Showing papers by "Baltic International Academy published in 2018"

Cryptocurrencies legal regulation

Abstract: This article evaluates the legal framework of cryptocurrency in various countries. The new currency instrument is abstract currencies. They are currencies in the sense that they can be exchanged peer-to-peer. They are representations of numbers, i.e. abstract objects. An abstract currency system is a self-enforcing system of property rights over an abstract instrument which gives its owners the freedom to use and the right to exclude others from using the instrument. Cryptocurrency or virtual currency is a cryptographically protected, decentralized digital currency used as a means of exchange. Due to the development of new technologies and innovations, the rate of use of virtual currency is rapidly increasing throughout the globe, replacing not only cash payments and payments by bank transfer, but also electronic cash payments. Among the best-known representatives of cryptocurrencies are Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum. Legal scholars have not yet reached a consensus regarding the nature and legal status of virtual currency. Virtual currency possesses the nature of obligations righ ts as well as property rights, since it may be both a means of payment and a commodity. Depending on the country, the approach to cryptocurrencies may be different. Today there is already an international cryptocurrency community that does not have a single coordinating center. Only progressive jurisdiction and state regulation of cryptocurrency activity will allow the creation of the conditions that will ensure the implementation of legitimate and safe cryptocurrency relations.

Measuring financial sustainability of private higher education institutions

Abstract: Currently, one of the main priorities of the development of the higher education system is ensuring the quality of education. As it is noted in “Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area”, developed by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), institutions should ensure the availability of sufficient, relevant education resources. At present, there is no single methodology for assessing the financial provision of educational services supplied by private commercial companies in Latvia. The aim of this paper is to define a set of indicators for assessing the financial sustainability of a private higher education institution (PHEI). The author presents the results of the financial sustainability analysis (based on such ratios as leverage, debt-equity, liquidity, etc.) of Latvian PHEIs and suggests: 1) indicators most suitable for assessing sustainability of an educational institution; 2) permissible range of these indicators recommended for Latvia and methodology for their aggregation. The developed methodology may be recommended to national committees of quality assessment for accreditation procedures of higher education institutions (HEIs) and study programmes. In addition, it will allow to harmonise information on the use of financial resources in preparing self-assessments and other reports by HEIs. The novelty of this research consists in the development of the system of indicators specific for assessing the sustainability of such private enterprises, which provide higher education services and are controlled and regulated by the state. The author’s contribution is in substantiation of the thesis that a private HEI should be viewed not as an ordinary economic subject, but as a socially significant business entity that fulfils the requirement of the society to educate high-quality specialists.

Academic procrastination and anxiety among students

Abstract: Procrastination is a complex, psychologically heterogeneous phenomenon that includes behavioural, emotional and cognitive components. The main areas of manifestation of procrastination are professional and educational activities. Academic procrastination implies a delay in the fulfilment of educational assignments and is associated with undeveloped learning skills, lack of organization, forgetfulness, and behavioural rigidity. The consequence of this behaviour in most cases is the decrease in academic achievement, negative emotional experiences related to own failure, anxiety, and dissatisfaction with the results. Procrastination negatively affects the psychological well-being of students; therefore, this phenomenon is of special interest in the context of future specialists training. Available data demonstrate that 46 % to 95 % of secondary school pupils and higher educational institution students consider themselves to be procrastinators requiring professional psychological help. The study aimed to reveal the links between academic procrastination and anxiety among students. The participants in this study were 60 second year students of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, aged 20-27. The Procrastination Scale was used to measure academic procrastination; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) was implemented to investigate anxiety. The study revealed that 48 % of the participants demonstrated a high level of academic procrastination, 27 % – medium and 25 % – low. The link between academic procrastination and situational and personal anxiety was revealed. The obtained data showed that with the situational and personal anxiety increase, the level of academic procrastination also increases. The development of recommendations, balanced workload distribution and an encouraging learning environment will reduce the level of academic procrastination among students.

