Ilir Tomorri - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ilir Tomorri

Wseas Transactions On Business And Economics, Jan 11, 2024

Agriculture continues to be one of the fundamental sectors for sustainable development in Albania... more Agriculture continues to be one of the fundamental sectors for sustainable development in Albania, referring to its contribution to the gross domestic product and employment level. Nevertheless, it confronts ongoing structural issues concerning sustainable development. Farm size, productivity and competitiveness, intensification of production, the efficiency of resource use, access to finance, modernization of the value chain (VC), implementation of technology and information, quality and food security, are considered some of the main challenges of this sector for our country. The digitalization of agriculture emerges as a crucial instrument in dealing with these challenges, through the use of technology and information systems as an important instrument for increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of the rural sector. In this context, this paper aims to examine the importance and level of application of digital technology along the value chain in the agricultural sector. In function of the purpose of the study, the questionnaire was designed to provide and collect information on the importance of the application of the digitalization of agriculture, through the use of technology and information systems by agricultural farms and farmers in our country. Based on the data on the dominant activities and the typology of the farms according to the regions, the study areas have been determined, respectively for the districts of Kukës, Gjirokastër, Fier, Berat, and Korçë. In total, 938 questionnaires were completed for the five respective districts, following the activities and typology of the respective farms. The variables were evaluated using the Likert scale (1-5), and data analysis was carried out through the SPSS program.

The aim of this paper is to determine the farm typology in Elbasan region and orient policy maker... more The aim of this paper is to determine the farm typology in Elbasan region and orient policy maker's agriculture support scheme. Albania is divided into 12 regions and 61 municipality. Region of Elbasan is one of the intermediate ones 4 and consists of 4 districts (district of Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd and Peqin). Elbasan ranked third by the availability of agricultural land in the country after Fier and Korca (72,872 ha or 10.4% of the agricultural land area at country level). Despite the size of the agricultural land area, it should be considered that a good part of it lies in hilly and mountainous part especially in Librazhd and Gramsh districts. Besides construction and development services, there is observed a growing trend of agricultural activity especially in terms of olive and vegetables cultivation in open field and greenhouses. In this region operate about 32,439 farms. The average farm family size is 4.9 persons, while the national average farm size is 4.5 persons (MAFCP, 2012). The farm typology was determined using nine indicators. Based on these indicators are identified the following type of cluster/typology for Elbasani district: poly-culture for market; livestock; leisure farms; fruit trees; arable crop farm; self-sufficiency. The farm performance was determined using factors productivity which reveals that farms that belong to the poly-culture for market, livestock and self-sufficient clusters are performing better than other clusters.

Introduction, The history of the development of higher education in the USA during the 19th centu... more Introduction, The history of the development of higher education in the USA during the 19th century (problems, achievements, challenges for the development of higher education in USA) Conclusions, References. As above, regarding the review process, I declare that the paper fulfills the criteria for publication in your journal.

WSEAS transactions on computer research, Jul 25, 2023

The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in recent years has significant... more The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in recent years has significantly affected business activities in the private sector, as well as in the public sector. Over the years, there has been a growing trend in utilizing technology to provide public services at national and global levels. In Albania, the government and public agencies have faced challenges in implementing electronic services, aiming to enhance the efficiency of public service delivery and meet the needs of citizens and society. The objective of egovernment is to cater to the general public's expectations and satisfaction by offering valuable public services. In this regard, an e-government platform plays a crucial role in facilitating the efficient provision of electronic services, enabling citizens, businesses, and the public to interact successfully with the government and its institutions. The increasing demand for electronic services in Albania is driven by citizens' desire to improve the quality of public service delivery. To assess the significance of electronic services, this study examines relevant indicators on the e-Albania platform. A survey was conducted in the Tirana region of Albania, involving the distribution and completion of 190 questionnaires. The variables were evaluated using a Likert scale (1-5 rating). The main objective of this research is to assess citizen perception and evaluate the importance of electronic services offered by the e-Albania platform, through measuring citizen's perception.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTER RESEARCH

Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences

"Albania has passed a period of three decades in the shift from a centralized to a market ec... more "Albania has passed a period of three decades in the shift from a centralized to a market economy. In this context, the public sector is confronted by structural changes at the institutional level and the extension and improvement of public services. Electronic services’ quality is a critical issue for the failure or success of e-government objectives. It promotes government efficiency and effectiveness, citizen engagement, and satisfaction. The trend to use electronic services in Albania is similarly driven by efforts to reduce public sector corruption, improve service performance, and reduce costs. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the citizen’s perception of the importance and the quality of e-services provision by the e-Albania gateway, as well as obstacles and challenges of the future. Based on the main types of services provided by the e-Albania platform, twelve indicators were considered. The survey took place in Albania (Tirana region), wherein 190 questionnaires are applied. The main reason for this selection is that Tirana is the largest region of the country, with about 50% of the population concentration and the highest number of users of the government electronic platform. The variables used are qualitative variables and were measured according to the Likert scale (1–5 estimation, from 1–strongly disagree to 5–strongly agree). Each of the main variables is explained and measured through the evaluation of three to five explanatory questions. Through the SPSS program, cluster analysis was used to evaluate the main variables. By analyzing the collected data, it turns out that there is an obvious increase in the number of public services offered, as well as the perception of citizens for the e-services provided by the government platform."

Management Studies, 2019

Health tourism in thermal waters is one of the types of tourism in Albania. Attending these types... more Health tourism in thermal waters is one of the types of tourism in Albania. Attending these types of tourism, not only heals/cures some diseases of visitors/tourists, but also contributes to the economic development of the communities located near the thermal water resources. The purpose of the study is the identification of the comparative advantages of health tourism in the thermal waters, the Thermal Baths Peshkopi in Dibra, Albania. To realize this study we provided information by hotel businesses, owners of hostels and Balnear State Enterprise, which operate in the service of visitors/tourists who frequent health tourism thermal waters. The study showed: (i) The ratio Albanian tourists (domestic) and foreign tourists is 2:3; (ii) Time attendance is 10-15 nights of staying; (iii) The cost of person in hotels, including accommodation, three meals, transport and entrance fees in spa tourism center are on average €12, while these costs in the hostels of the residents are on average €8;

Administratie si Management Public, 2020

The political changes after 90s were accompanied by major economic changes, transforming from a c... more The political changes after 90s were accompanied by major economic changes, transforming from a centralized to a decentralized economy. During the past two decades, public sector in Albania has been through a dramatic change, mostly on structural aspect. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the public sector through indicators based on citizens' perceptions.Another aspect intended to be addressed through the questionnaire is the assessment of consumers'expectations of the public good, with issues related to the economy, legal and institutional framework, modernization of public administration, etc. The survey took place in Albania, wherein a number of questionnaires were delivered and fulfiled.In this context 16 variables were developed considering the sectors education, health, safety and security, law enforcement, transparency (information, accountability), property rights, investments and public utility services. The other purpose of this study is to analyze the differences in the perceptions of public sector performance that could come from different groups of interviewees, grouped by: gender (male or female), education (higher or secondary) and sector where the interviewee is employed (in the public or private sector). Evaluation of variables in this study are rated using Likerttype scale. Each variable is measured through items, which are estimated through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) as the most used technique in social sciences studies, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method is implemented. Referring to the citizens' expectations, this paper will contribute to enhance the performance of the activities of public organizations and government institutions. In addition, the results of this study, aim to help policy-making structures to improve the performance of public administration in providing public services to citizens.

