Research seminar "Academics vs policy debate: the case of the shadow economy index" (Arnis Sauka)

Research Seminar

22nd March 2023 at 11.00-12.00  CANCELLED!

ARNIS SAUKA

Academics vs policy debate: the case of the shadow economy index

It has been argued that academic performance, especially in the fields of entrepreneurship, management, and strategy, cannot be judged merely by looking at the quality of academic publications and teaching. Yet, even though most articles include a policy suggestions section, cooperation between entrepreneurship and management researchers, industry and policymakers still has substantial potential. This presentation will explore how a ‘research product’ which originates from a Ph.D. dissertation, has been developed to attract interest from industry and policymakers as well as, through mass media coverage, a wider audience. I will present how this has helped to influence policy debate as well as how interaction with industry and policymakers contributes to an extended research pipeline (and vice versa). I will draw on my experience working within the field of research and policy debate on the shadow economy in the three Baltic countries, and beyond.

 Arnis Sauka is a Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and Chairman of the Council at the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. Arnis holds a Ph.D. from the University of Siegen (Germany) and has published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Business Ethics, International Small Business Journal, and Journal of Comparative Economics. Drawing on his academic work, Arnis has been extensively involved in applied research. This has included contracted reports for the OECD and European Commission as well as for various ministries, industry associations, and NGOs. Arnis Sauka is co-author of the annual Shadow Economy Index for the Baltic Countries (with Prof. Tālis J. Putniņš, since 2009), author of the annual FICIL Sentiment Index (in cooperation with Foreign Investors Council in Latvia, since 2015), and other studies. He is a board member of the Foreign Investment Council in Latvia (FICIL) (since 2019), NGO BASE (Business Against the Shadow Economy) (since 2015), and a host of an intellectual talk show at TVNET.lv portal. From 2011-2013 Arnis was a vice-rector for Studies and Research at Ventspils University College, and from 2011-2014: an advisor to the Minister of Health on Financial and Economic Issues. He has organized various events, including academic and applied conferences, workshops, seminars, etc., as well as is a frequent speaker in the national media commenting on economic and business-related issues.

E-mail: arnis.sauka@sseriga.edu