Possible uses of computer systems in university training of it professionals

Abstract: In this paper, learning and knowledge control systems developed by the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology of the Riga Technical University are described. These systems are used in teaching various subjects on different study programs and specialties. The paper also presents results of use of computer systems in student self-study and self-control. Students could freely choose, whether or not to use these systems during their studies. We focused on two scenarios of non-compulsory use of computer systems, namely with a motivating system or without one. In both cases students actively used computer systems for self-control and self-study. Our research shows that using computer systems for both knowledge control and study (as opposed to knowledge control alone) increased knowledge level of all students, regardless of their overall performance.

Economic Security under Disturbances of Foreign Capital

Abstract: Considering both positive and negative spillover effects of foreign capital, this chapter establishes a method for the receiving economy of foreign capital to constantly monitor and forecast the movement of foreign capital within itself so that appropriate methods of regulation could be established in order to guarantee the health and stable development (or the security) of the domestic economy.

Implicit association Self-concept test in studying of violence-related cognitions

Abstract: * Plotka Irina — Doctor of Science in Psychology, Professor, Director of Professional Master Study Programme “Psychology”, Head of the Department Psychology, Baltic International Academy, Riga, Latvia, irinaplotka@inbox.lv ** Simane-Vigante Laura — Master of Psychology, Researcher, Department of Psychology, Baltic International Academy, Riga, Latvia, l.simane@inbox.lv *** Blumenau Nina — Doctor of Science in Engineering, Associated Professor, Department of Psychology, Baltic International Academy, Riga, Latvia, nina.blum@gmail.com For citation: Plotka I., Simane-Vigante L., Blumenau N. Implicit association Self-concept test in studying of violence-related cognitions. Sotsial'naia psikhologiia i obshchestvo [Social Psychology and Society], 2018. Vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 176—186. doi:10.17759/sps.2018090317 (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.). Implicit association Self-concept test in studying of violence-related cognitions

Accident Risk Assessment for Highly Reliable Aviation Systems in Emergency Situations

Abstract: Abstract Safety of aircrafts exploitation is estimated by means of the using the results of the prognoses of the dangerous factors which could be take place during the flight in the off-design conditions. The risk - approach, based on the fuzzy sets methods, is discussed and find out the paths leading to the catastrophes of the different types of the vessels. The dangerous (Unsafeness, Hazard) is the discrete state with the factors which could be take place during the flight in the off-design conditions. It was suggested to find out the paths leading to the catastrophes under condition of the rare events with probabilities “almost zero”.

Negative personality traits and self-monitoring among high school teachers

Abstract: Within the communicative competence of a high school teacher, there are distinguished such skills as an ability to engage pupils in communication and make a favourable impression (self-presentation skill). High school teachers have to be able to demonstrate attractive features of own personality, show themselves as successful professionals. Thus, the requirement to create a positive impression of oneself, to have developed empathy and a high level of self-monitoring is emphasized. As a result of the research, a protective-nature change in the behaviour of middle-aged teachers has been revealed. It is noted that these manifestations in many respects resemble descriptions of the manifestation of negative personality traits included in the construct of the “Dark Triad”. In this study, a theoretical analysis of the current understanding of the concepts of the “Dark Triad” and self-monitoring is provided, as well as an empirical study of the “Dark Triad” negative personality traits relation to self-monitoring among high school teachers. The examined variables refer to personality constructs. The study revealed a statistically significant correlation between self-monitoring and negative personality traits among high school teachers, which is explained theoretically by the manifestations of the characteristic features of the components of negative traits, including high self-monitoring level. Statistically significant correlations between machiavellianism and self-monitoring, as well as between narcissism, psychopathy, and self-monitoring were revealed. The study reveals a tendency to high levels of expression of all three “Dark Triad” personality traits as well as of self-monitoring, which is explained by the age peculiarities and specifics of high school teachers’ professional activity.

Inequality and economic growth across countries of the Eurozone

Abstract: The EU economic recovery after the financial crisis is being accompanied by sluggish and unsteady growth with high levels of inequality. The relationship between income inequality and the rate of economic growth still remains a controversial issue with discrepancies in the results reported in many empirical and theoretical studies of growth and development. We explore the impact of income inequality, poverty, and wealth on the rate of economic growth in the Eurozone. We find that the effect of income inequality on economic growth is statistically insignificant, whereas poverty and savings have a negative, statistically significant effect on growth, while the effect of financial assets is positive, and statistically significant. We reveal a negative, statistically significant effect of consumption on growth. We show that the dynamics of the link between inequality and growth across countries does not take the inverted-U shape of curve for both all observations and the average values per country in the Eurozone.