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2016

During the economic transition the agricultural sector of Albania has changed significantly. This... more During the economic transition the agricultural sector of Albania has changed significantly. This process continues parallel with global trends of periods of relative consolidation. The diversity of farm types is increasing in terms of both their production structure and production organization. Even though the farms are still small in terms of the average size, there is an increasing tendency of fallow land, due to emigration and migration of the rural population. This is mainly due to traditions, because households composed of several families use greater parts of farm land for subsistence. Farm size and fragmentation-Albania has a very large number of farms per unit surface area compared to other countries in the EU. The size variation differs according to regions: In average it is as follows:-higher in Western and SouthEastern Albania-in Fier 1.64 ha / farm; in Korçë 1.48.-smaller in Northern and NorthEastern regions-in Kukes 0.62 ha / farm. According to official statistics the size of farm plots increased from 0.20 ha plots in 2000 to 0.26 ha in 2011; which is equal to nearly 30% in a decade. But the total average size of field plots, in general is still too small to justify the intensification of production by replacing hands with machines. The crop pattern and crop rotation schemes significantly affect farm efficiency; it is dominated by wheat, corn, hay, vegetables, beans, potatoes, and orchards; the latter has a significant trend in favour of nut plants; while the cultivation of cotton, sugar beet, tobacco, rice, rapeseed , etc. is almost at a standstill in Albania. These changes result from:-farmers' freedom in decision making according to market signals;-inefficient state support systems aiming at revitalising promising markets, which also led to: *a destruction of the processing industries for tobacco, cotton, rice, vegetable oils, sugar; *the loss of traditional export markets; *misallocation of financial resources. The transition from a central, planned economy to a market economy led to a general production fall in Albania, including agriculture. The specific contribution of agriculture to the GDP went down from 54.6 % in 1995 to 28.1 % in 2000, and has stabilised at this level, while the sector growth is estimated by about 3.6% per annum. Nearly 48.7% of the population in 2012 lives in rural areas where agriculture is the main source for both subsistence and income. In general, the cropping area for annual cultures decreased, except for wheat, vegetables and potatoes, while the area for forage as well as fruit trees increased. Actually, half of the cultivated cropping areas consist of fodder crops, which constitute also the high share of subsistence farming. In general, livestock is the most important agricultural sector in Albania. Its production value reached ALL 180,072 million, which equals to about Euro 1.3 bn. Animal products are a major component of self-consumption. Traditionally milk and its products in Albania are primary products also due to favourable natural conditions. Cattle are dominant in the low lands, while on the mountainous area sheep and goats. About 54.3% of the animal husbandry output is for subsistence. The dairy sector is particularly undergoing a continuous modernisation process. Due to the high number of investments being implemented along the dairy value chain, there is a very good product range in the markets, but there is also the risk of over-capacities. This may lead to a price war: increasing milk prices for the producers but decreasing consumer prices for the processors. There seems to be a strong need for collaboration and cooperation in the sector in order to meet / keep food safety standards. This might become a major subject for Albanian Government in the ongoing process of becoming a EU member. Annual average milk yield per cow is approximately 2600 l. These tendencies in the ruminant livestock affected meat production; these categories are stagnating while pork and poultry production started to increase during the last ten years. A niche market for Albanian farmers is lamb market on the eve of religious holidays, and for export. Also due to political influence orchards are increasing in terms of size and productivity. The output growth over the decade 2000 to 2010 is estimated about 234%. Despite this significant progress, it is estimated that the surface of vineyards and pergola is still far from that of 1990s, and because of this, the potential for export markets is not utilised. The Albanian export-import balance for agro-food commodities is negative; 1/9.5. In general, the sector's competitiveness is low due to the lack of sufficient knowledge; e.g. as how to use up-todate inputs or establish input supply and marketing cooperatives. The production systems are preconditioned by factors such as 1) Traditions, 2) Family demands, and 3.) use of surpluses and seasonal produce to generate additional cash income. Because of this, there is a large overhanging of unemployed labour force. Within the production structure on arable land, the dominating crop is winter wheat followed by corn. Among the higher value cash crops, water melons, beans and potatoes have the largest shares. Disadvantageous as to several aspects, is the almost complete disappearance of technical cultures of crop rotation over the last 20 years; e.g. sunflower or tobacco. Unfortunately; the statistical database is weak and partly inconsistent for getting realistic information about yields in dt/ ha or profitability estimates. The decline in the acreage of cash crops is the result of the expansion of food crops.

European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences

The rural sector is one of the most important and largest sector in Albania, referring to the con... more The rural sector is one of the most important and largest sector in Albania, referring to the contribution to economic growth, gross domestic product, level of employment in the country and increasing the welfare of the population living in rural areas. The average small farm sizes, combined with the excessive land fragmentation, the low level of investments, poor infrastructure, and the loss of agricultural land due to the change of use, have been major structural challenges for the agriculture sector in Albania. The farm structures are dominated by smallholders with many small farms (1.2 ha/farm) and few large farms. Farmers and smallholders are critical for food security, as well as for poverty reduction of rural areas. The smallholder farmers facing a number of challenges such as lack of access to reliable and timely data on market prices as well as markets, inability to access appropriate infrastructure such as storage facilities leading to post-harvest losses or low prices as ...

International Journal on Food System Dynamics, 2020

This study deals with the consumers' perceived risk and its determinants for fresh tomatoes i... more This study deals with the consumers' perceived risk and its determinants for fresh tomatoes in Albania. Survey data are analyzed using ordered logistic regression.Consumers associate a high level of benefits with the consumption of fresh tomatoes but have severe doubts about food safety and rate the average level of food safety risk as high as 6.66 on a scale from 0 to 10.Consumers' knowledge of food safety, their perceptions about the reliability of food safety information, the government's ability to ensure safety, negative experiences with tomato consumption, consumer age, and family size are key determinants of perceived food risk, while gender, education, and income did not prove to be significant. The results provide the basis for appropriate actions by government and food system actors in improving food safety and consumers‘ trust in food safety assurance.

