Fenntartható élelmiszer-fogyasztás? – Lehetőségek az ökológiai lábnyom csökkentésére a magyar lakosság körében (Sustainable food consumption? – Opportunities to reduce the ecological footprint of the Hungarian population)

Magyarországi fogyasztókról még nem készült olyan reprezentatív felmérés, amely az élelmiszer-fogyasztás környezetterhelését az ökológiai lábnyommal mérve számszerűsítette. A szerző kutatásában az élelmiszer- fogyasztásból származó ökológiai lábnyomot számszerűsítette és elemezte a magyar felnőtt lakosság körében. A cikkben először bemutatja a fenntartható élelmiszer-fogyasztás szakirodalomban található definícióit, majd a fenntartható és egészséges élelmiszer-fogyasztás mátrixát elemzi. Az elméleti áttekintést követően az empirikus kutatás eredményeinek ismertetése következik. ____ In her research the author quantified and analysed the ecological footprint from food consumption in the Hungarian adult population. In the article she presents the definitions of sustainable food consumption in the literature, and then analyses the matrix of sustainable and healthy food consumption. Following a theoretical overview the author presents the results of her empirical research.

Drága-e a megújuló? – A hazai megújuló villamosenergia-termelés hatása a villamos energia árára (Is the renewable energy expensive? – Impact of the Hungarian renewable based power generation on electricity price)

A tanulmány arra keresi a választ, hogy a megújuló alapú áramtermelők támogatása csökkentőleg hathat- e a villamos energia nagykereskedelmi és kiskereskedelmi árára. Ez utóbbi tartalmazza a megújulók támogatásának összegét is. Számos elméleti cikk rámutatott arra, hogy nemcsak a nagykereskedelmi árak, hanem a kiskereskedelmi villamosenergia-árak is csökkenhetnek a drágább, megújuló alapú áramtermelők támogatása révén. A tanulmány során egy villamosenergia-piacokat szimuláló modell segítségével modellezi a szerző, hogy a különböző mennyiségű szélerőművi és fotovoltaikus kapacitás támogatása hogyan hat a magyarországi nagykereskedelmi és kiskereskedelmi árakra. _____ Impact of the Hungarian renewable based power generation on electricity price The aim of this paper is to answer the question whether the support of renewable power generation could decrease the wholesale and retail electricity prices. The latter one includes the support of renewables. Several studies point out that not only the wholesale, but the retail electricity prices could decrease when supporting the more expensive, renewable power generation. A model, which simulates the electricity markets, is used in order to analyse the impact of different level of wind and photo voltaic power generator support fee on Hungarian wholesale and retail electricity prices.

Magyarországi „munkavállaló-barát” (employee friendly) szervezetek – Valóság vagy utópia (avagy mit tanulhatunk tőlük?) = The Hungarian employee friendly organizations: reality or Utopia (or what can we learn from them?)

A szerzők feltáró kutatásukban munkavállaló-barát szervezeti megoldásokat kerestek és vizsgáltak multiparadigmikus (Primecz, 2008) megközelítéssel, kritikai és funkcionalista szemszögből. Munkavállalóbarát szervezeti gyakorlatnak tekintették azokat a szervezeti kultúrában gyökerező szervezeti kereteket és gyakorlatokat, amelyek nagymértékben támogatják a munkavállalókat a munka és magánélet egyensúlyának elérésében és megtartásában (Toarniczky et al., 2011). Eredményeik szerint a munkavállaló-barát gyakorlatokat akkor értékelik legjobban a szervezeti tagok, ha a közvetlen vezető és kollégák jól értik a támogatandó munkavállaló helyzetét és rugalmasan fordítják le a hétköznapokra a HR-rendszereket. Ezzel együtt több feszültség keletkezik a szervezetben a munkavállaló-barát gyakorlatokban, amelyekre figyelni lehetne, anélkül, hogy a kialakított gyakorlatokat felszámolnák. _____ The authors in their research investigated employee friendly practices, which they defined as frameworks and practices rooted in organisational culture that gives maximum support for employees trying to reach and keep balance between work and private life (Toarniczky et al., 2011) through multiparadigm research (Primecz, 2008). They conducted exploratory research (interviews, focus groups, document-analysis, and questionnaire) at ten Hungarian-based organizations, and they investigated employee friendly work practices through functionalist and critical lenses. Their results shows that employee friendly practices work well, when the immediate boss and colleagues understand the need of organization al member, who are supported, and HR procedures are translated flexibly. At the same time tension within the organization al subgroups always present, and this should be handled by the organization without cancelling employee friendly practices.

