Agricultural trade within Northeast Asia： The prospects from Japan

The recent expansion of agricultural exports from China to Japan and Korea has marked one of the greatest changes in agricultural trade within Northeast Asia in the past few decades. Recently, China＇s influence in Northeast Asia as a major food consumer, not only as a food supplier, is spreading as well. In this paper, the issue of establishing collaborative relationships in agricultural trade among Northeast Asian countries is discussed from the following four viewpoints： factor analysis on agricultural export, the dynamic changes in the food system, the consensus building within the system of international trade, and the formation of a food industry cluster. It concludes that, it is necessary not only for agricultural economists to take the aspects of the region, the food chain, consensus building and industrial clusters into their research on international agricultural trade, but also for policymakers to have a similar perspective on the formation of a system for agricultural trade in order to obtain benefits from it.     

Economic Growth and Changes in the Branch Structure of Economy in Latvia： Linkage and the Sequence

From 2000 to 2012 the Latvian economy experienced four important events： （1） accession to the European Union in 2004; （2） the fastest GDP growth in the European Union and one of the fastest in the world in 2006; （3） the fastest GDP decrease in the European Union and in the world in 2009; and （4） resumption of economic growth in 2011. Such substantial changes during relatively short period of time make the experience of Latvia interesting in context of economic growth. Now Latvia has success in overcoming the consequences of the global economic downturn but the question which still remains relevant is the rationality of the branch structure of economy, because of high share of non-tradable sector in GDP. Such high fluctuations of the GDP during period analyzed, as well as requirements of the modem economy show the necessity to provide changes in the branch structure of economy. The most acceptable and popular direction in accordance with the strategy ＂Europe 2020＂ indicates that these changes should be in favor to the innovative manufacturing branches. On the other hand, the question--whether the changes in the branch structure of economy would be a tool for maintaining and providing the economic growth in Latvia--is actual. The importance and relevance of this question are reinforced by the fact that there is no consensus in the literature about the sequence of the economic growth and changes in the branch structure of economy. The article considers the linkage between economic growth and the changes in the branch structure of economy in Latvia, as well as search for sequence between these processes.     

Maastricht Treaty in the Shaping and Development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy （CFSP）

For the European Union （EU）, it discusses how to deliver （great project） European unification. Motivated by the idea that the association of European countries is a far better alternative to the previous mutually confronted Europe, a project in the following decades led to the emergence of a new and unprecedented work on European soil--EU. Its present form is the product of more than 50 years of evolution of European integration, which today despite initial six Western European countries including the former main rivals Germany and France include 27 member countries of the union, as well as many other countries with candidate status for membership in the EU. Seen in the development context, the union is not a preconceived model of the association of European countries, but is the product of a complex multiple decade-long process of integration in which different actors are involved. Within this process, depending on the achieved level of integration, the union received a different shape. In its present form and name as the EU, it occurs even in the early 90s of the last century, long before it passed through small-scale forms of integration.     

Analysis on the Human Resource Management in Chinese Agricultural Sector： Case Study From State-Owned Farms in Heilon~iang Province

The aim of this paper is to understand and clarify the strategies, characteristics, and practices of human resource management （HRM） in Chinese agricultural sector from the case study of state-owned farms in Heilongjiang Province. First of all, the technical efficiency of state-owned farms is analyzed using Data Envelopment Analysis （DEA）. Secondly, the characteristics of HRM in three farms are analyzed through person to person interview of managers in farms. Thirdly, questionnaire survey to the employees in two farms for their job satisfaction is analyzed for understanding the effect of HRM. Following results are obtained based on the empirical analysis. Firstly, by introducing new strategy so-called ＂Baiqianwan Talents Project＂ （BTP）, more attentions to the importance of human resources and cultivating managers have started to be paid in state-owned farms. Secondly, the importance of material HRM and the promotion opportunity as well as learning opportunity are recognized through questionnaire survey to the employees of farms. Thirdly, different corporate culture in each farm such as ＂learn by doing＂, ＂harmonization＂, and ＂development＂ is attempted to be established through trial and error.     

