Daina Znotina's research while affiliated with Rezekne Academy of Technologies and other places

Purpose and aim of the study: Based on an assessment of the image of the border guard profession, the research aims to develop proposals on the possibilities of managing the image with the aim of building an attractive image of and positive public opinions on the profession, contributing to sustainable competitiveness of the profession and attracting potential new employees to the service. Methodology: Information for the research was obtained from research papers on the formation and management of the image of a profession, relevant legal acts and surveys. Main findings: The research results revealed that the image of the border guard profession currently presented in the media and to the public is relatively positive, although there are increasingly frequent discussions on the low competitiveness of the border guard profession and other professions related to internal affairs in the labour market; consequently, the government services are beginning to lack personnel. Originality: To date, the image of the border guard profession has been little recognized and the potential for it has been little researched.Implications: The present research represents the basis for further research on developing the brand of the border guard profession.

Purpose This study analyses the role of tourism in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the need to integrate sustainability into tourism policies, which contribute to the development and accessibility of technologies and the quality of society. Design/methodology/approach This study reviews the accessibility of the tourism industry and the expansion of smart tourism in terms of sustainability, reviewing a wide range of research papers and analysing the concepts, findings and approaches suggested by scientists from various countries, as well as examples from the Baltic States. Findings The results reveal that the tourism industry is capable of adapting to changing conditions in modern society in a short enough period, thus contributing to the expansion of smart tourism and their active implementation at tourist attractions. In view of the goals set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the accessibility of tourist attractions to various social groups should be provided through cooperation between public and private organizations. Originality/value This study explores the accessibility of tourism attractions and the development of smart tourism in the context of sustainability. Further, the article analyses some best practice examples from the Baltic States, which underpin the adaptation of the tourism industry to the changing conditions, as well as indicating the adaptation of the industry to the demands of modern society.

The aim of the study is to analyze the theoretical basis of creative economy and its development trends in the context of innovative business ecosystems formation. The scientific novelty of the research consists in solving the most important scientific and applied problem - further development of theoretical provisions of creative economy, ecosystems, as well as substantiation of the conceptual approach to the formation of innovative business ecosystem as a coherent management model. In the process of research, general scientific and special methods were used: scientific abstraction, deduction, analysis and synthesis, system and critical analysis, structural-logical, ascending from the abstract to the concrete, and statistical analysis. It has been substantiated that the priority development of creative economy as a strategic driver of sustainable development is the formation of an ecosystem conducive to the development of complex non-linear dynamic innovation processes, development of value propositions and value chain. The analysis of theoretical and methodological aspects of formation and functioning of ecosystems indicates the lack of development of this problem and the need to develop scientific approaches to their identification. Generalization of the results of theoretical analysis allowed us to group ecosystems according to the identified attributes into five main types. It was substantiated that a sustainable business ecosystem is a favorable environment for innovation to increase its value and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals. It is proposed to consider a sustainable "business ecosystem" as a coherent management model with established characteristics, which describes an aggregate system of business ecosystem modules that interact with each other and are focused on co-creation and co-production of value.

The profession of border guard is one of the oldest professions and plays an important role in the functioning of the state. Its image is shaped by public perceptions of the professional activities, behaviors and attitudes of its members. In principle, it is a set of opinions about the reputation, prestige and popularity of the profession. In order to find out and study the public opinion on the image and prestige of the border guard profession in today's changing conditions, the authors of the article both discusses theoretical findings on the image of the profession and, by analyzing the results of a survey, studies the public opinions on the image of the border guard profession. The public values professionalism, the highest human values (honesty, justice, patriotism, loyalty, etc.), kind and responsive communication, visual image, as well as positive publicity about the sector, achievements of border guards and other positive events.

The most significant changes in the international economy for the recent decades have been related to the growing role of the sector of services. As the proportion of services increases, customer satisfaction has become more important, so that customers return, do not go to the competitors and become a loyal customer. To understand their behaviour, it is necessary to know the things that affect their satisfaction – their needs, reasonable prices, pleasant service or anything else that can improve the company’s image. During the global pandemic, people stay at home, so the demand for telecommunication services has rapidly grown. Its quality and customer service are a lot more needed. In this study case, these aspects are considered through Tele2’s tariff plan “Bezlimits” (“Unlimited”) and the opinion of its users. A questionnaire has been made to collect the data, analyse, interpret and to make conclusions that can be binding to all companies in the telecommunications industry.