Legislating unorthodox taxes: The Hungarian experience

To date, a series of non-traditional schemes have proliferated in the area of tax law, challenging the widely accepted principles of tax legislation. Lump-sum or presumptive taxes, redemption fees or tax amnesty, corrective taxes (bank levies), or confiscatory taxes (e.g., banker bonuses) can hardly be reconciled with the hard core of tax legislation that is established on the principles of equality and legal certainty. The present paper discusses these unorthodox types of public charges.

Measuring and managing liquidity risk in the Hungarian practice

The crisis that unfolded in 2007/2008 turned the attention of the financial world toward liquidity, the lack of which caused substantial losses. As a result, the need arose for the traditional financial models to be extended with liquidity. Our goal is to discover how Hungarian market players relate to liquidity. Our results are obtained through a series of semi-structured interviews, and are hoped to be a starting point for extending the existing models in an appropriate way. Our main results show that different investor groups can be identified along their approaches to liquidity, and they rarely use sophisticated models to measure and manage liquidity. We conclude that although market players would have access to complex liquidity measurement and management tools, there is a limited need for these, because the currently available models are unable to use complex liquidity information effectively.

The responsibility of futurists in strategic foresight - Hungarian examples

The Futures Studies Department at the Corvinus University of Budapest conducted a few strategic foresight projects at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The goals of two projects were to increase the regional competitiveness of two towns in Hungary; whereas, two other projects dealt with the long-term, 15- to 20- year-long, macro-development opportunities of Hungary. They focused on defining social trends that influence the long-termdecision-making environment of the regions and the country. The two types of experience made it possible to enhance strategic foresight by defining the role and responsibility of professional futurists and average, everyday people.

The Role of Marketing in Corporate Competitiveness: Marketing Practice Analysis of Hungarian Companies

The objective of this article is to analyse the marketing practice of Hungarian companies. On the one hand, the role of marketing function in the company has been revealed, and on the other hand the relationship between marketing efforts and market performance has been investigated. In frame of the Hungarian Competitiveness Studies, 300 marketing executives were surveyed to rate the marketing practice of their companies, concentrating on branding, pricing policy, applied marketing channels and promotional activities. The results confirm that sophisticated marketing practice leads to higher business performance. Keywords: marketing tools, competitiveness, performance

Measuring and managing liquidity risk in the Hungarian practice

The crisis that unfolded in 2007/2008 turned the attention of the financial world toward liquidity, the lack of which caused substantial losses. As a result, the need arose for the traditional financial models to be extended with liquidity. Our goal is to discover how Hungarian market players relate to liquidity. Our results are obtained through a series of semistructured interviews, and are hoped to be a starting point for extending the existing models in an appropriate way. Our main results show that different investor groups can be identified along their approaches to liquidity, and they rarely use sophisticated models to measure and manage liquidity. We conclude that although market players would have access to complex liquidity measurement and management tools, there is a limited need for these, because the currently available models are unable to use complex liquidity information effectively.

The regulatory environment of the section of the non-standardized goods market - The findings of an interview research on Hungarian construction industry small enterprises

In this paper the behavior of economic actors shown in the uncertain quality goods markets is examined from the perspective of the sociology of markets. The analysis uses the findings of in-depth interviews conducted in 2011 and 2012 respectively amongst small and medium size entrepreneurs working in construction industry. In the Hungarian construction industry neither formal rules, nor vocational chambers, are able to create a safe environment for entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, networks created as a result of micro-selection steps might be able to enforce the quality of services, observe deadlines and what is more, ensure payment discipline. In this market, the typical high risk can be reduced by relationships. Networks reduce also the cost of transactions, since the important part of the services in this field could only be standardized at significant costs.

