The new phenomenon called sharing or collaborative consumption emerged a decade ago and is continuously growing. It creates new possibilities for society, and especially for business, is beneficial for the environment, makes more efficient use of resources, and presents a new competitive business model. The scientific literature lacks a more in-depth analysis of the factors influencing sharing activity growth; therefore, the paper’s authors attempt to fill this gap. The authors aim to identify the factors affecting the use of sharing platforms. To reach the goal, the authors developed a regression model and constructed a list of 71 variables. The study used monthly United States data from January 2017 to June 2020 from the publicly available Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)and Google trends databases. The comparison to other indexes proves that the proposed index, representing the number of visits to sharing platforms (SEP), is a unique one. The first index allowed us to revise the sharing activity monthly. The authors identified that variables such as wage level, social network users, import level, and personal consumption are critical in affecting the number of visits to sharing platforms. The presented framework could be helpful for practitioners and policymakers analysing the stimulation of sharing or collaborative consumption. It includes indicators representing different areas, such as society, technology, and country, and allows for monthly investigations. Such activity was evident for a long time when online platforms contributed to its wider accessibility. The results help to forecast the number of visits monthly. Sharing is still an emerging area for research; thus, the authors tried to explore the phenomenon of sharing to expand the conceptual level of knowledge.

The research goal is to investigate whether several cross-cultural dimensions proposed in the Hofstede cultural model link international companies and their affiliations operating in Scandinavia and Baltic countries. Although cultural aspects have got much more attention in internationalisation studies over the last decade, there is still room for research focusing on such study areas. The authors start with the analysis of the literature review. Presenting the holistic approach affecting internationalisation and a list of factors necessary for internationalisation, later on, the authors present the cultural dimension of Hofstede, and then give various qualitative methods applied for studies on internationalisation. Design/Methodology/Approach: To complete the research, the authors selected the database from Nasdaq (2021), listed MNE companies from six countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The mother company is located in Scandinavia, and the daughter company is in the Baltics based on FDI flows. The author’s research included 56 MNE companies from Nasdaq Baltic stock exchange. We used the correlation matrix to support the research and present the direction of identified connections to proceed with it. Findings: Obtained results revealed that there are strong links among several cultural dimensions. The results show seven positives and four negative links when discussing cross-cultural links. This finding shows that talking about intercultural relations, only four out of six Hofstede cultural dimensions have at least one strong connection operating business internationally. Originality/Value/Practical implications: The authors identified that some cross-cultural dimensions could not be analysed further because they do not have significant links. The limitations of the study and further research directions are also provided.

The objective of this research is to reveal the reflection of cultural dimensions in international business. The management of an international business is complex and varies according to culturally determined values. To achieve success in international business, it is necessary to understand how cultural differences across and within countries affect it. Authors took under revision the international companies listed under the Nasdaq database (2021) and researched interlinks in the North-West region of Europe. The authors delivered the research in two stages. In the first stage, the authors constructed a matrix of cultural dimensions. Then formed the equation at the second step by using the Generalized Moments Method, which eliminates inaccurate assumptions. The authors used panel data analysis and constructed equations. The theoretical research results highlight the cultural dimensions identified in the 31 studies in the priority of attention. The authors' research proves that three main cultural dimensions affect the revenue of the international business. We came to the insight that the impact of culture in doing business globally is growing rapidly.

Straipsnyje, remiantis moksline literatūra, apibendrinti įmonių veiklos ekonominės analizės teoriniai aspektai. Pateiktas Lietuvos ir užsienio autorių santykinių rodiklių grupavimas. Sudarytas detalus analizės rūšių klasifikavimas pagal įvairius veiksnius. Taip pat, remiantis skirtingais autoriais, aprašyti įmonių veiklos analizės metodai ir būdai. Antroje straipsnio dalyje nagrinėjamos dvi didžiausios, tarpusavyje nuolat konkuruojančios, Lietuvos alkoholinių gėrimų gamintojos – AB „Vilniaus degtinė” ir AB „Stumbras”. Pasirinktas 2007–2014 metų laikotarpis, apimantis ekonominio pakilimo, krizės ir po jos sekusius atsigavimo metus. Naudojantis finansinių ataskaitų duomenimis, apskaičiuoti šių įmonių ekonominio efektyvumo, pelningumo ir mokumo rodikliai. Gauti rezultatai apibendrinti ir palyginti pavaizduotuose grafikuose.

Research background: In recent decades, scientists have focused on sustainable development goals. Cultural issues are evident in sustainable development, but the scientific inclusion of cultural aspects remains a challenge. Purpose: The study aims to link cultural aspects and sustainability goals. Also, the purpose of this study, is to use the composite cultural index to include the latest research findings on this matter and extend them to cover the six cultural dimensions identified in the Hofstede cultural model. Yeganeh (2011) proposed a methodology for compiling a composite cultural index, but the author included only a few cultural dimensions. The authors of this article present an analysis of fifteen Sustainable Development Goals in the 27 countries of the European Union to rank countries according to the contribution of national culture to the Sustainable Development Goals. Research methodology: The methodology used an international expert survey on the dimensions of culture and the constructed correlation matrix. Results: The results show a correlation between the four goals of sustainable development, although the direction is different: one has a positive relationship, and three have a negative one. Novelty: The article’s value is that the authors created a composite cultural index for research on sustainable development and expanded the results presented by other authors.

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Purpose – the purpose of the article is to examine how the extent of competition in the market affects the balance of bargaining powers of market participants. This often results in negative consequences for both buyers and suppliers. This study has important theoretical and practical implications. The authors made an analysis of existing theory and practice on negotiation strategies in a complex way, in accordance with levels of competition. Paper reveals the opportunities to develop and implement these strategies, taking into account market definition options. Research methodology – the paper examines the application of Nash equilibrium to the preparation of negotiation strategies, looking at the function for the best result. The study would help to prepare business strategies for different competition levels. Findings – the ways of preparation of negotiation strategies with different levels of competition, focusing on market definition opportunities. Research limitations – there are not enough measures in international business negotiation theory helping to develop negotiation strategies in the face of distorted market competition and difficulties to define the market. Practical implications – findings of the article will give opportunities for policymakers to develop and implement strategies for business negotiations. Originality – the article consists presentation of new tools for negotiators in preparing negotiating strategies.

Purpose – examine the European Union (EU) integrated political crisis response system, within the scope of the EU common security and defence policy and the present value of negotiations as a tool. Research methodology – a systematic analysis of the scientific literature and descriptive methods were applied to analyse actual and recent theoretical scientific work on integrating the European Union security and defence policy. We were discussing the concept of security from the theoretical perspective of constructivism, presenting the essential features. The empirical part of the work proves how discourse theory may help develop both negotiations and constructivism methodology. Findings – Negotiation theory play an important role in crisis management, developed proposals for the theory and methodology of negotiations. Research limitations – research does not cover negotiations in the context of military actions; the research examines the only civil empirical case of COVID-19 crises. Practical implications – presented conclusions show how the development of negotiations theory may substantially increase responsiveness to any EU crisis. Originality/Value – this study as interdisciplinary combined mixed methodologies: constructivism methodology of threat identification was compared with discourse theory (Austin’s) speech act.