Competitive State Research Articles

Healthcare reform in the Netherlands: after 15 years of regulated competition.

This article discusses the results and prospects of the market reform in Dutch health care which came into force in 2006. Attention is paid to the results of the health insurance reform, the experience with the shift from passive to active purchasing and the impact of the reform on healthcare provision and cost control respectively. Other topics discussed are the consequences of the reform for administrative costs, institutional trust in health insurance, and the power balance in health care after reform. The central message is that the high expectations of the market reform have not come true. Dutch health care features a high degree of hybridity and there are indications that the system is becoming ever more hybrid: the system operates much less market-like than the market frame suggests. Currently, the policy narrative on the reform is changing. Policymakers and policy documents underscore the need for cooperation in provider networks and more state direction. The Dutch experience with health care reform illustrates the pendulum theory. After a period of a belief in competition and less state direction the pendulum in policymaking swings back to a belief in cooperation and a pro-active role of the state.

Business management technologies in the management system

The study considered approaches to defining "management system" and "management technology," characterized their classification, and established the relationship between them. It was determined that the main elements of management are systems, processes, management decisions, and labor resources, and the organizational management system is one of the main concepts of organizational theory and is closely related to goals, functions, management processes, and the work of managers. It is proven that the entire management process takes place within the framework of this system, in which managers of all levels, categories, and fields of knowledge participate. It was determined that the basis of the management system is technology, which is precisely the tool by which the transformation process of systems takes place. Technologies, through the subject of management, influence the object. It is proven that management technologies have a clearly defined goal of ensuring the transformation of the management object from the initial state to a new target competitive state or quality or to ensure its guaranteed effective functioning. The improvement of the social development system of the team, which leads to an increase in the social activity of the staff, an increase in the efficiency of the enterprise, and an increase in the material well-being of the staff, is considered. It has been studied that the most common method in our country is the thematic and sectoral grouping of technologies according to the relevant sections of management, management functions, and the main perspectives of management. Given the global tendency of the role of human resources to prevail over factors of a material and technical nature and the problems of the social sphere of management, the use of grading and sociometric technologies is proposed as the most effective among those considered to solve the problems existing at domestic enterprises. Keywords: management technology, management system, sociometry, grading, enterprise management.

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback and Cognitive Restructuring for Self-Regulation: A Case Study

This study investigated the effects of a psychophysiological intervention programmed, comprising heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV BFB) and cognitive restructuring (CR), on the self-regulation skills of an 18-year-old female squash athlete who represents the Korean national team. The participant underwent ten programme sessions in a laboratory. HRV was measured during a 10-minute baseline period of natural breathing and during BFB-guided breathing exercises. Two questionnaires, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), were used to assess the participant's psychological state. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze changes in HRV and psychological state from the initial test to the post-test. Qualitative findings indicated improvements in the participant's self-regulation skills, particularly in her ability to transform negative thoughts. In conclusion, the intervention programme shows potential in enhancing self-regulation skills to the athlete. The combination of HRV biofeedback and cognitive restructuring appears to lead to positive changes in self-regulation, which could benefit athletes in managing their psychological state and improving competitive performance. Further research and practical applications are continued needed to fully explore the programme's efficacy.

The absence of one's intimate partner promotes dyadic competition through enhanced interbrain synchronization between opponents.

Competition is a common occurrence in life, but the influence of intimate relationships on people's competitiveness remains unknown. Grounded in Darwin's theory of sexual selection, this study utilized EEG hyperscanning technology to investigate the influence of the presence of romantic partners and the gender of competitors on the interbrain synchronization of female individuals during competitive contexts. The research results showed that in competitive interactions, there was a significant increase in Theta and Alpha frequency band activity between females and their competitors. Interbrain synchronization was strongest when their partners were not nearby and females competed with same gender competitors. The research results indicate that intimate companionship has an impact on the early alertness and late cognitive execution mechanisms of female individuals in competition, and due to intimate relationships, females pay more attention to same-gender competitors. This study demonstrates that the presence of intimate partners can affect a female's competitive state and brain synchronization with opponents of different genders, improving the theoretical explanation of intimate relationships and competitive interactions.

Analysis of the Sports Psychological Profile, Competitive Anxiety, Self-Confidence and Flow State in Young Football Players.

