This study investigates the impact of female labor force participation (FLFP) on the economic growth in Saudi Arabia, a country currently implementing extensive socio-economic reforms. We conduct a sectoral and regional analysis using regression techniques on data from 2015 to 2023. Our findings indicate that FLFP has a statistically significant positive effect on the gross domestic product (GDP) across all regions in Saudi Arabia. However, the impact is not uniform across different sectors. Notably, substantial contributions to GDP growth are observed in the Transport, Storage & Communication, and Community, Social & Personal Services sectors. By addressing the intersectionality of gender dynamics and economic growth, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders. These insights are crucial for fostering inclusive economic growth and promoting gender equality as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 objectives.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE is to determine promising directions for the development of the agro-industrial sector of Ukraine in the conditions of post-war recovery.RESEARCH METHODS. In the process of writing the article, general scientific and special research methods of the agro-industrial sector were used, including: induction and deduction; structural and logical analysis; extrapolations; tabular and graphic.PRESENTATION OF THE MAIN RESEARCH MATERIAL. The article determines that the agro-industrial sector is one of the key sectors of the country's economy, which made a significant contribution to the country's GDP before the war. Since the beginning of the war, the agro-industrial sector has suffered significant losses and needs to be restored and further developed. Prospective ways of development of the agro-industrial sector have been determined, which can be carried out in three key areas: activation of own reserves of agricultural enterprises; receiving donor international aid; development of the state agrarian policy of post-war recovery. It has been proven that the restoration of broken agro- food chains and the inclusion of domestic agricultural enterprises in global agro-food chains is a promising direction for the development of the country's agro-industrial sector. It was found that the agro-food chain is a set of interdependent enterprises that have united on a voluntary basis and closely cooperate in the process of agricultural production. It has been proven that the restoration of the agro-food chain will take place in the event that it includes enterprises for cultivation (fattening), processing, transportation, storage and sale of agricultural products.CONCLUSIONS FROM THE CONDUCTED RESEARCH. The restoration of broken agro-food chains and the inclusion of domestic agricultural enterprises in global agro-food chains will contribute to their accelerated recovery, reducing the level of costs for production, transportation, storage, processing and sale of agricultural products; accelerating the recovery of agricultural enterprises due to the joint interaction of participants in agro-food chains; increasing the level of quality of agricultural products.KEYWORDS: agro-industrial sector; agriculture; agro-food chains; global agro-food chains; post-war recovery.

THE PURPOSE OF THE ARTICLE is to establish the importance and relevance of marketing innovations in the company's activities and to determine their impact on managing the competitiveness of business entities as a whole. RESEARCH METHODS. Various methods were used to research marketing innovations and competitiveness: analysis of special literature and views of scientists; methods of empirical research; method of abstraction, grouping and illustration; method of system analysis, etc. The use of these methods can be comprehensive for the best study of marketing innovations and management of competitiveness in the activities of various enterprises. PRESENTING MAIN MATERIAL. It has been established that the relevance and importance of marketing innovations is constantly growing in the conditions of a rapidly changing business environment, where new technologies, changes in consumer habits, competitive pressure and other factors require stakeholders to constantly adapt and introduce innovations into the marketing strategies of business entities. In the conditions of rapid changes in the market and the growing complexity of the business environment, marketing innovation is becoming a key tool for achieving success and sustainability of companies. Companies that actively innovate in their marketing usually have a better chance of attracting consumer attention and staying competitive. Marketing innovations are innovative approaches and strategies in the field of marketing aimed at attracting the attention of consumers, improving the competitiveness of a product or brand, as well as optimizing marketing processes. Marketing innovations can vary depending on the industry, the market and the specifics of the business, helping the company to take a stronger position in the market and provide a competitive advantage. Competitiveness management requires continuous improvement of products, processes, communications and strategies to meet changes in demand, technology and consumer preferences. The importance of marketing innovations in managing the competitiveness of the enterprise is manifested in the following positive aspects: understanding of the market and customers; development of products and services; effective marketing; increasing the efficiency of operations; interaction with clients; adaptation to changes in market conditions. CONCLUSIONS. Because of the conducted theoretical research, we established that marketing innovations are the introduction of innovative approaches, strategies, tools or technologies into the marketing activities of the enterprise with the aim of improving performance, attracting the attention of customers and ensuring competitive advantages. The main goal of marketing innovation is to introduce innovations in marketing, meet the changing needs of consumers and optimize interaction with the audience. Marketing innovation has been found to be an important factor in a competitive environment, as it allows companies to adapt to a rapidly changing market and provide sustainable competitive advantages. The ability to adapt to new trends and implement innovations can be a key element of success in modern business and increasing the competitiveness of an enterprise. Effective implementation of marketing innovations allows you to adapt to dynamic market changes, satisfy customer needs as much as possible and manage the competitiveness of the enterprise more effectively. It was established that it is important for the enterprise not only to introduce new ideas, but also to constantly adapt its strategy in accordance with changes in market conditions and customer requirements. It was determined that the effectiveness of marketing innovations for the enterprise depends on: the growth of profitability; customer satisfaction; market share; innovative competitiveness; investments in marketing; speed of implementation; employee engagement. KEYWORDS: marketing innovations; competitiveness management; business environment; company success; consumers; optimization of marketing processes; competitive advantages; innovative approaches; adaptation to changes.

