Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues

By specifying the components of the investment environment as a national safety factor that is a result of the impact of two elements – investment potential and investment risks; we generated the list of components of the investment environment of national economies, which give complex characteristics of its social, economical, and institutional factors; and held a complex analysis of investment environment of 93 countries under the condition of global development that made it possible to identify the groups of the most attractive, attractive, mid-attractive, relatively attractive and unattractive countries upon the investment environment factors. The study made it possible to build an authorial ranking of the world countries’ investment environment, determined through the use of the human development integral index calculation methodology, adapted to investment activity. The hierarchy of the world countries was built upon the investment environment, in which Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden are the leaders, while Mozambique, Mali, and Cameroon took the positions of the outsiders. The held study made it possible not only to carry out an analysis of asymmetric development of the world investment environment but also form the components of establishing an investment environment of the country, divide the countries into clusters upon the level of its development, mark factor loading, and offer the authorial ranking of the investment environment attractiveness. It was identified that developed countries also use state investment orders. The key role of the state in investment processes based on the example of the Japanese model requires a new, unprejudiced bureaucracy with an excellent reputation and uncompromising attitude to any manifestation of corruption.

During consideration of the organizational ecosystem’s effectiveness, a company shall consider the interests of a wide range of stakeholders. This includes the integration of the variety of organizational events in which any stakeholder is involved. Using this approach, the effectiveness of the organization can be measured in terms of satisfaction expressed by each of the stakeholders, where the role of the society as a stakeholder is recognized with increased attention to the customer relations. The current Consumer Relationship Marketing is an important marketing concept to retain and develop the customer loyalty. The customer-focused approach is one of the important tools for managing these relationships aimed at obtaining sustainable long-term profits. More recently in scientific and practical activities, we face examples and concepts such as customer-focused marketing; customer-focused information system; customer-focused strategy; structure; business; management system, etc. Therefore, it is always an important factor in research. Over many years of customer-focused research, the language and understanding between business researchers have been established; and knowledge has been structured. But despite the empirical evidence of structure, we reluctantly hear and acknowledge the metaphor of customer-focus. The aim of this study is to propose alternative aspects of customer-focus from existing research. Therefore, our research suggests to study the influential factors that enterprises experience in the context of a customer-focused strategy using the methodology of a systematic background paper review. In order to develop this document, the following databases were used – ResearchGate, Emerald, Publons, Sciencedirec. The topics defined to consider the customer-focus were selected as antecedents of satisfaction; customer loyalty; factors of total quality management and their dependence on specific marketing aspects. Thus, the research question was formulated as follows - What factors have influenced the adoption of a customer- focused strategy?

The methodological foundations of the formation of analytical support for public administration of cybersecurity have been improved. Based on a combination of hierarchical and non-hierarchical clustering methods using the IBM SPSS Statistics package, the country’s regions have been grouped into four clusters, which is the basis for adjusting the priorities of the state cybersecurity policy, a well-grounded approach when choosing means and instruments of influence at the regional level. In modern doctrine and practice of international law, the issues of qualification of cyber warfare remain controversial. There are approaches to justify the application of international humanitarian and criminal law. The most justified, in our opinion, is the qualification of cyber warfare as a violation of the UNO Charter and the use of force, and in some cases – the crime of aggression. The substantive rules of the institution of international cooperation in the fight against cybercrime determine the special principles of this kind of cooperation, the criminalization of certain types of illegal acts, as well as institutional mechanisms and capacity building. The system of international combating cybercrime is based on the principles of technical neutrality, multi-stakeholderism (public-private partnerships), as well as the equivalence of human rights online and offline. In the future, cybercrime will be associated with the use of innovative technologies. As it has been established by the example of the Internet of things, the latest technology, as a general rule, is included in the scope of existing international agreements on cybercrime, but there is no special regulation for them. We propose formal consolidation of the provision on “emergent technologies” in the texts of international legal acts in the field of combating cybercrime. First of all, this concerns the future UNO Convention on the fight against cybercrime, which should also provide for an additional body, such as the T-CY Committee under the Council of Europe Convention, which will provide clarification on the application of the agreement in specific changed circumstances.

This study aims to examine the effect of corporate attributes and corporate governance mechanisms on accounting conservatism in politically connected firms. This study uses 806 company-year observations consisting of large companies registered for 13 years from 2005-2017. Moderation regression analysis panel data is used for the analysis. Using two conservatism measurements, namely accrual and book-market, the results of the study show that the two models are inconsistent in producing tests for the influence of company attributes but are consistent in producing tests of corporate governance mechanisms. Firm size, profitability, audit committee, independent board, and audit litigation are the determinants of accounting conservatism in large companies. Independent Commissioners and audit committees as an internal mechanism of corporate governance negatively affects the application of accounting conservatism. The results of this study are also consistent with testing the interaction of political connections that strengthen the audit committee’s negative influence on the level of corporate conservatism. These results provide empirical evidence that the existence of an independent commissioner or audit committee weakens the influence of corporate governance mechanisms on the application of accounting conservatism in politically connected companies. Looking at the educational background and work experience and free from political elements, so that the existence of the board of commissioners and the audit committee are no longer considered a rubber stamp for the policies that have been made by management. This study is the first to investigate the moderation of political connections on corporate attributes and GCG mechanisms towards comprehensive accounting conservatism.