The objective of this study was to analyse the correlations among the sports psychological profile, competitive anxiety, self-confidence and the flow state of young football players. Additionally, potential distinctions based on age category, competitive level and field position were explored. This study included 328 participants divided into two groups: Group 1, 14-15 year olds, and Group 2, 16-18 year olds (M = 15.85; SD = 1.44). Data were collected by using the Psychological Inventory of Sports Execution (IPED), the Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2R) and the Flow State Scale (FSS). The findings revealed positive associations between the sports psychological profile and self-confidence, as well as with the flow state. Conversely, competitive anxiety demonstrated negative relationships with the sports psychological profile, self-confidence and the state of flow. Moreover, superior scores were observed in the analysed variables for the older age category and higher competitive level, with no notable disparities based on field positions. These results underscore the interplay of psychological factors in the performance of football players and underline distinctions among players according to their category (age and level). This emphasises the importance of scrutinising these variables in athletes to comprehend their profiles and enable targeted interventions aimed at enhancing their psychological resources for competitive scenarios.

ANALISIS DAYA SAING DAN FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI NILAI EKSPOR TEKSTIL DAN PRODUK TEKSTIL INDONESIA

The purpose of this study is to determine the competitiveness of the Textile Products and Textile Products (TPT) of Indonesia and factors that affect the value of the export in 7 years. The data used in this study are secondary data of 35 data consisting of time series and cross section data. The analysis techniques used are Revealed Decorative Advantage (RCA) and multiple linear regression. The results showed that Indonesia's competitiveness to the destination country is still low in that period, with the average value of RCA <1. The results also show that simultaneously competitiveness, economic distance, non-tariff measures and GDP state in purpose of the export value of Indonesian TPT. Partially competitiveness has no significant effect on the export values of Indonesian TPT, the distance for negative and significant effect on the TPT Indonesia, with the GDP State of goals that can mode of economic distance on TPT Indonesia, and non-tariff measures is able to affect the export value of TP Indonesia every one in the goal countries.

The effect of athletes' training satisfaction on competitive state anxiety-a chain-mediated effect based on psychological resilience and coping strategies.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between athletes' training satisfaction and competitive state anxiety, by examining the mediating roles of psychological resilience and coping strategies. The findings provide a theoretical foundation and practical recommendations for enhancing athletes' training and mental health services. A questionnaire was utilized to assess training satisfaction, psychological resilience, coping strategies, and Competitive State Anxiety among a sample of 447 athletes. The data was examined through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling, employing SPSS and the Process 3.5 plug-in. Training satisfaction had a significant positive effect on psychological resilience (β = 0.726, p<0.001), while training satisfaction (β = 0.178, p<0.001) and psychological resilience (β = 1.138, p<0.001) were found to have a significant positive effect on strategy. Additionally, training satisfaction, psychological resilience, and coping strategies all demonstrated a significant negative effect on competitive state anxiety (p<0.001). Training satisfaction indirectly influenced competitive state anxiety through psychological resilience (indirect effect 1), coping strategies (indirect effect 2), and the combined mediating effect of psychological resilience and coping strategies (indirect effect 3), resulting in a total indirect effect of -0.385 [95% CI = (-0.433, -0.337)]. In conclusion, enhancing athletes' training satisfaction can help reduce competitive state anxiety by improving psychological resilience and fostering positive coping mechanisms.

Starting in your mental pole position: hypnosis helps elite downhill Mountainbike athletes to reach their optimal racing mindset.

Downhill Mountain Biking is an extreme sport requiring high mental strength to perform on the best level in a competition with only one run to win the race. The substantial challenge here is to control automatic processes like competitive anxiety and stress. Hypnosis can address these automatic processes. We developed and evaluated a hypnosis audio-intervention to activate the optimal racing mindset. In our study, 19 elite Downhill Mountainbike athletes registered at two consecutive races of the IXS Downhill Cup. After the first race, athletes listened to the hypnosis audio-intervention. In this intervention, we instructed the athletes how to activate their optimal mental state before the second race. At both races, we measured competitive anxiety, stress, self-confidence, state resilience, and flow with validated questionnaires and assessed resting heart rate variability as physiological measure of resilience. Race-related somatic anxiety and subjective stress decreased significantly while self-confidence increased significantly from first to second race after athletes listened to the hypnosis. Heart rate variability was significantly increased at the second race indicating elevated vagal activity. When comparing race results of our participants to a control group of other elite athletes competing in the races but not listening to the hypnosis, we found that our study participants generally performed better in both races. The study shows that our hypnosis intervention was effective in reducing competitive anxiety and stress while increasing perceived resilience and self-confidence: After a self-administered hypnosis session, athletes were able to improve automatic processes responsible for putting them in their mental pole position.

