Faculty of Economics
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Item type:Publication, Динамика на трудовата миграција и интеграција на работната сила во Северна Македонија: вештини, усогласување и правичност(Универзитет „Св. Кирил и Методиј“ во Скопје, Економски факултет - Скопје, 2026); ; ; ; - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Analytical Modelling of Graduated Economists’ Employment(Springer International Publishing, 2022-11-12); ; ; - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Brain-Drain and Skill Mismatch: Can Higher and Vocational Education Bridge the Gap?(2025); ; ; ; Objectives: This study explores how migration dynamics can shape the ability of education and training systems to address skill shortages and labor market mismatches through a unique comparative study of findings from North Macedonia, Ethiopia, and Ukraine which are considered countries of origin for migrants. Specifically, it investigates whether Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers can produce graduates whose qualifications align with the evolving economic demands, and how these institutions adapt their curricula, foster collaboration with the industry, and cope with resource constraints to mitigate skill gaps which are notably pronounced by brain-drain. Data and Methods: Based on primary qualitative data from conducted interviews with HEIs and VETs, labor market intermediaries, and policy stakeholders, we employed a thematic content analysis to extract patterns regarding curriculum relevance, tracking of graduate employability, perceptions on the quality of education, and responsiveness to technological and structural labor market changes. Additionally, secondary data from statistical databases on migration flows and employment trends throughout the last decade contextualize the interview findings, thus providing a comparation between the four countries. Results: Findings show that a significant share of education institutions believe their qualifications meet the labor market needs, but systematic tracking of graduate outcomes remains a challenge. Interviewees acknowledge skill mismatches since curriculum updates struggle to keep pace with the rapid organizational and technological changes. As a significant contributor towards this is also the insufficient cooperation with businesses. While many institutions attempt to update programs through stakeholder consultation or national accreditation processes, financial constraints were highlighted to limit the required improvement. Furthermore, it is generally understood that brain-drain amplifies the national labor shortages, as graduates with relatively better skill and performance often emigrate for better opportunities. Policy measures such as targeted training programs, wage subsidies, and even active labor market interventions seem to be already employed but yield mixed results across countries. Interviewees emphasize the importance of practical internships, flexibility in learning, and modernized educational frameworks in mitigation of skill shortages and retention of domestic talent. Conclusions: The study highlights an urgent need for reinforced institutional collaboration and robust curriculum reforms that align with global standards. Strengthening public-private partnerships, greater integration of technology as well as enhancing international cooperation particularly through EU-led frameworks appears to be essential in mitigating brain-drain and ensuring that education and training systems in the four countries respond effectively to the labor market demands. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Optimizing Economic Complexity(2025-03-06); César A. HidalgoEfforts to apply economic complexity to identify diversification opportunities often rely on diagrams comparing the relatedness and complexity or products, technologies, or industries. Yer, the use of these diagrams is not based on empirical or theoretidal evidence supporting some notion of optimality. Here, we introduce an optimization-based framework that identifies diversification opportunities by minimizing a cost function capturing the constraints imposed by an economy's pattern of specialization. We show that the resulting portfolios often differ from those implied by relatedness-complexity diagrams, providing a target-oriented optimization layer to the economic complexity toolkit. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Decoding Source Credibility: How it ifluences Trust in Informative Brand-Related Content and Customer Purchase Intentions(Faculty of Economics-Skopje, 2024-11); - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Understanding Sustainability Reporting as Communication(University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics & Business, Zagreb – Croatia, 2026, 2026-01); ; Background: Companies and organizations nowadays communicate their performance with various stakeholders through sustainability reporting. However, the reporting is under the influence of several factors, such as regulations, everyday actions, leadership practices, and cultural context. Due to this, scientific research has outlined significant variations in findings on disclosure quality, completeness, comparability, and assurance practices of sustainability reporting and its role in decision-making. In this line, frameworks such as GRI, integrated reporting, SDG disclosure, ESG scoring methodologies, and assurance processes help in standardizing reporting practices. Despite this, when companies communicate governance structures, external scrutiny, and institutional environment, research shows that there are differences between sustainability reporting used just as a symbolic and formal communication, and on the other hand, used as a meaningful communication. Objectives: In this study, we explore the most important theories that define sustainability reporting as a communication tool. We also investigate the key aspects of sustainability reporting, such as quality, assurance, disclosure scope, and governance, and their influence on credibility, stakeholder trust, and legitimacy of organisations. We try to answer the following research questions: RQ 1: Which theories most effectively explain the role of sustainability reporting in communication? RQ 2: What constructs and indicators are used to assess the quality and communicative effectiveness of sustainability reports? RQ 3: How do management approaches, assurance practices, institutional pressures, and cultural contexts shape the credibility and trustworthiness of sustainability reporting? Methodology: To answer the research questions, we conducted a systematic literature review. We applied the PRISMA protocol to 143 Scopus-indexed publications from 2010 to 2025. The studies that are part of the sample examine SDG disclosure, ESG scoring models, reporting quality indices, assurance processes, governance drivers, reporting frameworks, linguistic choices, greenwashing risks, and cultural influences on disclosure patterns. During the review process, we extracted the main theories, communication-related constructs, contexts, and methodologies used in these studies. Findings: Based on the review, we can conclude that sustainability reporting is used as a communication system influenced by institutional expectations, regulatory frameworks, governance characteristics, and strategic signalling behavior. Regarding the theories, Institutional Theory is identified as a prominent one, explaining why organizations follow established norms and mandatory requirements. Further, Signaling Theory is used to explain how firms use disclosure to bridge information asymmetry. Agency Theory highlights the role of governance in shaping the credibility of reports. Further, constructs such as reporting quality, disclosure completeness, SDG and ESG indicator depth, tone and linguistic framing, assurance quality, governance diversity, and cultural influences are identified as crucial in evaluating how effectively sustainability reports transfer the message to the companies’ stakeholders. Additionally, research shows that adoption of structured frameworks, external assurance, and integrated reporting enhances credibility and helps in addressing concerns about greenwashing. Nevertheless, variations across countries persist in terms of cultural norms, regulatory environments, and stakeholder expectations. Moreover, existing studies emphasize the importance of consistent materiality assessments, longitudinal evidence, and stronger assurance processes. Future research should focus on analysing the impact of digital communication formats, on examining the harmonization of emerging global reporting standards, and on exploring how signalling mechanisms influence stakeholder interpretation and trust. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Comparative Analysis of Skill Shortages, Skill Mismatches, and the Threats of Migration in Labor Markets: A Sectoral Approach in North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Ukraine(MDPI AG, 2025-05-12); ; ; ; İmrol, Meryem HamsiLabor markets worldwide are increasingly strained by skill shortages, mismatches, and migration pressures, disrupting workforce stability and economic growth. This study conducts a comparative sectoral analysis in North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Ukraine, focusing on the manufacturing, information and communication technology, and hospitality sectors, to examine the root causes and economic consequences of these challenges. Using a qualitatively driven mixed-methods approach, the research integrates expert interviews, surveys, and labor market data to assess skill gaps, workforce imbalances, and the role of migration. The findings reveal education–industry misalignment, inadequate vocational training, and low wages as persistent drivers of shortages. Additionally, the war in Ukraine, internal conflicts in Ethiopia, and refugee inflows in Türkiye amplify workforce instability, while North Macedonia faces severe emigration, particularly in the sectors of manufacturing and information and communication technologies. These insights are essential for policymakers, industry leaders, and educators in designing labor market interventions that foster workforce resilience. The study recommends national qualification reforms, industry–education collaboration, and improved wage structures to mitigate talent loss and strengthen labor market sustainability. By offering empirical evidence from diverse socio-economic contexts, this research contributes to global discussions on workforce development, migration economics, and labor policy reforms. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Stakeholder perceptions of migration policies and investment in human capital development: expert interview evidence from policymakers, labor market organizations and social partners in North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Ethiopia(2026-01-16); ; ; ; Introduction: Policies that combine human capital development and migration governance are necessary because migration alters the labor supply and skill distribution across economies. Through a cross-country approach, four migrant-origin countries, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Ethiopia, that reflect various combinations of demographic pressures, institutional capacity, and conflict shocks are examined in this study. Methods: Using standardized qualitative expert interviews with policymakers, labor market intermediaries, and social partners, analyzed through a reflexive thematic analysis, the study explores the respondents’ perceptions and the channels through which education and migration policies, as perceived, interact to influence labor market outcomes. Results: Respondents reported that migration dynamics exacerbate structural unemployment, gender disparities, brain drain, and ongoing skill mismatches in all four countries. Interviewees highlight structural gaps in technical training and job-readiness in Ethiopia, while in Ukraine, a prime example of the disruptive effects of war, population displacement strains both education and the labor market. In North Macedonia and Türkiye, skill mismatches are pronounced by the notable emigration as well as the inefficiency of retention mechanisms. Among all studied countries, participants identified demand-based training and reliable institutional frameworks as crucial levers for reducing shortages and slowing the human capital depletion. Discussion: The comparative study emphasizes the need for policies that efficiently connect labor market demands, migration management, and education to achieve a balance between social demands and long-term socioeconomic growth. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, MACHINE LEARNING FOR STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL DECISION-MAKING: A BIBLIOMETRIC PERSPECTIVE(University of Zenica, Faculty of Economics, 2025-09-30); ; Serafimovska, IvonaBesides being a buzzword, machine learning finds new areas of application in organizational decision-making processes by the day. We map the field's intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and application domains through a bibliometric analysis of 1,803 Web of Science and Scopus articles (1990-2024) to elucidate its strategic and operational roles. Six clusters, spanning risk modeling, predictive analytics, strategic intelligence, and human-centered AI, are revealed by co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, and bibliographic coupling. The findings reveal a fragmented but methodologically diverse landscape, with algorithm adoption differing by decision type and industry. By connecting machine learning methods (like deep learning, natural language processing, and explainable AI) with decision functions (like forecasting, optimization, and classification), we can identify the situations in which machine learning has the biggest influence. We go beyond descriptive enumeration with our integration of conceptual and practical insights. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, WHEN RATIONALITY INSPIRES AND FATIGUE PERSISTS: UNDERSTANDING DRIVERS OF ONLINE PURCHASE INTENTION(Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Economics-Skopje, 2025-12-30); ; Using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study investigates the effects of digital fatigue and digital rationality on online purchase intention. Although these forces have been frequently examined separately in prior research, little is known about how they interact to influence consumer decision-making in digital contexts. Direct and indirect effects were tested using mediation models on survey data from 259 members of Generation Z. The results show an unexpected asymmetry. Without influencing attitudes, digital fatigue directly increases purchase intention, suggesting that tiredness can influence consumers to make quick, closure-focused decisions. Contrarily, digital rationality only impacts intention through attitudes, demonstrating that logical assessments result in positive perceptions, which in turn influence more robust purchase intentions. By showing that attitudes mediate selectively based on the stimulus, these findings enhance the theory of consumer behavior. The study offers a more comprehensive understanding of digital decision-making by incorporating dual-process accounts and resource depletion perspectives into the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework. The necessity for interfaces that provide clear information to consumers who are rationally oriented while reducing friction for weary users is highlighted by the practical implications.