The European Patterns of "Homo Academicus“ and The Chances of Its Evolution In Current Hungarian Higher Education

In the recent four or five years, there have been abrupt and radical changes in the governance of Hungarian higher education. It can then be interesting to assess the state of “homo academicus“ as it looks currently in Hungary. The notion of “homo academicus“ is obvious: it concerns participants in the system of a country’s higher education. The paper as follows still comes back to the definition of “homo academicus“ by referring first to it as occupation, or rather as a profession that can be interpreted in terms of sociology. Secondly, some historic patterns can also be mobilised, based on the assumption that university is a very European institutions that is even rooted in the tradition of the Middle Ages. The elbow-room of seeking for identity and the role to be filled by academics are limited by the effective system of the governance of higher education. It is a key to the chances of academics of meeting the historically corroborated professional standards that they exercise academic freedom. As it cannot be done individually, but in cooperation (through a collegial system), academic freedom is always combined with collective action. The field where this freedom can be exercised can be specified through university autonomy, the lack of which makes a serious barrier to the full development of a character of “homo academicus“. This is now the case in Hungary, the paper suggests. The paper seeks to gain deeper understanding of the character of academics, their vocation and professional roles, and the governance of higher education, serving as the environment for academic activity, by creating a conceptual framework. The paper is established on the results of sociological research and the experience of legal management, although it remains to be of theoretical nature. It criticises the current Hungarian situation of the governance of higher education, arguing for the reconstruction of university autonomy and financial stability. It also emphasises the importance of predictable regulations.

A magyar fiatalok jellemzése pénzügyi attitűdjeik és magatartásuk mentén – Vizsgálat a felsőoktatásban tanulók pénzügyi attitűdjeiről és magatartásáról = Characterization of the Hungarian youth with their financial attitudes and behaviours – A survey about the financial behaviour and attitudes of students

A pénzügyi piacok és termékek egyre komplexebbé válnak, ami együtt jár a pénzügyeket illető információs szakadék mélyülésével is – a lakosság egyre kevésbé képes pénzügyeiről körültekintő döntéseket hozni. Jelen tanulmány a magyar felsőoktatásban tanuló fiatalokat pénzügyi attitűdjeik mentén szegmentálja és jellemzi, annak érdekében, hogy hozzájáruljon a pénzügyi kultúra szintjét növelő programok sikerességéhez, legyen az állami indíttatású (pénzügyi edukáció) vagy a versenyszféra által vezérelt. A vizsgált fiatalok alapvetően három csoportba sorolhatók: (1) Konzervatívak, (2) Lázadók és (3) Tapasztaltak. A Konzervatívakra a stabil morális értékrend, alacsony kockázatvállalási hajlandóság jellemző, céljaik között egyaránt találunk rövid és hosszú távúakat is – informáltságuk, és ebből eredően pénzügyi ismeretszintjük alacsony, a hitelekkel szembeni attitűdjük negatív. A Lázadók csoportjára az „Élj a mának!” magatartás a jellemző, vagyis rövid távú céljaik vannak, kevésbé tudatosak, pénzügyi ismeretszintjük alacsony, ugyanakkor nyitottak az újdonságokra és a kockázatvállalási szintjük magasabb a másik két csoporténál. A Tapasztaltak csoportjára a tudatosság és a pénzügyi megfontoltság a jellemző – pénzügyi ismeretszintjük magasabb a másik két csoporténál. Náluk a hosszú távú célok dominálnak, de alacsony kockázatvállalási hajlandóság mellett. _____ Financial markets and financial instruments have become more and more complex in the last decades. Unfortunately, financial literacy of population cannot keep up with the innovation activity of financial sector. By segmenting and describing Hungarian young adults along their financial attitudes, the aim of this study is to provide recommendations to the programs aiming to enhance the development of financial literacy. According to the authors’ results, 18-25 year-old young adults can be categorized as (1) conservatives, (2) rebels and (3) experienced. Conservatives can be characterized by stable moral and values, low risktaking willingness and inappropriate financial knowledge. Both short and long term goals can be explored among their preferences. Conservatives have negative attitude to bank loans. The rebels can be described by the ancient Latin saying: “Carpe Diem”. They have short-term goals and the future financial stability is not an issue for them – their financial literacy is low. However, rebels are open-minded and their risk-taking willingness is greater than the other two group members. Despite of the low level of risk-taking willingness, the highest level of financial literacy is showed by the experienced group. They have long-term goals and are able to receive information about complex financial instruments.

