USING BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE COLLABORATION BASED ON PREDETERMINED WORKERS’ AND BUSINESS VALUES

We are living in a time where technology is evolving tremendously transforming the traditional way of working. Due to technological development, factors such as general globalization, challenges caused by the current pandemic outbreak, have forced usto perform multifaceted tasks in collaboration with other individuals. As it was reported in the Harvard Business Review (2016) based on research over the last two decades, managers and employees spend half as much time in collaboration. The same study concluded that suggestively the majority of the employee’s workday is spent in communication with work peers. Besides work teams are becoming bigger, diverse, scattered in different locations, and more specialized than beforehand. Even though such teams with the prior mentioned characteristics can face daily challenges, they still can successfully overcome them and endeavor with collaboration. The aim of this paper is to evaluate which are the values that determine successful workplace collaboration. The paper will also investigate how group effort can increase employee satisfaction levels and their overall motivation. Furthermore, conclusions will be drawn on how the improvement of workplace collaboration can generate more value for businesses. The consequential outcome of this paper is knowledge gathered on difficulties employees face daily and how teameffort can stimulate innovations attheworkplace. Furthermore, by applying this knowledge in organizational management, leaders can keep up good teamwork practices as employees undertake progressively more employment of inter‐reliant nature.

READINESS FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION – THE OUTLOOK OF TOP BALTIC COMPANIES

The aim of this study was to explore and assess the point of view on digital transformations of companies who are currently in the transformation program and running digital transformation projects. The study collects data from diverse top companies across Baltics region across various industries. Within the study the descriptive researchmethod isin use. The statistical population of this study is an extended list of companies from the Coface study for Baltic top 50 ranking for 2019. The sampling for the study was based on purpose selective approach which includes 11 companies from the statistical population. The data collection was carried out by an online questionnaire and afterwards through interviews with the respondents to validate the data provided. The results of the research is the outlook created which includes a number of aspectsto be considered for future research: (1) Currently, the competence level of transformation processes in flagship companies and respectively in rest of the companies in the market needs to be improved; (2) Business demand for knowledgeable digitaltransformation experts with comprehensive modern business processes management knowledge is relatively higher rather one with pure technical expertise in cutting cutting edge technologies; (3) To boost digital transformation toward the operational concept of Intelligent Enterprise, support and guidance from the global digital transformation advisory partners is highly recommended.

FACTORS FORMING THE EXPERIENCE OF FOREIGN STUDENTS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE EXPORT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

There is intense competition in the modern education market, which forces higher educational institutions to choose a market‐ oriented strategy. As local student numbers shrink, universities are actively recruiting foreign students. Therefore, it isimportant to determine the factors shaping the experiences of international students while obtaining higher education abroad, and the impact of these factors on the development of higher education exports. The aim of thisstudy isto assessthe factorsforming the experience of international students in the export of education. Surveys, frequency analysis, calculations of central tendency measures, and correlational analysis were used as the research methods. This study concludes that among the factors surveyed, students considered the following asthe most important ones: opportunity to travel to different countries during the studies, price level in the country, safety level in the country, good opportunities for leisure and entertainment, and the friendliness of locals. The most important factors for higher educational institutions included quality of education, interesting student life, good relationships with local students and with other foreign students, good relationships with academic staff, and interactive lectures. These results are important for higher educational institutions because they help to determine how to shape positive experiences for the development of higher education export.

AUGMENTATION OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS THROUGH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN NIGERIA

The academic performance of students in mathematics among public secondary schools in Nigeria has consistently been low over a period. There are many factors that may have contributed to this, however, the influence of classroom management practices on the academic performance have not been given much attention. Studies have shown that very little learning occurs in disorganized classrooms. This study therefore aims to explore how students’ academic performance in mathematics could be augmented through classroom management practices. Three research questions were raised, the main question is, how does classroom management practices enhance academic performance among students of public secondary schools in Nigeria? A descriptive research design was adopted using a total sample size N=250. The research instrument was a paper‐based questionnaire on a five‐point Likert scale administered face to face to randomly selected mathematics teachers from among 5 states in Nigeria, Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data and possible conclusions were drawn. The result among others shows that disciplined and well‐motivated classrooms have a significant impact on students’ academic performance in mathematics.

EMERGING TRENDS IN THE SPORTING GOODS INDUSTRY IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE

Sporting goods industry is a multibillion industry including apparel, gear and equipment. Beyond that, it is currently under flux of change. Disruptive actions cause emergence of new trends on which stakeholder must stay keen. This study analyses consumers’ economic, and technological trends within the sporting goods industry among different markets and stakeholders. Stakeholders such as businesses, organizations and consumers are shifting towards advanced sporttechniques, hence the sporting goods industry faces tremendous challenges and changes. The empirical part of the research was conducted with quantitative research methodology utilizing descriptive and analytical approaches. Data was collected from credible secondary data sources such as international institutions, governments, and databases. Data analysis was elaborated with help of descriptive methods and statistical tests.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION FRAMEWORK – WILL THE PANDEMIC BRING NEW CHANGES?

The General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter – the Regulation), which entered into force on 25 May 2018 and introduced a new legal framework for the protection of personal data in the European Union, also included a number of new rights, more precise definitions and improvements in the field of personal data protection. The three‐year period has shown that the Regulation has successfully replaced Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement ofsuch data, but the Covid‐19 pandemic posed the question: does the Regulation sufficiently define and explain how controllers should deal with the processing of sensitive data, or in situations where employees of companies and institutions work remotely? Data protection is a complex concept that can be analyzed from both a legal and a social point of view. Traditionally, data protection has been referred to as the protection of personal privacy in the context of processes involving the use of personal data. Prior to the implementation of the Regulation, the existing rules on the protection of personal data in the European Union were not sufficiently uniform and were implemented differently in each Member State. It contributed to the development and implementation of the Regulation, in the hope that it would modernize and promote a common data protection regime, while maintaining all the basic principles of data protection that have been followed so far. Prior to the pandemic, the Regulation successfully achieved its original objectives, but hasthe pandemic necessitated a revision of the Regulation? This article will analyze the development of the legal framework for the protection of personal data and analyze the compliance of the Regulation with the requirements arising from the effects of the pandemic.