Variability of accounting policies – advantages and disadvantages

Abstract: There are several provisions of accounting policy, which are not regulated by the legislation of the Republic of Latvia. As a result, companies are free to develop and adopt recognition criteria and the methods of evaluation and accounting for items of their financial statements. This article deals with the choice of recognition criteria and the methods of evaluation of and accounting for fixed assets. The aim of the article is to develop recommendations on how to resolve the issue of accounting policy variabilities for the companies of the Republic of Latvia. The objects of the study are recognition criteria and the methods of evaluation and accounting of fixed assets. The recommendations on the solution of the issues related to variability of fixed asset accounting policy are based on the determination of materiality criteria.

Value Similarity with Mothers and Peers and Family Climate as Predictors of Well-Being of Russian Youth in Latvia

Abstract: Parent-child value transmission may be seen as a source of culture maintenance for migrant and ethnic minority families. However, the transmission of the culture of origin might impede the adaptation to a new cultural environment (Schonpflug, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 32:174–185, 2001). Value congruence of the individual and dominating cultural environment may contribute to the subjective well-being of the individual (Sagiv & Schwartz, European Journal of Social Psychology 30:177–198, 2000). In this study, we explored how value similarities of Russian youth with their mothers and with their Russian and Latvian peers along with the perceived psychological closeness to their mothers relate to psychological well-being of Russian youth in Latvia. The sample consisted of Russian late adolescents/youth, N = 107, age 16–24; their mothers, N = 107, age 35–59; and 120 Latvian peers, N = 120, age 16–19. The results have shown that perceived psychological closeness to their mothers positively related to psychological well-being of Russian youth. We found a positive relationship of youth-peers value similarity in self-enhancement and psychological well-being of Russian youth but only in the case of Russian peers.

Improvement of the construction industry management of Latvia based on the experience of construction eco-labelling in Scandinavia

Abstract: The object of research is the construction industry in Latvia. This branch of the national economy of Latvia has experienced significant downturns and ups in recent years. The study of the causes and consequences of these fluctuations is important for the country's economy. Among the significant shortcomings can be called a high level of shadow economy in construction, the use of poor-quality building materials, a shortage of labor at all levels of the industry, a long bureaucratic way in the preparation of documents. Improvement of the Latvian construction industry is possible with the involvement of foreign experience. On an example of the countries of Scandinavia one of the important stages of formation of qualitative and ecological construction is considered. In the Nordic countries, since 1989, a system of eco-labeling of buildings has been applied to buildings commissioned. These documents confirm the use of high-quality building materials, energy efficiency of the building, certification of the company and used materials. Documents on eco-labeling are necessary for residential buildings, private houses and all types of educational institutions and kindergartens. This means that only materials that have been rigorously selected for quality and chemical composition are used for construction. Using the experience of working with Scandinavian clients, the author has studied the experience of implementing the eco-labeling system of buildings, as well as collected the necessary information to study the research topic and determine the approaches to the Nordic experience in the construction industry in Latvia. The introduction of eco-labeling of buildings and passports into private homes, multi-storey residential buildings, schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions will lead to the use of better construction materials and also to an understanding of the responsibility of general construction contractors, construction companies, and suppliers of building materials. Also, the use of environmental building materials in residential and educational institutions will lead to better health of the population, in particular, to reducing allergies and diseases of the respiratory system. The introduction of eco-labels and passports for buildings should be introduced at the state level, and the requirements of the European Union for the use of environmental materials in construction should be adapted for Latvia. It is important to competently and systematically develop a model for the introduction of modern management approaches to the construction industry based on the experience of advanced countries. Toughening requirements for all stages of the construction process, using safe building materials, as well as strengthening labor protection requirements, will improve the quality of the entire construction industry as a whole. The introduction of eco-labeling systems will take time, but will lead to positive results.