Pub Date : 2024-04-25DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2024-0001
Oliver Rafaj, Valéria Némethová
Education is a key area that should matter to the whole society. Measuring efficiency in education is a widely discussed academic and professional topic. The presented article focuses on investigating the efficiency of 57 elementary schools in the city of Bratislava. We used a two-step approach. In addition to measuring the output efficiency of elementary schools through the analysis of the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis method (DEA) with variable returns of scale (VRS), we also performed regression analyses to examine the connection between contextual variables and the measured output efficiency. The analysis shows that the achieved output efficiency is positively associated by the technical equipment of schools, staff in schools and the establishment (prestige) of schools in society. We noted a negative association with the number of students with special needs. Our findings can serve the city administration, as they can largely influence the monitored parameters by their own decision.
{"title":"Efficiency Analysis of Elementary Schools in Bratislava – A Two Step DEA Approach","authors":"Oliver Rafaj, Valéria Némethová","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2024-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2024-0001","url":null,"abstract":"Education is a key area that should matter to the whole society. Measuring efficiency in education is a widely discussed academic and professional topic. The presented article focuses on investigating the efficiency of 57 elementary schools in the city of Bratislava. We used a two-step approach. In addition to measuring the output efficiency of elementary schools through the analysis of the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis method (DEA) with variable returns of scale (VRS), we also performed regression analyses to examine the connection between contextual variables and the measured output efficiency. The analysis shows that the achieved output efficiency is positively associated by the technical equipment of schools, staff in schools and the establishment (prestige) of schools in society. We noted a negative association with the number of students with special needs. Our findings can serve the city administration, as they can largely influence the monitored parameters by their own decision.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800525","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}
Pub Date : 2024-04-25DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2024-0003
Oleg Dubinskii
Examining the relationship between sustainability and economic development was covered by research over the past decades. The initial goal of the present research is to evaluate the contribution of renewable energy sector value added to the national economic development in Denmark. The research tasks of this study include assessment of carbon dioxide allowances and environmental taxation as well as the effect of other factors in terms of their contribution to the economic growth. The application of the regression analysis in order to examine the relationship between renewable energy industry and national economic development in Denmark shows that the increasing of renewable energy value added leads to the sizeable expansion of the gross domestic product. From the environmental-economic standpoint this is presumably the first research to make unambiguous conclusion, that proves significance of renewable energy value added for economic development in Denmark. Likewise, the results of the present study prove that expanding usage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) allowances in Denmark leads to quite considerable increase of the gross domestic product. Besides that, this study provided evidence regarding positive and statistically significant impact of the other factors on the economic growth.
{"title":"The contribution of renewable energy sector value added to the national economic development in Denmark: an empirical analysis","authors":"Oleg Dubinskii","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2024-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2024-0003","url":null,"abstract":"Examining the relationship between sustainability and economic development was covered by research over the past decades. The initial goal of the present research is to evaluate the contribution of renewable energy sector value added to the national economic development in Denmark. The research tasks of this study include assessment of carbon dioxide allowances and environmental taxation as well as the effect of other factors in terms of their contribution to the economic growth. The application of the regression analysis in order to examine the relationship between renewable energy industry and national economic development in Denmark shows that the increasing of renewable energy value added leads to the sizeable expansion of the gross domestic product. From the environmental-economic standpoint this is presumably the first research to make unambiguous conclusion, that proves significance of renewable energy value added for economic development in Denmark. Likewise, the results of the present study prove that expanding usage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) allowances in Denmark leads to quite considerable increase of the gross domestic product. Besides that, this study provided evidence regarding positive and statistically significant impact of the other factors on the economic growth.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800643","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}
Pub Date : 2024-04-25DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2024-0002
David Slavata, Eva Ardielli, Marta Maciejasz
Great differences are observed in the way of living, the quality of living, and the type of property ownership in individual countries of the world. However, housing affordability is currently a significant issue in every developed country. At the same time, it is also an important factor of economic development on both the national and regional level. The paper is focused on the comparison of housing affordability in the Czech and Polish regions. The presented research combines four different commonly used indicators of housing affordability (financial and physical) into a newly defined index and applies it to the Czech Republic and Poland regions for the period 2020-2022. The aim is the comparison of Czech and Polish regions according to the selected housing indicators and calculated standard housing affordability index SAI, which is a newly created index compiled by the authors. The result of the research is a calculation of housing availability in a total of 30 Czech and Polish regions and a comparison of the development of housing availability in 2020 and 2022 in these regions. The result of the research is the finding that the availability of housing in the Czech regions is on average lower than in the Polish regions and, in addition, that the availability has decreased compared to 2020 in both the Czech and Polish regions by 2022.