PROBLEMATIC ASPECTS OF LITHUANIAN LEGAL REGULATION OF IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURE TO A MEMBER OF LOCAL MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Although members and mayors of municipal councils are not included in the list of persons who may be subject of Impeachment proceedings under the Constitution, a peculiar variant of the institute of Impeachment is the procedure of premature loss of authority of a mayor or a member of the local municipal council, which is established in Article 25 (1) of the Law on Local Self‐ Government of the Republic of Lithuania. In a democratic system it is vitally important that every local politician who takes an oath takes full responsibility, regardless of whether he works in the majority or minority of the municipal council and/or to which political force he belongs. The problematic aspect is that it is very complicated to initiate the impeachment proceedings on a politician who belongs to the majority and has broken the oath, and there are almost no practical possibilities to complete it as such possibilities remain only theoretical and very poorly feasible. The main tasks of the research is to determine practical and theoretical possibilities to initiate Impeachment proceedings against politiciansin the majority;to revealthe essential problematic aspects of legal regulation of Impeachment procedure to a member (or a mayor) of municipal council and to draw some solutions related to these questions analysed for Lithuanian legislator in order to improve national legal regulation. The research was carried out by employing logical, comparative, system analysis, monitoring, linguistic, empirical, synthesis and generalization methods.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS LEGAL ENTITY IN THE CIVIL LIABILITY CONTEXT

Entity issues of artificial intelligence is no longer a purely theoretical question, as technological progress and its practical application is an increasingly common phenomenon, while the artificial intelligence system's ability to learn and to make decisions autonomously determines its subjective nature and increasingly limited ability to consider it as just a complex tool. So, the purpose of the research is to analyse the legal basis and issues related with acceptance of the artificial intelligence as a separate legal entity and peculiarities of civil liability for damages caused by artificial intelligence. The analysis was based on three issues: a concept of artificial intelligence, its possibility to be recognized as a separate legal entity and peculiarities of civil liability for damages caused by it. The research was carried out by employing the logical, the teleological, the systematic analysis, the linguistic, the synthesising methods and the analysis of legal documents. The analysis shows that there is no single concept of artificial intelligence, but the identified specific elements of its definition would simplify its legal regulation as well as only a fully autonomous artificial intelligence has a potential to be recognized as a separate legal entity, so in this case there is an objective need to review the framework for civil liability for damages caused by artificial intelligence in order to establish at least joint and several civil liability of it with the natural person responsible for it.

THE INFLUENCE OF RETAIL SERVICES AND SELLING BEHAVIORS ON CUSTOMER’S SATISFACTION, TRUST AND LOYALTY INTENTIONS IN RETAIL INDUSTRY OF PAKISTAN

This study examines the impact of retail services quality and selling behavior on customers’ satisfaction, trust, and store loyalty in case of high involvement products such as consumer electronics/home appliances in the context of Pakistan. The data was collected from 377 customers who completed the survey online. Respondents were particularly asked if they had any experience of buying such items recently and keeping in mind the purchase experience, rate the scale items accordingly. Factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were used for model testing. The study results show that store service quality and selling orientation strategy both have a significant impact on customer satisfaction, trust and store loyalty intentions. The study also involves the mediation analysis, satisfaction‐trust serving as mediator factor between two IVs (service quality and selling behaviors) and DV (store loyalty intentions). Results show that services quality and selling behaviour both have significant influence on store loyalty intentions. Further, satisfaction‐trust mediates the relationship between variables. The indirect path is significant which proves that satisfaction‐trust mediate the relationship between store attributes and consumer buying behaviour. The study has significant implications for multiple retail channels that can incorporate retail service quality and selling behaviour strategy (relational selling & consultative selling) to differentiate the retail brand services. Retailers of high involvement products category heavily relying on the selling skills and behaviour of salesperson/employee, can benefit from the study to implement retail brand positioning strategy.

VISUAL MODELS AS A MEANS OF TEACHING IN PRIMARY MATH’S EDUCATION: PROBLEMS OF TEACHER TRAINING

The modern teaching of mathematics relies heavily on the modeling method. At the same time, visual models are the most preferred means of teaching mathematics in primary school. Numerous scientific studies suggest methods for improving the practice of teaching mathematics using visual models. However, much less attention has been paid to the problem of preparing a primary school teacher for the use of visual models in mathematics lessons. The purpose of the study is to identify and describe the features of teachers' use of visual models in mathematics lessons, to identify the problems of preparing students for the use of visual teaching models and to propose one of the approaches to its improvement. To achieve the result, various methods were used: theoretical analysis of modern sources on the use of visual models in teaching mathematics; an observation method for identifying the features of the use of visual models by teachers in mathematics lessons, a case method for determining the attitude of future primary school teachers to the use of visual models. As a result of the research, the problems of preparing students for the use of visual models in primary teaching of mathematics are highlighted. One of the main problems of this training is the discrepancy between the verbal‐logical thinking of an adult and the visual‐ figurative thinking of a child. Therefore, when developing the ability to teach using visual models, it is important to start not with mastering the technical aspects of building models, but with understanding and accepting the value of educational modeling by students.