Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Eva Zamrazilová Title: Přímé zahraniční investice v české ekonomice: rizika duality a role trhu práce Title: Foreign direct investments in the czech republic: selected macroeconomic issues Abstract: The paper deals with the relationships between the inflow of FDI in the Czech economy and the Czech labour market. First part is focused on general issues related to the FDI inflows and to the analysis of the penetration of the foreign controlled companies into domestic economy. Special attendance is devoted to the scope and developments of the duality in the Czech economy, in particular in its key segment - manufacturing industry. The findings indicate gradual and differentiated diminishing of the scope of duality in the Czech manufacturing. The necessary conditions for positive spillovers of FDI into the domestic economy have been outlined, with flexible and qualified labour force being a very important channel of the transfer of technology. Therefore the impacts of FDI on the Czech labour market have been analyzed from the regional and industrial viewpoint. Low flexibility of the Czech labour market has been one of the reasons behind still considerable scope of duality in the Czech manufacturing. Keywords: long-term unemployment, labour market, foreign direct investments, transfer of technology, FDI spillovers Classification-JEL: F21, F23, J60 Pages: 579-602 Volume: 2007 Issue: 5 Year: 2007 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=614.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/614 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2007:y:2007:i:5:id:614:p:579-602 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Miroslav Kollár Title: Struktura výroby, vnitroodvětvový obchod a jejich relevance pro teorii optimálních měnových oblastí Title: Structure of production, intraindustry trade and their relevance for the optimum currency areas theory Abstract: This paper deals with the recent empirical phenomenon of intraindustry trade, i.e. trade in similar goods between similar countries. It treats this phenomenon from the point of view of the theory of structure of production, highlighting the importance of sequential nature of production and heterogeneity and specificity of factors of production, as developed by Carl Menger, Eugen von Boehm-Bawerk and their followers of the so-called Austrian school of economics. Simple theory of production structure, along the lines of Austrian economics, is presented and a useful tool for the analysis of intraindustry trade is developed. In the following discussion we make the case for vertical intraindustry specialization, complex manufactured goods and sliced-up production chains across countries. The reader immediately observes the importance of Austrian production structure theory for the analysis of intraindustry trade. We accordingly apply the concepts of the structure of production on intraindustry trade and analyze, in particular, the time- and place-aspects of international production. Finally, we show the relevance of our approach to intraindustry trade for the analysis of business cycle synchronization and Optimum currency areas theory. Keywords: Austrian School of Economics, European monetary union, capital, structure of production, intraindustry trade, sliced-up value chains, Optimum currency areas theory, business cycle synchronization Classification-JEL: B25, B53, D24, E22, E23, F12, F21, F23 Pages: 603-624 Volume: 2007 Issue: 5 Year: 2007 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=615.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/615 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2007:y:2007:i:5:id:615:p:603-624 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jan Vlachý Title: Dodatečné zdanění nejistých osobních příjmů v důsledku daňové progrese Title: The penalty on risky personal income due to tax rate progression Abstract: This paper analyzes the tax penalty on volatile personal income under progressive tax rates. The phenomenon may have an effect on long-term entrepreneurial decisions as well as risky occupational choice. An options-based model is used to estimate the expected effective rate due from tax-payers at different income levels and volatilities under the current Czech legislation. A comparison is made to the system which has been in place until 2005, as well as to the Slovak flat-rate schedule. The model shows that volatile incomes incur a substantial penalty of up to 2 percentage points on the effective rate peaking just below the official income statistics mean. The effect is more pronounced than under the former parameters of the tax code. A severe impact on below-average earners due to the mandatory minimum tax-base regulation has been demonstrated. On the other hand, the Slovak flat tax with a single marginal rate bears virtually no sensitivity to income volatility, with the slight exception of very low incomes. Keywords: income tax, option model, tax rate progression, personal income, income volatility, risk-taking, occupational choice Classification-JEL: D81, H23, H24, H30, J24 Pages: 625-636 Volume: 2007 Issue: 5 Year: 2007 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=616.