Before the financial crisis, the Baltic States had the highest growth rate of the Gross domestic product (hereinafter – GDP) in the European Union. Also, these States were called “the Baltic tigers”. During the crisis, the decline of GDP was the highest in the Baltic States. After the crisis, economic indicators of Estonia economy had the highest growth rates in the European Union. Such progress and life quality in Estonia surprises the other two neighboring Baltic States – Latvia and Lithuania. However, GDP of Lithuania exceeds the GDP indicator of Estonia almost twice in absolute value (Eurostat). Since October 1, 2014, the minimum monthly wage in Lithuania increased by 3.5 percent. Based on information provided by the European Union Statistics (hereinafter – Eurostat), from 2004, the average wage in the Baltic States on average increased by 8.2, 10.3, and 7.7 percent per annum. It should be emphasized that the growth rate of the average wage in monetary expression significantly fell behind the actual decline rate of the wage purchasing power. During the period of 2004-2013, the purchasing power and value of the average wage in the Baltic States has decreased in respectively assessing by the standard coefficient of inflation and the “Gold Standard”.
{"title":"Purchasing power and value of the average wage in the Baltic States","authors":"Rimvydas Jasinavičius, Vidmantas Ganiprauskas","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-2-03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-2-03","url":null,"abstract":"Before the financial crisis, the Baltic States had the highest growth rate of the Gross domestic product (hereinafter – GDP) in the European Union. Also, these States were called “the Baltic tigers”. During the crisis, the decline of GDP was the highest in the Baltic States. After the crisis, economic indicators of Estonia economy had the highest growth rates in the European Union. Such progress and life quality in Estonia surprises the other two neighboring Baltic States – Latvia and Lithuania. However, GDP of Lithuania exceeds the GDP indicator of Estonia almost twice in absolute value (Eurostat). Since October 1, 2014, the minimum monthly wage in Lithuania increased by 3.5 percent. Based on information provided by the European Union Statistics (hereinafter – Eurostat), from 2004, the average wage in the Baltic States on average increased by 8.2, 10.3, and 7.7 percent per annum. It should be emphasized that the growth rate of the average wage in monetary expression significantly fell behind the actual decline rate of the wage purchasing power. During the period of 2004-2013, the purchasing power and value of the average wage in the Baltic States has decreased in respectively assessing by the standard coefficient of inflation and the “Gold Standard”.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"34-51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66260763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Technological innovation plays an important role in the process of long-run growth. There are many studies on the country and aggregate level innovativeness, patents, etc. This paper, on the contrary, focuses on two individual innovations, float glass and safety glass manufacturing technology, introduced in the late 1950s and the inter-linkage of these innovations in Finland. The flat glass and safety glass industries were both international and very tightly interlinked. We illustrated the evolution of the flat glass industry and its value-added industries. The government policy towards foreign companies is tracked, as well. The study period is from 1960 to 1985.
{"title":"Understanding the inter-linkage of innovations – the finnish flat glass and value added industries","authors":"O. Uusitalo","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-2-07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-2-07","url":null,"abstract":"Technological innovation plays an important role in the process of long-run growth. There are many studies on the country and aggregate level innovativeness, patents, etc. This paper, on the contrary, focuses on two individual innovations, float glass and safety glass manufacturing technology, introduced in the late 1950s and the inter-linkage of these innovations in Finland. The flat glass and safety glass industries were both international and very tightly interlinked. We illustrated the evolution of the flat glass industry and its value-added industries. The government policy towards foreign companies is tracked, as well. The study period is from 1960 to 1985.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"92-111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66260846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gross domestic product (GDP) is the most popular measure of macroeconomic activity. However, it is increasingly recognised that GDP should be associated with additional data and indicators. In 2010, the European Statistical System Committee recommended a set of indicators to measure quality of life. Some of these indicators are already prepared by the EU Member States’ and Lithuania’s statistical offices. Active labour market policies are increasingly applied in recent times for the purpose of broadening macroeconomic, employment and social policy. These tools are especially useful for the disadvantage groups, such as the longterm unemployed and older people to return to the labour market. Rising employment level is the most effective tonic for economic growth and social inclusion. Employment is a very important factor to guarantee equal opportunities, which is contributing to the full participation of citizens in economic, cultural and social life. This improves quality of life. This paper explores the major Lithuanian ALMP indicators and their relationship with the indicators of employment and quality of life.
