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Every enterprise seeks to determine as accurately as possible the cost of the products or services it produces. The allocation of indirect costs causes considerable difficulties in this process. In the search for the most accurate alternatives for allocating indirect costs, the Activity Based Costing (ABC) method has become more popular in recent decades and is increasingly used by companies. The ABC method has many advantages, but it also has disadvantages, which have led to further development of the method by proposing newer versions. These include Fuzzy Activity Based Costing (FABC), which reduces the risk of uncertainty in data collection conditions and inaccurate cost allocation. However, while the literature provides a theoretical model of the FABC approach, there is very little research focused on sector-specific companies. Given that the issue of indirect cost allocation is particularly relevant for manufacturing companies, this paper explores the possibilities of applying the FABC method in manufacturing companies, using the example of a paper and cardboard manufacturing company. The aim of the research: after revealing the principles of ABC and FABC implementation, to improve the indirect cost allocation process in a paper and cardboard manufacturing company using the FABC method. The methods used for the study were document analysis, observation, conversation, interview, and fuzzy set analysis. The results showed that the FABC method has lower cost drivers for some activities and higher cost drivers for others than the ABC method. The improvement path developed for the allocation of indirect costs using the FABC approach could serve as a good model for its implementation in other manufacturing sectors.

In the context of the growing global concern for sustainable economic growth, the importance of managing limited natural resources and minimizing the impact on the environment is becoming increasingly evident. In this direction, joint efforts must focus on developing an economy that meets the needs of the present without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. To achieve this goal, eco-innovation becomes essential, by promoting the development and implementation of innovative technologies aimed at supporting resource efficiency and reducing the negative impact on the environment. In this context, the paper aims to analyze the role of eco-innovation in resource efficiency, where the author presents and explains the interdependence between the 2 concepts in the context of sustainable economic growth. At the same time, the paper aims to analyze the activities undertaken by companies from the Republic of Moldova in terms of resource efficiency and the impact of climate change on strategies. The methodology is based on the survey method, methods of analysis and synthesis of data interpretation and relevant comparisons. The research results illustrate different ways in which companies are adapting to changes in their environment, including climate change, and various efforts to improve resource efficiency, which remain very modest. This underlines the importance of developing and implementing resource optimization strategies within companies, through eco-innovations, while monitoring the impact of these strategies, which is a way to respond to permanent challenges in the business environment and to contribute to strengthening a more sustainable economy.

As a technological powerhouse, Asia should not be overlooked. The region has been responsible for 87% of patent filings, 43% of startup investment, 51% of expenditures on research and development, and 52% of the global growth in tech company revenues during the past ten years. Within this framework, the current paper investigates the impact of fiscal policy and FDI on research and development in East Asian countries during the last 20 years. It further analyses the direction and shocks of these impacts. The methodological framework included theories of public policy and R&D management, the concept of absorptive capacity, etc. The database includes fiscal policy, FDI, domestic credit, and R&D data for 2000–2020. As a result, the paper adopted Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Granger causality tests to capture the short-run and long-run dynamic relationship among the variables. Next, we utilized Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) models to capture the cointegration between fiscal policy, FDI, domestic credit, and R&D. In light of this, the research revealed that the region’s fiscal policy and FDI outflows had a negative impact on the spending on R&D. Conversely, the results showed that FDI inflows and domestic loans provided to the private sector had a large favourable influence on research and development. It is also crucial to emphasize that the ARDL model produced results that were equivalent to the FMOLS and DOLS. Lastly, the Granger causality demonstrated a one-way causal relationship between fiscal policy and research and development. The study will help policymakers on how to promote R&D and enhance a country’s competitiveness in the global economy by paying enough attention to their fiscal policy. It will also assist policymakers to develop strategies to attract FDI that can benefit their R&D sector.

