North Great Plain Region Research Articles

Labour market characteristics of Ukrainian employees with special regard to the North Great Plain region

National Employment Public Foundation founded our research to examine the employment characteristics and job market importance of Ukrainian citizens in Hungary in 2008. As the means of our investigation we analysed available statistical data and conducted a survey. Ukrainian citizens working in Hungary with valid work permit were questioned. 226 people were in the sample.
 Hungarian job market processes were not significantly affected by the officially employed Ukrainian citizens because their number was rather small in relation to the number of registered unemployed people and in relation to the available job positions. It can be stated that Ukrainian citizens mainly work in positions where high specialised knowledge is not a requirement.

Analysis of thermal compressor efficiency in case of geothermal energy sources

Absorption chillers, having thermal compressors, need a heat source at high temperature to obtain cold energy. Because thermal comfort needs are continuously growing, thermal wells placed near cities with high cooling needs might be exploited efficiently all over the year, and the payback time of these systems might be reduced. To investigate the possibility of geothermal energy utilisation for cooling, the parameters of geothermal wells were analysed in the North Great Plain region. From available geothermal wells database, some wells were chosen in order to see which the possibilities are to raise the calculated efficiency value. Based on the repartition of the temperature gradient in Hungarian territory, a diagram was developed in which the efficiency of thermal compressors variation versus well depth is presented. It was stated that deepening the analysed wells with 600–700 m, the efficiency of thermal compressor will be two to three times higher than the original value.

The examination of leadership at local governments in the years of 2008 and 2012 in the North Great Plain Region

Abstract It was my initial assumption that the quality of governance and management, i.e. the leadership concept of the local authorities has a determinant role in increasing the competitiveness of the region. In my research, the increase of the competitiveness of the region was in focus. I did not consider competitiveness to be only a performance, but a managerial and organizational skill which basically develops competitiveness. For this reason, this study describes the leadership examination carried out at the local authorities of the region.

The R&D and innovation activity of agribusiness enterprises in Hajdú-Bihar County

Economic changes have significantly accelarated in the 21th century. In this turbulent market environment enterprises are forced to adapt continously as they must be flexible in order to meet changing market needs. To achieve flexibility companies require innovation. The economic relevance of innovations is significant in every market sector and agriculture is no exception. Re-dynamizing agricultural innovations is a possibility for the outburst of the Hungarian agriculture. Agricultural enterprises have to face competitors as well and they should give priority to efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness in order to preserve their position in BOTH global and domestic markets. This study examines the innovation potential of the agricultural enterprises in the North Great Plain region based on own databases and case studies.

Examination of the current and idel organisational culture and leadership elements at the municipalities of the North Great Plain region

The connection between organizational culture and leadership has been examined by several researchers (Schein, Schmircik, Bass) and it is proven that there is a link between them. The leader shapes the organizational culture and at the same time the organizational culture shapes the leader too. The middle managers of local governments place the major emphasis on the dimension of goal orientation for the future. From the leadership perspective they find charismatic, goal and team oriented leadership necessary for the future.
 The local governments have to answer the challenges of the rapidly changing environment. Quick responses and adjustments are only possible if the leader possesses a clear future vision and not only sets short-term goals but plans for the future and estimates the necessities on the long run. It is important to have a leadership with utmost dedication to the organization and to the objectives of the organization. The leaders must raise the interests of the employees, involve them in the process of setting goals and in finding ways to meet those goals, and that the employees should no longer strive to realize their own personal ambitions but focus on the common objectives. This brought transformational leadership to light.
 The leader establishes and shapes the organizational culture but the individuals and teams working for the organization have impact on the organizational culture as well. This becomes apparent in the organizational culture as middle managers would place the major emphasis on performance orientation. Performance orientation is a dominant motivation based on excellence, hard work, pre-calculated risk, fore planning, goal orientation and regular feedback, which shapes the leadership too, as the leader has to change as well, in order to run the organization.
 Scheins’ standpoint reflects the best the relationship between the organizational culture and the leadership. Schein claims that organizational culture and leadership are interwoven phenomena, as the leader shapes the culture but after a while the organizational culture itself shapes the leader too.

