Issue #1 (Volume 5 2021)

Due to the large volumes of empirical digitized data, a critical challenge is to identify their hidden and unobvious patterns, enabling to gain new knowledge. To make efficient use of data mining (DM) methods, it is required to know its capabilities and limits of application as a cognitive tool. The paper aims to specify the capabilities and limits of DM methods within the methodology of scientific cognition. This will enhance the efficiency of these DM methods for experts in this field as well as for professionals in other fields who analyze empirical data. It was proposed to supplement the existing classification of cognitive levels by the level of empirical regularity (ER) or provisional hypothesis. If ER is generated using DM software algorithm, it can be called the man-machine hypothesis. Thereby, the place of DM in the classification of the levels of empirical cognition was determined. The paper drawn up the scheme illustrating the relationship between the cognitive levels, which supplements the well-known schemes of their classification, demonstrates maximum capabilities of DM methods, and also shows the possibility of a transition from practice to the scientific method through the generation of ER, and further from ER to hypotheses, and from hypotheses to the scientific method. In terms of the methodology of scientific cognition, the most critical fact was established – the limitation of any DM methods is the level of ER. As a result of applying any software developed based on DM methods, the level of cognition achieved represents the ER level.

Knowledge is crucial, but a transient resource that decides over the success or failure of business operations. Consequently, companies aim for the most profitable method to achieve high gains and conservation of knowledge, while excluding rivals to maintain the position of economic advantage as long as possible. To maximize the efforts of knowledge generation, new concepts of organizational processes were established in recent years. To provide a conceptual foundation and identify promising niches for future studies in the important field of team coopetition, existing literature on the factors of cross-functional team coopetition was reviewed, concluding in a systematic review. For this purpose, leading peer-reviewed journals from 2010 to 2021 offered 25 articles that fall within its established search inclusion criteria. Adding to the change of stakeholder project management, the shift from traditional, cooperative-led organizational approaches towards coopetition between two or multiple rivals can lead to promising results. However, it was indicated that this concept often fails due to misleading coordination in a coopetitive tension. Current studies extracted their results from applied team management mostly on short-term organizational, financial, and technical benefits or drawbacks, excluding long-term innovation effects. Most studies were categorized into three outcomes contributing to knowledge management: performance, relationship, and innovation. As a result, it is pointed out that several factors derived from the literature significantly influence the outcomes.

Practical work-based learning (WBL) or simulated learning has been widely recognized as essential for developing desirable cognitive and behavioral qualities among university learners. Despite this recognition, most practical and simulated learning experiences have been directed to facilitate learners’ employability rather than to promote entrepreneurship. The study aimed to examine the perception of students on the usage of WBL to foster entrepreneurial intention at higher education institutions in South Africa. The study employed mixed research methods. The results show that opportunity recognition, desire to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities, increasing knowledge and skills, desire to be involved in starting a business, desire to own or manage a new business, desire to own or manage an old business, attitude towards entrepreneurship, motivation to be an entrepreneur, and fascination with entrepreneurship were key impacts of WBL among entrepreneurship students. Friedman test was carried out to compare the mean ranks of the nine impacts and test whether there were any significant differences in agreeableness to their impact. The test result was significant, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance of 0.023 indicated no significant differences among the nine impact factors, which are not different in their strength as a key result of WBL. The study recommends the adoption of WBL strategies in entrepreneurial programs at universities.

This paper highlights the authorship, co-authorship, and peer review experience of Ukrainian early career scientists to see their attitudes to scholarly communication. A questionnaire was distributed through Facebook groups and university networks all over Ukraine. Results from 630 respondents demonstrated contradictory tendencies of Ukrainian early scientists’ publication activity. Most respondents try to gain recognition, adhere to high standards, and improve their writing skills. Meanwhile, there is a problem of low motivation, violations of academic integrity, detachment from the international scientific community, etc. 5.6% of respondents admitted that they wrote articles where they substituted the results without conducting experiments, deliberately distorted the results of research, and forged experimental data. Above a half of the respondents (52.9%) have experience of reviewing and consider it to improve their authorship skills, engage in scientific dialogue, cope with new methods and theories, etc. But 95.0% of reviewers had problems, for example obviously poor-quality articles for review (47.5%), a request for a review when the article does not match the reviewer’s qualifications (32.5%), no access to data to check dubious results (15.0%), lack of instructions for reviewers (10.0%), ignoring significant remarks by authors (7.5%). The survey showed a significant predominance of co-authored articles. Among the main motives for publishing co-authored articles, respondents highlighted the following: saving time, intellectual development, co-payment of publications, access to expensive equipment, the chance of being quoted, and cooperation.

Almost all human activity spheres, from the health care system to the education system, were unprepared for the pandemic. This, in turn, has slowed down the progress in achieving sustainable development goals. The Sustainable Development Goals 4 “Quality Education” and 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth” were particularly vulnerable. In addition, the widespread concern was caused in the context of the transition to a “knowledge-based economy”. This paper analyzes the readiness of the scientific community to provide preconditions for the acceleration of these SDGs achievements. To do this, a meta-analysis of the academic literature on SDG 4, SDG 8, and the knowledge-based economy during 2015–2021 was conducted. Several special methods and instruments were used, including Scopus, WoS, VosViewer, Publish or Perish, Google Trends, and Google Books Ngram Viewer. The results show the inability of the modern academic community to provide a theoretical and empirical framework for a successful transition to a knowledge-based economy, taking into account the need to achieve sustainability. This is partly due to the relative subject novelty and the lack of academic attention. The challenges posed by the pandemic (lockdowns, unemployment, closing of educational institutions, financial flows reorientation, etc.) together with potential threats (new pandemic, climate change, population displacement, armed conflicts, etc.) necessitate a radical intensification of academic activity in economics to achieve SDGs.

The new system of educational programs’ accreditation and the establishment of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA) as an independent regulator has led to the demand for professional experts who can evaluate the educational programs of universities at a qualitatively new level. The paper aims to analyze the formation of the expert environment in Ukraine by conducting numerous training in various formats, as well as to assess the relationship between training and the quality of accreditation visits. The correlation analysis was used to substantiate the conclusions. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the experience of training experts in the accreditation of study programs in Ukrainian higher education institutions, the results of a pro-active approach by the NAQA in 2019–2021 were presented. It is shown that the accreditation system has been working without red tape, the taint of corruption, using transparency mechanisms, and expert advice since the end of 2019. The accreditation format according to the ESG-2015 standards made it possible to form an expert environment in Ukraine in a short time and encourage changes in higher education. Despite many pieces of training and consultations, many experts and representatives of the Sectoral Expert Council (SEC), evaluating study programs, still provide criticism, prejudice, and not advice and assistance. To minimize such negative practices, NAQA regularly conducts online webinars, briefings for expert groups and heads of study programs, and rotates experts and members of the SEC.