We attempt to answer the question that has persisted since the introduction of partial restrictions on access to international reference databases (IRDs) for Russian researchers: is it still reasonable for national scientific journals to strive to be indexed in these databases or does it make sense for them to tread their development path at the national level? The study tests the hypothesis that indexation of Russian academic journals in the Web of Science and Scopus databases affects their scientometric indicators. Scientometric management and data management approaches constitute the theoretical framework of the paper. The key research method is scientometric analysis of bibliographic data. An extensive list of journals’ scientometric indicators was addressed, including those used when compiling the Science Index ranking until 20232. The research data were retrieved from the scientific electronic library eLibrary and Scopus and the Web of Science databases. The sample of the study is comprised of Russian academic journals indexed in the IRDs and classified in the State Classifier of Scientific and Technical Information (GRNTI) as the socio-humanitarian block. The analysis of the sample indicates that the effect expected from journals’ indexation in the IRDs, which suggests expanding the international pool of authors and a growing global interest, is overestimated, since it is largely ensured by an increase in the national academic audience. We substantiate that, despite the positive correlation between the rise in scientometric indicators and journals’ indexation in the IRDs, the mere fact of entering these databases is not the primary condition for success and the ultimate goal of development. The paper formulates recommendations stating that interaction between journals and the IRDs should be organized in accordance with editors’ goals and plans for the development of periodicals.

This article examines the concept of integrated sustainability management and its relationship with corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). Although CSR is a normative concept that requires companies to be responsible for their participation in society from an ethical perspective, ESG helps measure and quantify these efforts, primarily through investment criteria. The paper identifies that sustainability reporting (SDR) can bring financial, reputational, risk management and strategic benefits to companies, and more companies recognize the importance of sustainability reporting and making it a priority in their business practices. This study presented grouped classifications of the benefits of ESG disclosure in corporate reporting. The main problems faced by Ukrainian companies during the implementation of ESG criteria in their activities are highlighted, in particular: limited awareness and lack of understanding of ESG issues, lack of standardized ESG reporting, improper disclosure of ESG information, weak compliance with existing regulations, insufficient coverage of ESG issues in mass media information, etc. This article also suggests some measures that should be taken to solve the mentioned problems. The paper highlights the relationship between sustainability and financial performance, a widely debated topic. Some argue that implementing sustainability practices can have a positive impact on a company's financial performance in the long term, while others argue that sustainability practices can have a negative short-term impact on financial performance. In addition, the analysis of major meta-reviews that analyze and summarize research findings on the relationship between ESG reporting and financial performance is highlighted. These meta-reviews show that there is indeed a positive relationship between these metrics, although the strength of the relationship may vary depending on a number of factors, including industry, geographic location, and company size.

The paper aims to assess changes in the public perceptions of European Union values in Ukraine in the conditions of external aggression. It explores how conflict escalation affects the public views in different groups, and changes attitudes and beliefs regarding adopting European Union values in society. The paper analyses the concepts of value and demonstrates the devaluation of cultural and social values in some population groups. The methodology applies a survey based on online interviews and descriptive statistics methods. The Schwartz methodology in the World Values Survey 2020 is used to create a survey questionnaire. An online survey of Ukrainians’ worldviews of European Union values perceptions was conducted for Ukrainian citizens in all regions except for the territories, occupied in 2022. The survey results highlight the trend of commitment of a major part of Ukrainian citizens to European Union values. The research demonstrates the inconsistencies in the importance and satisfaction of social values and stereotypes, compliance with the law, personal freedom and human rights, level of economic freedom, and commitment to European integration. These contradictions will be resolved through the development of favorable conditions and of beliefs and convictions of people that support the adoption and dissemination of European values.