The Reforms in the Institutional Structure of the European Union in Compliance With the Lisbon Treaty

The necessary adjustment to the political architecture in Europe is considered to happen with the Treaty of Lisbon. The treaty is an attempt to make adjustments to the decision-making process, ensuring democratic legitimacy, strengthening of the institutions, and enabling political action worldwide. With the Lisbon Treaty, a change has been made in the institutional structure of the European Union （EU）. The Treaty of Lisbon brings together more than a half-century history of integration, which began with the decision for establishing the European Coal and Steel Community （ECSC） on April 18, 1951. The view on the whole, more than 50 years of integration, shows that the European unification process all the time is not out of the spirit of all issues related to the details of common goals and values, but goes in the direction of one political vision of： peace and prosperity, freedom and mobility, knowledge of democracy, populism and tolerant coexistence. The Treaty of Lisbon is in the way to improve the capabilities for action of the democracy in Europe.     

The Role of the Cooperatives and the Collective Action for the Fruits and Vegetables Albanian Farmers

Albania is a Mediterranean country where fruits and vegetables occupy an important place in the cropping systems practiced by the Albanian farms but also in the food consumption of the population. Today, the fruits and vegetables growers in Albania have low production capacity and difficulties in selling their products on national and regional market. Consolidation and increased coordination throughout the agri-food sector are rapidly reshaping the role of cooperative organizations in agriculture. Increased concentration, both up and downstream, raises the specter of the traditional cooperative role of counter-balancing market power. However, increasing demands for coordination among players throughout the agri-food system point to a different role in which cooperative organizations may have a unique advantage. The new and emerging food system （dominated by domestic urban market and export markets, regional competitiveness, globalization, etc.） with high demands for compliance with food safety and traceability disfavor the smallholders due to high coordination costs. The problem is exacerbated by geographic dispersion, low education, and poor access to capital and information. This article discusses about the New Institutional Economics （NIE） approach and the role of the cooperatives in ensuring greater participation of fruits and vegetables Albanian farmers in the domestic and regional market.     

Agricultural land management and flood risks Interrelations

Recent extreme weather events have resulted in an ongoing discussion on the issues of land use and compensation payments within Austrian agriculture. Building on a functional evaluation system for agricultural lands, the national project ＂agriculture and flooding＂ has as its goal to classify the flood-protection contribution and flood sensitivity of agricultural lands. This, in turn, enables the recommendation of targeted measures for potentially improving flood situations, as well as an estimate of their implementation costs. In addition to the digital soil map, other fundamental sources used for the project are the digital flood risk map, IACS （integrated administration and control system of agricultural subsidies） land-use data and soil properties. The results will contribute to an understanding of the multifunctionality of agricultural lands and the setting of priorities on a regional scale regarding packaged flood-prevention and damage-minimization.     

A Common Future and a Common Identity： The Transformation Process of Political and Social Identities in the South Caucasus Countries

In reflecting on the case of the South Caucasus （Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia）, one of the most popular perspectives is its lack of a common identity. The main argument is that it is a culturally diverse region with old-fashioned, ethnically exclusive nationalism. From this point of view, the process of the formation of a European identity in the region acquires particular importance. A European identity could act as a catalyst for bringing the region together. This identity could be considered as based on much more than just political orientation but fundamentally grounded in common values. This comprehensive integration in the South Caucasus can be achieved through the formulation and acceptance of a common political identity based on the political orientations of the South Caucasian States and their citizens. The main question that this study tries to answer is how people in the South Caucasian countries identify themselves in terms of a European identity. A suitable analysis is increasingly important at both the micro and the macro levels. The author examines the people＇s attitudes in the three South Caucasian states toward Western culture, states, and organizations, drawing on opinion polls conducted by the Caucasus Research Resources Center （CRRC）. The author seeks to analyze attitudes toward the West in the South Caucasus on a macro as well as on a micro level. The author seeks also to provide a much-needed analysis for decision making, based on empirical data that help understand public opinion toward the European Union （EU） in the countries of the South Caucasus, and that can contribute to the refinement of integration strategies.     