Microcredit emerged in the 1970s, in Bangladesh, as a tool for sustainable development. However, in Portugal, it only took its first steps in the late 1980’s and emerged as a response to unemployment. This paper provides an overview of micro credit system in Portugal and aims to identify the profile of the successful microentrepreneur and point out the reasons that most contribute to the sustainability of microcredit business initiatives. Although the paper is mainly exploratory, we combined different methodologic approaches. First, we conducted interviews with key informants, then, we applied a questionnaire to microentrepreneurs. The survey contained three sections, namely, socio-demographic characteristics; characteristics of project; attitude as an entrepreneur. A sample group consisting of 96 participants of microfinance programme participated in the research. The findings indicate that the profile of the successful microentrepreneur is an individual with a superior degree, already have been employed, with positive or very positive level for the innovation of the product/service, for the adjustment of the business to the environment, for prior planning and for the accompaniment by public/non-profit institution. In a less degree, a positive level for training/professional experience in the project area and a positive level for self-esteem/self-confidence have also some influence. The results point out that the attitude as a microentrepreneur is less important than the characteristics of the project to the outcome of the microenterprise.

The article defines the role of customs regulation for ensuring the economic security of the country. The importance of a balanced customs policy in relation to international trade relations and equal development of world countries is characterized. The role of customs regulation in ensuring economic security of developed and developing countries is outlined. The analysis of differences between WTO member countries in the levels of tariff protection is conducted. The cognitive map of influence of external and internal environment on efficiency of customs regulation of a separate country is created, and the factors of influence on efficiency and quality of customs regulation in the country are defined. The algorithm of the actions of customs authorities to define the effectiveness of activities in the direction of the transformation of property rights in ensuring the economic security of the country is developed. The box model for considering customs interests in carrying out an assessment of efficiency of activity of customs authorities when ensuring economic security of the country is created. It is proven that the priorities of the transformation of the process of assessing the effectiveness of customs authorities should be to increase the transparency of the system, the public nature of the formation of information on the results of assessing the effectiveness and the development of a mechanism for ensuring economic security.

Information technology is already widely used in inheritance legal relations. The most typical examples of their application are the preparation of a will with the use of technical means, the fixing of a will certificate with the help of technical means, a notary’s appeal to electronic registers in the process of searching for a property, and maintaining the inheritance register. However, it can be stated that the existing technologies are not sufficiently involved in the relations on the compilation, certification, and implementation of the will, which is explained by the tough mandatory regime established for the form of the will. The implementation of the electronic will institution and the expansion of the secret will regime are promising areas of scientific and legislative work in this area. Given the civil law nature of both the rights to individual IT objects and the obligations, which arise from such objects, the issues of inheritance of such objects should remain within the general permissive legal regime. The user should be able to independently decide the fate of their own assets in a virtual environment. Increasing the economic and social value of such assets makes it impossible to find them outside the legal field and therefore should establish a legal regime for their inheritance. It is these factors that affect the national security of countries.

Today the world energy market is in great transition and the demand of clean energy such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Increase of natural gas production and supply causes drawback of onshore infrastructure and many environmental restrictions. As solution, offshore large-scale terminals especially Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) type is becoming commercially competitive and effective alternative for the areas where onshore gas supply infrastructure is not feasible. LNG production consumes around 850 kJ/kg of LNG energy and it is just dumped into seawater or in the atmosphere despite reusing as extra energy source. In this paper, we review the cold energy economy as well as current status of LNG cold energy utilization technologies. Moreover, current and emerging cybersecurity trends after LNG cold energy implementation at FSRU are proposed and discussed to broaden the perspectives of the researchers in the community and industry experts. Finally, the review concluded with a practical recommendation of implementation of LNG Cold Energy Hub concept for future energy systems.

It has been proven that foreign direct investment is an effective means of influencing the economic security of each country. Sectoral priorities of foreign investment can be divided into three groups: services sector, food industry and oil and gas sector. Capital investment in the services sector was determined by factors in the development of information and telecommunication technologies, internationalization of services and the implementation of liberalization policies by countries receiving direct foreign investments. The interest in attracting foreign investments in the above sector was shown by developed and developing countries. The oil and gas sector of Africa and North America has been an attractive investment object for international companies in West Asia. The increase in the number of M&A agreement in the food industry has been observed in developed and developing countries and was conditioned by the interest of international companies in reducing production costs and expanding the source of revenue at the expense of growing market demand. The necessity to introduce a mechanism for management of corporate rights in the system of national security has been substantiated. The corporate rights and responsibilities of participants in corporate legal entities established in EU member states are the subject of harmonization of EU legislation in the area of company law only to the extent necessary to ensure an equivalent degree of protection of their interests within the Community, to create a favorable environment for the conclusion of cross-border agreements and the effective functioning of the domestic market.

As a result of the conducted study, there has been solved an important scientific problem of development of theoretical and methodological foundations of building international competitiveness in the conditions of globalization of innovation activity and creation of organizational and economic tools for support of national innovation system safety in global scientific and technological space. It has been established that innovation activity in Poland is characterized by structural deformation, institutional incompleteness, inconsistency and imbalance of technological, economic, social and value aspects, as a result of which innovation processes in the country have not gained sufficient scale and are not a significant factor of GDP growth. Problems of development of national innovation systems in Poland are caused, first of all, by an unsatisfactory state of financing of the scientific sphere, as a result of which the country has lost the system capable to effectively concentrate resources on priority strategic directions of innovation development. Based on a comparative economic and mathematical analysis of the impact of variables that determine the degree of inclusion of the country in global value chains, as well as diagnostics of the competitive environment of some countries, it has been stated that, except for IT, today Poland has no competitive advantages and preconditions for inclusion in global value chains. Considering the importance of the human development index, the Chinese model of innovation development is most acceptable for the country. Considering that in addition to the financial component, one of the main reasons for slowing down innovation activity in Poland is the lack of effective links between government, business and science, there has been justified the need to develop a government innovation policy based on a combination of direct and indirect methods of innovation support. There has been stressed the importance of building a common information and scientific space with Europe, which is possible in the conditions of creation of an open national innovation system.