A hazai kis- és középvállalkozások elektronikus banki ügyintézéssel kapcsolatos szokásai, attitűdjei és jövőképei (E-banking habits, attitudes and vision of the hungarian small and medium enterprises)

A közelmúltban készült kutatásban a szerzők azt vizsgálták, hogy a kis- és középvállalkozásokban az elektronikus banki ügyintézéssel kapcsolatban milyen szokásaik, attitűdjeik és jövőképeik alakultak ki. A több mint ötszáz KKV-vezetővel készült interjú alapján elmondható, hogy a vállalkozás elektronikus ügyintézéssel kapcsolatos hozzáállása egyáltalán nem, vagy csak nagyon gyenge mértékben hozható összefüggésbe a cég objektív tulajdonságaival, például a létszámmal, az árbevétellel vagy a tevékenységi körrel. Egyértelműen látszik, hogy már az elektronikus banki ügyintézéssel kapcsolatos fogalmak értelmezése is problémát jelent a KKV-vezetők egy részénél. A tudásbeli hiányosságok pedig egyértelműen befolyásolják az e-banking attitűdöt és a használati szokásokat, pedig az elektronikus csatornákat használók elégedettsége minden vizsgált bank ügyfeleinek esetében 80% fölötti értékeket mutat. Így a legfontosabb kérdés az, hogy miként lehetne megértetni a „Szkeptikusok”-kal és a „Mérlegelők”-kel, hogy érdemes a „Haladók” klaszterébe tartozni. Az ügyfélelégedettség sikertényezői egyértelműen a biztonság, az időben és térben széles körű elérhetőség és az egyszerű használat. A válaszadók jövőképe szerint a banki szolgáltatások igénybevétele egyre inkább eltolódik majd az elektronikus csatornák irányába. Jelen cikkben a kutatás legfontosabb tanulságait mutatják be a szerzők. _________ The authors’ research was conducted to explore the ebanking attitudes, habits and vision of small and medium enterprises. By the interviews of more than 500 managers of SMEs, it is concluded that e-banking attitudes are not, or not significantly related to the objective characteristics of the enterprises, e.g. to the number of employment, the revenues or its activities. It became clear, that the interpretation of the specific e-banking terms means an important problem for some managers. The deficiencies of knowledge have direct effects on e-banking attitude and the use of electronic banking methods of the enterprises, although the value of the satisfaction level is above 80% among the customers of each examined banks. Thus, the main objective is to explain to the “Scepticals” and the “Considerers” the benefits of the “Progressives” cluster. The most important success factors of customer satisfaction are safety, availability in time and space and ease of use. According to the vision of the respondents, banking services will probably be shifted towards e-channels. In this study, the most important findings of our researches were summarized.

Project finance in Hungarian electricity sector. Effect of feed-in tariff system’s change onto power plant investments

The research analyses the former and the current status of the small gas-motor power plant investments in the Hungarian energy sector. It discusses the development of project financing in the segment and the major changes and effects of new regulations and subsidy-policy implemented in 2010. The objective of this paper is to present the results of an empirical research of the so called GCHP projects, and to draw conclusion concerning how classic project financing conditions were present and changed during the last decade, and how regulation affected the current and future financial status of these projects.

Bank financing of Hungarian SMEs: Getting over to credit crisis by state interventions

In this article we aimed to present and analyse the 21st century history of bank financing in the Hungarian small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the period ranging from 2000 to 2012. The credit products offered by banks and credit unions are the most fundamental means of external financing capable of fulfilling the financing needs of a wide array of SMEs. The conditions of accessing credits and their prices exert a decisive influence on the profitability and business opportunities of SMEs. As a result of economic slowdown SMEs had to face higher interest rates, decreasing credit limits, and bank financing options that became increasingly slowly accessible alongside stricter conditions. Due to this process SMEs business performance had been falling continuously which has a destructive contribution to the national economy. In the first chapter of the article we present the dynamic development of credit financing in the Hungarian SME sector, along with the causes that triggered it, then we will continue with the negative tendencies dating from the onset of the 2008 debt crisis. In the second chapter we discuss the vicious circle, due to which the business performance of the SMEs, as well as the conditions of access to credits and their prices, have entered into a negative spiral. In the third and final chapter we make suggestions regarding the direction and means of necessary government intervention, in order to stop and reverse the negative tendencies observed in SME credit financing.