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Article
Publication date: 1 August 1999

Moore McDowell and Rodney Thom

This paper looks at some aspects of trade and investment relations between the EU and the countries of central and eastern Europe (CEEC). The approach used is based on a model of…

1156

Abstract

This paper looks at some aspects of trade and investment relations between the EU and the countries of central and eastern Europe (CEEC). The approach used is based on a model of trade with, and development of, a frontier by a metropolitan economy developed by Ronald Findlay. Findlay’s model posits the existence of a monopolised supply of an input to the metropolitan economy. Development of the frontier enables the metropolitan economy to break the monopoly. The expansion of outward processing trade between the EU and the CEEC, a form of intra‐industry trade, is a notable feature of economic relations in Europe since the fall of the Soviet empire. This is modelled in the paper as a device whereby a supply side constraint (labour market restrictions) within the EU is relaxed by vertical disintegration of production and relocation outside the EU. This in turn has implications for the incorporation of the CEEC in the EU. While they remain outside the EU they provide regime competition, particularly in the area of labour market policy. The income distribution implications of this competition provides a political basis for moves to extend membership of the EU on the basis of the CEEC’s adopting the acquis communautaire.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 26 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2007

Man‐chong Wong and Kin‐fan Au

The purpose of this study is to examine the delocalization trend of the EU's clothing production to Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) and North Africa, focusing on…

1659

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the delocalization trend of the EU's clothing production to Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) and North Africa, focusing on the geographical shift of outsourced clothing production pattern within the two developing regions.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 14 CEECs and North African countries were selected and classified into 1st‐tier and 2nd‐tier regions according to their GDP/capita values. Clothing trade statistics were obtained from the Eurostat database, and the clothing trade pattern was examined during 1995 to 2004. Trade Specialization Coefficient (TSC) was employed to measure the international competitiveness of clothing exports of the selected CEECs and North African countries.

Findings

Results concluded that the EU's clothing production had significantly delocalized to the proximate CEECs and North African regions, with further geographical shift to less‐developing 2nd‐tier clothing supplying countries in recent years. The TSC analysis reflected that the competitiveness of clothing industry in 2nd‐tiers had outperformed the 1st‐tier economies, indicating Western European firms had shifted their sourcing practices to those lower‐waged countries.

Originality/value

This study gives insight into the EU clothing production industry and their delocalized pattern to the CEECs and North Africa.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2013

Alessandro Antimiani and Valeria Costantini

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of the enlargement process of the European Union as a factor fostering international competitiveness of EU Member States. The…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of the enlargement process of the European Union as a factor fostering international competitiveness of EU Member States. The paper argues that the economic integration process has reduced the technological gap between old and new EU Member States, and this pattern of technological innovation can partially explain the strong impulse on the export dynamics of European countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds an augmented gravity model by including the role of technological innovation, proxied by the stock of knowledge at the sector level. The authors gather together information on patents applied to international offices and bilateral export flows available from COMTRADE dataset.

Findings

By using a dynamic panel data estimator the authors find three main empirical evidences. First, the enlargement process has produced an overall larger positive impact on export flows for new Members than for old ones, and more importantly that sectors with the higher technological content have received the strongest impulse. Second, the augmented gravity model allows shaping the crucial role of technological innovation in fostering export competitiveness. Third, this impact seems to be stronger for old EU Member States than for new ones.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation concerns time span adopted in this work. By expanding the dataset to further years it could be possible to better disentangle the effects also related to the new wave of the EU enlargement.

Social implications

The policy implication derived is that the more the new EU Members catch up technologically as a result of the integration process, the more they will benefit in terms of economic development.

Originality/value

The major originality of this paper is the construction of an augmented gravity model by including the role of technological innovation, applied to distinguished manufacturing sectors in a dynamic panel setting.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 1993

Laura Verhoeven

Future enlargement of the EC to include Central and EasternEuropean countries (CEECs) will have implications for the EC foodindustry. In the short to medium term, the food…

Abstract

Future enlargement of the EC to include Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) will have implications for the EC food industry. In the short to medium term, the food industry in the CEECs is not expected to be able to compete with the EC food industry (except in some specific sectors where CEECs traditionally have been strong ‐ such as soft fruit in Poland, wine in Bulgaria and, possibly, processed meat in Hungary). In the longer term CEECs may be able to take advantage of relatively low labour and production costs and proximity to EC markets; although this will be of limited value until the EC opens its markets for agricultural and food products to a greater degree than is provided for under the present Association Agreements.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 95 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 October 2013

Feride Gonel, Tolga Aksoy and Baris Nevzat Vardar

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between liberalization and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). After…

165

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between liberalization and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). After their memberships, most of the CEECs have already committed to reducing their GHGs emissions. Although emissions have decreased on average, there is a substantial heterogeneity among the countries. Within the liberalization and integration efforts, increasingly huge amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) has flown to the region. Therefore, the question is whether or not this increase in foreign investment to CEECs is related to the polluting industries. The coincidence of increased FDI and GHGs emission has led us to study the relationship between them.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper exploited cross-sectional and time series variation of the data.

Findings

The paper found that the polluting FDI is positively associated with GHGs emissions in CEECs.

Originality/value

Few previous studies have taken into account FDI and environmental performance together, so the analysis represents a notable contribution to the pollution haven literature.

