Vol.40, No 5 (2007)

Andreja Bertoncelj

Fakulteta za management Koper, Cankarjeva 5, 6104 Koper

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Empirical studies of acquired companies suggest that the objectives that drove the deal were met only half the time.We argue that a new approach toward successful acquisitions is needed, which leads us to the concept of balanced management of hard and soft success factors. Hard success factors are professional due diligence, realistic assessment of added value potentials (combination of strong business nuclei) in acquiring as well as target companies and detailed post-merger integration plan prepared already in the pre-deal phase and its speedy implementation. Soft success factors are equally important and combine the economic logic of corporate performance and social capital, measured in quantitative and qualitative terms. Soft success factors are new »combined« organizational culture, conscious and innovative employees (leaders), and efficient and consistent communication with all interest groups during M-A process. It is the organizational success that counts in the end, winning the game is largely a matter of maximizing the value by achieving »one plus one is more than two«

Peter Volf

Univerza v Mariboru, Študentska organizacija Univerze v Mariboru, Organizacijska enota Center za razvoj medijev

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Many different youth organizations have been created in the years after Slovenian independence. In my opinion this brings the development of youth work and growth of informal education offer. In the future the informal education will have to become more important and recognized by the state and local authorities. Financial support would enable free or cheaper education and its wider accessibility. Major part of individuals realizes the importance of informal education for their occupational and personal sphere and is willing to educate themselves in the future. Knowledge, skills and experience brought to us by informal education and personal qualities can become an important factor at choosing the right person for the job.

Mojca Duh

Faculty of Economics and Business Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Jernej Belak

Faculty of Economics and Business Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Polona Tominc

Faculty of Economics and Business Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Miroslav Rebernik

Faculty of Economics and Business Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Abstract

Background/Purpose: At the most basic level a family enterprise may be defined as an enterprise, which is controlled by members of a single family. But family enterprises are not homogenous. They vary in terms of degrees of family involvement. The research cognitions described in the present paper show that 30,9 % of the observed enterprises face strong influence of the families through the ownership as well as management of the enterprise. The main purpose of our paper is therefore to better understand the association between the degree of involvement of a family in ownership and management of a family enterprise and the business behavior of family enterprise in different business situations. The main data source for our paper is the survey of 350 SMEs in Slovenia. Overall findings suggest that enterprises, characterized by a high degree of family involvement do not differ significantly from the firms that are characterized as non-family ones, regarding the total sales revenues, economic efficiency, value added per employee, export orientation and cooperation with large companies. The same goes for firms characterized with a low degree of family involvement. It is very likely, that in the present state of development of family firms and market economy in Slovenia, the degree of family involvement is not crucial for business behavior and business performance regarding the variables analyzed. Several extensions of our research are also proposed

Bruno Završnik

Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Razlagova 20, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Damjana Jerman

Intereuropa Ltd. Co., Vojkovo nabrežje 32, 6000 Koper

Goran Vukovič

Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Maribor, Kidričeva cesta 55a, 4000 Kranj

Abstract

Background/Purpose: This paper focuses on logistics performance of companies in the Slovenian market. The research is analysing the point of view of managers in production, trade and services oriented companies about their logistics needs.Specifically, we examined their perception of different characteristics of a logistics provider and their evaluation in the process of outsourcing. There are few logistics functions that have been outsourced. This paper presents the outsourcing process with of outsourcing characteristics. The authors also identify elements of a successful outsourcing strategy, basing their conclusions on the research on the sample of 150 the biggest Slovenian companies. The authors will intend to answer the following question in the research: Which indicators do customers use to evaluate their suppliers? It would be expected that in purchase decision processes, customers give strong consideration to the resources and the competence of the supplier as criteria to provide higher quality and more reliable and efficient transportation of goods. One of the aims of research will be to measure the perception of respondents about the different characteristics of logistics provider. Within any organization, there will be differences of opinion about key buying factors, their importance, and how well the company performs on each factor.