{"title":"Comparison of Housing Affordability in Czech and Polish Regions","authors":"David Slavata, Eva Ardielli, Marta Maciejasz","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2024-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2024-0002","url":null,"abstract":"Great differences are observed in the way of living, the quality of living, and the type of property ownership in individual countries of the world. However, housing affordability is currently a significant issue in every developed country. At the same time, it is also an important factor of economic development on both the national and regional level. The paper is focused on the comparison of housing affordability in the Czech and Polish regions. The presented research combines four different commonly used indicators of housing affordability (financial and physical) into a newly defined index and applies it to the Czech Republic and Poland regions for the period 2020-2022. The aim is the comparison of Czech and Polish regions according to the selected housing indicators and calculated standard housing affordability index SAI, which is a newly created index compiled by the authors. The result of the research is a calculation of housing availability in a total of 30 Czech and Polish regions and a comparison of the development of housing availability in 2020 and 2022 in these regions. The result of the research is the finding that the availability of housing in the Czech regions is on average lower than in the Polish regions and, in addition, that the availability has decreased compared to 2020 in both the Czech and Polish regions by 2022.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800600","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}
Pub Date : 2023-12-22DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2023-0010
Gabriela Dufková
As the success rate of international development projects might be still below expectations, several studies have explored whether and how the use of project management (PM) tools might improve internal and external project performance. This article looks specifically at four selected Central and Eastern European countries and evaluates a newly collected data set. Based on a survey, the study examines the adoption of PM tools among project managers in the region. Furthermore, with the use of cluster analysis, it suggests that the tools are adopted progressively in four stages that differ culturally from other international studies. Last but not least, using structural equation modelling, the research indicates that among the surveyed project managers, the use of stage 1 tools might directly contribute to the improvement of internal project results and that these internal results might then have a positive impact also on the external project performance.
{"title":"The Impact of Project Management Tools on Project Results: Evaluation of a Survey Among Managers Leading International Development Projects for four selected Central and Eastern European Donors","authors":"Gabriela Dufková","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0010","url":null,"abstract":"As the success rate of international development projects might be still below expectations, several studies have explored whether and how the use of project management (PM) tools might improve internal and external project performance. This article looks specifically at four selected Central and Eastern European countries and evaluates a newly collected data set. Based on a survey, the study examines the adoption of PM tools among project managers in the region. Furthermore, with the use of cluster analysis, it suggests that the tools are adopted progressively in four stages that differ culturally from other international studies. Last but not least, using structural equation modelling, the research indicates that among the surveyed project managers, the use of stage 1 tools might directly contribute to the improvement of internal project results and that these internal results might then have a positive impact also on the external project performance.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139029173","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}
Pub Date : 2023-12-22DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2023-0012
Josef Menšík
Tony Lawson, the leading figure of the Cambridge Social Ontology Group, recently published a series of papers devoted to the question of the nature of money. These contributions have to be understood in the context of his broader approach to social ontology, the so called social positioning theory. While at first glance Lawson’s monetary ideas might appear disconnected and sometimes even contradictory or mistaken, there is a consistent vision behind them which is Lawson general social ontology. Lawson’s elaboration of the nature of money is not the only one compatible with the social positioning theory and an alternative one is briefly proposed in the paper. While systematising various Lawson’s monetary contributions, attention has been paid to several particular discrepancies and mistakes and their rectification. At the end of the paper, some lessons from analysing Lawson’s monetary contributions are drawn for his general approach to social ontology.