The term "natural resources" refers to both the natural and socio-economic realms. Natural resources - bodies and forces of nature - are linked to ensure close interaction in the process of nature management. Currently, this specific region has some vulnerable issues such as biodiversity loss and land degradation that are connected with poor resource management. The activities of modern society are followed by enormous changes in nature, which are reflected in the Earth's exterior appearance as well as the states of geosystems. Modern production is distinguished by the inclusion of significant reserves of natural resource potential. However, its participation and application are ineffective. Sustainable development necessitates the management of natural resources in a sustainable and integrated manner. The main purpose of the work is to investigate the main natural resources of the Central Asian region, and to show the cost of poor management. The methods that were used are synthesis, analysis, comparison method, and forecasting method. The novelty of the research is the attention paid to the mismanagement of natural resources in a specific region.

The authors’ research is interconnected with the socio-economic policy of the Republic of Belarus. Structural components and metrics of economic efficiency in the scientific work are studied based on government demand, which is reflected in the National Strategies for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus until 2020 and 2030. In addition, statistical data on the activities in economic sectors allows us to identify the most vulnerable areas of business, where telematics solutions can be used as drivers of growth and development. Considering that in the Republic of Belarus there are no fundamental studies on the application of business solutions based on the telematics tools for socio-economic development, the relevance, and reasonableness of the study is subsequently substantiated by economic results obtained from the analysis of the implementation of telematics solutions in foreign practice and in Belarusian business, that’s reflecting significant savings and cost reduction.

The authors systematized approaches to the essence of the categories “product competitiveness”, “enterprise competitiveness”, “field competitiveness”, “regional competitiveness” and “country competitiveness”. The authors formulated the definition of competitiveness. The approaches to the classification of competitiveness factors are systematized. The authors’ classification of factors was developed. The authors have proved that the main factor in the competitiveness of enterprises is raw materials. Obtaining raw materials by the enterprise is carried out through procurement. Thus, the management of procurement of goods, having the largest share in the cost of the final product, is the main factor affecting the competitiveness of the enterprise. The authors have systematized approaches to characterizing the essence, goals and objectives of procurement management and to the classification of purchases. The authors’ definition of procurement management and the composition of its principles are proposed. The mechanisms of influence on the management of procurement and processing enterprises of the agro-industrial complex are investigated on the example of the open joint-stock company “Pukhovichi Plant of Grain Products” (Belarus). Possible ways to improve the procurement management of the studied organization are proposed. The recommendations proposed by the authors can be used by other organizations of the processing industry of the agro-industrial complex.

Nowadays it is possible for entrepreneurs to use the Internet and IT in order to conduct marketing research, promote and advertise their products, assess the effectiveness of marketing activities etc. All this could be done at much lower costs and less time. Therefore, it is important to create a model for promoting competitive advantages that takes into account modern trends, and, based on this model, provide an appropriate set of marketing tools in the Internet environment. The aim of the research is to analyse the promotion of a company's services on the Internet based on the example of Confermo Solutions Ltd. Methods used in the research - monographic and a sociological research method – surveying. The research developed proposals for the promotion of a company’s services in the Internet environment, the implementation of which could significantly increase the company’s competitiveness in the market.

Social media have become not only a platform for contacts among individuals but also a channel through which companies can maintain constant two-way feedback with consumers. Companies around the world become increasingly aware of the potential of children in the market and increase their communication with the children's audience. The ability to influence a child’s choices through communication via social media could give companies an opportunity to increase their sales. The aim of the research is to assess the elements of social media communication for the LEGO brand and their influence on children’s audience in Latvia. The research concluded that nowadays it is important for a company to identify the right target audience, and only then, based on the company’s strategy, consider the need to use specific tools available in social media. By focusing their communication on children, companies also need to build a parallel relationship with their parents to make sure that the brand is relevant, safe and committed to the values that are relevant to the audience. Nowadays it is fruitful to focus on video content that creates a sense of presence and reality. LEGO is a good source of inspiration for companies in Latvia that want to create a strong brand story, thereby increasing their visibility through communication via social media. The research aim was achieved by identifying the theoretical basis, analysing the communication marketing activities of the LEGO brand focused on children, as well as conducting structured expert interviews and performing a content analysis.