How to get employee engagement?

Studies have shown that employee engagement has impact on business results, productivity, customer loyalty and staff turnover. Developed economies realized that development and growth cannot be achieved simply by adding capital or increasing the number of employees; the results stems from the innovation ability of employees and their efficient management. When business needs to do more with less, engaged employees may be the difference between surviving and thriving. Employee engagement is the extent to which employee commitment, both emotional and intellectual, exists relative to accomplishing the work, mission, and vision of the organization. In an empirical study of employee engagement, conducted on a sample of professionals and managers employed in a large Slovenian company (n = 71), we found that 27 percent of managers, included into the survey, are engaged in the job, 66 percent are not engaged, and additional 7 percent are actively not engaged. However, in comparison to the employee engagement in developed economies, the engaged employees’ percentage in the analysed company is comparable to that in the U.S., being higher than the average engagement in Slovenia

Psihodinamični procesi, povezani z udeležbo v mirovnih misijah

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the decade of Slovenian police officer’s experiences with international peacekeeping operations. The main goal of police officers, involved in these missions, is to prevent conflicts between opposite sites, to implement basic agreements, protect humanitarian missions and reinforce policing operations in the conflict area. The purpose of the paper is to acknowledge the lessons learned while planning and implementing further cooperation of Slovenian police officers in peacekeeping (police) operations. The main purpose of the paper is to analyze the consequences of deployment to peacekeeping missions for police officers as well as their family members (partners and children) by analyzing the psychodynamic processes related to the involvement in peacekeeping missions. Design/Methods/Approach: The paper is based on the review of literature. The empirical part of the paper presents the results of the research on a small sample of police officers (n = 36) and their family members (n = 25 partners + 35 children). Findings: Police peacekeepers should be well prepared for different stress situationsthey are exposed to various stress factors before, during, and after serving in a mission. That is why training and reintegration programmes are of great importance. We establish that respondents assess that deployment to a peacekeeping mission has a positive and negative impact on the relationships between family members. As many as ¾ of mission members believe deployment can have a positive impact above all in the sense of strengthening the emotional ties between partners, increased mutual trust and strengthening of the partnership. For them, deployment to a peacekeeping mission is a challenge and personal experience, which can change the way they see the world. 2/3 of partners state similar positive impacts and they also believe that there is more trust between the partners after the experience with the peacekeeping mission, they treasure their time together and thus represent bigger support for each other in difficult times. As the most common problem, respondents perceived marital problems and the occurrence of negative feelings among family members (anger, avoidance, judgment ...). A large share of respondents stressed problems with children. 43.8% of respondents also named depression as a problem. Research limitations/implications: The findings are limited to the Slovenian police and their police officer’s experiences, serving in various police peacekeeping missions and their family members. Practical implications: Based on lessons learned this paper complements the results of different surveys of the researched topic. The results cannot be completely generalized, although some findings could also be useful to similar police organizations in Europe. Originality/Value: This paper addresses and explores different small scale surveys, conducted on sampled Slovenian police officers who served in peacekeeping missions and their family members. Findings could be of interest for the general as well as expert audience.Namen prispevka: Avtorji v članku analizirajo izkušnje, ki jih poročajo policisti z udeležbo v mednarodnih mirovnih misijah. Namen mednarodnih mirovnih misij je preprečitev konfliktov med dvema sprtima stranema, uveljavitev sporazumov in dogovorov, varovanje človekovih pravic in svoboščin ter okrepiti vladavino prava s pomočjo policijske dejavnosti. V članku avtorji analizirajo dosedanje izkušnje slovenskih policistov z udeležbo v mirovnih misijah, s posebnim poudarkom na posledicah, ki jih ima udeležba v mirovnih misijah na policistih in njihovih družinskih članih (partnerjih in otrocih). Metode: Članek temelji na pregledu obstoječe literature s tega področja. V empiričnem delu avtorji predstavijo rezultate empirične raziskave na majhnem vzorcu policistov (n = 36) in njihovih družinskih članov (partnerji: n = 25, otroci n = 35). Ugotovitve: Policisti, ki se udeležujejo mednarodnih mirovnih operacij, morajo biti pripravljeni na različne vrste stresnih situacij pred pričetkom, med potekom in po vrnitvi iz mirovne operacije. Da bi bili pri upravljanju s stresom uspešni, je potrebno okrepiti usposabljanja pred napotitvijo v mirovno misijo ter programe reintegracije po vrnitvi iz mirovne misije. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da ima udeležba v mednarodnih mirovnih operacijah tako pozitivne kot negativne posledice na policiste in tudi na njihove družinske člane. Kar tri četrtine policistov je ocenilo, da je imela njihova udeležba v mirovnih misijah pozitiven učinek na krepitev emocionalnih vezi z družinskimi člani, da se je okrepilo njihovo medsebojno zaupanje in so se izboljšali partnerski odnosi. Tudi dve tretjini partnerjev je poročalo o enakem vplivu udeležbe v mirovnih misijah na njihovo družinsko/partnersko življenje, poleg tega pa poročajo, da po udeležbi bolj cenijo skupni čas s partnerjem ter da so izkušnje z odsotnostjo partnerja izboljšale njihove zmožnosti za reševanje družinskih in partnerskih težav. Kot najbolj pogoste težave, ki izhajajo iz udeležbe v mednarodnih misijah, so udeleženci raziskave poročali o nesoglasjih med partnerjema ter pojavu negativnih čustev pri posameznih družinskih članih (jeza, izogibanje, obsojanje …). Veliko udeležencev v raziskavi poroča tudi o težavah z otroki, kar 43,8 odstotka pa jih je poročalo tudi o pojavu depresije. Omejitve/uporabnost raziskave: Rezultati raziskave so omejeni na slovenske policiste in njihove družinske člane, omejitve pa izhajajo tudi iz relativno majhnega vzorca udeležencev raziskave. Praktična uporabnost: Rezultati raziskave so uporabni predvsem pri strateškem načrtovanju udeležbe policistov v bodočih mirovnih operacijah, s posebnim poudarkom na pripravah tako policistov kot njihovih družinskih članov (še posebej otrok) pred odhodom kot tudi na procesih reintegracije po vrnitvi iz mirovne misije. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Raziskava o vplivu udeležbe v mednarodnih misijah na psihodinamične procese na vzorcu slovenskih policistov in njihovih družinskih članov predstavlja izviren znanstven pristop proučevanja dejavnikov, ki pomembno vplivajo na zmožnost policistov, da uspešno in učinkovito izvedejo naloge v mednarodnem okolju

