Open Innovation Strategies in SMEs

Open innovation in enterprises has already obtained its acceptance at all levels of the business industry for adding worth to the business. The value could be in the form of economic expanse or enhancement of knowledge leading to a sustained financial base. Open innovation adopts various strategies to accomplish the task for enhancing the value gain. Varying by size, nature, pattern, or characteristics of the firm, various strategies are being adopted by enterprises. Though largely known to be familiar in corporate business houses, in recent years, open innovation is also becoming increasingly recognizable in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and the trend is rapidly escalating. However, despite the potency of open innovation strategies, most of the enterprises are yet to find a sustained business model, especially for the SMEs working at the outmost periphery of that value chain. This chapter is trying to formulate a business model incorporating partnership approach from academia, research houses, intermediaries, practitioners, and other stakeholders.

Municipal Financing and Infrastructure: A Critical Analysis of the Cities in West Bengal

Cities, acting as engines of economic growth and generators of public finance for development, will usher in an urban revolution in the developing world. Such an urban revolution is sure to bring in opportunities to millions through the increasing level of urbanisation. This rising trend of urbanisation coupled with the increasing functional responsibilities of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) has been creating serious problems for the provision and financing of urban infrastructure. The resource crunch at each level of government in general, and the local level in particular, has instigated the need for analysing the causes behind such adverse state of municipal finance. Against this background, this paper attempts to evaluate the state of municipal finance in West Bengal by performing a comparative analysis of relevant indices. Acknowledging the potential of municipal finances in improving the delivery of basic services, the present study uses secondary data to demonstrate that the higher availability of essential urban services is associated with higher levels of revenue generation. This study presents a spatial and town class-based pattern analysis of the finances of ULBs of West Bengal in terms of their financial base, its adequacy, and their revenue and expenditure performance. The main thrust of this study is to examine the patterns of finances in ULBs in West Bengal and to present a comparative picture thereof along with per capita analysis of revenue and expenditure components based on size categories of the ULBs.

Priorities of the state policy of expanding the mechanisms of financing science and innovation in Kazakhstan

В статье исследованы приоритетные направления государственной политики расширения механизмов финансирования науки и инновации в Казахстане. В условиях стабильного снижения финансово-инвестиционной базы развития научно-инновационной сферы Казахстана, о чем свидетельствует неуклонное снижение коэффициента наукоемкости ВВП Казахстана, необходимо реализовать первоочередные меры государственной политики по расширению механизмов привлечения дополнительных финансовых ресурсов в данную сферу. Ключевыми механизмами, предложенными в рамках данного исследования, выступают, меры по развитию инновационного предпринимательства, создание специализированных финансовых посредников и повышение эффективности работы институтов поддержки инноваций. Инициирование и реализация коммерчески привлекательных научно-инновационных проектов позволят реально повысить финансовый потенциал национальной инновационной системы. Чтобы обеспечить более эффективную коммерциализацию и стимулировать инновационное предпринимательство, заинтересованные стороны в странах с формирующейся рыночной экономикой должны поощрять отраслевые и научные связи. Пути и средства достижения цели коммерциализации инновации включают развитие сотрудничества в наукоемкой сфере через открытые инновационные проекты. Предложенные механизмы детально рассмотрены с позиции влияния на расширение финансовой базы национальной инновационной системы Казахстана, а также возможных перспектив развития взаимодействия университетов, бизнеса и академической науки. The article examines the priority directions of the state policy of expanding the mechanisms of financing science and innovation in Kazakhstan. In the context of a stable decline in the financial and investment base for the development of the scientific and innovative sphere of Kazakhstan, as evidenced by the steady decline in the science intensity coefficient of Kazakhstan's GDP, it is necessary to implement priority state policy measures to expand the mechanisms for attracting additional financial resources to this sphere. The key mechanisms proposed in the framework of this study are measures for the development of innovative entrepreneurship, the creation of specialized financial intermediaries and improving the efficiency of innovation support institutions. The initiation and implementation of commercially attractive scientific and innovative projects will really increase the financial potential of the national innovation system. In order to ensure more efficient commercialization and stimulate innovative entrepreneurship, stakeholders in emerging market economies should encourage industry and scientific ties. Ways and means of achieving the goal of commercialization of innovation include the development of cooperation in the knowledge-intensive field through open innovation projects. The proposed mechanisms are considered in detail from the position of influence on the expansion of the financial base of the national innovation system of Kazakhstan, as well as possible prospects for the development of cooperation between universities, business and academic science.

Prospects for decentralization in Ukraine: the experience of Poland

This article is an overview of local government reform processes in Ukraine. We focus on two key issues - the current state of decentralization and the problems of its further implementation. It is necessary to ensure a decentralization process that includes legislation, organization and society at the same time. We paid special attention to the process of creation of amalgamated territorial communities and highlighted its advantages and future risks. We also analysed such issues as local budget revenue in the context of decentralization of financial resources, problems of creating the financial base of local communities. Finally, the regional features of the association of territorial communities and problems with shaping the basic level of local self-government in Ukraine were analysed.

