Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is a peer-reviewed journal which publishes original research papers and case studies

This article analyses the social costs of gambling sector in Lithuania. The aim of the research is to evaluate the change of gambling sector’s gambling gross revenue according to the established right to submit a request to self-exclude from gambling since May 1, 2017. The scientific problem of the research is how to define and evaluate gambling sector’s social costs. The analysis is conducted by evaluating dependency connection between gambling sector’s gambling gross revenue and gross domestic product taking into account the changing quantity of requests to self-exclude from gambling and current economic situation in Lithuania. The following methods are used for analysis: graphical analysis, paired correlation analysis and linear regression analysis. First of all, the conception of the social cost of gambling is being analysed in the article. Then using previously specified methods the relationship between gambling sector’s gambling gross revenue and gross domestic product in the country is evaluated. Using a linear regression equation, the model, showing how gambling gross revenue of gambling sector was expected to change in response to changes in the country's gross domestic product is obtained. According to gambling gross revenue for 2017-2019 the model reveals that gambling sector revenue, considering the change in gross domestic product, had a higher growth potential and the right to submit a request to self-exclude from gambling established in 2017 may have had a serious effect on slowing down the growth of gambling revenue.

Research background. The electronic environment has become an integral part of today’s marketing environment. The transformation of information technology makes it possible to reach the desired customer through various business instruments, regardless of his location. The number of consumers using the Internet to search for goods and services is increasing. As a result, social networks are gaining in importance from both businesses and consumers. There are currently over 800 social networks in the world. Corporate social networking accounts where a variety of news can be posted: from company start-up history to the latest company prototype news, and often for small businesses, and represents the cost of the website. Most authors point out that the scope of e-marketing is wider than online marketing because online marketing refers only to the Internet. Businesses seek to disseminate information about goods through social networks, given their popularity and impact on consumers.Purpose of the article is to construct the theoretical model that would help to determine how the impact of social networks on online marketing of companies can be assessed.Methods: analysis of scientific literature, systematization, generalization.Findings and Value added. Based on the model, proposed by the authors, the elements of Internet marketing are analyzed, as well as research on the importance of social networks in information transfer and communication with the consumer is emphasized and the most commonly used indicators of social networks are singled out.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse symbolic advertising and its effect on cultural values in the consumer society. A conceptual framework is grounded in the scientific literature analysis on Christian religious symbols in advertising along with a critical view of its impact on consumers’ cultural values. There is a lack of empirical studies regarding consumers’ approaches towards religious symbols in advertising and their impact on consumption in different cultural values. In this article we are trying to seek an alternative approach to advertising, social, and cultural trends in society.

Purpose – this article aims to analyse and integrate the limitations of consumer’s decision-making and difficulties for symbolic consumption in relation to symbolic branding. It highlights the symbolic impact to goods, which influenced by advertising and 21st century consumer’s behaviour propagates hedonistic values. Research methodology – the analysis of theoretical scientific literature, comparative study of conceptions. Findings – support the idea that consumers may modify their principles about the symbolic brand depending on both their self-brand relation as well as the effect of social (both live and virtual) influence. Research limitations – it is necessary to acknowledge that the current research is limited by broad scope consumer behaviour theories and methods (we in passing analysed empirical proves). Practical implications – authors suggest that the emergence of brand subculture on consumer behaviour gives the possibility of adjusting specific marketing strategies and presents the shortcomings of current research by pointing out the trends for future empirical studies. Originality/Value – It also highlights that the consumers’ search of symbolism and meaning in brands correlated with their consumer buying decision models, and we claim it could be related to utility theory. The main aim of this article is to analyse the field of symbols in advertising – in terms of their impact on the consumption process.

The article object is to is a relatively new research direction in economic theory - economic security at the macro-level. One of the aims of this article is to reveal the country’s economic security idea and to choose methods for this economic phenomenon evaluation as well as to suggest the method to evaluate the energy sector's impact on this economic phenomenon. Firstly, the authors review different approaches to economic security principles and do some assumptions related to the country's economic security concept. There is shortly described the energy sector. Since the scientific problem is how to evaluate the energy sector and the country's security and what impact the energy sector has on the country's economic security, the authors have selected methods to analyze the links between energy sector activities and economic security. Furthermore, there were presented the results of regression analyzes and concluded what energy sector indicators influence countries' economic security.