Stakeholders in Disengaging from Radicalisation in a Local Community

Radicalisation and extremism, with the potential to lead to violent extremism, are a constant security threat in modern democratic societies. In the last few decades, Europe generally and the Western Balkan countries in particular have been broadly viewed as a breeding ground for religious radicals and violent extremis It is becoming clear that radicalisation-prevention strategies must be locally oriented and harmonised at the international and interagency levels. It is intelligence agencies that deal with violent extremism since they are leading national security actors and operate using classified information. Nowadays, the police and other local stakeholders like local government, schools and NGOs are crucial for facilitating a preventative multi-agency approach, especially in local settings. Such an approach should combine measures from the area of criminal justice with policies from the fields of education, social inclusion and integration, while ensuring the timely provision of effective de-radicalisation and/or disengagement. The authors of this paper understand the term disengagement as the action or process of withdrawing from being involved in a radical activity, situation or group. It differs from counter-radicalisation (preventing radicalisation from taking place) and de-radicalisation (bringing about a change in values and ideas away from radical and/or violent ideas). The paper presents the preliminary findings of a study conducted on a sample of 108 students at the Croatian Police College of the MoI concerning the role of different stakeholders responsible for efforts towards the disengagement of individuals from radical and extremist movements in Croatia. The data were collected during the students’ study courses in December 2018.</p

Organizational model of ensuring safety and quality of treatment of aggressive psychiatric patients in mental health nursing in Slovenia