Zvonko Kribel

Univerza na Primorskem, Titov trg 4, 6000 Koper-Capodistria

Štefan Bojnec

Univerza na Primorskem, Titov trg 4, 6000 Koper-Capodistria

Abstract

Background/Purpose: This paper presents the results of the empirical study on use of marketingcommunicationćchannels and on use of Internet services among Slovenian travel agencies. The study was completed in November 2005. Using a web applicationas well as self stamped written questionnaire we have conduced surveys among all travel agencies in Slovenia, which arećregistered for the business activity 63.300– travel agencies. We have received 74 completed answers, which represent 29 percent response rate. The surveys’ resultsćshow that Slovenian travel agencies, like Greek and Turkish travel agencies base their marketing-communications efficiency on word-of-mouth followed by various web services. The multivariatećfactor analysis confirms that use of variousćmarketing-communication channels and web contains depend significantly on the size of the travelling agency.

Tatiana Zanini Gavranić

Pješčana uvala III/18, 52100 Pula, Croatia

Abstract

Background/Purpose: The implementation of a quality cost system in hotel industry management accounting enables an increase in competitiveness in the race to provide a better service adjusted to the needs of the guests. In order to be able to manage quality costs for the purpose of reducing the costs of non-quality, it is necessary to ensure a methodological basis for monitoring and assessment of the effects of managerial decisions on investments into total quality management systems, as well as get insight in the amount and structure of quality costs. The purpose of this survey, carried out in 2002, was to find out to what degree the preconditions for the implementation of quality cost accounting as part of management accounting, a subsystem of the management information system, have been ensured in the Croatian hotel industry. We conducted an extensive survey that included 41 business systems, i.e. 140 hotels (31.1% of the total number of hotels in Croatia). The sample included hoteliers from all more significant tourist destinations in Istria, Kvarner Region, Dalmatia, Zagreb and continental Croatia, thus ensuring a geographically balanced account of the observed area.

Tomaž Kramberger

Univerza v Mariboru, Fakulteta za logistiko Celje – Krško, Mariborska cesta 7, 3000 Celje

Bojan Rosi

Univerza v Mariboru, Fakulteta za logistiko Celje – Krško, Mariborska cesta 7, 3000 Celje

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Modern complexity of management is associated with important decision making, confronting a great number of useless information. Selection of information – the choice of only quality, i.e. essential ones, is a big problem in managerial decisionmaking. Implementation of systemic approach i.e. systemic thinking can help dealing with it. It is known that decision-making based only on intuition is insufficient, especially nowadays, in the time of global business. Therefore, managers have to operate with adequate knowledge capital. It is synergetic composition of inborn talents, feelings, abilities as well as gained knowledge and experiences. DNT put this capital knowledge into function of management decisionmaking, thus easier and holistic information management needed for quality and efficient and successful problem solving. It enables managers to be creative, co-operative and interdisciplinary. It opens possibilities for combination of theory and practice in the decision making processes, as presented in our contribution. Quality, holistic management decision making, create competitive advantages. It can be proved by a practical example of decision making about preventive measures in the winter time (roads gritting and ploughing). Great importance of quality, timely and enough holistic information is presented with the model of Short Term Road Ice Prediction, which gives information for quality decision making

Vojko Potočan

Univerza v Mariboru, Ekonomsko-poslovna fakulteta, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor

Matjaž Mulej

Univerza v Mariboru, Ekonomsko-poslovna fakulteta, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Society’s working depends on the level of responsibility of all organizations, especially firms as crucial members of modern societies. Meeting society’s demands for sustainable development makes firms modern. This contribution discusses two theses: (1) How does sustainable enterprise impact holistic social responsibility; (2) Sustainable ethics is crucial for enterprise’s social responsibility resulting in general social responsibility.

Vesna Čančer

Univerza v Mariboru, Ekonomsko-poslovna fakulteta Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor

Abstract

Background/Purpose: This paper introduces a frame procedure for multi-criteria decision-making by using the group of methods, based on assigning weights.We have developed it by utilizing the conclusions of several authors regarding the absence of decision makers’ perfect rationality and the need to support decision-making by systematic procedures, and the conclusions of experts in practice regarding the suitability of different multi-criteria methods. The described procedures for decision analysis were taken into consideration, as well. A systematic step-by-step approach was used in complex problemsolving on the micro level (creditworthiness assessment, environmentally oriented business decision-making, process benchmarking, choice of investments) and on the macro level (measuring the globalization of national economies), as well. The described procedure, which is well supportive of requisite holism, can be adapted to the decision problem’s particularities