国内生产总值(GDP)是衡量宏观经济活动最常用的指标。然而,人们越来越认识到,国内生产总值应该与其他数据和指标联系起来。2010年,欧洲统计系统委员会(European Statistical System Committee)推荐了一套衡量生活质量的指标。其中一些指标已经由欧盟成员国和立陶宛的统计局编制。为了扩大宏观经济、就业和社会政策,最近越来越多地采用积极的劳动力市场政策。这些工具对长期失业者和老年人等弱势群体重返劳动力市场特别有用。提高就业水平是促进经济增长和社会包容最有效的补剂。就业是保证机会平等的一个非常重要的因素,它有助于公民充分参与经济、文化和社会生活。这提高了生活质量。本文探讨了立陶宛ALMP的主要指标及其与就业和生活质量指标的关系。
{"title":"Effect of Active Labour Market Policies on Employment and Quality of Life","authors":"Tatjana Bilevičienė","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-1-06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-1-06","url":null,"abstract":"Gross domestic product (GDP) is the most popular measure of macroeconomic activity. However, it is increasingly recognised that GDP should be associated with additional data and indicators. In 2010, the European Statistical System Committee recommended a set of indicators to measure quality of life. Some of these indicators are already prepared by the EU Member States’ and Lithuania’s statistical offices. Active labour market policies are increasingly applied in recent times for the purpose of broadening macroeconomic, employment and social policy. These tools are especially useful for the disadvantage groups, such as the longterm unemployed and older people to return to the labour market. Rising employment level is the most effective tonic for economic growth and social inclusion. Employment is a very important factor to guarantee equal opportunities, which is contributing to the full participation of citizens in economic, cultural and social life. This improves quality of life. This paper explores the major Lithuanian ALMP indicators and their relationship with the indicators of employment and quality of life.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"79-91"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66260942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this paper we examine the concept of quality of working life (QWL), focusing on the systematic connection with the employee’s personality and happiness. The evolution of the approaches to QWL is analysed in the context of policy and management, showing the links between research findings and government reform ideas. The paper presents evidence through research perspectives on positive psychology and health sciences that productivity and employee happiness have a positive mutual interface. The author’s position is that happiness is a key element in the concept of QWL. QWL is a level of well-being at work that depends on the relation between the whole of the factual working conditions and personality. QWL shows the state of subjective satisfaction – happiness at work. In this regard, we see four main dimensions of QWL – quality of working environment, job satisfaction, personality and personal happiness. Six of the most important work environment factors (pay, safety, balance of the working and non-working life, relationships, growth and self-realisation) have been set as the indicators for empirical studies.
{"title":"Quality of working life concept and empirical indicators","authors":"Algirdas Monkevičius","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-1-01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-1-01","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper we examine the concept of quality of working life (QWL), focusing on the systematic connection with the employee’s personality and happiness. The evolution of the approaches to QWL is analysed in the context of policy and management, showing the links between research findings and government reform ideas. The paper presents evidence through research perspectives on positive psychology and health sciences that productivity and employee happiness have a positive mutual interface. The author’s position is that happiness is a key element in the concept of QWL. QWL is a level of well-being at work that depends on the relation between the whole of the factual working conditions and personality. QWL shows the state of subjective satisfaction – happiness at work. In this regard, we see four main dimensions of QWL – quality of working environment, job satisfaction, personality and personal happiness. Six of the most important work environment factors (pay, safety, balance of the working and non-working life, relationships, growth and self-realisation) have been set as the indicators for empirical studies.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"8-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66260656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrii Verstiak, Oksana Verstiak, S. Ishchenko, Serhii Ziukov
The empiric analysis of convergence processes between Ukraine and EU countries showed that the most spreading method of convergence presence in the rate of economic development is the reduction of the inequality of GDP per capita level among the countries groups. The main characteristics of the convergence hypothesis are checked on the example of EU and Ukraine. Thus, the economic dependence of emerging countries from developed countries is primarily manifested in the fact that developed countries are net-exporters of capital to developing countries, while developing countries are, in fact, their debtors. The hypothesis of EU and Ukraine integration is checked on the base of convergence test.
{"title":"Economic Growth and Beta-Convergence between EU and Ukraine","authors":"Andrii Verstiak, Oksana Verstiak, S. Ishchenko, Serhii Ziukov","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-1-09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-1-09","url":null,"abstract":"The empiric analysis of convergence processes between Ukraine and EU countries showed that the most spreading method of convergence presence in the rate of economic development is the reduction of the inequality of GDP per capita level among the countries groups. The main characteristics of the convergence hypothesis are checked on the example of EU and Ukraine. Thus, the economic dependence of emerging countries from developed countries is primarily manifested in the fact that developed countries are net-exporters of capital to developing countries, while developing countries are, in fact, their debtors. The hypothesis of EU and Ukraine integration is checked on the base of convergence test.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"128-139"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66261024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Literature indicates that organisations often lack flexibility in the design and implementation of quality management systems and show a low utilisation of employee skills and knowledge. This article analyses different patterns of the implementation of quality management systems in different kinds of organisations and examines the performance outcomes associated with it. The research shows that organisations with different quality management system implementation patterns have significantly different performance outcomes. A mature quality management system should consider success factors for quality management system implementation benefits from the early phases of their planning and designing processes. There is an interesting relationship between reasons of ISO 9001 quality management system implementation and the corresponding performance outcomes. By requiring that all processes and procedures be documented, the ISO 9000 standard is undoubtedly commonly associated with control orientation and explicit knowledge orientation organisations. By implementing organisational learning mechanisms, organisations can increase the capability of managing and utilising knowledge. Such mechanisms allow organisations to collect, analyse, store, disseminate and use information that is relevant to the organisation. Correct maintenance of quality management system during the post-certification period is very important. Quality auditors are in a powerful position to increase the value of quality management systems. Value-added audit may not only produce data for the use in granting a certificate, for improving documentation or for enforcing conformity, but also for making managerial decisions concerned with economy, staff development, technology, growth, product and processes, because these decisions are based on current performance.