Introduction: The paper presents the organizational measures for managing violence in psychiatric settings and the study that introduces the preliminary success rate of the proposed model. Methods: For the purpose of this study a non-experimental sampling method was employed using a structured questionnaire as a data collection instrument. The sample covered the personnel most frequently exposed to violence namely, the nursing staff in closed and/or intensive psychiatric units in 5 Slovenian psychiatric hospitals, 3 psychiatric homes and 2 special education, and work and care centres. The data were statistically analysed with the SPSS v20 software package, with p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results: The practical part of the functional training was conducted between 2010 and 2013 in specific psychiatric hospitals and wards. In a study carried out in 2013, preliminary results indicating the success rate of the proposed model were obtained. Discussion and conclusions: Health care workers in psychiatry are responsible for providing safe and high quality treatment even in cases of aggressive outbursts, but they lack the necessary functional knowledge to cope with aggression in the workplace. The paper presents an organizational model for ensuring the safety of the patients and the quality of their treatment in case of an aggressive outburst, along with the presentation of the required functional training

Analysis of Online Banking Users Behaviour

Namen prispevka: Namen prispevka je analizirati vedenjske vzorce uporabnikov in varnostna tveganja, ki se pojavljajo pri uporabi spletnega bančništva. V prispevku so predstavljeni temeljni in aplikativni teoretični okvirji ter modeli pojasnjevanja vedenja uporabnikov spletnega bančništva, na podlagi rezultatov empirične raziskave pa so izoblikovani predlogi za izboljšanje programov informiranja in ozaveščanja uporabnikov za varno uporabo spletnega bančništva. Metode: Izhajajoč iz okvirov vedenjskih teorij in usmeritev bank za varno uporabo spletnega bančništva je bila izvedena raziskava med uporabniki v Sloveniji (n = 210). Zbiranje podatkov je potekalo s pomočjo spletnega anketiranja. Proučili smo, kako uporabniki ob rabi spletnega bančništva skrbijo za varnost lastnih elektronskih naprav, gesel, digitalnih potrdil in na kakšen način skrbijo za varnost na spletu ter katere druge samozaščitne ukrepe pri tem uporabljajo. Ugotovitve: Rezultati kažejo, da so anketiranci dobro ozaveščeni o nevarnostih pri uporabi spletnega bančništva, vendar kljub temu še vedno zaznavamo neprimerne prakse pri zaščiti ključnih podatkov. Ugotavljamo tudi nizko stopnjo samoiniciativnosti pri uporabi varnostnih ukrepov, zato je zavzetost uporabnikov ključni izziv, ki ga je treba nasloviti za dvig stopnje varnosti pri uporabi spletnega bančništva. Omejitve raziskave Omejitve raziskave izhajajo iz majhnega vzorca udeležencev raziskave, vsebinsko pa je raziskava osredinjena na proučevanje vedenja uporabnikov spletnega bančništva in ukrepov, vezanih na tovrstno storitev. Drugi vidiki zagotavljanja varnosti in vedenja uporabnikov pri rabi spleta in interneta v prispevku niso analizirani. Praktična uporabnost: Ugotovitve raziskave so uporabne tako za ponudnike spletnega bančništva, njihove uporabnike kot tudi za vse zainteresirane in tiste, ki se ukvarjajo s procesi krepitve varne uporabe informacijske tehnologije. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Študija analizira vedenje uporabnikov spletnega bančništva s pomočjo različnih vedenjskih teorij, ki so bile osnova za oblikovanje vprašalnika, uporabljenega v raziskavi. Uporabljena metoda lahko predstavlja osnovo za bodoče raziskovanje vedenja uporabnikov tako na področju spletnega bančništva kot drugih spletnih storitev.Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to analyse behavioural patterns of users and the security risks that occur when using online banking. The paper presents basic and applied theoretical frameworks and models for explaining the behaviour of online banking users. Based on the results of the empirical research, proposals for improving the awareness programs for users regarding security of online banking were developed. Design/Methods/Approach: Based on frameworks of behavioural theories and guidelines for the safe use of online banking, a survey was conducted among users in Slovenia (n = 210). Data were collected through online survey. We analysed how users take care of their safety and security when using online banking services, how they protect their electronic devices, passwords, digital certificates and what other self-protection measures they use. Findings: The results show that respondents are well aware of the dangers associated with online banking, but nonetheless they still engage in risk-taking and fail to protect their key data properly. We also observe low level of self-initiative and commitment for the use of additional security measures. Therefore, user engagement is a key challenge that needs to be addressed in order to raise the level of online banking security. Research Limitations: The limitations of the research derive from a small sample and the limited focus of the survey. The research is focused on studying the behaviour of online banking users and measures related to such services. Other aspects of information security and users behaviour when using the internet and online services are not analysed in the paper. Practical Implications: The paper and research findings are useful for both online banking providers and their users, as well as for those who are in any way interested in the topic or involved in the process of reinforcing the safe use of information technology. Originality/Value: The study analyses the behaviour of online banking users through various behavioural theories and models, which formed the basis for the questionnaire used in the survey. The method presented in the paper can serve as a basis for future exploration of user behaviour both in the area of online banking and in other online services

