Trends in economic development and education of future economists

It is known that the human factor is one of the most important production factors contributing to economic growth, interest in investing in education has increased. In modern conditions, recognition of the effective role of investment in education in achieving comprehensive economic and social development has intensified. Many Governments have realized the value of investing in education and the need to create knowledge based on the benefits of economic growth. The profession of an economist in modern conditions is a rather promising area of training in higher education. Of particular interest in modern conditions is the need to analyze the existing economic conditions, when the epidemic of coronavirus infection radically changed the established trade and production ties. For this reason, the need to educate and train future specialists in the field of economics, who possess both theoretical and practical knowledge, is quite high, since the future of many countries of the world depends on them and they will be able to develop the necessary anti-crisis plan for states to break the economic impasse.

Improving safety-planning in patients admitted with self-harm

AimsSelf-harm is a common presentation to acute hospitals, associated with increased risk of completed suicide. Safety plans are increasingly recommended to help patients recognise and prevent escalation of self-harm behaviours.This project aimed to improve quality and documentation of safety planning for patients admitted at an acute general hospital due to self-harm, who were assessed by Liaison Psychiatry. We aimed to increase the number of patients given written safety plans on discharge by 50%.MethodThe PDSA cycle model of quality improvement was used. A retrospective audit of clinical records was conducted over 3 months to establish baseline documentation of safety planning (n = 51). A template for a self-harm crisis plan, used in other areas of the Trust, was adopted, to be adapted to each patient. A leaflet for sources of crisis support and patient feedback form were developed and distributed to clinicians in the team. Data collection was repeated one month later (n = 48). The second set of interventions involved a training session for clinicians on developing safety plans in collaboration with patients, and a poster highlighting the process to be undertaken when discharging a patient admitted with self-harm.ResultFollowing initial interventions, 20% of patients had completed safety plans and 50% received advice, an increase of 20% and 40% respectively. The second PDSA cycle showed increase in numbers to 38% and 67% respectively.ConclusionCreating a crisis plan with a hospital-specific leaflet for the Liaison Psychiatry team increased the number of patients discharged with safety plans in place. 86% of patients who participated in safety-planning found the process helpful and felt likely to use the plan in future crises. This is an area of ongoing quality improvement which can be implemented in other hospitals to better equip patients with skills and support to reduce self-harm/suicide attempts.

The Joint Crisis Plan: A Powerful Tool to Promote Mental Health

Purpose: The Joint Crisis Plan (JCP) has received growing interest in clinical and research settings. JCP is a type of psychiatric advance statement that describes how to recognize early signs of crisis and how to manage crises. The purpose of the present study, to our knowledge the first to be conducted on this topic in the French-speaking context and to include inpatients, was to describe the content of JCPs and how they are perceived by patients and the providers.Methods: The study used an exploratory, mixed, sequential method. Existing JCPs were retrospectively collected in several clinical contexts (hospital, community settings, and sheltered accommodation). Based on their analyses, we conducted semi-structured interviews including some rating scales on the perception of the JCPs among patients and providers in these settings. For the qualitative analyses, content analyses were conducted with a hybrid approach using NVivo 12 software. Data were double-coded and discussed with a third researcher until agreement was reached.Results: One hundred eighty-four JCPs were collected retrospectively and 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 patients and 12 providers. No relatives could be included in the research process. The content of the studied JCPs was relevant and indicated that patients had good knowledge of themselves and their illness. Improvements in the quality of the therapeutic relationship, respect for patients' choices and wishes, and a greater sense of control of their illness were reported. The JCP was perceived as a very useful tool by patients and providers. Concerning JCP limitations, lack of staff training, difficulties with the shared decision-making process, and the poor availability of the JCPs when needed were reported.Conclusion: The study highlights that JCPs may be used with patients suffering from a large variety of psychiatric disorders in different care settings. The JCP is perceived as very useful by both patients and providers. The promising results of this study support the promotion of the wide use of JCPs with patients who have experienced crises. It is important to continue to research JCPs through impact studies that include family members.