{"title":"Impact of Different Quality Management System Implementation Patterns on Performance Outcomes","authors":"Adolfas Kaziliūnas, Lina Vyšniauskienė","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-1-10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-1-10","url":null,"abstract":"Literature indicates that organisations often lack flexibility in the design and implementation of quality management systems and show a low utilisation of employee skills and knowledge. This article analyses different patterns of the implementation of quality management systems in different kinds of organisations and examines the performance outcomes associated with it. The research shows that organisations with different quality management system implementation patterns have significantly different performance outcomes. A mature quality management system should consider success factors for quality management system implementation benefits from the early phases of their planning and designing processes. There is an interesting relationship between reasons of ISO 9001 quality management system implementation and the corresponding performance outcomes. By requiring that all processes and procedures be documented, the ISO 9000 standard is undoubtedly commonly associated with control orientation and explicit knowledge orientation organisations. By implementing organisational learning mechanisms, organisations can increase the capability of managing and utilising knowledge. Such mechanisms allow organisations to collect, analyse, store, disseminate and use information that is relevant to the organisation. Correct maintenance of quality management system during the post-certification period is very important. Quality auditors are in a powerful position to increase the value of quality management systems. Value-added audit may not only produce data for the use in granting a certificate, for improving documentation or for enforcing conformity, but also for making managerial decisions concerned with economy, staff development, technology, growth, product and processes, because these decisions are based on current performance.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"140-155"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66261080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The article analyzed the organization of work: work organization and its constituent elements studied in theoretical aspect. It is also presented organization, the division of labor, organizational structures, hierarchy, the concept of coordination and their values in organization activity. The discussed measures, in organizations of public and private sector, should help organize the staff work. Purified the importance of the coordination in the organization of work and discussed the principal regulations, elements and features of the practical application. With the development of technology and science, work organization problems remain continuously relevant because the organization of tools and methods should change and improve parallel. Summarizing the theoretical data, at the end of the article the authors compare them with the results of an empirical study performed in Vilnius district municipality in 2013 and presents the conclusions.
{"title":"Impact of coordination for organization process","authors":"R. Vanagas, Janina Stankevič","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-2-08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-2-08","url":null,"abstract":"The article analyzed the organization of work: work organization and its constituent elements studied in theoretical aspect. It is also presented organization, the division of labor, organizational structures, hierarchy, the concept of coordination and their values in organization activity. The discussed measures, in organizations of public and private sector, should help organize the staff work. Purified the importance of the coordination in the organization of work and discussed the principal regulations, elements and features of the practical application. With the development of technology and science, work organization problems remain continuously relevant because the organization of tools and methods should change and improve parallel. Summarizing the theoretical data, at the end of the article the authors compare them with the results of an empirical study performed in Vilnius district municipality in 2013 and presents the conclusions.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"112-125"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66260892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kapitalistinio gamybos būdo raida žemės ūkyje sukūrė priklausomybe pramonės produkcijai. Si priklausomybė nuo pramonės žemės ūkyje sukelia situaciją, kad tarptautinė prekyba turėtų augti. Taciau prekybos žemės ūkio produktais liberalizavimo tendencijos, ypac po Urugvajaus raundų, padidino transnacionalinių korporacijų (TNK) integracijos lygį. Tai daro TNK pirmaujanciomis gamybos grandinėse ir telkianciomis gamintojus į gamybos procesą. Rinkodara yra svarbi problema gamintojams sioje struktūroje. Gamintojai vargu ar gali patekti į rinkas be tarptautinių korporacijų paramos. Kooperatyvai gali būti tokios problemos sprendimas. Siame tyrime tai aptarta, kad kooperatyvai galėtų sudaryti struktūras, kurios leistų gamintojui patekti į rinkas, nepaisant TNK.