Economical heuristics for fully interval integer multi-objective fuzzy and non-fuzzy transportation problems

The single-objective fuzzy or non-fuzzy transportation problem (TP) is not capable of dealing with real-life decision-making problems due to our current competitive market state. In this article, we investigate a fully integer interval multiobjective transportation problem (FIIMOTP) and a fully fuzzy integer multi-objective transportation problem (FFIMOTP). We also provide two solution approaches for solving the FIIMOTP and FFIMOTP. Numerical examples are provided to validate these two approaches. Our results show that the proposed algorithm hugely outperforms the best solution approaches.

МОЖЛИВОСТІ ІМПЛЕМЕНТАЦІЇ СВІТОВОГО ДОСВІДУ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ МЕХАНІЗМІВ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ НА РЕГІОНАЛЬНОМУ РІВНІ

The article analyzes various approaches, ways, forms and methods of state support for investment activities used in global practice. At the same time, the generalization of the relevant experience was carried out in two directions: general approaches and practices regarding the activation and efficiency of investment activities, in particular in the conditions of the crisis state of the economy, its insufficient investment attractiveness and instability; a specific toolkit used in the conditions of war and post-war reconstruction of the national economy. The purpose of the study was to generalize the world experience of implementing state investment policy mechanisms and to identify opportunities for their implementation in Ukraine at the regional level. The leading provisions of the world experience regarding the formation and implementation of regional investment policy are defined, in particular in the aspects of the goal and objectives of the regional investment policy, its mechanisms and the expected results of their implementation, the system of tools for supporting and developing investment activity. The main quality and efficiency criteria of the regional investment policy are identified, namely the volume and specific characteristics of investments, as well as the rationality of their structure, financing and use. At the same time, two conditions should be considered basic: transparency of the competitive environment and state control over strategic enterprises, types of economic activity, and sectors. It has been established that a sufficiently extensive toolkit of regional investment policy has been developed through world experience. In particular, effective tools of regional investment policy in conditions of critical instability are: insurance of military risks, their diversification; using the possibilities of concession agreements; private-public investment in defense industry and industries / sectors of critical infrastructure; support of innovative technological startups in the spheres of security, the real sector of the economy, infrastructure; stimulation of investments in the field of preservation of human potential; support for investments in business projects of demobilized people, war veterans, etc. participants in hostilities; stimulating investments in the development of export potential to preserve the country’s financial security.

National projects in the system of regional and municipal administration of the Russian Federation

Opportunities for the strategic development of the subjects of the Russian Federation are expanding based on the introduction and implementation of national projects. Purpose of the study: the study of the system of national projects and justification of proposals for its improvement. Based on research. 1. The connection between the administrative reform in the Russian Federation to create a strong, competitive and democratic state and the project as the basis of the mechanism of public administration was revealed. 2. It is established that changes in the internal system of executive authorities are necessary, as well as the creation of new inter-branch and sectoral management bodies. 3. The project approach does not imply the creation of new strategies but acts as a basis for their achievement, creating all the conditions for human capital development. 4. An important condition for the effectiveness of the implementation of the national projects is ongoing and public control, which implies close interaction not only between agencies but also between the business community and the population. 5. Until 2024, the national projects will remain as guidelines for the social development of the Russian Federation. This is because their implementation involves significant positive changes in state development.

НАУЧНО-МЕТОДИЧЕСКИЙ ПОДХОД К ОБОСНОВАНИЮ ВЫБОРА СТРАТЕГИИ КОНКУРЕНТНОГО ПОВЕДЕНИЯ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ СФЕРЫ ТЕЛЕКОММУНИКАЦИОННЫХ УСЛУГ

The article reveals the content of a scientific and methodological approach to justifying the choice of a strategy for the competitive behavior of enterprises in the telecommunications services sector, which is based on methodological tools for analyzing the influence of environmental factors, assessing the state of competition in the product market and determining the level of competitiveness of telecommunications enterprises. The proposed approach is adapted to the industry specifics of the activities of enterprises in the telecommunications services sector and allows us to quantitatively describe the algorithm for constructing an optimal portfolio of strategic alternatives for competitive behavior.