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/616 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2007:y:2007:i:5:id:616:p:625-636 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Milan Viturka Title: Konkurenceschopnost regionů a možnosti jejího hodnocení Title: Competitiveness of regions and possibilities of its evaluation Abstract: Contribution presents results which were acquired by means of application of original method of regional competitiveness evaluation. This method was verified on the example of 14 Czech regions (kraje) and one consists of three steps: evaluation of business environment quality (16 factors concerning of business, labour, infrastructural, regional and local, price and environmental prerequisites for enterprise), evaluation of human resources utilization (based on information about unemployment level and share of so-called sensitive industries, that are threatened by strong competition) and evaluation of innovative potential (based on information about number of innovative companies and number of employees in important innovative companies). Given regions were divided into 3 types and 6 subtypes according to their total competitive position. Possibilities of practical utilization of acquired results were tested on background of defined development scenarios: progressive scenario (2 classified regions) growth scenario (8 regions) and adaptation scenario (4 regions). Keywords: competitiveness, regions, business environment, human resources, innovative potential, development scenarios Classification-JEL: O, R Pages: 637-658 Volume: 2007 Issue: 5 Year: 2007 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=617.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/617 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2007:y:2007:i:5:id:617:p:637-658 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Marek Loužek Title: Ekonomie náboženství - je hypotéza sekularizace opodstatněná? Title: Economics of religion - is the secularization hypothesis tenable? Abstract: The article is concerned with the economics of religion. The first chapter is introduction into the economics of religion by Adam Smith. The second chapter asks the question whether the secularization hypothesis is tenable. The third chapter analyzes the allocation of time and church attendance and investments into religious capital. The forth chapter examines religious market in perfect or imperfect competition. The fifth chapter summarizes empirical research. The sixth chapter brings conclusions. Keywords: economics of religion, secularization hypothesis, religious pluralism, state religion, religious market, allocation of time Classification-JEL: D1, J2, Z1 Pages: 659-680 Volume: 2007 Issue: 5 Year: 2007 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=618.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/618 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2007:y:2007:i:5:id:618:p:659-680 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jan Pavel Title: Efektivnost obecních obchodních společností při poskytování služeb Title: The effectiveness of the municipal firms in providing the services Abstract: The paper is dealing with the problem of so called "municipal" firms. I define them as the firms, which are based on commercial law but are owned by municipalities. The municipal firms are often used for providing services in the Czech Republic. However, this type of firm is connected with a lot of problems (transparency, effectiveness). The paper is divided into five main parts. I discuss the theoretical problems, which are connected with the municipal firm in the first part. I especially focus on the question, what is the main factor of increasing the effectiveness - if the change in the ownership or the competition pressure. The second part describes the current situation in the Czech Republic and here I try to estimate, which part of public procurement market on the municipal level is controlled through the municipal firms. In the third part I have developed the model, which shows that for the municipalities can be reasonable to contract the municipal firm despite it is more expensive that classical outsourcing. Next part is dealing with the economical effectiveness of the municipal firms. The result of empirical research shows, that this type of the firm is the most expensive solution in the providing services on the municipal level. The last part, conclusion, summarise the main results and formulate the policy recommendations, which could increase the effectiveness of the public sector as well as of the economy as a whole. Keywords: effectiveness, Czech Republic, Municipal Firms, Public Procurement, Public Services, Transparency Classification-JEL: H40, H57 Pages: 681-693 Volume: 2007 Issue: 5 Year: 2007 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=619.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/619 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2007:y:2007:i:5:id:619:p:681-693 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Julie Chytilová Author-Name: Natálie Reichlová Title: Komplexní systémy v teoriích F. A. Hayeka a H. A. Simona Title: Complex systems in the theories of F. A. Hayek and H. A . Simon Abstract: The aim of this paper is to introduce roots of multi-agent approaches in economic theory. From the beginning, the opinion that economic system should be investigated on the basis of comprehension to its basic units was expressed by many scientists. Friedrich A. Hayek and Herbert A. Simon are two important scientists who may be designated as predecessors of multi-agent modeling. They incorporated similar principles as applied by multi-agent system approaches into their works before it was possible to deal with these principles through artificial intelligence. This paper links ideas of Hayek and Simon with multi-agent modeling, common principles and ideas are identified. Keywords: Hayek, Simon, multi-agent system, complex system Classification-JEL: B31, P00 Pages: 694-707 Volume: 2007 Issue: 5 Year: 2007 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=620.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/620 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2007:y:2007:i:5:id:620:p:694-707