The Thai Royal Project Foundation Retail Stores： How and why the consumers buy？

The Royal Project, established in 1969, has responded to His Majesty＇s initiative to help the hill tribes in growing useful crops which enable them to have a better standard of living. In 1992, the Royal Project was transformed into Royal Project Foundation in order to become the public organization that can be operated efficiently as a private company. After that, the Royal Project Foundation Retail Stores or ＂Doi Kham＂ were set up to help distribute products and produces from the project and its members. However, the Royal Project Foundation Retail Stores are currently lacking of adequate marketing information to help management make the right and more aggressive decision. Therefore, this research was conducted in order to explore the consumers＇ behaviors and their reasons towards the purchase from ＂Doi Kham＂. Furthermore, consumer clustering and characteristics of each group are discovered. A survey of 341 current customers from 2 most crowded branches--Don Muang International Airport and Farmer Market in Bangkok--was done using self-administered questionnaire. The data obtained was then analyzed by using factor analysis, chi-square test, ANOVA and cluster analysis. The results show that majority of customers are women aged between 24-50 and having income more than 20,000 baht （around $606） a month. Most of them bought the Royal Project Foundation products from ＂Doi Kham＂ directly instead of the private-owned stores. More than one third of samples shop more than twice a month and spend moderately around 100 to 499 baht. The most popular products are temperate-climate vegetables, followed by agricultural processed food and temperate-climate fruits consecutively. Main reasons that the consumers buy the products are the product quality, standard labeling, helping welfare of farmers and hill tribesmen and brand credibility respectively. For marketing factors, the most important factor influencing the purchase is product quality and safety, followed by convenience of shopping, pricing, store service, store layout/displays and promotion consecutively. Three groups of clusters are obtained--＂traditional buyers＂, ＂service-oriented buyers＂ and ＂price-concerned buyers＂.     

The Legal Obligations of Albania in the Stabilization and Association Agreement Between Albania and EU

The purpose of this article is to discuss the legal effects of the preliminary agreement between Albania and EU （European Union） on the EU and on the Albanian national legal system. The topic is ＂The Legal Obligations of Albania in the SAA （Stabilization and Association Agreement） With EU＂, and the purpose is to address the issue of harmonization and application of the obligation in the most effective way regarding the EU legislation. The method used is systematic, comparative and teleological analysis of the European and national legal systems and inherent principles and reflection on the ways of integration and coordination between them. At first the sources and features of the EU legal system will be presented. Then the application of these principles in preliminary and pre-accession agreement and through them their influence over the EU and over the national legal system of the pre-accession states will be presented. The contribution will be to argue that the preliminary agreement between EU and Albania creates legal effects both on the EU and on the national legal system of the pre-accessions countries. Their lull and effective application will be the duty of national court and legislators.     

Recent Development in the South China Sea and Vietnam＇ s Approaches

This paper examines the new developments in the South China Sea （SCS） disputes between Vietnam and China and their causes. A substantial part investigates the approaches Hanoi has adopted to deal with China＇s potential aggression in the SCS. The first is the ＂multilateral＂ approach, which aims to make full use of Association of Southeast Asian Nations （ASEAN） and ASEAN-centric multilateral security dialogues as useful leverage for the creation of a regional Code of Conduct （COC）. The second approach involves the strengthening of ＂self-help＂ option by forging new developments in defense capabilities, especially naval power, to deter its northern giant from using force in the SCS. The third approach is the combination of two methods--pursuing engagement alongside a stronger defense and using what might therefore be called ＂defense diplomacy＂. These three approaches are not exclusive, but mutually reinforcing, and any shift in priority in each of the three options depends on China＇s revised policy in the SCS.     

