In today‘s context of social sciences and practical discussions teamwork, synergy and synergy effects are considered to be one of the most important research objects. Creativity leads any organizational structure to successful solution of a problem and promotes the achievement of not individual but synergy goals, which are the result of generated and practically applied social innovations. The potential of teamwork synergy is transmitted through team dynamics, team creative process, as well as team purpose. The aim of this research is to identify the indicators describing the potential of synergy regarding team creative process and to evaluate their importance in the team creative process while developing innovative solutions. A case analysis method is applied: two different teams, which performed creative tasks, were chosen and analysed. In order to estimate the potential of synergy of creativity, a set of quantitative and qualitative indicators was formed. Features describing each indicator were evaluated by using questionnaires filled by the teams participating in the research. In addition, the teams were observed, in order to estimate the team creative process. The results of the research are valuable for authorities of organizations, who aim at greater synergy results and social innovations encouraging the development of public, social and business interests and creating multiplying effects of ideas. The generalized findings of the research are presented in the article, as well as the applied methods of scientific literature analysis and synthesis, abstraction.

In the regions of Latvia there still exists a large unused resource – social capital (SC). Ineffectively implemented development policies, population’s alienation from the state democratic institutions, a low level of non-governmental engagement and SC, lack of resources in the local government sector, increased emigration, civic cynicism, low conditions of the prestige of the political profession have facilitated the development differences among territories. The research goal: comparison of the social capital of Zemgale region, towns and districts. Monographic analysis and method of synthesis, data statistical research methods – grouping, comparison, the processing and interpretation of statistical data – the method for analysing aggregate indicators, was used in the article. The research discovers the SC at the micro-level – the collaboration and attitudes between citizens and the state as well as in-between the individuals themselves, along with the macro-level – interaction of social groups as a part of a network which helps create trust to local government bodies as well as the state. The study indicates that the development of the Zemgale region is impacted not only by such social capital factors as the population density in the districts (0.37), the number of population until the working age (0.55), but also by the factor education level of the deputies (2009-2013) between the districts (0.12), towns (0.41), and the whole region (0.14). This verified the assumption that higher education level implies higher social potential and more active social inclusion. The authors suggest the local-governments to devote increased funding to the NGOs as it is the most active form of social capital, thus ensuring a long-term development of such initiative groups.

Social entrepreneurship plays an increasingly important role in tackling socio-economic problems. It has gained recognition in Latvia among politicians, academicians and social entrepreneurs; consequently, the number of social enterprises increased in the country, yet there is a lack of research studies on social enterprise models and their classification. Accordingly, the research aim is to examine the theoretical models of social enterprises in Latvia. In the scientific literature, there is no strict classification of social enterprises, but based on different criteria, it is possible to distinguish several types or models. In Latvia, there are relatively few social enterprises; for this reason, it is quite difficult to categorise them. However, social enterprises are divided by sector, field of activity, target group, scale of activity and other criteria. The research stresses the following key social entrepreneurship models: the Selfinitiative Model, the Government Participation Model, the Municipal Participation Model and the Company-initiated Development Model. These models are based on two key criteria – support intensity and taking the initiative in establishing and developing a social enterprise.

Social innovations are recognized as one of the most promising innovations in solving social problems in rural areas. When assessing the creation of social innovation, it should be noted that not only the goal and the result but also the whole process of creation of social innovation is important. The analysis of theoretical and practical research has revealed that traditional methods of solving problems in rural areas are not working, which consequently leads to search for innovative solutions. The most obvious social problems in rural areas, such as an aging society, youth departure, lack of breakthrough and innovative ideas, etc. can be noticed when assessing factors of social environment. At this stage, the solutions sought through the prism of social innovation can become those that will ensure the wellbeing of the rural area and support people living there. Social innovation is widely spread at the level of the European Union; however, in Lithuania, social innovation is taking just the first steps. The article analyses the case of Sėlynė village in Rokiškis region, during which social innovation that succeeded to unite rural community has been created. The article aims to analyse the process of creation of social innovation in rural areas from the theoretical point of view and to present the case of Sėlynė village of Rokiškis region. The main problem is the complex understanding of the creation process of social innovation.