剑桥社会本体论小组(Cambridge Social Ontology Group)的领军人物托尼-劳森(Tony Lawson)最近发表了一系列论文,专门探讨货币的本质问题。这些贡献必须结合他更广泛的社会本体论方法,即所谓的社会定位理论来理解。乍一看,劳森的货币思想似乎互不关联,有时甚至相互矛盾或有误,但在这些思想的背后却有一个一致的观点,这就是劳森的一般社会本体论。劳森对货币本质的阐述并非唯一符合社会定位理论的观点,本文简要提出了另一种观点。在对劳森的各种货币贡献进行系统梳理的同时,也注意到了一些特殊的差异和错误及其纠正。最后,本文通过分析劳森的货币贡献,为其社会本体论的一般方法提供了一些启示。
{"title":"Tony Lawson on money","authors":"Josef Menšík","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0012","url":null,"abstract":"Tony Lawson, the leading figure of the Cambridge Social Ontology Group, recently published a series of papers devoted to the question of the nature of money. These contributions have to be understood in the context of his broader approach to social ontology, the so called social positioning theory. While at first glance Lawson’s monetary ideas might appear disconnected and sometimes even contradictory or mistaken, there is a consistent vision behind them which is Lawson general social ontology. Lawson’s elaboration of the nature of money is not the only one compatible with the social positioning theory and an alternative one is briefly proposed in the paper. While systematising various Lawson’s monetary contributions, attention has been paid to several particular discrepancies and mistakes and their rectification. At the end of the paper, some lessons from analysing Lawson’s monetary contributions are drawn for his general approach to social ontology.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139029181","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}
Pub Date : 2023-12-22DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2023-0009
Václav Špetlík, Jan Čadil
One of the EU's main priorities is to boost the competitiveness of its member states through subsidies from the European Structural Funds. As SMEs are key elements of competitiveness, their support through various subsidy programmes is important. However, as our research shows, the distribution of funds among SMEs is highly unequal. While some SMEs are very successful in obtaining subsidies, others (especially the smallest ones) are not. Using a robust dataset of Czech companies, we have identified subsidy ‘sharks‘ receiving multiple times more funds, compared to mediocre ‘salmons‘ and lowly supported ‘daces‘. While using counterfactual design with control for a subsidy dose and taking labour productivity as a proxy for competitiveness, we have found out that the subsidy dose really matters. It seems that the higher the dose, the lower the impact on competitiveness. Since, on average, subsidies led to higher competitiveness of beneficiaries, the subsidy daces significantly outpaced sharks. From a policy perspective, limiting support per beneficiary could lead to higher effectiveness of support programmes. This study also highlights the importance of the subsidy dose in evaluation practice and research.
{"title":"When Daces Bite Deeper than Sharks – Does the SMEs Public Subsidy Dose Matter?","authors":"Václav Špetlík, Jan Čadil","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0009","url":null,"abstract":"One of the EU's main priorities is to boost the competitiveness of its member states through subsidies from the European Structural Funds. As SMEs are key elements of competitiveness, their support through various subsidy programmes is important. However, as our research shows, the distribution of funds among SMEs is highly unequal. While some SMEs are very successful in obtaining subsidies, others (especially the smallest ones) are not. Using a robust dataset of Czech companies, we have identified subsidy ‘sharks‘ receiving multiple times more funds, compared to mediocre ‘salmons‘ and lowly supported ‘daces‘. While using counterfactual design with control for a subsidy dose and taking labour productivity as a proxy for competitiveness, we have found out that the subsidy dose really matters. It seems that the higher the dose, the lower the impact on competitiveness. Since, on average, subsidies led to higher competitiveness of beneficiaries, the subsidy daces significantly outpaced sharks. From a policy perspective, limiting support per beneficiary could lead to higher effectiveness of support programmes. This study also highlights the importance of the subsidy dose in evaluation practice and research.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139029355","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}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2023-0010
Gabriela Dufková
Abstract As the success rate of international development projects might be still below expectations, several studies have explored whether and how the use of project management (PM) tools might improve internal and external project performance. This article looks specifically at four selected Central and Eastern European countries and evaluates a newly collected data set. Based on a survey, the study examines the adoption of PM tools among project managers in the region. Furthermore, with the use of cluster analysis, it suggests that the tools are adopted progressively in four stages that differ culturally from other international studies. Last but not least, using structural equation modelling, the research indicates that among the surveyed project managers, the use of stage 1 tools might directly contribute to the improvement of internal project results and that these internal results might then have a positive impact also on the external project performance.
{"title":"The Impact of Project Management Tools on Project Results: Evaluation of a Survey Among Managers Leading International Development Projects for four selected Central and Eastern European Donors","authors":"Gabriela Dufková","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0010","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract As the success rate of international development projects might be still below expectations, several studies have explored whether and how the use of project management (PM) tools might improve internal and external project performance. This article looks specifically at four selected Central and Eastern European countries and evaluates a newly collected data set. Based on a survey, the study examines the adoption of PM tools among project managers in the region. Furthermore, with the use of cluster analysis, it suggests that the tools are adopted progressively in four stages that differ culturally from other international studies. Last but not least, using structural equation modelling, the research indicates that among the surveyed project managers, the use of stage 1 tools might directly contribute to the improvement of internal project results and that these internal results might then have a positive impact also on the external project performance.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139013181","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}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2023-0012
Josef Mensík
Abstract Tony Lawson, the leading figure of the Cambridge Social Ontology Group, recently published a series of papers devoted to the question of the nature of money. These contributions have to be understood in the context of his broader approach to social ontology, the so called social positioning theory. While at first glance Lawson’s monetary ideas might appear disconnected and sometimes even contradictory or mistaken, there is a consistent vision behind them which is Lawson general social ontology. Lawson’s elaboration of the nature of money is not the only one compatible with the social positioning theory and an alternative one is briefly proposed in the paper. While systematising various Lawson’s monetary contributions, attention has been paid to several particular discrepancies and mistakes and their rectification. At the end of the paper, some lessons from analysing Lawson’s monetary contributions are drawn for his general approach to social ontology.