Effects of Assets Structure on the Financial Performance： Evidence From Sultanate of Oman

The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of assets structure （fixed assets and current assets） on the financial performance of some manufacturing companies listed on Muscat Securities Market （MSM）. The methodology of the study is content analysis of annual reports of a sample of 28 out of 70 （40%） companies for the period 2008-2012. The assets structure is measured by fixed assets turnover and current assets turnover while the financial performance is measured by return on assets （ROA） and return on equity （ROE）. The study examines two main hypotheses. The first one examines the effects of total assets turnover on ROA whereas the second one examines the effects of total assets turnover on ROE. The overall result for the study is that the structure of assets does not have a strong impact on profitability in terms of ROE. This result means that if the structure of assets is changing then the ROA will not change. Another result of the study indicates that only the fixed assets have impact on ROE unlike ROA. Another result of the study suggests that the effect of asset structure has an impact on ROE only in petro-chemical sector.     

Recent trends in the European Union trade and investment policy towards China

The last decades＇ trend towards the creation of a world market of goods and services and the upsurge of China as a global competitor ought to be considered as an important challenge for the European Union. In contrast to this interpretation, the European Union policy towards China has suffered from an absence from a long run view. European institutional behaviour has been based on applying measures that were solely reactions to the policies launched by the United States. Finally, the difficulty of finding common interests among all member countries has been a constant in the relationship with China. The European Union has recently shown a clear concern about the unavoidable need of improving European firms＇ competitiveness, especially in order to overcome the Chinese access to the internationalised division of labour. Nevertheless, it is still difficult to observe a thorough treatment for the economic challenge of emergent economies as a whole in many European policy measures.     

Main operational issues of medium term budget plan： The case of Albanian Ministry of Defence

This article is mainly concerned with some technical issues of preparing the medium term budget plan （MTBP） in Republic of Albania. This is a period of three years into the future. A period of three years is the right period for some realistic planning. Planning for one year only is not realistic planning, because decisions taken in one year will have consequences for later years. In Albania, there are a number of policy development processes, for example those related to the government programme, the sector and national strategy process and European integration process. The medium term budget programme seeks to complement other policy processes by drawing on their results and linking the associated policy objectives explicitly to expenditure programmes in a formal management process. Albanian Government is adopting an international sample of composing a good MTBP, so we found a very interesting research on this topic. The article is composed of three lines： The first part, named as ＂introduction＂, treats the work done by Albanian Government in preparing MTBP document; second part deals with main components of MTBP document prepared by an Albanian Ministry （14 in total）; while the third part refers to an MTBP for a programme taken as an example at the Albanian Ministry of Defence.     

The Implementation of Diagnosis Consultant （Sindanshi） Method in the Cluster of Food SMEs

This study is carried out to identify the main problem dealing with cluster of food SMEs （small and medium enterprises） in Kota Batu, the Province of East Java, and to determine the alternative of solution. This study uses the eight-step method （of eight steps） in the quality improvement （also called the PDCA--Plan-Do-Check-Action cycle） and the method of diagnosis consultant （shindanshi）. The diagnosis scope of analysis covers（ed）： the SWOT （Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats） analysis, the 5S＇s analysis, marketing management, operational analysis, production process analysis, layout, quality of product, material and purchasing control, finance analysis, problem solution and recommendation. The cluster of food SMEs in Kota Batu has the following problems： equipment, layout, marketing, raw material, production process, capitalization, quality, distribution, human resources, and packaging. Therefore, the suggestions for the improvement are： Helping the SMEs makes the financial report monthly; socializing the standard quality of process and product based on SNI （Standar Nasional Indonesia）; socializing the management of barcode; evaluating the condition of available layout regarding waste that happened and improving it.     

Normalization and Anti-normalization： Value Differences in Sino-EU Relations

As a would-be normative power, the European Union （EU） has the willing to expand its values to the rest of the world, especially to the developing countries. However, China always adheres to sovereignty principle and cultural diversification, never accepting to be normalized by European values. This indicates that there is some ideological collision between these two global actors, which could undermine the base of their bilateral relations. The collision is reflected by the conflict of China＇s exceptionalism, modernity, and socialist-label with the EU＇s universalism, post-modernity and capitalist-label. In order to escape the ideological conflicts, both sides should concentrate on shared values, interests and global governance rather than only on the bilateral political issues.     