Innovation activity of the agricultural enterprises in the North great Plain region

Economic changes have significantly accelarated in the 21th century. In this turbulent market environment enterprises are forced to adapt continously as they must be flexible in order to meet changing market needs. To achieve flexibility companies require innovation. The economic relevance of innovations is significant in every market sector and agriculture is no exception. Re-dynamizing agricultural nnovations is a possibility for the outburst of the Hungarian agriculture. Agricultural enterprises have to face competitors as well and they should give priority to efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness in order to preserve their position in BOTH global and domestic markets. This study examines the innovation potential of the agricultural enterprises in the North Great Plain region based on public databases and case studies.

Evaluation of Labor Market Programs During Recession in the North Great Plain Region of Hungary

The unemployment rate has set up new records worldwide nowadays, namely the downswing phase of the top index Kondratieff-wave has begun. Schools of economics have various approaches concerning the state’s role in recession, that is to say whether the governments could fight against the negative processes or not. The study focuses on the active labor market policies, whose real objective is to bring back the jobless to the labor market ad interim, but evaluations have proved it‘s ineffective. The author analyzed the “Pathway to work” Hungarian public work program, what kind of endogenous factors were there for successful employment in the framework of the program. In the study it will be proved that management and organization have a crucial role in appropriate workplace selection.

Situation of small and middle sized enterprises in Northern Great Plain Region

Most of the enterprises operating in Hungary belong to the group of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which means that their total number of staff is less than 250. The aim of the study is to examine SMEs operating within the North Great Plain region. It provides a short summary of the general characteristics of the region, the situation and significance of SMEs based on the data 2009 and it also clarifies the relevant definitions. The data shows that the enterprise type that is most characteristic in the the region is joint venture (the most popular type is Ltd). It can be laid down as a fact that the number of micro and sole entrepreneurs is also significant in the area. It is also clear that the majority of small enterprises dealswith commerce, while most of the medium enterprises are involved in industry (processing industry). As a continuation of the examination, size of investments, influx of foreign capital, ratio of employed people and grant opportunities are also to be evaluated since these factors influence the operation of enterprises as well.

Labour market attributes of disabled people in Hungary

Nowadays employment is an evergreen topic in Europe. The North Great Plain Region of Hungary is a typical rural area in Hungary, the unemployment rate is higher in this region as the national average, that’s why it is important, to give the possibility of job for the people living in rural areas. This paper focuses on the relationship between the disabled and the labour market in the North Great Plain Region of Hungary. On the basis of the 8/1983 Hungarian Law many kinds of supplies are provided by the State for people living with disabilities. It is very difficult to provide jobs for these people after their rehabilitation. Statistical figures show that the highest ratio of ‘people living with disabilities’ can be found in the North Great Plain Region of Hungary (30 per cent of the total number of ‘people living with disabilities’). The research focuses on special rehabilitation firms (they are specialised to employ disabled employers) and their employees. Two questionnaires for the above mentioned firms and their employees were created in order to gather information on their activities as well as relationship between the firms and its employees. Altogether 400 employees filled in the questionnaires. The current study shows the results of this survey. It can be stated that this paper shows the relationship between the employment and the types of enterprises, and disabled workers’ qualification level, the need for further education. According to the latest trends we analyse the attitude to the rehabilitation of people living with disabilities and how they will be able to work again not only in ‘rehabilitation firms’. After summarizing all claims of participants we can make an impression in this area and demonstrate the problems for the labour market generally.