Agribusiness Entities’ Statutory Payments to Local Budgets as a Foundation for the Financial base of Rural Territorial Communities in Ukraine

The goal of the research is to formulate proposals for theoretical and legal as well as practical improvement of the methods for ensuring the revenue side of rural budgets in Ukraine. The research results are considered successful because it has been proven that agribusiness entities are one of the principal contributors to local budgets. Under the conditions of the current economic crisis there is a need to increase the local tax base and establish a more fair interregional distribution of tax.

Development of Corporate Social Responsibility in Business as a Factor of Fiscal Decentralization

The study aimed to substantiate the nature of the influence and sustainability of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the effectiveness of the fiscal decentralization of local government in Ukraine. The estimates of CSR indicators for 490 enterprises were obtained using the questionnaire results. Determined the structure of directions for implementing a socially-oriented approach in Ukrainian business. Functions of dependence of indicators of the effectiveness of financial decentralization of local authorities on CSR development were constructed using linear regression methods and considering the time lag. We have identified a stimulating but not sustainable impact of business CSR on increasing the financial base of local budgets in decentralization. The time lag hurts the growth of the company's tax payments due to the growth of CSR level. The results obtained can be used to form efficiency strategies of local government to initiate CSR development in businesses.

Organization of the Saudi health system

Using existing data, we reviewed the organizational structure of the Saudi Arabian health system: its demography and history, principal health indicators, organization and management, type and distribution of facilities, financial base, and the impact on it of the Haj. We noted duplication of services, inadequate coordination between some health industry sectors, and the need for a more extensive and rational health centre network with improved information systems and data collection. We also noted scope for a greater role for the private health sector and increased cooperation between it and the public sector to improve health service delivery and population health

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-FINANCING THE USE OF HIGH-YIELDING SUNFLOWER SEEDS AMONGST SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN TANZANIA: PERCEPTIONS VS. REALITY OF LIQUIDITY LIMITATIONS

This paper investigates the opportunities for smallholder farmers to self-finance the use of high-yielding sunflower seeds, by considering their marketable noncommercial asset levels and their perceptions versus the reality of liquidity limitations. The study used a cross-sectional survey covering 416 randomly selected smallholder sunflower farmers in the study area of Tanzania. It makes use of the crafted choice experiment approach to assess the degree of liquidity constraints among smallholder farmers in buying high-yielding seeds, and their willingness to receive a low-interest credit or loan to purchase high-yielding seeds given before or after sowing. Results reveal that liquidity limitation is a perceived rather than a real problem, and it is feasible for farmers to self-finance the use of high-yielding seeds using their own marketable noncommercial liquid assets like livestock and chickens. The results further indicate however, that smallholder sunflower farmers are lacking adequate knowledge of the value of their liquid assets and of the opportunity cost or benefit of taking a credit/loan to finance the use of high-yielding seeds. The implications of these findings is that educating and sensitizing farmers about their potential resources, financial base, and the real cost of credit may influence their choice for self-financing and borrowing options as a way to improve their productivity.

The French Revolution

This chapter evaluates the causes of the French Revolution. The problem was not that Louis XVI was particularly wasteful, although he had a lavish lifestyle at Versailles. The issue was instead one of crushing military necessity. Before the revolution, France was dealing with invasion threats from Spain and England and was spending over twice as much as had been spent on the Seven Years' War. However, France was fiscally crippled by the fact that a substantial proportion of its financial base was exempt from paying taxes. The disputes within the elite about who was going to come up with the money to pay for extra military expenses led to revolution. The revolutionaries found divided conservative forces, as well as members of the elite willing to oppose the king if this would help them win their battles about future tax obligations. The result was the overthrow of the king and the entire noble class. But taxes were not the whole story: there was also a rising capitalist middle class resentful of the superior status of the aristocracy.

Erratic electric power challenges in Africa and the way forward via the adoption of human biogas resources

This paper examines a broad spectrum of challenges plaguing electric power supply in Africa. The challenges have lingered very long that policymakers, energy companies, and government agencies have shown docility in tackling the problem headlong. The increasing human population and technological innovations are evidence that the more the problem lingers, the more it becomes insurmountable. In this paper, it was proposed the lingering challenges can be solved using the standalone system of power generation. The renewable energy option and its adaptability were highlighted to guide standalone users on the way forward. The growing population in Africa can be advantageous in generating biogas from human feaces. It was discovered that renewable energy devices are quite expensive; hence, the biogas option for cooking and powering gas generators seem to be sustainable as its technology can be modified to suit the users' financial base. Therefore, it is projected that if the human excretal biogas can be adopted, Africa will soon overcome its energy crisis through the doggedness of its standalone users.