28). Spatio-temporal variation in availability of resources has conspicuously altered the yearlong utilisation pattern of wetlands’ resources and put a noticeable imprint upon the diverse economic activities and cultural practices of the beneficiaries. The seasonal transformation of a large segment of the studied wetlands in wet and dry months has noticeably influenced the livelihood strategies of the natives. As a consequence, dynamism in utilisation pattern and contrasted societal views concerning the wetland-people interdependency has come into existence.

Identifying and Evaluating Businesses with Branding Potential in Rural Areas (Case study: Turkmen Sahara Region – Iran)

Purpose: In recent years, it has become more necessary to seek and apply new strategies to strengthen the foundations and diversification of economic activities in rural areas. Accordingly, in the context of the new theories of sustainable development, one of the approaches that is of great importance for the growth and sustainability of businesses in today's complex environments is branding. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to identify businesses with branding potential in Turkmen Sahara of Golestan province in Iran. The overwhelming limitations of product marketing are supporting the declining revenues of traditional sources in dealing with competitive markets as well as trying to expand, making available and identifying regional products with a branding approach Design/methodology/approach: In this study, we first identified and localized the branding indices and then identified the brand-liable products in the region using the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method in multi-criteria decision making. Findings: The results showed that among the indicators of brand products in rural areas, satisfaction index with weight of 0.095 was put in the first place followed by adaptability with weight of 0.091, quality-orientation approach with a weight of 0.086 and valuable with a weight of 0.081. Also, among the common businesses and products in the region, cotton cultivation with a coefficient of 0.971 was the first priority followed by carpet weaving with a coefficient of 0.966, traditional foods with a coefficient of 0.952, Turkmen horse breeding with a coefficient of 0.943 and eco-tourism with a coefficient of 0.924 for planning the branding of products and services based on Brand Explanatory Indexes and using ARAS method. Practical implications: The study provides a perspective on the process of branding products and services in rural areas. Originality/value: This paper makes two major contributions: first, the introduction of branding indicators for rural businesses, and second, applying decision making models in the process of branding products and services with brand potential in rural studies.

Social and Solidarity Economy in Ecuador: Fostering an Alternative Development Model?

The social and solidarity economy (SSE) has gained worldwide attention over the last decade. It represents a host of diverse economic activities which take different forms in each country, but which share solidarity values that are alternatives to mainstream market economic logics. In Ecuador, the SSE acquired legal status in the 2008 Constitution that aimed to foster an alternative development model based on the Buen Vivir (BV) paradigm. However, despite a broad new regulatory framework for the SSE, the implementation of specific policies faces significant challenges. This article, based on fieldwork and interviews with many stakeholders, critically analyzes the transformative scope of the policies of the main newly created institution (IEPS—Instituto de Economía Popular y Solidaria). We discuss policy challenges focusing on trade-offs for small rural producers due to their dependent market integration and overall flaws in fulfilling SSE solidarity values.

Caricom

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is an integration with unmistakable characteristics where ambiental catastrophes, poor growth & development, problems with diversification of economic activities and social lacks, lead the countries to believe in integration to get better reality where they live. Decades later of the beginning of integration, the region cannot get closer to a complex integration, being just a simple commercial integration, where the primary sector prevails and keeps the region dependent of aid and commercial advantage to subsist, making it impossible for a healthy international coercion.

CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN THE FIELD OF HEALTHCARE

Introduction. At the current stage of economic and social development in Ukraine, characterized by high levels of uncertainty, economic instability, deteriorating financial situation of the state and citizens against the background of the emergence and exacerbation of risks of epidemics, the processes of strategic health planning significantly complicate. The purpose of the article is to form the conceptual foundations of strategic management of healthcare. Results. It is determined that taking into account the intersectoral relationship of the healthcare system, as methods of reforming, it is appropriate to consider the spread of corporate economic activity within the system, on the basis of cooperation between government, community and business to achieve health goals. Conclusions. It is proved that the creation of corporate networks of the healthcare system at the regional level can be considered as a diversification of economic activities and sources of funding. The model of corporate governance in the national healthcare system should be based on the spread of partnerships (corporate) relationships, which are layered on the elements of process modeling in the healthcare system. Corporatism, as a kind of social organization of public relations, allows us to focus more on solving the problems of the healthcare system. In addition, it is important to use public-private investment partnerships, which involve cooperation between business authorities and the community to attract investment for health development. This variant of partnership is the most correct for the healthcare system of Ukraine, because then the content of partnership as a diversification of funding sources in the healthcare system is revealed, and the issue of funding is the most important to ensure the national healthcare system. Thus, the expediency of using the integrated possibilities of corporatization and public-private partnership in improving the investment climate of the national patient-centered healthcare system becomes obvious. Keywords: strategy, strategic management, healthcare, conceptual model.

The state of the pastoral economy of the Solon Evenki: Focusing on the logic of their communities

Although organizations such as hamlets and clans have often been regarded as an impediment to modern development, they actually provide organizational principles that are indispensable in supporting modern economic development. In this paper, we describe livestock farming in the Solon Evenki in the Evenki Autonomous Banner in Hulunbuir area of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in detail and then explain how the system changed due to the prohibition of nomadism and the roles communities played. The results are as follows. First, although the main business is daily with livestock farming, there are several sources of revenue and it is characterized by diverse and rich economic activities mainly on small-scale pastoralism. However, with the development of non-renewable resources like coal, this economic structure is being scaled up and simplified, so that temporary economic gain might come with the risk of long-term economic weakness. Second, looking at the actual use of the pastures, we see that there is no clear line between pasture and common land. As the partitioning off of land incurred significant transaction costs, local social relations functioned to regulate it in an ad-hoc manner.

Children's perspectives on their economic activity—Diversity, motivations and parental awareness

AbstractThis research investigates how children from an affluent city in the UK exercise agency to construct their economic worlds. A survey (n = 484) showed that children (ages 10 to 14 years) conduct a range of monetary and non‐monetary activities. A second study (n = 83) with diaries, self‐documentation, and parental questionnaires, showed that children's economic activity involves individual and social motivations, occurs in formal and informal contexts, and is often self‐regulated. Parents acknowledge children's monetary activities and neglect non‐monetary activities. The results suggest that children's agency unfolds in diverse economic activities shaped by contextual factors and interactions with peers and parents, thereby supporting a relational view of children's agency.

A Viewpoint on Eastern Mediterranean Villages in Late Antiquity

The 4th to 6th centuries CE were a time of natural disasters including plague, earthquakes, and climatic instability, as well as warfare and invasions. Yet archaeological evidence demonstrates that in this period rural village communities in the eastern Mediterranean flourished, with new building, settlement of marginal land, high levels of agricultural production, and wide export of their products. In seeking to explain the vitality of the Eastern Mediterranean countryside in spite of manifold shocks, this article applies Community Resilience Theory, a body of research on the internal socio-economic capacities that have enabled communities in the contemporary world to successfully bounce back from crisis. By examining the archaeological remains of late antique eastern Mediterranean rural communities, we can see beyond the constraints of elite textual accounts to the lives of ordinary people in these flourishing villages. Material remains which attest a high volume and diversity of economic activities, a degree of equitable distribution of income, effective routes of communication, the existence of social capital, and capacity for cooperation and technological innovation reveal how the people of these communities might have acted as historical agents in determining their own fate.