Analysis of changes in the utilization of thermal water and geothermal energy in the north great plain region (Northeastern Hungary)

Probably, the most urgent problem of mankind in the 21st century to find a way to satisfy the energy demand of the world’s population - having reached seven billion people in 2011 - preferably from renewable sources, by endeavoring to apply environmentally sparing methods. From Hungary’s perspective, it is a goal of priority significance, as it is an area that is not abound in fossil energy resources, and thus becoming increasingly exposed to the energy policies of the producer countries. If Hungary, which has favorable endowments in the field of renewable energy resources, lays larger emphasis on the application and processing of environmental industry technologies, the economic vulnerability of the country can be mitigated. This study discusses the distribution of the utilization of geothermal energy and its carrying medium, thermal water among the sectors of the economy, as well as its changes over time, the utilization potentials of alternative energies in the northeastern region of Hungary. This region has outstanding facilities in the field of thermal water and geothermal energy resources, yet their utilization rate - with respect to the available thermal water capacities - is rather low. It is a consequence of the regulatory requirements posed on operators, high investment and maintenance costs, the general shortage of resources, the difficult situation of the industries and municipalities, as well as the fact that the solid and liquid media of energy storage lying at depths of thousands of meters, the methods and potentials of exploitations, their sustainability are not or are just partly known.

Examination of leadership in the local authorities in the North Great Plain region

Abstract This study deals with the leadership attitudes of local authorities in the North Great Plain region. The study is part of a research project dealing with organisational culture. In order to examine the organisational culture, the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness) questionnaire was used, which was also applied in the research programme “Compete the World!” at the Corvinus University in Budapest. Koopman, Den Hartog, Konrad et al. (1999) examined the culture variables of 21 European countries, while Brodbeck et al. examined the values of leadership variables in European clusters. This study deals with the examination of the leadership variables of local authorities. No similar examination of local authorities has ever been presented in the Hungarian and international specialised literature.

Combined energy production in the North Great Plain Region

Abstract As a part of a broad-scale study, this paper examines the current use and utilization potentials of renewable energies in the North Great Plain Region. Due to its structural properties, geographical situation, climate and morphology, the Region sees a most favourable situation in the field of geothermal energy, biomass and solar energy. The analyses having been performed so far support the assumption that agricultural combined energy production has significant potentials in rural development. With the combined exploitation of the renewable energy potential, agriculture in the North Great Plain Region may provide fir the energy demands of its own activities and the local surroundings. Agriculture as the local energy provider may create a new source of incomes in the sector seeing a shortage of financial resources, as well as an opportunity of breakthrough for rural communities.

Examination of pig farm technology by computer simulation

Agricultural production is among the riskiest production activities. Similarly to other branches of agriculture in animal breeding the finished product is the result of complex procedures. The biological technological procedure, the creation of the product is affected by an outstanding number of environmental factors which also cause uncertainties. In the North Great Plain Region of Hungary, sows, gilts and slaughter pigs are produced on a corporate farm. The reliable operation data of this company provide a stable basis for and estimating future costs and revenue and their distributions. Monte Carlo methods are one of the generally accepted tools for modeling risks. The significant independent variables, their ranges and probability distributions, and the correlation between them were inputs to the model. The values of the variables were produced using a random number generator. The computer simulation was performed using @Ris (PalisadeCorporation) software. The study concentrates on the factors affecting the number of off spring (piglets). Model inputs were the mating, mortality and farrowing rates; the costs and the income values based on these rates have been analysed as the output data of the model.

Interactions of the scientific results and practice in the biodiesel plant in Mátészalka, in the eastern tri-border area of Hungary

This study summarises the observations about the operation of the first Hungarian model-like biodiesel plant (which has a producer background). In order to efficiently and safely operate the applied technology and to produce biodiesel that conforms to international standards, it was indispensable to apply the scientific results in practice and to develop a cooperation with the University of Debrecen (Centre of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering). The biodiesel plant has a significant importance from the aspects of the Eastern tri-border area and the North Great Plain region.

Additional information for the interpretation of the practice of rural development in the light of the corporate relations of the Agricultural Centre, University of Debrecen in the North-Great Plain Region

In the spirit of the Lisbon strategy, the European Union has set out the primary aims of innovation development and competitiveness. A potential method to reach these aims is to enhance the relation between science and practice and to apply scientific results. This is the case at the Agricultural Centre of the University of Debrecen as well, since the tighter and looser cooperations of the institution provide a scientific structure, which is now a significant prerequisite for Hungarian agro-innovation, primarily for rural development processes in the North Great Plain Region. The present study, based mostly on empirical findings, strives to analyze the field of activities in relation to rural development performed by the Agricultural Centre, University of Debrecen.