Purpose: The study analyzes the evolution of Business Model Innovation (BMI) in the IT sector, which is mentioned in many available scientific publications. The major output of this paper is concrete customer requirements that invite business model innovations to managed IT services and challenges to establish corresponding business model innovations. Design/Method/Approach: The study identified more than 200 journal articles and conference articles with BMI and IT service providers, and it conducted a mapping review of current research to identify relevant academic theories, implementation strategies, and BMI in the managed IT service sector while highlighting gaps in empirical research. Findings: Most applied are BMI and the framework of dynamic capabilities in business models of IT services. Early movers, who develop a comprehensive platform strategy, can achieve an invulnerable moat and establish a leading market position. Practical Implications: The insights of this study could be applied by large companies, small- and medium-sized companies and start-ups, researchers, etc. They can use the insights to innovate their current business models and improve tailored client solutions. Originality/Value: The study concludes that business model innovations and IT service providers develop areas for future success. Research Limitations/Future Research: The design of the study is based on a systematic literature review and limited to the areas of BMI research in the IT service sector. For further research projects, individual articles can be chosen to perform in-depth analysis. Our trend analysis shows the focus on main technologies. However, this can be compared with the technologies mentioned in the Gartner Hype Cycle. Further research could be conducted to overcome limitations and cover the uncertain content of this research. Paper Type: Conceptual.

High-tech startups face a number of insurmountable problems that prevent them from turning innovative ideas into new products. The article investigates the managerial aspects of implementation and commercialization of high-tech startups in Russia using the case of an automated computer vision analytical system for industrial poultry farming. Entrepreneurship theory and the concept of strategic management constitute the theoretical basis of the study. Among the research methods used in the paper are the POCD framework in combination with SWOT analysis involved in the formation of startup management strategies, as well as Sandelovsky and Barroso’s Meta-Synthesis method applied to identify factors that determine the successful implementation of a startup. The empirical evidence of the work was a bank of video data collected at the VNITIP Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and covering the full life cycle of broiler chickens. The paper established three main sources of funding for high-tech start-ups to introduce machine vision systems in the poultry industry: the state, industrial corporations, and venture capital. At that, none of the enterprises, including the global leaders, has yet reached the IPO stage. We identify two central lines to launch and commercialize a Russian start-up in poultry farming, these are association with developers of integrated digital solutions and/or integration with poultry meat producers. Recommendations are formulated regarding the implementation of a high-tech start-up: to form a public-private partnership, actively interact with research centers and universities, cooperate with business angels, expand the entrepreneurial competencies of startupers, and clarify the business model of the project. The mass introduction of machine vision technology in the poultry industry is possible due to the acceleration of technological progress and the elimination of the main obstacle, i.e., the high cost of components for machine vision systems.

With economic and social progress, the focus of regional unbalanced development has evolved. In the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, people’s aspirations for a better life are no longer limited to material and cultural necessities; the notion of a better life has become increasingly diversified, transcending individual or family micro-level welfare to embrace a comprehensive perspective of societal development. Focusing on the ethnic regions of Southwest China, this paper examines the fundamental characteristics of their coordinated economic and social development and offers relevant policy recommendations that provide a theoretical framework for scholars studying balanced regional economic growth. This study describes the characteristics of balanced economic and social development in Southwest China’s ethnic regions in four dimensions: sustainable economic growth, social stability, ecological civilization construction, and people-centered development ideology. Through comparative analysis, it presents a synthesis of domestic and international research, and summarizes the theoretical foundations and practical experiences essential for the future development of Southwest China’s ethnic regions. This paper examines four key elements for the development of ethnic regions in Southwest China. First, it emphasizes high-quality economic growth, which increases total factor productivity through supply-side structural reform and promotes the establishment of a modern industrial system. Second, social stability, a crucial component in realizing a better life, requires strengthening social justice and strengthening the social security system while maintaining national unity. Third, the paper stresses the importance of building an ecological civilization and advocates green technology, green industry and green consumption to achieve sustainable development. Finally, a people-centered development ideology safeguards livelihoods and focuses on education, income distribution, employment, and other areas. This paper explores the basic characteristics of coordinated economic and social progress in Southwest China’s ethnic regions, and provides a theoretical framework for scholars to explore balanced regional economic development.