ОЦЕНКА КОНКУРЕНТНОГО ПОВЕДЕНИЯ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ СФЕРЫ ТЕЛЕКОММУНИКАЦИОННЫХ УСЛУГ НА РЫНКЕ ОЛИГОПОЛИИ

The article presents a methodological approach to assessing the competitive behavior of enterprises in the telecommunications services sector, which takes into account the strength of the oligopolistic interdependence of competitors, and also allows to justify the type of their competitive behavior based on possible reactions to the actions of the competitive environment. The proposed approach is adapted to the internal features and industry specifics of the activities of enterprises in the telecommunications services sector. Its use will make it possible to include an estimation of the competitive behavior of enterprises in the arsenal of methods for quantitative analysis of the state of competition in the market.

Assessment of sugar industry concentration level in Ukraine

The peculiarities of the functioning sugar industry and its importance for the national economy of Ukraine are considered. It is proposed to evaluate the level of industry concentration based on the calculation of relevant economic indicators to study the state of competition in the sugar industry. The dynamics of sugar production in Ukraine in general and specific enterprises in particular are analyzed. It also has been mentioned about the impact of the industry structure on the concentration level which depends on the number of operating enterprises and their size. It has been found that some difficulties with access to information on the product output by all business entities operating in the industry may arise during data collection for the calculation of the concentration indicators. It has been recommended to calculate several concentration indicators at the same time in order to obtain the most accurate and objective results of the analysis. It has been calculated the following indicators of the sugar industry concentration level: concentration ratio, four-firm concentration ratio, Herfindahl-Hirschman index, relative concentration ratio, Hall-Tideman index (Rosenbluth index). During the process of research, it has been established that the sugar industry of Ukraine in general is characterized by a moderate level of concentration, and this forces enterprises to compete with each other for consumers and suppliers of raw materials. It has been found out that there was a tendency to decrease the number of working enterprises during the studied period. There were mergers of several sugar factories and their incorporation into large integrated agricultural companies that led to an increase in their shares in the industry. Such processes helped to increase the sugar industry concentration level weakened competition between manufacturing enterprises and created opportunities for cooperation in order to strengthen their impact on the situation in the industry and achieve their own useful goals. The state, represented by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, monitors changes in the concentration level of the studied industry and takes appropriate measures considering its importance for the national economy.

Can performance indicators and skydiving experience prognosticate competitive state anxiety in elite paratroopers?

Can performance indicators and skydiving experience prognosticate competitive state anxiety in elite paratroopers?

Psychological Profile of Hungarian International-Level Distance Runners

The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological profile of the 2023 Hungarian National Distance Running Team in terms of personality traits, motivational styles, and competitive anxiety and to explore specific psychosocial factors that characterize the athletes’ mental preparation. The 16 international-level competitors were assessed using validated questionnaires in Hungarian (Big Five Inventory, the revised Sport Motivation Scale, and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2), and university students competing at professional and semiprofessional levels served as the control group. Results indicated that elite distance runners were primarily intrinsically motivated. Their psychological profile appeared similar to profiles found among athletes in the control group. Significant differences were found in traits, such as openness, conscientiousness, and motivation. Neuroticism was positively associated with athletes’ cognitive and somatic anxiety, with self-confidence providing a protective role. Working with a sports psychologist appeared to have no significant measurable effect on athletes precompetition anxiety. Specific personality traits and motivational structures are essential for elite sporting performance. Further research is needed to better understand and determine the specific components of mental preparation.

