IT Vendors, Human Capital, Economic Uncertainty: IDLab at EBES Conference
The scientific event brought together more than 300 participants from 44 countries, who presented 142 papers on various topics, ranging from education and labor economics to green economy and innovation economics. One of the most anticipated events was the keynote address by Jonathan Batten from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia). The expert shared valuable advice on how to publish in high-ranking scientific journals. Jonathan Batten, the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Editor of journals such as Finance Research Letters and Emerging Markets Review, provided particularly useful recommendations. The conference also featured a roundtable of scientific journal editors, including Christos Kollias (editor of Defence and Peace Economics) and Cristiano Antonelli (editor of Economics of Innovation and New Technology). They provided detailed insights into the publication process, from manuscript submission to release. Special attention was given to the innovations and particularities that have emerged in recent years.
Senior Research Fellow at the International Laboratory of Intangible Assets Economics, Professor Maria Molodchik, presented a study on "Unlocking Human Capital Potential: How SMEs Can Become More Resilient." This work, done in collaboration with Marina Zavertyaeva, Dmitry Kirpichnikov, and Anastasia Kireyecheva (under RSF grant No. 23-78-10149), analyzed data from more than 1,300 Russian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from 2017 to 2022. The researchers found that the effectiveness of human capital contributes to company resilience under negative financial performance trends but increases volatility during positive trends.
Junior Research Fellow Evgenia Shenkman presented a paper on "Economic Uncertainty and New Small and Medium Enterprises: A Panel VECM Approach." The study, conducted in collaboration with Yulia Naidenova (under RSF grant No. 23-78-10149), focused on the impact of economic uncertainty on the creation of new SMEs in various regions. The results showed that this impact is not always negative.
Junior Research Fellow Anna Daviy discussed the study "Choosing an IT Supplier to Increase Productivity," prepared in collaboration with Elena Shakina and Maria Molodchik. The researchers analyzed how local and global IT vendors affect company productivity. Using regression analysis and the synthetic control method, the authors demonstrated that the country of origin of the IT vendor can significantly influence the effectiveness of IT product implementation.
The participation of researchers from the International Laboratory of Intangible Assets Economics in this prestigious conference not only highlighted the significance of their research but also strengthened international scientific ties. Congratulations to Maria Molodchik, Anna Daviy, and Evgenia Shenkman on their successful presentations, and we wish them further scientific achievements!