{"title":"Tony Lawson on money","authors":"Josef Mensík","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0012","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Tony Lawson, the leading figure of the Cambridge Social Ontology Group, recently published a series of papers devoted to the question of the nature of money. These contributions have to be understood in the context of his broader approach to social ontology, the so called social positioning theory. While at first glance Lawson’s monetary ideas might appear disconnected and sometimes even contradictory or mistaken, there is a consistent vision behind them which is Lawson general social ontology. Lawson’s elaboration of the nature of money is not the only one compatible with the social positioning theory and an alternative one is briefly proposed in the paper. While systematising various Lawson’s monetary contributions, attention has been paid to several particular discrepancies and mistakes and their rectification. At the end of the paper, some lessons from analysing Lawson’s monetary contributions are drawn for his general approach to social ontology.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139017255","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}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2023-0011
Horáček Vojtěch, Slintáková Barbora
Abstract The research aims to analyse the influence of selected factors on the demand for urban public transport in the Czech Republic. Urban public transport is important publicly provided service worldwide. In the Czech Republic this means public ownership of transport companies and massive subsidies from municipal budgets. In line with the literature, we tested the effects of the fares, the quality of services offered, the population´s income, car ownership, the urban population´s size and employment level. Using cointegration and regression analyses of data for 2004 to 2019, we constructed unique demand models for selected cities. Our analysis revealed a positive effect of quality, fuel price (as a cost associated with car ownership), and the urban population´s size. In contrast, unemployment and the price of fares have a negative effect on demand. The income effect depends on whether the transport company operates vehicles that cope better with traffic congestion.
{"title":"Demand for urban public transport in the Czech Republic","authors":"Horáček Vojtěch, Slintáková Barbora","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0011","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The research aims to analyse the influence of selected factors on the demand for urban public transport in the Czech Republic. Urban public transport is important publicly provided service worldwide. In the Czech Republic this means public ownership of transport companies and massive subsidies from municipal budgets. In line with the literature, we tested the effects of the fares, the quality of services offered, the population´s income, car ownership, the urban population´s size and employment level. Using cointegration and regression analyses of data for 2004 to 2019, we constructed unique demand models for selected cities. Our analysis revealed a positive effect of quality, fuel price (as a cost associated with car ownership), and the urban population´s size. In contrast, unemployment and the price of fares have a negative effect on demand. The income effect depends on whether the transport company operates vehicles that cope better with traffic congestion.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138988609","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}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.2478/revecp-2023-0009
Václav Špetlík, Jan Čadil
Abstract One of the EU's main priorities is to boost the competitiveness of its member states through subsidies from the European Structural Funds. As SMEs are key elements of competitiveness, their support through various subsidy programmes is important. However, as our research shows, the distribution of funds among SMEs is highly unequal. While some SMEs are very successful in obtaining subsidies, others (especially the smallest ones) are not. Using a robust dataset of Czech companies, we have identified subsidy ‘sharks‘ receiving multiple times more funds, compared to mediocre ‘salmons‘ and lowly supported ‘daces‘. While using counterfactual design with control for a subsidy dose and taking labour productivity as a proxy for competitiveness, we have found out that the subsidy dose really matters. It seems that the higher the dose, the lower the impact on competitiveness. Since, on average, subsidies led to higher competitiveness of beneficiaries, the subsidy daces significantly outpaced sharks. From a policy perspective, limiting support per beneficiary could lead to higher effectiveness of support programmes. This study also highlights the importance of the subsidy dose in evaluation practice and research.
{"title":"When Daces Bite Deeper than Sharks – Does the SMEs Public Subsidy Dose Matter?","authors":"Václav Špetlík, Jan Čadil","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0009","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract One of the EU's main priorities is to boost the competitiveness of its member states through subsidies from the European Structural Funds. As SMEs are key elements of competitiveness, their support through various subsidy programmes is important. However, as our research shows, the distribution of funds among SMEs is highly unequal. While some SMEs are very successful in obtaining subsidies, others (especially the smallest ones) are not. Using a robust dataset of Czech companies, we have identified subsidy ‘sharks‘ receiving multiple times more funds, compared to mediocre ‘salmons‘ and lowly supported ‘daces‘. While using counterfactual design with control for a subsidy dose and taking labour productivity as a proxy for competitiveness, we have found out that the subsidy dose really matters. It seems that the higher the dose, the lower the impact on competitiveness. Since, on average, subsidies led to higher competitiveness of beneficiaries, the subsidy daces significantly outpaced sharks. From a policy perspective, limiting support per beneficiary could lead to higher effectiveness of support programmes. This study also highlights the importance of the subsidy dose in evaluation practice and research.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139021212","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}