COVID-19 Pandemic as a Challenge to Franco-German Leadership in the EU

The study is focused on the COVID 19 pandemic as a challenge for Franco-German leadership in the European Union. The authors investigate whether joint actions by Berlin and Paris can strengthen the EU’s resilience to crises. As it is shown, the first isolationist reaction of the EU states to pandemic was followed by their attempts to find a common decision. The negotiations on an anti-crisis plan were complicated by the division of the European Union states into opposing camps. Two projects proposed by them – the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the “coronabonds” – reflected the narrow interests of rich, frugal “Northern” and economically modest “Southern” groups, and failed. In contrast, the Franco-German cooperation became a breakthrough. In March-April 2020, Germany and France opposed each other, supporting ESM and coronabonds, respectfully. In May-June 2020, A. Merkel and E. Macron agreed to a compromise and came up with a unified position. While Germany left “frugal” group by agreeing to allocate money to support the “South” without insisting on mandatory reforms, and endorsed the idea of joint debt obligations, France refused to support the “Southern” coronabond project and agreed to the mediation of the EU Commission. That gave new breath to negotiations where a new regrouping of countries took place: the “South” states failing to defend coronabonds supported the Franco-German plan based on subsidies, while the “frugals” put forward an alternative based on loans. The EU Commission’s project which included both proposals was discussed in July 2020: at that moment, the Franco-German tandem backed by the “South” states had to persuade both the “frugal” and the East- European states. Finally, the EU Commission’s plan promoted by Merkel and Macron was adopted, though with serious adjustments. The authors conclude that the Franco-German alliance has confirmed its capability to strengthen the European Union resilience, but its leadership is no longer unconditional, and in the future, they should take into account the interests of the EU regional groups. Acknowledgments. The article was prepared within the project “Post-Crisis World Order: Challenges and Technologies, Competition and Cooperation” supported by the grant from Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation program for research projects in priority areas of scientific and technological development (Agreement № 075-15-2020-783).

The value of crisis plans

Objective: This case study elaborates on the theme of crisis planning and addresses the question of the value of crisis plans and for whom. Method: This study is based on the data collected during a water pollution incident and consists of interviews, notes, and observations at a Municipal Council, County Administrative Board, and County Council in Sweden.Result: Merton’s concept of manifest and latent function offers a new understanding in the discussion of crisis plans. The result is then related to how known the place, task, and situation are to them. The manifest function implies that preparing crisis plans are supposed to direct officials in how to act when a crisis occurs. However, the plan was not made by or intended for the operative personnel who handled the water pollution crisis. Rather, this study shows that the personnel acted on the basis of their professional knowledge and earlier experiences when handling the crisis, and their knowledge can be related to the context of the crisis, and how known the place, task, and situation are to them.Conclusion: This research adds to the knowledge of the use of crisis plans. It shows that the importance of having a crisis plan is related to how known the situation and the place is to those handling the crisis, and if the task to be done is known to them. Knowing the place and task helps the personnel to improvise in an unknown situation, and the crisis plan is not used. The value of a crisis plan arises when the task is unknown.

Crisis Management for Small Business during the COVID-19 Outbreak:Survival, Resilience and Renewal Strategies of Firms in Macau

We know that small businesses are vulnerable to crisis, however little is still known about how they cope during long crisis as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper provides a qualitative analysis of small businesses in Macau, China, in the months following the outbreak. We collected interview data from six local small firms. We found that the sudden decline in demand has the strongest impact on small firms. As compared with large firms, new startups and small firms show high flexibility in their reactions to the crisis, partly due to the low level of bureaucracy and limited social responsibility compliance. Among the various types of response strategies, all participant firms adopted flexible HR strategies. Other common survival strategies include the increase of product diversification, exploration of new markets, and increase of learning. We also found that some small businesses had a formal crisis plan and strategy before the outbreak, and these firms tend to have longer history, experience in dealing with crisis, and operate in more regulated sectors. Based on these results, we define five types of renewal and survival strategies for small businesses and propose a SME crisis resilience model.

Building resilience for stronger communities

Much of the early research in crisis management and crisis communication centered on the core competencies of crisis response: why do we need to plan for crises; what are the stages of effective crisis planning; what theoretical perspectives are helpful to scholars and practitioners; and what are the steps of an up-to-date crisis plan. Delineation of these core competencies goes on. Among these competencies, the crisis stage meriting the least attention arguably is post-crisis, the critical days and weeks immediately following the formal resolution of the crisis. Research attention has often focused on recovery and learning, positioning the organization for the future. Another critical component of effective crisis response merits further study. In these days of black swan crises that take a huge toll on organizations and their communities, more focus is needed on building individual, organizational, and community resilience to destructive crises. While resilience can be best measured in the post-crisis phase, this assessment should lead to new efforts to educate and prepare individuals, organizations, and communities for the new threats to come. This research proposes strategies for building resilience to strengthen organizational and community response when confronted by major crisis events.