Vol.43, No 6 (2010)

Žiga Čepar

University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, Cankarjeva 5, SI-6104 Koper p.p. 345, Slovenia

Štefan Bojnec

University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, Cankarjeva 5, SI-6104 Koper p.p. 345, Slovenia

Abstract

Background/Purpose: This paper investigates the higher education demand in Slovenia, which is investigated in general and in the field of tourism, using regression analysis on selected time-series data. We find a positive and significant association between the higher education demand in general and the demographic and socio-economic circumstances. Demographic trends in general slow down or even decrease the demand for higher education, while socio-economic factors mostly encourage the demand for higher education. However, unfavourable demographic factors are already prevailing over the favourable socio-economic fac­tors, meaning that growth rates of absolute demand for higher education are starting to decline. We analyze the movements of demand for higher education in the field of tourism in recent years and compare them to the movements of the demand for higher education in general and to the movements of the demand for tourism in Slovenia. The demand for tourist services is a factor that encourages demands for higher education in the field of tourism. Finally, we derive some conclusions about higher education demand determinants in Slovenia in general and in the field of tourism, and propose some recommenda­tions for national educational policy.

Darko Kovač

Maja Meško

University of Primorska, Faculty of Management

Andrej Bertoncelj

University of Primorska, Faculty of Management

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Competitive pressures, globalization and economic growth have brought Slovenian enterprises to enhance the role of entrepreneurial competences. The present paper aims to study conative component of entrepreneurial competences as a crucial part of human capital in Slovenian enterprises. The focus of this paper is any eventual disparity of non-teachable attributes of conative component of competences of Slovene enterpreneuer with learned ones rather than the concept of entrepreneurship itself. Authors seperate entrepreneurial competences into three components: cognitive, affective and cona­tive. The purpose of this study is to assess the entrepreneurial conative traits and to investigate the correlation between different conative components of entrepreneurial competences and compare the results to their job-related self-expetations. The conative component of entrepreneurial competences was measures with the Kolbe A™ Index. The study was conducted with 43 Slovenian entrepreneuers from three different enterprises. Independet sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation were used to test research aims. SPSS 16.0 was used to analyse the data. The results show conative components of Slovenian entrepreneurial competences, difference between them and individual’s job-related self expectations and that the correlation between conative components exist.

Igor Hustič

Prešernova ul. 30, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia

Matjaž Mulej

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

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Problems cannot be solved by the mentality that has caused them, such as neglecting the non-technological innovation. Often, innovative renewal of companies’ operations is urgently needed. Overcoming the consequences of the global economic and financial crisis cannot be successful without innovation of the values, culture, business ethics and norms of all their important stakeholders. We suggest a new synergy of methods aimed at renewal of business processes in an innovative way by using the dialectical systems theory approach. We combine BSC, ISO 9000, the method ‘learning company’ and USOMID. Literature so far has not made it clear that those approaches can complement each other and jointly contribute to renewal of business operations according to the requirement of the requisite holism.

Markku Sääksjärvi

Helsinki School of Economics, Aalto University, Finland

Abstract

Background/Purpose: The idea of this paper is to review and summarize the complex interplay between information technology (IT) and organization in stages that impacted radically both the organizational structure and the evolution of effectiveness and economic performance. We could identify five major stages where the underlying technology, the typical organizational structure, and the criteria of performance or business success changed, increasing the complexity of evaluation models proposed. It seemed that the effectiveness impacts of IT escalated from the individual to the team level, from the organizational to the virtual ecosystem level, and from the corporate to the national or global level. Therefore, the IT productivity paradox could not be refuted until 2003.

Tjaša Štrukelj

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

Mojca Duh

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

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Transfer of ownership and management of an enterprise is a complex process; unsuccessful transfers result in the loss of otherwise viable businesses and the jobs they provide. Many enterprise fail in the transfer phase not because they are not viable but because the transfer has not been sufficiently prepared and realized. Successful business transfers are even more important for preserving jobs and economic growth during the economic crisis when many enterprises fail because of the lost of markets and strategic potentials. Even though the transfer of an enterprise within a family is still a frequent option and this is also true for Slovenia, the number of other transfer options is increasing, also the number of transfers to third parties. Owners-managers as well as supportive institutions have an important role in business transfers. Supportive environment and measures should enable easy and efficient business transfer, stimulate entrepreneurs to start preparing the transfer on time as well as stimulate potential entrepreneurs to think about the possibility to take over an existing enterprise; supportive services such as mentoring, professional consultancy, creation of data bases and marketplaces that provide a platform for bringing together potential buyers and sellers are also needed. In the contribution we present proposals for improving the supportive environment for business transfers in Slovenian which is in comparison to some other EU countries still underdeveloped.

Živa Rant

Inštitut za varovanje zdravja Republike Slovenije, Trubarjeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Data transformation process is one of the identity processes on the National Institute of Public Health. It goes through three functional departments. This cause disturbances and deadlocks. We’ve decided to make reengineering of this process with aim to satisfy our users. We’ve got starting-points and stresses needed from the participant view with the problem analyze. With the business process reengineering methodology and system theory we’ve defined process, activities, executers, inputs and outputs. We’ve described roles and their tasks. We’ve prepared responsibility assignment matrix. We’ve made implementation activities.

Iris Podobnik

Cankarjeva ulica 80, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenija

Roberto Biloslavo

Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za management Koper, Cankarjeva 5, 6000 Koper

Abstract

Background/Purpose: The article presents a review of the knowledge management literature focusing on knowledge transfer and the results of a case study research carried out in a small Slovenian IT company. The research’s results indicate that employees based on their own perception of the importance of individual impact factor decide to transfer knowledge or not. The presented case study revealed that employees pay a lot of attention to management behaviour, reward system, communication and trust, and that these factors cannot be analysed individually but as a system. Based on the performed research we can conclude that even in small organizations we encounter great complexity of knowledge transfer, which so far has been studied and confirmed only in cases of large organizations.

Simon Oman

Polycom d.o.o., Poljane nad Škofjo Loko 76 d.o.o., Polycom d.o.o., Poljane nad Škofjo Loko 76, Slovenija

Anton Čižman

Fakulteta za organizacijske vede, Univerza v Mariboru, Kidričeva 55a, 4000 Kranj, Slovenija

Abstract

Background/Purpose: The Importance of Integrated Information Systems in Production Planning, Management and Control Information technology plays an important role in managing made-to-order production where it ensures reliable and up-to-date information. Such information enables efficient decision-making and management of production processes. Beside essential information necessary for production planning, management functions also enter into the system thus leading modern companies into computer integrated systems. The present paper presents the importance and role of integrated computer-aided production which brings companies real-time monitoring of production, timely and accurate decision-making and consequently, more efficient management of a production company.