-
Krasimira Slaveva, Vanya Ganeva
Sharing Economy – Characteristics, Consumer Practices and Measurement
Summary:
This study examines the changes in the economy reflected in the sharing economy concept. Since the beginning of the 21st century, it has become an important part of the world economy posing a number of challenges to the operating companies and regulatory bodies. The development of the sharing economy has led to the transformation of many sectors and to some changes in the way a number of businesses operate. In consumer models, attention is being paid to sustainable (green, moral) consumption.
The aim of the study is to characterize and clarify the importance of the sharing economy. The study focuses on: presenting the main characteristics of the sharing economy, clarifying the factors that underlie its emergence; examining the consumer practices that distinguish it, as well as the ways of measuring and assessing it.
-
Metody Kanev
Towards a New Paradigm for Social Life
Summary:
-
-
Kamen Kamenov
The Modelling Environment and Human Capital
Summary:
The article examines factors forming the modeling environment of human potential. Their operation is analyzed under different variants of combination. Along with the genetically determined qualities the modeling environment underlies the building of human potential. The relation between potential level and realization environment is examined. Their favourable combination creates the best opportunities for revealing exceptional gifts and endowments in the human factor, i.e. talents. A connection is made between human potential and economic growth emphasizing on the importance of human qualities in perspective for the creation of an effective and competitive economy.
-
Yoana Petrova
Discrepancies upon Combining Individual and Group Behavoiur in the Organization
Summary:
The activity of certain organization can be determined as effective, if its members have accepted behaviour that stimulates the achievement of common goals. The combination of individual and group behaviour is a complicated and in certain cases continued process which can be accompanied by a variety of difficulties. There exist variants, in which there is a contradiction available between the individual and group. They ensue from: the individual characteristics of each man, his requirements to himself, his value system, his self-assessment, mode of action, aims that he has set to himself, his manner of behaviour and education. It is necessary to try to find ways and means of their overcoming. The combination of the both types of behaviour imposes adapting of a particular individual to the group, subjugation and sometimes denial of the own opinion with the purpose of accepting of the group one. For this purpose the specific ways and means of overcoming the mismatches between the individual and group behaviour in the organizations are pointed out in this article.
-
Vanya Ganeva
Social and Solidarity Economy – Democratic Association, Mutual Aid and Cooperation
Summary:
The author of this article attempts to clarify the nature, specificity and role of social and solidarity economy in the modern world. She also discusses to what extent it should be the focus of attention of economic sociology as a science in the context of the relation with its subject matter, and which approaches and theories in sociology and economic sociology can be used as explanatory models of social and solidarity economy.
The conclusion is that social and solidarity economy successfully combines the achievement of economic and social objectives. It contributes to social cohesion and inclusion, and plays an important role in integrating risk groups such as people with mental and physical disabilities.
Social and solidarity economy as part of the economy of a society is the subject of research by economic sociology as a science studying the social aspects of economic life. The theoretical approaches (for social networks, social capital, social nature of economic activities, etc.), developed in modern economic sociology, can be used as explanatory models of the processes occurring in social and solidarity economy.
