Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Hana Zídková
Title: Discussion of the methods estimating the VAT gap?
Abstract: It has been widely accepted that philosophers of science wrote a “swansong” for positivism during the second half of the 20th century. Milton Friedman and Paul Samuelson, major contributors in the fi eld of economic methodology at the time, the argument goes, never refl ected the demise. Therefore, positivist roots are still to be found in infl uential theoretical concepts developed by mainstream economists. Specifi cally, I present the hypothesis of rational expectations and the theory of effi cient markets as two signifi cant outcomes of a “high tide” of positivist thinking in economics. However, quite a large number of scholars currently share the view that the two concepts contributed in a non-negligible manner to the development leading to the fi nancial crisis culminating in 2008 and 2009 and should be replaced by behavioural or other approaches. The article thus asks, in quite a novel way, if the crisis - seen by many as an empirical rejection of both the concepts - can also be seen as a milestone in the development of methodology of economics.
Keywords: Input-output tables, VAT gap estimates, weighted average VAT rate, tax evasion
Classification-JEL: C61, H21, H26
Pages: 3-29
Volume: 2014
Issue: 4
Year: 2014
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=442.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/442
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2014:y:2014:i:4:id:442:p:3-29

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Lukáš Kovanda
Title: Will the Financial Crisis Become a Milestone in the Development of Methodology of Economics?
Abstract: It has been widely accepted that philosophers of science wrote a “swansong” for positivism during the second half of the 20th century. Milton Friedman and Paul Samuelson, major contributors in the fi eld of economic methodology at the time, the argument goes, never refl ected the demise. Therefore, positivist roots are still to be found in infl uential theoretical concepts developed by mainstream economists. Specifi cally, I present the hypothesis of rational expectations and the theory of effi cient markets as two signifi cant outcomes of a “high tide” of positivist thinking in economics. However, quite a large number of scholars currently share the view that the two concepts contributed in a non-negligible manner to the development leading to the fi nancial crisis culminating in 2008 and 2009 and should be replaced by behavioural or other approaches. The article thus asks, in quite a novel way, if the crisis - seen by many as an empirical rejection of both the concepts - can also be seen as a milestone in the development of methodology of economics.
Keywords: financial crisis, methodology of economics, positivism,, Milton Friedman, Paul Samuelson, rational expectations, theory of efficient markets, behavioural economics
Classification-JEL: B20, B30, B31, B40, B41, B50
Pages: 16-29
Volume: 2014
Issue: 4
Year: 2014
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=443.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/443
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2014:y:2014:i:4:id:443:p:16-29

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Radek Tahal
Author-Name: Václav Stříteský
Title: Loyalty Programs and their Perception by Customers and by The Operators of Retail e-Shops
Abstract: The paper deals with building customer loyalty through loyalty programmes in online stores (e-shops) and makes a comparison with standard retail chains. The fi rst part is based on a survey of customer attitudes towards loyalty programmes in the online environment and a survey of customer attitudes towards loyalty programmes in retail chains. Research fi ndings for the two specifi c environments are compared with e-shop operators’ and owners’ viewpoint of loyalty programmes. Presented fi ndings indicate the direction in which the loyalty programmes should be built. A successful loyalty programme must be suffi ciently attractive for customers. The survey reveals that easily obtained benefi ts and remuneration thematically bound to the purchased item make customers more satisfi ed, which can be transformed into loyalty. Retailers do not necessarily have to insist on long- -term collection of points. Sophisticated types of fast-moving remuneration can bring the desired objectives as well.
Pages: 30-41
Volume: 2014
Issue: 4
Year: 2014
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=444.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/444
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2014:y:2014:i:4:id:444:p:30-41

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Pierre Brouland
Author-Name: Zora Kidlesová
Title: The concept and terminology of strike in French in comparison with Czech
Abstract: The strike is one of the clichés associated with France. Compared with other European countries, the strikes there are more numerous, more violent and more spectacular. We can evoke as such the existence of a real culture of strike in France. This situation explains the existence of a very rich vocabulary which we suggest studying in this article. The term “grève” itself came into use relatively late, at the beginning of the 19th century, replacing other expressions such as “tric” or “coalition”.
Keywords: history of the word strike, French labour law, concept of strike, vocabulary of strike
Classification-JEL: B15, J52, Z19
Pages: 42-51
Volume: 2014
Issue: 4
Year: 2014
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=445.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/445
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2014:y:2014:i:4:id:445:p:42-51

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Roman Hušek
Author-Name: Tomáš Formánek
Title: Alternative specification, estimation and identification of vector autoregressions
Abstract: The article focuses on various aspects of specifi cation, estimation and identifi cation of vector autoregression (VAR) models. Key VAR-specifi c topics of verifi cation of an estimated model are also covered, as well as the differences between a standard (unrestricted) and structural VAR model. Subsequently, we address theoretical properties and practical aspects of impulse response functions (IRFs) as calculated upon estimated VAR models. Topics such as Cholesky decomposition (CHD), orthogonalised and generalised IRFs are discussed. Properties of VAR models are compared against alternative econometric modelling tools, such as simultaneous equation models and dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models. The article is supplemented with an illustrative example: on an aggregated EMU-wide level, we estimate a VAR (2) model for real GDP, CPI and PPI infl ation. IRFs are calculated using two different CHD orderings and compared to generalised IRFs. We fi nd the IRFs from our illustrative model to be very robust against the chosen IRF calculation method and against equation ordering changes.
Pages: 52-72
Volume: 2014
Issue: 4
Year: 2014
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=446.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/446
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2014:y:2014:i:4:id:446:p:52-72

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Tomáš Fiala
Author-Name: Jitka Langhamrová
Title: Expected population development in Czech regions and its consequences
Abstract: In January 2014, the Czech Statistical Offi ce published its demographic prospect for the regions of the Czech Republic. It follows the medium option of the prospect for the whole Czech Republic published in 2013. Unlike previous prospects, the current prospect has been computed including migration. Its infl uence not only on the population size but mainly on its sex and age structure is (especially in some regions) very considerable. The population development in the Central Bohemian Region and, in particular, in Prague is expected to be quite different from that in the other regions. While in Prague and Central Bohemia the population size will be increasing due to expected permanent immigration, the other regions will mostly face stagnation or even population decline. Population ageing will continue in all the regions but it will be slower in Prague and Central Bohemia than in the remaining regions.
Keywords: Czech Republic, population prospect, sex and age structure,, population ageing, regions
Classification-JEL: J110, R230
Pages: 73-96
Volume: 2014
Issue: 4
Year: 2014
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=447.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/447
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2014:y:2014:i:4:id:447:p:73-96

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Pavel Sirůček
Title: Political Marketing for not Only Economists
Pages: 97-100
Volume: 2014
Issue: 4
Year: 2014
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=448.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/448
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2014:y:2014:i:4:id:448:p:97-100