{"title":"Can Cooperatives be a Response to Marketing Problem in Agriculture Under Recent Global Production Structure","authors":"Özkan Leblebici","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-1-03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-1-03","url":null,"abstract":"Kapitalistinio gamybos būdo raida žemės ūkyje sukūrė priklausomybe pramonės produkcijai. Si priklausomybė nuo pramonės žemės ūkyje sukelia situaciją, kad tarptautinė prekyba turėtų augti. Taciau prekybos žemės ūkio produktais liberalizavimo tendencijos, ypac po Urugvajaus raundų, padidino transnacionalinių korporacijų (TNK) integracijos lygį. Tai daro TNK pirmaujanciomis gamybos grandinėse ir telkianciomis gamintojus į gamybos procesą. Rinkodara yra svarbi problema gamintojams sioje struktūroje. Gamintojai vargu ar gali patekti į rinkas be tarptautinių korporacijų paramos. Kooperatyvai gali būti tokios problemos sprendimas. Siame tyrime tai aptarta, kad kooperatyvai galėtų sudaryti struktūras, kurios leistų gamintojui patekti į rinkas, nepaisant TNK.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"42-54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66260680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sales process management of insurance services","authors":"D. Jurevičienė","doi":"10.13165/IE-14-8-2-11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-14-8-2-11","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"8 1","pages":"147-150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66262111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The European Union’s increasing international activity and significant role in the world economy attaches the growing importance to the processes taking place in the economic life of the new Europe in the context overcoming the consequences of economic crisis. A variety of questions arise in the process, such as why is it that some EU economies overcome the crisis more successful on their development, whereas other economies are in stagnation, with a near zero or negative growth rates? What changes, both positive and negative, have taken place in the economies of old and new EU Member States? Is the enlargement of the EU economically justified? Is the development of the EU heading in the right direction? Were mistakes made in adopting the decision for the EU enlargement? This process carries both new threats and opportunities for development. Whether the situation will be favourable for the sustainable and effective development of the EU economy depends on the implementation of the EU’s cohesion policy and the response to the new challenges of the pursued cohesion policy in the future. Social and economic cohesion is an expression of solidarity among the Member States and regions of the EU territorial level. The aim is to achieve balanced development throughout the EU by reducing structural disparities among countries and regions and promoting equal opportunities for all. Cohesion policy has a major impact on the economies of the Member States, reducing economical differences and promoting environmental and social development. It has also played a crucial role with European Structural funds helping to cushion the impact of the crisis on the economies of the EU Member States, their citizens and businesses. The EU Member States are characterized by the large disparity in the development level – it can be said that the EU is a multi-speed Europe: the EU old members’ and the EU new members’ social and economic development varies significantly. Moreover, EU countries (including the two groups inside) show convergence and divergence processes of economic and social cohesion at the same time. The purpose of this article is to raise the role of the economic and social cohesion to the EU Member States economies, highlighting the EU’s cohesion policy trends and characteristics.
{"title":"Trends and features of EU cohesion policy implementation for old and new member states","authors":"O. Rakauskienė, V. Kozlovskij","doi":"10.13165/IE-13-7-2-01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-13-7-2-01","url":null,"abstract":"The European Union’s increasing international activity and significant role in the world economy attaches the growing importance to the processes taking place in the economic life of the new Europe in the context overcoming the consequences of economic crisis. A variety of questions arise in the process, such as why is it that some EU economies overcome the crisis more successful on their development, whereas other economies are in stagnation, with a near zero or negative growth rates? What changes, both positive and negative, have taken place in the economies of old and new EU Member States? Is the enlargement of the EU economically justified? Is the development of the EU heading in the right direction? Were mistakes made in adopting the decision for the EU enlargement? This process carries both new threats and opportunities for development. Whether the situation will be favourable for the sustainable and effective development of the EU economy depends on the implementation of the EU’s cohesion policy and the response to the new challenges of the pursued cohesion policy in the future. Social and economic cohesion is an expression of solidarity among the Member States and regions of the EU territorial level. The aim is to achieve balanced development throughout the EU by reducing structural disparities among countries and regions and promoting equal opportunities for all. Cohesion policy has a major impact on the economies of the Member States, reducing economical differences and promoting environmental and social development. It has also played a crucial role with European Structural funds helping to cushion the impact of the crisis on the economies of the EU Member States, their citizens and businesses. The EU Member States are characterized by the large disparity in the development level – it can be said that the EU is a multi-speed Europe: the EU old members’ and the EU new members’ social and economic development varies significantly. Moreover, EU countries (including the two groups inside) show convergence and divergence processes of economic and social cohesion at the same time. The purpose of this article is to raise the role of the economic and social cohesion to the EU Member States economies, highlighting the EU’s cohesion policy trends and characteristics.","PeriodicalId":37115,"journal":{"name":"Intellectual Economics","volume":"7 1","pages":"141-160"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66260269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}