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2021

The objective of this study is the consumer’s willingness to pay a premium price (WTP) for greate... more The objective of this study is the consumer’s willingness to pay a premium price (WTP) for greater safety of fresh tomatoes and the factors that determine it, in the city of Tirana, Albania. Primary data are used for over 800 individuals collected through a special face-to-face survey. Econometric methods, such as multivariate regression model and multinomial logistic models have been used. Tomato consumers are willing to pay an average premium of around 16% over the current price. Among the most important factors identified as positively affecting WTP are the level of perceived safety risk of the consumer, the frequency of adverse health events in the past, the level of risk intolerance, consumer concern about food safety, and consumer knowledge about food safety. Household income and its size are two other factors that positively impact WTP, while consumer perceptions of the farmer's ability to produce healthy tomatoes have a negative effect on expected WTP. The religious affi...

International Journal on Food System Dynamics, 2020

Sector of viticultural and wine production it has been and remains an important economic activity... more Sector of viticultural and wine production it has been and remains an important economic activity for many businesses in the region of Prizren, in Kosovo. Statistics attest to the wine production area and vineyards with high fluctuation. 90s register about 9000 ha of vineyards and a wine production of about 100 million liters (Official Statistics, 1991), of which about 35-40% exported, mainly to the countries of Yugoslavia and Germany. In the last decade due to developments that Kosovo has passed this area as well as wine production have been reduced dramatically. Meanwhile Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) represents today an effective instrument for the development of competitive potential in the sector of Wine in Kosovo by creating real opportunities for the export of products of this sector. Consumer behavior as regards the purchase of the wine affected by the a variety of factors as they social, psychological, demographic, as well as of incomes. From this viewpoint, our study aims t...

The political changes after the 1990s were accompanied by major economic changes, transforming a ... more The political changes after the 1990s were accompanied by major economic changes, transforming a centralized economy to decentralized. During the past two decades, the public sector in Albania has been through a dramatic change, mostly from a structural perspective. The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate the most significant indicators of public sector performance in the case of Albania. Thus, indicators such as utility services, legal and institutional framework, modernization of public administration, and economic issues are examined considering the public perception and furthermore, their expectations. The survey took place in Albania, wherein 200 questionnaires were delivered and fulfilled. Evaluation of variables in this study are rated using a 5-point Likert-type scale, with 1 being strongly disagree to 5 being strongly agree. Each variable is measured through items, which are estimated through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) as the most used technique in soci...

The private sector has been and remains main generator of development of our country. In this con... more The private sector has been and remains main generator of development of our country. In this context SMEs as an integral part of the private sector, play an important role in increasing competitiveness and economic development. They constitute the largest part of private businesses with over 98.5% of the total in number and significantly affecting economic development, increasing the level of employment and income. Rightfully they are considered as the main source of employment in general and in particular the self-employment. The development of SMEs, especially in countries in transition faces a number of problems such as: limited access to finance, administrative barriers, high levels of exposure to risks, limited opportunities to apply the new technology as well as poor infrastructure and undeveloped. Being one of the important factors for economic growth and employment, it is important to evaluate the performance of SMEs in the country as well as the constraints and challenges ...

Economic Sciences for Agribusiness and Rural Economy, 2018

Journal of East European Management Studies

The purpose of the study is to examine the agribusiness companies’ demand for employee competence... more The purpose of the study is to examine the agribusiness companies’ demand for employee competence and how these competences comply with universities’ curricula. The survey consists of a structured questionnaire that was administered to 427 managers of agribusiness companies in Albania. This research has provided an assessment of the profile of necessary skills required by the agribusiness firms. Results indicate that universities’ curricula do not comply with the set of skills and behaviors that is sought after by employers in this sector. This study examines the gap between universities’ curricula and the businesses’ needs for human resources’ competences.

Wseas Transactions On Business And Economics, Jan 11, 2024

WSEAS transactions on computer research, Jul 25, 2023

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTER RESEARCH

Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences

Management Studies, 2019

Administratie si Management Public, 2020

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2016

European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences

International Journal on Food System Dynamics, 2020

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2021

International Journal on Food System Dynamics, 2020

Economic Sciences for Agribusiness and Rural Economy, 2018

Journal of East European Management Studies