Central & Eastern European Academic Source (CEEAS)

Healthcare systems face ongoing challenges that require reforms to enhance innovation, accessibility, and efficiency. Lithuania’s healthcare reform aims to enhance equity, quality, and sustainability by reorganising its service network. However, implementation has revealed unintended effects, including “network compression”, where large hospitals absorb services from smaller regional facilities, deepening regional inequality and limiting accessibil-ity for rural populations. A qualitative research method with 22 informants was employed. Healthcare professionals are reporting growing fatigue, increased administrative burdens, and a decline in empathy in patient care. These outcomes highlight how efficiency-oriented poli-cies can unintentionally depersonalise services and marginalise regional healthcare providers. Based on interviews with healthcare professionals, this study examines how reforms trans-form everyday clinical practices and local service delivery. The findings underscore the need to balance efficiency-driven reforms with empathy, professional autonomy, and equitable access to healthcare.

Constructive co-operation between municipal administrations and independ-ent public service providers, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), establishes favourable conditions for the development and dissemination of best practices in the delivery of high-quality social services. This research aimed to assess the development and effectiveness of co-operation between a municipal administration and NGOs in delivering social services, using Marijampolė municipality as a case study. A qualitative empirical approach, comprising interviews and focus group discussions, was employed. The Stakeholder Relationship Manage-ment Maturity (SRMM) model was used to evaluate the level of co-operation. The municipal-ity chosen for the present analysis is distinguished by a substantial presence of NGOs actively delivering services. The research findings indicate that, according to the SRMM model, the maturity of co-operation between municipal administrations and NGOs in providing social services is primarily at the procedural level, whereas relational aspects are evident within the process standardisation dimension. To foster mature co-operation, it is recommended that participants within the co-operation network establish a shared vision regarding the future of social service provision and the role of NGOs. The findings of the empirical research under-score the necessity for participants in a co-operation network to cultivate competencies essen-tial for sustaining and enhancing co-operation (e.g. communication and conflict resolution) and highlight the importance of establishing a unified culture of co-operation.

A phenomenographical study was used to examine how teachers experience violence directed at them in school. The findings identify four ways in which they experience violence, as specified through three interacting dimensional variations: the source, the form and the addressee of impact (the teacher as a professional role, as a person or both). This extends educational research on teacher victimisation by conceptualising the phenomenon through power relations and harm to the professional and/or personal identity of teachers.

Purpose. The existing international competency indices fail to capture the structural differentiation in AI-driven educational transformation across EU moderate innovator economies, rendering evidence-based policy design inadequate. Author attempted to evaluate it. Methodology. The simplified multiple criteria assessment methodology based on global and regional expert evaluations of education quality determining knowledge and innovation development was employed. Analyzing the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) over 2022 - 2025, the study produces three original scientific results. Findings. First, it identifies and empirically documents how the AI integration raises measurable technical skill acquisition by 60–80 percent while simultaneously intensifying demand for metacompetencies - creativity, ethical reasoning, adaptability - that current frameworks cannot reliably assess, generating a 34 percent wage premium for workers combining both (Eurostat LFS, 2022–2024). Second, it provides the first systematic empirical documentation of two distinct regional catch-up trajectories - Digital Leapfrogging (Baltic States: R&D efficiency through knowledge-intensive services, return ratio 7.2:1) and Industrial Deepening (Visegrad Group: AI as manufacturing process optimizer, return ratio 3.8:1) - with quantified efficiency differentials. Third, it validates the Creativity Assessment Framework significantly outperforming GPA-based prediction. The Estonia - Hungary differential in AI integration scores illustrates the compounding consequences of coordinated policy versus governance instability. Originality. Revealed the AI Competency Paradox; proposed Multi-Dimensional Creativity Assessment Framework; systematic documentation of regional innovation strategy divergence. Policy implications address national AI-education coordination, culturally calibrated creativity assessment, and digital diaspora engagement mechanisms.

Purpose: The study aims to examine how the structural design of corporate hackathons and teamlevel interaction processes influence innovation outcomes, with a particular focus on prototype quality, originality, and feasibility. The research contributes to the understanding of hackathons as instruments of corporate innovation within an open-in-novation framework. Methodology: An exploratory mixed-method research design was applied, combining qualitative observations and quantitative evaluations of eight interdisciplinary teams participating in a five-day corporate hackathon. Data were analysed to identify relational patterns between hackathon design characteristics, team microdynamics, and innovation outcomes assessed by an expert jury. Findings: The results indicate that innovation performance is systematically associated with two key dimensions: Organizational Clarity and Team Competence. Clear problem formulation and accessible mentorship were identified as critical design factors positively influencing technical feasibility and overall project quality. Teams demonstrating higher levels of complementary expertise and effective collaboration produced more original and implementable solutions. Originality: The study develops a Hackathon Design Framework that integrates structural design elements, team-level processes, and innovation outcomes into a unified conceptual model. By conceptualising corporate hackathons as temporary open-innovation systems, the research advances theoretical understanding of short-term innovation mechanisms and provides practical guidance for organisations seeking to enhance innovation capability and competitive advantage through hackathon-based initiatives.

