http://dspace.epoka.edu.al/handle/1/1709 2026-04-16T17:55:22Z http://dspace.epoka.edu.al/handle/1/2706 SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE BUSINESSES GROWTH IN ALBANIA ECONOMY Beho, Otion Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are very important for job creation and economic growth during times of change and market opening. This is because entrepreneurs have to deal with both good and bad things. This study looks at how political stability affects the growth of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Albania. It looks at how governance, regulatory frameworks, and institutional quality affect business performance and growth from 2015 to 2025. This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys of SME owners with secondary data from governmental and international sources, to examine the variables influencing SME growth, such as access to capital, regulatory efficiency, and innovation capacity. The study shows that there are strong links between political stability, institutional support, and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) when looking at both primary and secondary data. Studies show that stable governance and clear policies make entrepreneurs much more confident and their businesses much more resilient. Progress and new ideas happen more slowly when politics are unstable and structures are weak, for example. The study gives lawmakers, business owners, and other people who want to know how to make the small business ecosystem better useful information. It also gives us a better idea of what it is like to run a small business in Albania. 2026-03-06T00:00:00Z http://dspace.epoka.edu.al/handle/1/2634 The persistence of poverty in Albania: Exploring the role of cultural norms and institutional shortcomings Kushta, Jona Despite sustained economic growth and structural reforms since the fall of communism, Albania continues to face widespread and persistent poverty, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas. This thesis explores the enduring nature of poverty in Albania by focusing on two often overlooked dimensions: the role of intergenerational cultural belief systems and the inefficiencies of institutional structures. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the cultural belief system theory, the study investigates how values, habits, and social attitudes passed down through generations shape citizens’ perceptions of work, education, and future planning — and how these cultural norms contribute to the normalization of poverty. To examine these dynamics, the research adopts a descriptive quantitative methodology through a structured survey distributed across three geographically and socioeconomically diverse regions of Albania: Burrel (north), Shijak (center), and Librazhd (south). A total of 200 respondents participated, providing insights into their economic conditions, ducational backgrounds, access to public services, and intergenerational value systems. Preliminary findings suggest strong links between poverty persistence and limited political efficacy, diminished future orientation, and dependence on informal support structures. Moreover, the results reveal important regional differences in access to opportunity and attitudes toward mobility and state engagement. While several studies have addressed the economic dimensions of poverty in Albania, this thesis contributes uniquely by highlighting the cultural and political implications of poverty persistence. The study argues that addressing poverty requires more than financial or social programs — it requires confronting the deep-seated cultural norms and institutional weaknesses that allow poverty to reproduce across generations. The findings carry important implications for public policy, particularly in designing long-term, culturally sensitive interventions that promote inclusion, agency, and systemic reform. 2025-07-03T00:00:00Z http://dspace.epoka.edu.al/handle/1/2633 The Foreign Influence in the Western Balkans: A Comparison Case of Albania and Serbia Over the Last Decade of 2014-2024 Zogu, Mateo This study examines the multifaceted impact of key international actors such as the European Union, United States, Russia, and China on the internal political, economic, and security policies of Albania and Serbia between 2014 and 2024. Employing a qualitative case study approach, it analyzes how these small Balkan states respond to, navigate, and resist external pressures through diplomatic, economic, military, and infrastructural strategies. The analysis contrasts Albania’s proactive Western-oriented foreign policy, marked by NATO membership and EU accession reforms, with Serbia’s balancing strategy, which maintains strong ties with Russia and China while pursuing EU membership. The study identifies the strategic rationales behind these divergent alignments, particularly in relation to regional security dynamics and broader geopolitical interests. It finds that Albania has closely aligned with Western institutions, adopting EU-driven governance reforms and benefiting from integration-related support. Conversely, Serbia has adopted a multi-vector foreign policy, resisting Western sanctions on Russia post-2014 and deepening ties with China, especially in infrastructure and technological investments. At the economic level, Serbia’s dependence on Russian energy and Chinese financing contrasts with Albania’s stronger orientation toward EU markets. Normatively, Albania has aligned with EU governance standards, while Serbia's reforms have stalled due to internal nationalist pressures and external strategic balancing. The study also investigates the broader instruments of influence employed by global powers that range from soft power and economic diplomacy to defense cooperation and information campaigns as well as their effects on domestic political trajectories, regional stability, and economic development. By situating the Balkans within the context of intensifying great power competition, this research contributes to international relations theory on power, sovereignty, and small state resilience. It offers a window into how external actors shape regional integration, political reforms, and strategic choices in Southeastern Europe. 2025-07-03T00:00:00Z http://dspace.epoka.edu.al/handle/1/2607 Radikalizmi Fetar në Shqipëri: Faktorët, Dinamikat dhe Përgjigjja Institucionale ndaj Ekstremizmit të Dhunshëm Vrijoni, Sajma Terrorizmi dhe radikalizmi janë kthyer në kërcënime serioze për sigurinë globale, me ekstremizmin fetar dhe rrjetet sociale që luajnë një rol thelbësor në përhapjen dhe intensifikimin e tyre. Në kontekstin shqiptar, një vend me trashëgimi laike dhe diversitet të pasur fetar, radikalizmi paraqet sfida të veçanta që lidhen me transformimet politike, sociale dhe teknologjike të viteve të fundit. Ky studim eksploron ndërthurjen midis ekstremizmit fetar dhe procesit të radikalizmit në Shqipëri, duke synuar të zbulojë faktorët që nxisin individët drejt ideologjive ekstremiste dhe akteve të dhunshme. Analiza fokusohet në ndikimin e grupeve islamike dhe pozicionin gjeopolitik të vendit, si dhe rolin gjithnjë e më të madh që luajnë rrjetet sociale në krijimin e “dhomave jehonë” në rekrutimin online. Nëpërmjet kombinimit të rishikimit të literaturës, analizës së rasteve konkrete dhe kërkimit cilësor, studimi shqyrton motivet që qëndrojnë pas radikalizmit dhe efektin e bindjeve fetare në formësimin e sjelljeve ekstremiste. Po ashtu, analizohen përpjekjet e shtetit shqiptar në luftën kundër terrorizmit, përfshirë kornizat ligjore, masat e zbatimit të ligjit dhe iniciativa komunitare për deradikalizim. Gjetjet theksojnë nevojën për një qasje të shumëanshme që përfshin reforma politike, rregullimin e rrjeteve sociale dhe angazhimin me institucionet fetare për të zbutur rreziqet e radikalizimit. Ky studim kontribuon në një kuptim më të thelluar të dinamikës së ekstremizmit fetar në Shqipëri dhe ofron rekomandime konkrete për forcimin e sigurisë kombëtare, promovimin e kohezionit shoqëror dhe parandalimin e kërcënimeve të mundshme ekstremiste. 2025-07-02T00:00:00Z