A68: Volleyball Coaches' Leadership Behaviors and Athletes' Competition Anxiety

Purpose: Volleyball is not only a contest between technical and tactical levels, but also a duel between psychological and tactical aspects. Coaches' leadership behaviors play a key role in athletes' trust, team effectiveness and competition status. Coaches' leadership behaviors, as perceived from the athletes' perspective, have a greater impact on athletes' competition anxiety than the actual leadership behaviors of coaches. The purpose of this study was to examine how athletes perceived the possible role of coaches' leadership behaviors on college men's volleyball players' competition anxiety and the possible mediating effect of athletic self-confidence in it was examined. Methods: 216 athletes from 18 teams in the Men's Preliminary Volleyball Event of the Fourteenth Student Games of the People's Republic of China in 2020 were selected for the study. The questionnaire contained the Coaches' Leadership Behavior Scale, the Sports Competition State Anxiety Scale-2, and the Sports Self-Esteem Scale. The data collected were tested for reliability and validity and factor analysis using SPSS25.0 statistical software; structural equation model construction, goodness-of-fit tests, validation factor analysis and mediating effect tests were conducted using AMOS22.0 software. Results: (1) Positive feedback behavior by coaches had a significant negative effect on competition anxiety (standardized path coefficient of -0.205) and sport confidence mediated the effect value between the two -0.098 (32.3% of the total effect); (2) Socially supportive behavior had a significant negative effect on competition anxiety (standardized path coefficient of -0.294) and sport confidence mediated the effect value between the two -0.163 (35.7% of the total effect); (3) Coaches' authoritarian behavior had a significant positive effect on athletes' competition anxiety (standardized path coefficient 0.090). Sport confidence mediated the effect value between the two 0.059 (39.6% of the total effect); (4) Athletes' perceived training instructional behaviors had a significant negative effect on competition anxiety (standardized path coefficient of -0.261) and sport confidence mediated the effect value between the two -0.339 (56.5% of the total effect). Conclusion: (1) Among the five dimensions of athletes' perceived coaches' leadership behaviors, college men's volleyball athletes' perceived coaches' training guidance behaviors, social support behaviors, and positive feedback behaviors significantly reduced their own competition anxiety status, but the degree of impact varied; (2) the pathway of athletic self-confidence of college men's volleyball athletes' impact on competition anxiety was verified, and it was found that athletic self-confidence significantly reduced athletes' competition anxiety to a greater extent; (3) sport self-confidence partially mediated the relationship between athletes' perceived positive feedback behaviors from coaches, training guidance behaviors, social support behaviors and authoritarian behaviors and athletes' competition anxiety.

Exploring the association of mindfulness, confidence, competitive state anxiety, and attention control in soccer penalty shootouts.

Penalty shootouts are a pivotal factor influencing outcomes in soccer matches. Soccer players face the challenge of overcoming physical fatigue and psychological pressure when taking penalty kicks. Instances of low confidence and competitive state anxiety during matches exacerbate the detrimental impact on attention control, particularly in non-target defined features, leading to suboptimal performance during penalty kicks. This cross-sectional survey investigates the relationship between mindfulness and attention control. Convenient sampling was employed to gather a sample of 266 soccer players from sports teams and training bases in Central and South China who had participated in city-level or higher-level competitions. A structural equation model, created using AMOS 26, was employed for hypotheses validation. Findings reveal a positive correlation between mindfulness and confidence, and a negative correlation between mindfulness and competitive state anxiety. Additionally, confidence positively associates with attention control, while competitive state anxiety shows a negative relationship with attention control. Confidence and competitive state anxiety also function as mediators in the correlation between mindfulness and attention control. To elaborate, soccer penalty kickers with heightened mindfulness demonstrate increased confidence levels, reduced competitive state anxiety, and improved attention control. Mindfulness training positively influences attention control during penalty kicks for soccer players. To boost players' confidence, alleviate competitive state anxiety, and enhance their performance during penalty shootouts, it is recommended that governments increase investment in mindfulness training and talent development. Coaches should enhance their understanding of mindfulness training mechanisms, and athletes themselves should prioritize mindfulness training.

Competitive state anxiety in male &amp; female university basketball players

Competitive state anxiety in male &amp; female university basketball players

Online Group Intervention with High-Performance Youth Athletes for Mental Skills and Safeguarding

Athlete safeguarding is fostered by empowering young athletes and providing them tools to reinforce their mental health, as a protective measure against potential maltreatment and to deal with competitive pressure. This study explores the impact on young athletes’ mental health of an online, group psychological intervention constructed on well-being factors theorized by Seligman. Seven athletes, aged from 15 to 19 years of age, followed a five-stage psycho-educational intervention, that focused on Motivation, Stress management, Relationships with adults, Sport and school reconciliation, and Body image. They were asked to fill in a questionnaire on mood states (POMS) and on competitive state anxiety (CSAI-2) before and after the intervention. Additionally, qualitative data were gathered shortly after the end of the sessions, with self-reported assessment about the different skills athletes had been developing through the intervention. Quantitative results show a significant decrease in cognitive and somatic anxiety, and an increase of self-confidence. Qualitative results illustrate how athletes applied the tools in practical settings and evaluated their utility. In conclusion, this study invites further research into psychological interventions that are adapted to youth sports settings, aiming to simultaneously improve mental health conditions and protective factors against maltreatment in sport.