Vol.45, No 4 (2012)

Vlado Dimovski

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, Kardeljeva ploščad 17, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Miha Marič

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

Miha Uhan

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, Kardeljeva ploščad 17, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Nina Đurica

Higher Business School of Professional Studies Novi Sad, Vladimir Peric-Valter 4, Novi Sad, Serbia

Marko Ferjan

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

Abstract

Background/Purpose: We present a study of the Art of War from a leadership perspective, one in which we make a closer connection to the context of general organization and management. The Art of War written by Sun Tzu is one of those books that could be classified in the genre of pop-culture. Although its content used to be considered as a carefully protected state secret in the past, it is now available to everyone. Its use has in the past century of moved from warfare also to other areas of human activity. Strategic advices that it contains can be used in many more areas than just the conduct in the times of war. In fact, the success in wars, as well as in business, of course, depends on leadership, which is why we identify the positive and negative attributes of a leader in relation to strategic leadership. People are those who fight in battles and are also those who win them; and the most important person in every battle is the general. Historically, a number of successful military commanders ascribe the credit for their victories to Sun Tzu’s principles. In addition, this wisdom is now being examined and used by senior executives from all around the world, especially in Asia, because it can be utilized in many business and political situations. The Chinese classic “The Art of War” is still considered as one of the most influential and important works on strategy, why a discussion on theoretical and practical implications of Sun Tzu’s strategic leadership theory in a global environment is also included.

Brigita Krsnik Horvat

University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Milan Pagon

Zayed University, P.O. Box 19282, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Creating a “mobbing-safe” working environment can be a real challenge; to achieve it, a better understanding of related constructs is necessary. To obtain insight into researchers’ attitudes toward workplace mobbing and behavioural intentions, we used a case scenario method. The results show that respondents, on average, consider the mobbing cases presented in a questionnaire to be very serious. Their attitudes and behavioural intentions depend more on their opinion about colleagues’ attitudes and related intentions and less on their own, which shows a lower integrity than desired. Low willingness to report the violator, lenient discipline sanctions and the absence of proper organisational rules create favourable conditions for workplace mobbing in Slovenian public research organisations. This paper also proposes measures based on the research findings of various authors and identifies new questions that could be addressed in further research.

Snežana Urošević

University of Belgrade, Technical Faculty in Bor, Management Department, Vojske Jugoslavije 19210 Bor, Serbia

Nenad Milijić

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Nowadays, human resource management and development is becoming more significant due to the fact that a man has gained a new place and a new role in all social processes and in their management. The sheer employees’ characteristics, i.e., demographic factors, besides the organisational factors, have a certain influence in this area. By adequate understanding of both demographic factors and their influence, it is possible to apply measures to make the employees satisfied and motivated. This paper points out such influences on the employees’ satisfaction and motivation. Also, the interaction of certain demographic factors is presented, such as the professional qualification, years of working experience and age, onto employees perceiving satisfaction and motivation and onto respective consequences. In order to determine the employee satisfaction and motivation, the responses from the employees to questions divided into six groups (material conditions, security, acceptance and social component, respect and status, self-confirmation and loyalty), were used. The research was done on a set of 328 employees in the telecommunications sector in Serbia.

Marek Jemala

University of Nova Gorica, School of Engineering and Management, Vipavska 13, Rožna Dolina, 5000 Nova Gorica

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Technological know-how is a very significant determinant of success that can primarily depend on a systemic, integrated approach to Technology management (TM), on a well-defined and implemented technology strategy, but also on adequate overall socio-environmental characteristics of the technological system. The main tasks of integrated TM are to ensure systematic monitoring, analysis, planning, organizing, controlling, assessment, and effective use of the technological system to more effectively integrate it into a functional entity and to support also other related business goals and processes. This article deals with the specification of key parts of the TM integration with the particular emphasis on the selected specifics of the best technology-integrated companies in the world. 

Štefan Bojnec

Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za management Koper, Cankarjeva 5, pp. 345, Slovenija

Drago Papler

Elektro Gorenjska, Stara c. 3, 4000 Kranj, Slovenia

Abstract

Background/Purpose: During the structural changes with the electricity market deregulation important role plays employees as catalyst of work relations, work organisation and motivation in business processes. The paper analyses surveys results, which were conducted between employees in electricity distribution enterprises with summary statistics, correlation and regression analysis. In business processes and among personal factors the employees are highly evaluated the importance of continuity of employment with social security, importance of direct head, and work requirements (physical and psychical). With regression analysis is confirmed hypothesis that work conditions of employees are positively associated with work organisation, professional development, and relations between employees. Work organisation is positively associated with mutual exchange of information, systematisation of work places, professional development, relations between employees, and mouth-to-mouth communication, while negatively associated with transfer of emotional pressures. Motivation of employees is positively associated with working conditions, self-participatory decision making, systematisation of work places, freedom, flexibility, self-initiatives, relations between employees, mouth-to-mouth communication, opportunities for carrier promotion, ability of programming of development of organisation, importance of direct head, and transfer of emotional pressures, while negatively associated with wages.

Karmen Kosec

Relax Turizem, Meža 10, 2370 Dravograd

Gozdana Miglič

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

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Relax Turizem is one of seven subsidiaries of the Relax business group. The company developed a system of their own business units where touristic services are sold at the place of purchase. The company’s sales network consists of 20 places of purchase with 30 salespersons. The decision to develop their own sales network was based on the presumption that the number and the quality of sales in their own sales units would be higher due to better qualified sellers. According to that, the research subject was the performance of salespersons at the place of purchase, whereas the performance was defined by the criterion of the average realization of the daily turnover. The purpose of the research was to identify the deciding characteristics of the effective salesperson that will be the basis for developing a training program for promoting more efficient sales at the place of purchase. Considering the assumption that salespersons’ performance is influenced by different elements, the goal of the research was to establish the influence level of individual elements or element sets on sales performance. The results of the research that was conducted in all units of the Relax Turizem company showed a strong level of correlation between sales performance and three elements in particular: monitoring the communication with potential buyers, salesperson’s verbal communication at the time of buyer’s entrance and monitoring of personal plan realization.

Miran Abram

Slovenske železnice-Infrastruktura,d.o.o., Kolodvorska 11, 1506 Ljubljana, Slovenija

Abstract

Background/Purpose: In the paper, the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis-FMEA is described. Four steps of FMEA are presented. The method is applied to the railway line as an important part of the railway traffic system. Each step of FMEA is performed on the rail type 49E1, built in the railway track of open railway line in Slovenian Railways. It has been shown that field data on the railway lines enable quantitative estimation of failure mode criticality for the railway line elements.