Details

World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5945

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2001

Eric Cornuel and Pierre Kletz

Perlmutter’s typology distinguishing between ethnocentric, polycentric, and geocentric management is considered classic. It recommends that multinational firms practise a form of…

2429

Abstract

Perlmutter’s typology distinguishing between ethnocentric, polycentric, and geocentric management is considered classic. It recommends that multinational firms practise a form of globally conceived administration, regardless of the country of origin of its managers. However, an analysis of the phase of economic transition that Central and Eastern European countries have known since the end of the 1980s, demonstrates that the work market is a dual structure (dividing expatriate and local managers). This is largely due to the difficulty companies have in evaluating the capacity of their managers to work alongside the company objectives. Thus, even the structuring of the work market weakens the relevance of an approach of voluntary human resources. It also softens differences between ethnocentric, polycentric, and geocentric management.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2005

Geoff Hayward

The paper aims to provide an insight into the psychic of working people in the immediate aftermath of the 1989 changes, especially with regards to their perception of the new free…

578

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to provide an insight into the psychic of working people in the immediate aftermath of the 1989 changes, especially with regards to their perception of the new free trade unions, how this perception changed and the role that education and training has played in helping them develop free and effective trade unions capable of operating in Market Societies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper has used extensively the archives of the GPMU and UEG to piece together 15 years experience of a international trade union federation's efforts to assist its new affiliates in Central and Eastern Europe adapt to operating in a market economy.

Findings

The paper suggests that attitudes, perceptions and aspirations have changed, both amongst the newly democratised trade unions of the CEEC countries, and the trade unions in the West. Trade union education and training over the past 15 years has created confident and capable trade union organisations who now stand on equal terms with their Western European counterparts.

Originality/value

The authors access to the primary materials in the archives of the British Print Union and the European Federation for graphical workers provides a unique insight which demonstrates that the help and assistance given after 1989 was systematic, well planned, adequately funded and has provided tangible outcomes.

Details

Employee Relations, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2007

Matthias Fink and Sascha Kraus

The purpose of this paper is to offer an understanding as to whether trust‐based coordination is feasible in the context of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME…

2994

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an understanding as to whether trust‐based coordination is feasible in the context of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME) internationalization processes, and if so, what impact these cooperative arrangements can have on corporate success.

Design/methodology/approach

To answer the research hypotheses, multiple regression analyses based on a postal questionnaire survey (n = 58 SMEs from Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia) were computed.

Findings

It is found that self‐commitment facilitates the establishment and maintenance of heterarchic cross‐border cooperation relationships of SMEs that cannot evolve based on market or hierarchical coordination. It is also found that the establishment of trust‐based cooperation relationships with foreign partners positively affects the success of the participating companies.

Research limitations/implications

Only Slovenian and Czech enterprises and their internationalization have been investigated and compared to Austrian enterprises. Only SMEs have been investigated, no large companies. It is not clear that the presented empirical findings also hold true for larger enterprises.

Practical implications

Active measures such as building more knowledge (getting to know) and openly approaching other enterprises should be encouraged in internationalization processes. Thus, protectionist labor market politics on the macro level are highly counterproductive. At the micro level, parties involved should acquire specific knowledge (e.g. languages or social codes) as well as that they replace prejudices and skepticism by profound knowledge on and openness towards the other, e.g. through exchange programs for employees.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to analyze the role of trust‐based cooperation relationships on the internationalization processes of SMEs in the context of Austrian and Central and Eastern Country (CEEC) enterprises. The results of this research can become important for SMEs which want to pursue an internationalization strategy in the context of the CEEC.

Details

Management Research News, vol. 30 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0140-9174

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 11 August 2017

Helen Caraveli

The last enlargements of the European Union (EU) shifted the geographical focus of the periphery from the south to the east, upgrading the position of many southern European…

Abstract

The last enlargements of the European Union (EU) shifted the geographical focus of the periphery from the south to the east, upgrading the position of many southern European countries and regions, which were already in a process of convergence with the EU average. The current financial/economic crisis, however, which has particularly hit southern European countries, revitalized the traditional core-periphery division, known as the North-South divide. In parallel, the relocation of economic activity (industrial production and services) within the EU territory, from western-core countries to the eastern periphery, raised the competitiveness and economic significance of many areas in the new, vis-a-vis the old, periphery, leading to the emergence of a number of new centres in its metropolitan regions. A number of questions are raised in the context of the above development, such as: Which factors underlie the differences in growth paths and ‘resilience’ between the eastern vis-à-vis the southern periphery? How important has the industrial relocation from the West to the East been? And what has been the general impact of the EU’s Cohesion Policy? What would the implications of a possible further expansion towards the EU’s ‘Eastern Neighbours’ be on its core-periphery pattern? This chapter approaches critically some of the above issues, adopting a qualitative methodology with the use of graphical presentations. In its conclusions, the chapter examines the appropriateness of the new economic geography’s theoretical interpretation.

Book part
Publication date: 16 February 2006

Peter Zajc

The processes of liberalisation, globalisation and integration have brought new dynamics into banking markets. In an increasingly competitive environment, banks have been forced…

Abstract

The processes of liberalisation, globalisation and integration have brought new dynamics into banking markets. In an increasingly competitive environment, banks have been forced to refocus their strategies and examine their performance, because their survival in the 21st century will depend on efficiency (Denizer & Tarimcilar, 2001). In recent years, therefore, bank efficiency has received wide attention, and researchers have developed an extensive array of sophisticated methods and tools to estimate efficiency.

Details

Emerging European Financial Markets: Independence and Integration Post-Enlargement
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-264-1

1 – 10 of 221