Eastern European Journal for Regional Studies

7

Authors: Iulia IVAȘCENCO

This paper examines the role of redundancy and robust supplier relationships in enhancing supply chain resilience, specifically focusing on the cosmetics industry. It explores strategic redundancy measures such as maintaining safety stock levels, diversifying transportation modes, strategic distribution center locations, and collaborating with backup suppliers. The study further discusses the importance of robust supplier relationships and details strategies to strengthen these relationships, including effective communication, collaborative planning, aligning goals, and fair and ethical treatment. To illustrate these concepts, the paper leverages case studies from global corporations, including Unilever, Estée Lauder, Toyota, Nike, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Apple, and Walmart. Conclusively, it provides future outlooks and actionable recommendations for enhancing resilience in the cosmetics industry's supply chain.

10

Authors: Elena VACULOVSCHI

Focus group interviewing is a technique frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of social issues. In this article, I propose to present the experience of conducting focus group interviews with children, carried out within the project Children left behind by labor migration: supporting Moldovan and Ukrainian transnational families in the European Union. In order to obtain better qualitative results, the research sought the free expression of the opinion of all respondents participating in the research. This aimed to highlight the various possible negative aspects related to the phenomenon of transnational families and children left without care whose parents are away working abroad. The guide for moderation of focus groups with children was structured in five modules. It included topics related to perception of migration and its impact on transnational families and children left without parental care, caring for the child after the parents leave, the changes that occur after the parents’ migration, existing social services in the community and future perspectives of children. Each module, the experience of conducting focus group interviews and the results of the opinion study of children left behind by labor force migration were presented and analyzed in depth in the article.

11

Authors: Magdalena PROCZEK, Marta GARBARCZYK

Today's global challenges are characterized by increasing complexity. This makes it possible to ‎call these challenges so-called wicked problems, which are difficult to define clearly, have no ‎single solution and require the involvement of multiple stakeholders for its purpose. Such ‎complication can include a group of contemporary migration and refugee problems, which include ‎dilemma of adaptation and integration of immigrants, or social conflicts between locals and ‎newcomers, etc. The Design Thinking (DT) method, which is recipient- and user-oriented ‎solution, can be used to try to solve these issues. Importantly, the beneficiaries themselves ‎can also be involved.‎ The purpose of this study is to present the essence of wicked problems, as well as the DT ‎method as a tool for solving contemporary problems, including migration and refugees. The ‎study fills the research gap on presenting a proposal for a tool in the form of the Design Thinking ‎method for solving contemporary wicked problems, including in the setting of migrants and ‎refugees, using the results of the ALIEN project as an example. A synthetic review of the literature on wicked problems was also conducted.‎ The study used a qualitative method in the form of logical inference, as well as a review ‎of the literature on the subject, studies, and reports. By addressing this issue, the authors ‎intended to expand the existing body of global analysis in this area.‎ As demonstrated in this paper, the DT method has been successfully used to solve ‎wicked problems among migrants and refugees in Norway as well as Ethiopia, Senegal, USA, ‎Colombia, Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Jordan and Iraq. International research ‎teams, including the ALIEN project team, are seeking effective solutions to wicked problems ‎accompanying migration and refugee processes. This empirical study discusses the application ‎of this method to solving wicked problems surrounding migrants and refugees, especially their ‎solution proposals developed within the ERASMUS+ ALIEN Strategic Partnerships project. ‎The authors believe that they could be successfully used today on a large scale.

14

Authors: Dorin VACULOVSCHI, Raisa DOGARU

The given article describes the trends of return migration, but also the situation of labour migrants returned to the Republic of Moldova, the factors that initially led to labour migration, and then to their return. The very process of migrants' return presents them with the same difficulties and challenges as in the case of their going to work abroad. Citizens returning home face a lack of jobs, impediments in the recognition of diplomas and qualifications obtained abroad, difficulties in the process of opening a business, etc. However, the state makes great efforts to stimulate the return of labour migrants, but also their (re)integration into society. However, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948), the right of citizens to return to their countries of origin is a right recognized and reaffirmed in other international normative acts, such as the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families (United Nations Convention, 1990).

15

Authors: Mihai HACHI, Stela LEONTI

Migration is an important component of the development of the Republic of Moldova at the current stage. The economic and social instability that followed after obtaining political independence in 1991, the inefficiency of reforms in several socio-economic fields, the institutional uncertainty led the population to migrate, this being a strategy to adapt it to the created conjuncture situation. The increase in intensity migration was also influenced by the processes of liberalization of entry and exit procedures from the territory of the Republic of Moldova. Currently, our country represents one of the countries in the world with the largest shares of the migrant working population, as well as the share of remittances in GDP, the effects of migration being felt in all areas of social-economic life in the country. Concern for the support of migrants over time has materialized through the creation of governmental structures with the aim of monitoring and launching various strategies, programs, projects addressed to citizens outside the country's borders. Ensuring the reintegration of returned migrants, after a migratory experience of work or life abroad, is of great importance both for citizens and for the state authorities that have the duty to support emigrant citizens regardless of their options to return or settle in the adoptive country. Through this scientific approach, the authors propose to analyze the effectiveness of the tools used by the institutional, banking and social systems in harnessing on the potential of migrants, as well as the extent to which they are known, meet the expectations of citizens in the process of return and reintegration, their accessibility, transparency and efficiency. A sustainable socio-economic development of the Republic of Moldova, in the context of clear aspirations for European integration, will create opportunities for citizens wishing to return, work and live in the country.

19

Authors: Natalia CURAGĂU, Rodica CUȘMĂUNSĂ

Developments in accounting systems at national and international level are largely influenced by the interconnection of economies and the globalization of financial markets. There is a complex relationship between globalization processes and development indicators. All factors of globalization - financial cooperation, trade, investment, scientific and technological progress and migration - have socio-economic and environmental implications and influence policy design and implementation at national, regional and global levels. Important among these impacts are the limitation of state autonomy in policy-making and, consequently, the need for national policy-making to be more responsive to international obligations, commitments and imperatives. Achieving development goals requires strengthening global partnership. The purpose of the proposed investigation is based on the analysis of the historical migration of financial, material and human resources of groups of companies, which has led to the creation and strengthening of new market relationships, markets where groups of enterprises dominate, which by diversifying their activities are now able to generate impressive financial results. The research was based on methods and techniques for aggregating migrated capital by specifying the links between economic agents within the group, describing the essence of international capital migration, the causes of international capital migration of enterprise groups, etc. The authors, studying the processes of migration of capitals of entities, personnel of groups of companies at national and international level, established the forms of migration of capitals internationally, focusing on consolidated accounts and tax aspects in terms of problematic moments and put forward proposals for solutions in the context of globalization and migration of capitals and activities of groups of companies, demonstrating the influence of migration of capitals of entities within groups on the development of the world economy.