PRESENTATION AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. At the current stage of recovery of the national economy of Ukraine, it is impossible to form a concept of ensuring innovative development, to achieve long-term results of the tourism and hotel-restaurant business without constant updating and improvement of applied technological and management processes, constant expansion of the range of services provided, and identification of new opportunities for effective development Scientific and technical progress, the creation of new innovative management technologies, the development of innovative production infrastructure, including changes in consumer preferences, new methods of management and organization of production and work should be attributed to the reasons that cause the need for innovative processes. Innovations (or innovations) play the most important role in macroeconomic development and in achieving the goals of tourism and hotel and restaurant business. To date, there is not a high level of innovative activity in the field of tourism and hotel-restaurant business, which is due to the need to find solutions for improving control in the field of management of innovative activities of tourist and hotel-restaurant enterprises. The development of market relations causes the emergence of new tasks that require the improvement of the system management of the quality of services at tourist and hotel-restaurant enterprises.The above-mentioned words prove the relevance of this article and reflect its purpose as a study of the peculiarities of managing the innovative process of improving the quality of various services of the tourist and hotel-restaurant business.RESEARCH METHODS. In the process of creating and writing the article, general and scientific methods were used: abstraction, classification of various types, comparison, systemic and system-forming approach, situational mathematical analysis, logical and analytical evaluation of parameters, analogies, modeling. The totality of the used theoretical and methodological base made it possible to formulate realistic and well-founded practical conclusions and effective solutions.THE RESULTS. It was emphasized that the development of innovations in the hospitality industry should include such aspects as automation and improvement of work processes with the help of the Internet of Things, the use of "smart" solutions, as well as the improvement of safety and hygiene through innovative solutions. Innovative processes in the tourism and hotel-restaurant business are described, which should include the introduction of new ideas, technologies, services or approaches to improve service quality and competitiveness. This may include the implementation of information systems, the creation of unique numbers or services, the development of an environmental initiative, etc.CONCLUSIONS. Innovative activity in the tourism and hotel-restaurant business is embodied in the creation of new or improvement of transport, hotel, restaurant and other services, the development of new national and international markets, the use of advanced information and telecommunication innovative technologies, modern advanced forms of organizational, planning and management activities, new ways to meet the needs of tourists, etc. Carefully selected tools for the innovative development of tourism and hotel-restaurant business enterprises ensure its competitiveness.KEYWORDS: tourism and hotel and restaurant business; quality of services; innovations; communications; management; service; digital technologies; Internet of things; blockchain.

The growing demand for innovative IT solutions allowed the existing industries to develop and enabled the emergence of new ones, which filled the existing technological gaps. Among them, we could observe a dynamic growth of the robotic process automation sector. Business robots are designed to automate the organization’s business processes by imitating real users performing their daily duties, which are based on structured, repetitive procedures, increasing the operational efficiency of the organization while reducing the impact of the human factor. With the advent of this solution, there were also issues regarding the management model of the RPA robot farm. The results presented in this article are based on the results obtained from a case study on an organization operating in the IT consulting sector. This article addresses critical challenges in managing a robotic process automation infrastructure, focusing on financial optimization, knowledge management, benefits evaluation, and security enhancement. Through the case study it investigates strategies for realizing cost efficiencies, ensuring robust knowledge resources, evaluating implementation benefits, and fortifying security measures within RPA environments, offering valuable insights for organizations navigating the complexities of RPA deployment and management.

Small enterprises with fewer than 50 employees form the backbone of the economy in many countries and significantly contribute to gross domestic product, employment, and exports. Given their importance and role in economic development, economies can benefit from a strong, productive, innovative, growing small enterprises sector. Employees play an essential role in the development of small enterprises. For this reason, it is important to examine the extent to which small enterprise owners pay attention to human resource management and its development. Previous research on human resource management has mainly focused on large enterprises, while there is little evidence on how small enterprises manage and develop their employees. This paper analyses the approach to human resource management in two small Croatian enterprises. Based on six semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with three different groups of employees – the senior manager, the middle manager, and the senior staff, two qualitative case studies were conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the approach to managing and developing employees in small enterprises. The findings suggest that small enterprise managers know the importance of their employees and the need to support their future development. Although small enterprises implement and adapt human resource management practices according to their capabilities and limitations, it is evident that fostering and empowering employees is embedded in their organizational culture.