Empowering the ＂Jewish threat＂： The protocols of the elders of Zion

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is the most influential fake in contemporary history. The persuasive power of the protocols comes from the combination of a particular series of stereotypes from secular anti-Semitism, enhanced with contents outlining the ＂conspiracy＂. To understand the success of the protocols, it is necessary to examine the content of the group images and stereotypes conveyed by the text. The text has been content analyzed using psychological theories and methods. Specifically, the protocols is investigated within the framework of the stereotype content model （SCM; Fiske, Cuddy, Glick ＆ XU, 2002） and the theory of group images （Alexander, Brewer ＆ Herrmann, 1999）. We expected to find an envious stereotype content of the Jewish group, which results from their being perceived as low in warmth but high in competence. Moreover, we expected that such a representation fit the image of the ＂enemy＂. Results are in line with our predictions.     

About Historical Centers： Is the Trend Toward D6cor Really Irresistible？

In this paper, it is set out that projects in the historical centers of the large European cities are characterized either by historical truth, by authenticity, or by spectacle （d6cor）. There is always a formatting of space and behaviors, but it is either for culture or for entertainment （＂atmospheres＂）. This is confirmed when companies using Internet, which are specialized in ＂events＂, manage historical monuments. Also, a monument can be used for entertainment, as if it was a piece of d6cor. Possibly, preservation of heritage leads to d6cor. Therefore, the question of the limits of the trend toward d6cor is posed, and the topic is dealt with in the paper. The ideas of the French philosopher Lipovetsky are used. In a society with these characteristics, democracy, individualism and consumption, when in a group tastes and desires are shared, it can obtain decisions in accordance with the preferences of its members. The opinion of consumers （visitors or tourists） and inhabitants is paramount. Therefore, the set of the projects in the historical center of some cities should be somewhere in a triangle made up of historical truth, authenticity and spectacle. It is because if there is a need of entertainment, there is also a need of authenticity （and memory）. This ambiguity exists for a long time in tourism, architecture and even in the science called history. No wonder if it exists also in the projects chosen to fashion the historical centers.     

Groundwater irrigation management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia： A case study of Al-Wajid aquifer

Groundwater is the primary source for water irrigation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a result of lack of basic knowledge on irrigation practices, massive abstractions of groundwater occurred in 1980s. A decision support linear programming （LP） model was developed to help in allocation of optimal groundwater irrigation use, to assess policies implication for water management efficiency, and to estimate welfare impact on producer surplus is developed. Due to massive abstractions occurring in 1980s, Al-Wajid aquifer water levels have dropped in agricultural areas by more than 200 m. The total groundwater of Al-Wajid aquifer that can be saved is equal to 158.7 MCM for the first scenario, 211.9 MCM for the second scenario, and 15,087 MCM for the third scenario. Regarding welfare analysis impact, it is clear that the second scenario alternative is the best alternative, since the value of the producer surplus is the highest for the two study regions and also the two type schemes of modern and traditional irrigation, except the traditional irrigation of Najran region.     

Ethnoregionalist Politics From a Structuralist Perspective： Social Identities,Functional and Territorial Cleavages,and the Political Preferences of Minorities

This paper examines the nature and intensity of regional and ethnic minority demands on the example of voting preferences for ethnoregionalist parties in select regions across Europe. It argues that territorial distinctiveness and cultural identities are insufficient to explain minority demands for political representation. The political preferences of ethnoregional groups reflect overlapping and cross-cutting functional, territorial, and symbolic differences, which collectively form the determinants of electoral support for ethnoregionalist parties across Europe. The relative weight and additive effects of territorial and functional cleavages may vary according to national context but the pattern is consistent. The paper conducts cross-national comparison of representative territorial structures spanning across the West-East divide in European studies by including regional configurations in Western Europe （Scotland in the UK and Flanders in Belgium） and ethnic minorities in Eastern Europe （the Hungarian minority in Romania and the ethnic Turkish minority in Bulgaria）. The findings suggest that ethnoregional groups do not necessarily pursue cultural distinctiveness and/or regional autonomy. They are also likely to seek representation and access to government based on socioeconomic status, ideology, and political attitudes. Ethnoregionalist demands for representation thus reflect the growing overlap between the territorial, cultural, and ideological aspects of political conflict.