The attractiveness of regional areas to young people has gained growing academic attention, particularly within the context of demographic shifts, urban-rural disparities, and education. In focusing on the Sudovia region of Lithuania, the paper examines how education can be strategically used as a lever to administer regional appeal among young people. By analysing the interplay between local educational institutions and broader regional development goals, the study highlights context-specific solutions for youth attraction and retention. Existing research emphasises that regional attractiveness is multifaceted, encompassing economic opportunities, quality of life, social infrastructure, cultural identity, and connectivity. Education is one of the factors that influences young people’s decision to relocate and settle in specific regions. Methodology. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and interviews to assess the Sudovia region’s attractiveness for young people through education. This approach enables data triangulation for robust insights. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive stats and regression to find key factors of education attractiveness. Qualitative data were transcribed and analysed thematically to identify themes and perspectives that contextualise survey results. Findings. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data presents a compelling view of Sudovia’s appeal to young people through education, emphasising both its promising opportunities and the challenges that must be addressed. Conclusions. The findings highlight that administering regional appeal through education requires integrating academic opportunities with cultural, social, and economic dimensions of regional life. However, aligning local education with emerging industries is critical for enhancing Sudovia’s vibrant attraction for youth.

Straipsnyje analizuojama migracijos tyrimų raida Lietuvoje, rekonstruojant Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto Lietuvių išeivijos instituto (VDU LII) formuotą intelektualinę trajektoriją ir jos santykį su platesne posovietinės mokslo politikos dinamika. Migracija čia traktuojama ne tik kaip demografinis ar socialinės politikos reiškinys, bet ir kaip kultūrinė bei moralinė patirtis, reikalaujanti refleksyvios sociologinės vaizduotės. Teorinė prieiga remiasi Vytauto Kavolio kultūrinės refleksijos ir moralinės atsakomybės nuostata bei Charleso Wrighto Millso sociologinės vaizduotės koncepcija, papildyta intelektualinės sociologijos perspektyva. Straipsnyje teigiama, kad ankstyvieji diasporos ir išeivijos tyrimai pasižymėjo holistiniu, vertybiškai angažuotu požiūriu, o vėlesnė migracijos tyrimų institucionalizacija lydima entropijos – normatyvinės ir refleksyvios gelmės silpnėjimo, susijusio su kiekybinio vertinimo ir projektinės logikos įsigalėjimu. VDU Lietuvių išeivijos instituto atvejis pristatomas kaip alternatyvus – migracijos tyrimų, kultūriškai jautrios ir morališkai atsakingos prieigos – modelis. Straipsnyje kviečiama permąstyti mokslo atsakomybę visuomenei ir atkurti migracijos tyrimuose gilesnę refleksiją, siejančią struktūrinius procesus su žmogaus patirtimi, istorine atmintimi ir kultūrine savivoka.

The purpose is to assess the scope and dynamics of financial services consumed from credit institutions and their role in economic growth, based on theoretical frameworks and empirical analysis, using the cases of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Methodology: The research methods employed in this article include analysis of scientific literature, methods of comparison and generalization, correlation analysis, pairwise regression analysis, and multivariate regression analysis. Findings: The role, changes and extent of financial services consumed by individuals and households can be analysed from different theoretical perspectives. Findings indicate that in Lithuania and Latvia, the greatest increases in GDP are associated with the number of individuals using the internet for internet banking, whereas in Estonia, the most significant driver of GDP growth is household lending for house purchase. Originality: after highlighting the theoretical approaches, financial services consumed by individuals and households, focused on indicators of loans, financial leasing, use of pay- ment cards, internet banking, and deposits, and regression analysis with GDP of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how energy consumers evaluate economic, social, and environmental factors in developing and developed countries and to compare developed and developing countries in terms of the impact of these factors on consumer decisions in dimensions of sustainable energy consumption. Methodology: To achieve this goal, the authors will use data from a survey conducted in five countries representing developing and developed economies and then use hierarchical modelling to assess consumer preferences regarding sustainable energy consumption. Findings: The analysis of the results indicates that economic, social and environmental factors play an important role in shaping consumer decisions on sustainable energy consumption, with their importance varying according to the level of development of the country. The income and energy price are important factors in both developed and developing countries, but they are more crucial in developed countries. Social factors are perceived as more important in developing countries. Environmental factors are crucial in both developing and developed countries, but acceptance of these factors is higher and more uniform in developed countries. Originality: This study offers a multidimensional framework for understanding sustainable energy consumption. Besides, the authors assess preferences not only for one group of countries, but also the differences in consumer preferences about the energy supply in developing and developed countries. This paper provides empirical evidence why the theory of energy and fuel poverty treats this phenomenon separately in relation to developing and developed countries. Additionally, for the first time during the research process, the hierarchical modeling method.

Purpose: By comparative analysis of international cultural projects, identify strategies and methods that ensure project team cohesion and its effectiveness. To substantiate directions and approaches that, in the context of the complexity of managing international cultural projects, can form effective strategies for overcoming the negative impacts of cultural diversity and communication barriers, and for realizing the expectations of stakeholders. Methods: The study uses both a qualitative approach based on research from various fields, in particular based on the use of Cross-Case Synthesis, inductive coding, cross-case comparison, and a quantitative approach, in particular based on сorrelation analysis, involved constructing a Pearson correlation matrix and a multimodal approach for a balanced combination of structured and semi-structured data. It also integrates insights from project management frameworks and cultural intelligence models to analyze the role of leadership, adaptability, and technology in international project environments. Findings: The study identifies key strategies for mitigating conflicts, leveraging cultural intelligence, and enhancing project outcomes in multicultural settings. It highlights the importance of digital tools and virtual collaboration in managing culturally diverse teams, as well as the impact of cultural awareness on project efficiency, innovation, and stakeholder engagement. Originality: This research contributes to the growing field of international project management by offering actionable strategies for professionals working in culturally diverse environments. By understanding cultural dynamics, project managers can implement inclusive strategies that foster collaboration, reduce misunderstandings, and ensure the sustainable success of international cultural initiatives.