Farms in the system of European supportpolicy

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been having a great past, it is over numerous direction and structure changes in the last half century. After the Treaty of Rome, the harmonization of he agricultural structure and the production of Member States has been launched, during which the economic changes in the world and in Europe were continuously being kept track of. By using common experience, they strived to develop an agricultural sector that supplies the Member States of the Community with food, while the competitiveness and living circumstances of family farms are being improved. The general directions outlined in Stresa in 1958 were significantly redrawn owing to the transformed market conditions and EU accessions. The subsidization of family farms and the improvement of their profitability are having a stressed importance nowadays, too. Our country, as the fully qualified member of the European Union tries to meet its obligations undertaken in the accession treaty and therefore to develop an agricultural sector carrying out diversified agricultural production with a healthy age structure. The aim of the study is to specifically overview the issue of common agricultural policy by stressing the main development points and to introduce the Hungarian conditions of family farms. Besides, there will be an evaluation of the research works examining the income conditions of family farms in the North Great Plain region.

The correlation of foreign language proficiency, employment and regional competitiveness in the North Great Plain Region of Hungary

Employment is one of the basic factors when evaluating a region’s competitiveness. Boosting employment figures will also increase individual income. However, the creation of jobs alone will not solve the problems of unemployment, as labour force with skills matched to labour market demands should also be available. Continuous development of the labour force, adjusted to recent needs in the labour market, can contribute to a region’s competitiveness. Mismatches between education and labour market requirements would be too expensive, especially for backward regions like the North Great Plain Region of Hungary. Foreign language education should also be adapted to the changing economy when selecting target languages and language skills. A workforce equipped with contemporary and needed second language skills can be an element in making a region attractive for investors. Although current trends show signs of improvement, Hungary and especially the North Great Plain Region still does not have much to offer in this respect. The paper examines the reasons for the low level of second language acquisition among Hungarians and the population of the North Great Plain Region and explores the ways foreign language knowledge could promote economic development.

Examination of the sub-regions in the North Great Plain Region

Before Hungary joined the European Union – in order to gain access to the sources of Structural Funds and to create the expected regional information service – a build up of five-level territorial system was indispensable. Both in the EU and in Hungary, there are significant differences among regions. The aim of regional policy is to reduce differences regarding development and living standards, in order to guarantee a reasonable living standard and income for every region’s inhabitants in the EU.In Hungary, during the last decade, the effects of regional difference grew. While the advantage of the leading capital and its agglomeration and the eastern and western parts of Transdanubia was growing, meanwhile the most undeveloped areas' rates of development remained under the mean. The underdeveloped areas are in the northeastern part and in Southern Transdanubia. The developmental differences lead to such great social asymmetries, that these simply beg for remedying.In this study, I would like to present the sub-regions of the North Great Plain Region and uncover the possible reasons of the developmental differences.

Efficiency of material handling systems in enterprise facilities.

The most significant aspects of material handling systems of 101 enterprises were examined in the North Great Plain Region in Hungary. Material flow was studied in the enterprise and how it was connected to the supply chain partners. Other elements of material handling systems as inventory of materials, protection of materials, and traceability of materials were more important than the efficiency of material movement. This publication prepared in the frame of a project: ID No.: ROP-3.3.1.-2005-03-0003/37 which are founded by the EU and the Hungarian government.

The main characteristics of inventory management in the North Great Plain Region

We undertook a project within the frame of Regional Operational Program which is called Investigations on Enterprises and on Operative Management in the Region of Northern Great Plain. The second subprogram of this project is Investigations on Operative Management, within this we deal with inventory management as third partial program. We carried out a survey among agricultural enterprises in the Northern Great Plain Region aim ing at revealing the inventory management of these enterpr ises. According to our results, inventory managemen t is rather a theoretical issue as it turned out that agricultu ral enterprises are hardly aware of methods, costs, special indicators relating to inventory management. Educat ion, extension service, research results can help f armers and entrepreneurs in getting acquainted with the up-to- date knowledge on inventory management.