• György Jenei

The Impact of the Theory of Max Weber on Bureaucracy to our Present Day

The Impact of the Theory of Max Weber on Bureaucracy to our Present Day

The study highlights the role of Weber’s family background in his young academic career. It then details one prominent theme in Weber’s multifaceted and defining history of influence, which is the impact of Weber’s theory of bureaucracy on modern public policy and organizational theory. The study details the varied impact of Weber’s theory of bureaucracy. The study also focuses on simplifications, misunderstandings, effects that facilitate debates, and critical moments. The paper also focuses on the impact of Weber's theory on the history of the Hungarian public administration, with its disabilities and distortions. It discusses the influence, as well as the role of Weber's theory in the public policy approach.

Read more

  • Gergely Egedy

Nation vs. Civilization? The Rise of „Civilizational States”

Nation vs. Civilization? The Rise of „Civilizational States”

After the end of the Cold War, the triumphant West came to the conclusion that the values which it represented were of universal relevance, and this in turn would provide the basis for its long-term hegemony. However, this assumption has been challenged – or even disproven by the spectacular rise of the so-called „civilizational states”, i.e., states that define themselves not as nation-states but as civilizations, trying to revive the traditions of their erstwhile empires. This study first wishes to explore the main characteristics of the most important civilizational states, China, Russia, India and Turkey, and then it points out that in contrast to these self-conscious countries the civilization of the West has to cope with serious internal problems threatening its existence. The conclusion of the author is that the West has no other choice than to renounce its claims on universalism and at the same time defend by all means its own unique cultural legacy.

Read more

  • Márton Gellén

Public Administration Shaped by Demand for Crisis Management

Public Administration Shaped by Demand for Crisis Management

The issue of centralization is one of the classics of public administration science. Hungary’s public sector reforms have raised the interest of international academic inquiry. Accounts of the reforms appear to share the same intrinsic judgement that centralization should be rejected per se while decentralization is unquestionably desirable. This has been contrasted recently with the evident need for effective crisis management that is usually attributed to clear hierarchic relations and top-down initiatives. The proposed paper has a context-oriented standpoint having in mind the important lesson of the policy transfer (and policy failure) theory, that solutions that appear to work in a certain context, might not work in another. In order to examine the Hungarian development path with a somewhat more detailed perspective, the following methods are used in the article: path dependence theory (pendulum effect) of public sector reforms on a factual basis and making comparison with the recent development patha reference country in the region (Slovakia). The article puts forth propositions for the future how the crisis consolidation process is recommended to be completed by corresponding literature.

Read more

  • Veronika Keller – Leila Kis – Erzsébet Printz-Markó

Digitization in Healthcare

Digitization in Healthcare

Digital healthcare is constantly evolving, with more and more innovations emerging in the industry. This has been accelerated significantly with the emergence of the COVID-19 and the development of the pandemic situation. The relocation of healthcare to the online space, i.e. telemedicine services, has already emerged in the early 21st century, but it was undoubtedly the pandemic in 2020 that has provided new opportunities for companies in the sector to develop. The aim of our study is to explore the opinions and the knowledge of the Hungarian people about telemedicine services. Based on the results of an online survey (188 respondents), it can be said that a significant proportion of people do not know what exactly telemedicine is. The key benefits of telemedicine services are the less crowded hospitals and doctor’s offices, faster administration, and recognition of severe symptoms. The respondents considered as main disadvantages were the unclear price-to-service ratio and the collection of misunderstood information and the services offered outside public financing. The telemedicine services that most people have already used are the e-prescription, booking of personal consultation and the e-referral. Looking to the future, the majority is optimistic and expects the development of digital healthcare. Based on the results, we have identified six possible digital marketing campaigns for the telemedicine companies, taking into consideration the goals, the content, and the target audience.

Read more

  • Nándor Birher – Péter Bertalan – Ákos Jezsó

Central Europe is not Just a ’Meteorological Concept’, but a ’Spiritual Kingdom’

Central Europe is not Just a ’Meteorological Concept’, but a ’Spiritual Kingdom’

The lessons we learned from the 20th century, more precisely the period that began with the ’Trianon Peace Treaty’ and (seemingly) lasted until the change of regime, still have an impact on the life in our region. Central Europe is much more than a meteorological, economic concept: it is a common destiny shaped by struggles against each other and the experience of interdependence. It is a ’spiritual kingdom’ that has been able to present the world’s most significant philosophers, physicists, musicians, and painters, and at the same time be the center of the bloodiest wars in world history. This ’spiritual kingdom’ was also influenced by religious beliefs, including Vatican diplomacy that represented the interests of Catholicism.

Read more