Balanced of Countries Development Determinants: Barycentric Model

Abstract

The authors investigate the issue of modelling the balance of countries development determinants based on determining the center of mass. They have identified the most relevant factors characterizing countries' social, economic, political spheres, digital capability and cybersecurity. The research has been carried based on empirical values of the selected 17 indicators for 127 world countries in 2018. As a result, the four-pole barycentric models were built as quadrangles, the vertices of which are composite targets formed by the determinants of the four spheres. The models' calculations were carried out taking into account three components: the values of the composite targets (as a geometric mean), the level of pairs balance (as the sum of opposite pairs of quadrilateral angles), and all four targets (as the distance between the actual and standard value of the center of mass). According to the analysis result of the first component, developed countries have the most effective targets (top five - Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands). Research of the results of the second component has revealed an imbalance in target pairs for most countries. Determinants of socio-political development are the most effective for developed countries. The economic sphere is most unbalanced for the least developed countries. Various determinants can cause an imbalance for developing and new industrial countries. The analysis of the center of mass distances revealed that not only developed countries could be balanced, but also developing, new industrial and the least developed, that indicates a balanced development of their determinants, which is pretty slow. New Zealand, Mauritius, South Africa and Mali were the most balanced in each group of countries economic growth.