This article presents theoretical and practical aspects of content marketing decisions for the customer value creation in social networks by using the case of the organic farm ʻIlzenberg manor’. Focus of this paper is to determine which content marketing decisions create the biggest value for the customer in social networks. The first part of the paper deals with theoretical insights into the content marketing decisions and their ability to create the customer value in social networks. Findings of theoretical analysis disclose that there are interfaces between content marketing, separate content marketing decisions and the customer value in the context of social networks. Respectively, it leads to an assumption that the usage of content marketing decisions can be valuable for the customer value creation in social networks. The second part of the paper focuses on the case analysis of the organic farm ‘Ilzenberg manor’. In order to determine which content marketing decisions create value for the customer in social networks, authors examine a correlation between separate content marketing decisions and consumer value indicators by using data from ʻIlzenberg manor’ Facebook page. The obtained results expose that not all content marketing decisions create value for the customer in social networks. Hence, it means that a selection of separate content marketing decisions in social networks can be made through the customer value perspective. The article ends with insights, conclusions, limitations and future research possibilities.

At rural enterprises, besides the traditional resources - natural, financial, and human capital - there is some other kind of capital - it is social capital. Foreign scientists have done a lot of researches on it. The nature of social capital and its role in economics is not much studied in Latvia. The present scientific article reflects consumptions on social capital by different foreign scientists. The World Bank as an institution has also approached to the research of social capital. It studies social capital at institutions. The World Bank describes the social capital of two kinds. The scientific article characterizes Pieriga region. Rural enterprises and businessmen of agricultural, industrial and service branches in Pieriga region have been enquired. By the results of the enquiry, the presence of social capital in rural enterprises and its impact on their development have been analysed.

The article addresses the problem of social dimension measurement of for regional development. Authors’ discus approaches of definition of social dimension. There is some discord how social dimension could be understood in more broader or narrowed sense and how it is characterized in international and national social policy documents. Authors focus attention on contiguity of social dimension and social security. The measurement of social dimension demands multidimensional approach. The authors use theoretical analysis and document analysis, as well as analysis of statistical data on key elements of social dimension of regional development (differences of employment rate; GINI coefficient, and the number of people at risk-of-poverty threshold). The main conclusions are that social dimension is more or less covered in development planning documents, but the progress indicators are inadequate. Especially disparities in social dimension of regional development are formally addressed and closer analysis of key indicators shows necessity to elaborate both – policy instruments as well as policy progress measurement.

Digital progress in the European Union is a catalyst for economic development. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the pace of digitalization, thereby creating not only challenges for the European Union but also new opportunities for economic development in Europe. The present research focuses on an analysis of digital economy and society index scores for Latvia and Lithuania, comparing the performance of both countries with the European Union average. The research aims to identify the critical areas that hinder digital progress in Latvia and Lithuania. Accordingly, the digital economy and society index was analysed for the period from 2018 to 2023. The empirical part of the research includes a sociological survey, and the survey data were analysed in order to identify population needs for and experience in using digital technologies in Latvia and Lithuania. The survey involved 146 respondents. The research results allowed us to identify the critical areas for Latvia and Lithuania to focus on for further digital progress. Latvia and Lithuania both show high scores, well above the EU average, in the ‘digital public servicesʼ component, indicating that both countries have a high level of e-government users and widespread access to digital public services. The results of the sociological survey further confirm this, showing that a large majority of 84.25% of respondents in both Latvia and Lithuania use digital solutions in their daily lives.

A review of the available literature revealed that there was no information about public opinions on start-ups; therefore, the authors set the main aim to theoretically examine the nature of start-ups and identify the opinions of residents on start-ups in Latvia. The specific research tasks were defined as follows: 1) to conduct a theoretical review of literature on start-ups and the ecosystem thereof in Latvia; 2) to identify the knowledge and opinions of residents aged 18 to 75 about start-ups in Latvia. As part of the present research, the authors conducted a survey in Latvia to identify the population’s knowledge of start-ups, differences between start-ups and other kinds of enterprises as well as the role of start-ups in entrepreneurship. The research employed the monographic and descriptive methods, the descriptive statistics method and a sociological method – an Internet survey using quota sampling. The survey was conducted in January 2023 and involved 1005 respondents throughout Latvia. The survey found that most of the respondents (73%) generally knew or had heard about start-ups and, according to the respondents, the main features that distinguished start-ups from other kinds of enterprises were innovation (54%), use of modern technologies (48%) and fast growth (41%). 63% of the respondents who had heard about start-ups noted that the start-ups, compared with other kinds of enterprises, were generally important for further development of the business environment in Latvia.