The present research aimed to explore the impact of sales promotions on consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzed consumer reactions to various promotion types such as bonuses, coupons, buy one get one free, vouchers, free samples, and price discounts. The aim was to investigate if these promotions positively influence consumer purchasing behavior and if the pandemic has induced overpurchasing behavior due to panic. During the research, 541 randomly selected respondents from Azerbaijan and Poland were involved and the results showed that sales promotions have a positive effect on the consumer buying behavior and lead to an increase in purchases beyond the consumers’ actual needs. This is particularly true during times of economic uncertainty when consumers are searching for discounted products to save money and minimize household spending.

Formulation of the problem. In the conditions of global competition, lean production acquires special importance. For enterprises all over the world, the only way to survive in the market is to produce goods and provide services that most fully satisfy the demands of consumers, while using advanced management methods and technologies. Lean manufacturing is one of the modern tools of production organization and management technology, which is used to improve the quality of products and services, the most complete satisfaction of consumer needs, while ensuring a careful attitude to the company's resources and their savings.
 The purpose of the study is the further development of methodological, methodical and practical approaches to the concept of Lean manufacturing to improve the quality of the enterprise's business processes.
 Research methods. The research used scientific methods, such as theoretical generalization, comparison, analysis, synthesis.
 Result. In the process of research, a comparison of traditional business management and the concept of lean production was made and revealed. that the concept of lean production has such advantages as the transition from centralized, vertical management to horizontal, involvement of all employees in the process, teamwork, focus on rational use of resources. The concept of lean production is aimed at eliminating the following main types of losses: overproduction of goods; waiting for raw materials, semi-finished products, necessary service information; unnecessary movement of materials; redundant processing steps arising due to errors in the design of business processes; excessive stocks and business processes leading to their occurrence; unjustified rotation of personnel in the work process; production of waste; underutilization of employees' creative potential.
 Conclusions. Six main elements and 52 components (requirements) of Lean manufacturing are defined based on the SAE J4000 standard for more successful application of lean manufacturing ideas in practice production to analyze the levels of implementation of lean manufacturing methodology components and elements. The main elements of the concept of lean manufacturing, the development and improvement of which should be focused on, are: company management and trust in it; enterprise personnel; information environment; chain "supplier – organization – consumer"; product; business processes. An important role in the concept of lean manufacturing is played by the 5S ordering system and the system of general maintenance of TPM equipment .
 Keywords: lean manufacturing; losses; flow of value creation; 5S ordering system; system of general maintenance of TPM equipment; SAE standard J4000.

In recent years, with the improvement of the economic level and gradually younger consumer groups, brand co-branding has become more and more popular.Brand cobranding can bring freshness to the public, create hot topics, increase brand exposure, and improve brand awareness through cross-border forms.The purpose of our research is to improve consumers' purchase intention through effective co-branding, to help gaming enterprises develop better, which is reflected in consolidating brand image and expanding new consumer groups.Based on the data of 198 participants, we used multiple linear regression and mediating variables (perceived value and perceived risk) to analyze the relationship between brand awareness, matching degree, scarcity of co-branded products, and consumers' purchase intention.We found that markets are not entirely consistent in measuring differences in consumers' purchase intentions.In existing studies, consumers' evaluation of perceived value and perceived risk is not completely consistent, and we cannot use specific values (awareness of co-branded brands, matching degree, and scarcity of co-branded products) to measure consumers' evaluation of perceived value and perceived risk.

Although small-scale dance events are popular as a postmodern socialization tool for modern people, little is known about participants’ behavioral intentions in active small-scale dance events. This research examined the hierarchical relationship between event image, event satisfaction, event identity, and behavioral intentions, including re-participation intention and positive word-of-mouth (WoM) behavior, in a repeated small-scale dance event. A total of 412 participants of the Eskisehir Dance Festival (EDF), a repeated small-scale dance event, were reached by the convenience sampling method. Research data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). First, the model’s compatibility with the data was evaluated by applying confirmatory factor analysis to the model, which includes all research structures. AVE, Cronbach alpha, and CR values were analyzed for all constructs. The conceptual model of the research was analyzed using the AMOS v22. Event image is an important predictor of both event satisfaction (β =0.88; p <0.01) and event identity (β =0.46; p <0.01). In addition, event satisfaction significantly impacted event identity (β =0.76; p <0.01). Event identity is the predictor of re-participation intention (β =0.24; p <0.01) and positive WoM behavior (β =0.88; p <0.01). Finally, WoM behavior positively affected reparticipation intention (β =0.88; p <0,01). Research results made significant empirical contributions to the literature on repeated small-scale dance events. In addition, based on the research results, suggestions were presented to managers of small-scale dance events that they could use in their marketing strategies.