Pomen in ocena učinkovitosti notranjega nadzora v slovenski policiji

Purpose: The paper presents the findings of a study conducted on a sample of internal control providers within the Slovenian police as part of the target research project "Effectiveness of Systemic Control of the Police in Regard to Human Rights as well as the Statutory and Professional Standards of Police Work (V5-1942)". The purpose of the study was to analyse the control activity in the Slovenian police from the viewpoint of those carrying out control procedures. We were interested in their view of the control process and, through the interviews, we analysed the opportunities and shortcomings of the control activity within the Slovenian police in relation to systemic control conducted by external stakeholders. Design/Methods/Approach: We examined the regulatory framework of control activities in the public sector and in the police and presented the approaches used across Europe. In the empirical part, we conducted structured interviews with employees at the state level, namely with the employees tasked with carrying out control procedures in the General Police Directorate, the Criminal Police Directorate and the Uniformed Police Directorate, and we also conducted interviews with two superintendents at the Police Directorate level. We conducted a total of seven interviews. Findings: The research found that audits, whether carried out by the Ministry of the Interior or by the Police auditors, are seen as a vital element of the management of a police organization. The interview subjects emphasized the role of the heads of police units - both from the point of view of planning internal control activities and translating the findings of the audits into police practice. The dissemination of audit findings can be ensured through the digitization of police work processesinterviewees expressed the need for a systematic solution that would allow them to test the competencies of police officers. Research Limitations/Implications: The article presents the findings from the point of view of the employees responsible for carrying out control activities within the Slovenian police. For a more complete overview of the matter, our findings should be compared with the perspective of those who are the subjects of the control activities, i.e. the police officers who have undergone the control process. The findings of the research are useful primarily for the purposes of planning the processes related to the management and administration of police work and from the point of view of improving the quality of police work. Originality/Value: The paper examines how the employees responsible for carrying out the control activities perceive their own work and how the processes involved in the control of police work are organized, how they function and how effective they are.Namen prispevka: V prispevku predstavljamo ugotovitve raziskave, ki je bila na vzorcu izvajalcev notranjega nadzora v slovenski policiji izvedena v okviru Ciljnega raziskovalnega projekta "Učinkovitost sistemskega nadzora nad policijo na področju spoštovanja človekovih ter zakonskih in strokovnih standardov policijskega dela (V5-1942)". Namen raziskave je bil analizirati nadzorstveno dejavnost v slovenski policiji skozi perspektivo izvajalcev nadzora, ugotavljali smo odnos do nadzorstvene dejavnosti, s pomočjo intervjujev pa smo analizirali priložnosti in pomanjkljivosti nadzorstvene dejavnosti v slovenski policiji v odnosu do sistemskega nadzora, ki ga opravljajo zunanji deležniki. Metode: Pregledali smo ureditev nadzorstvene dejavnosti javnega sektorja in policije ter predstavili pristope v evropskih državah. V empiričnem delu smo izvedli strukturirane intervjuje z uslužbenci na državni ravni, in sicer z nadzorniki z Generalne policijske uprave, Uprave kriminalistične policije ter Uprave uniformirane policije, in z dvema vodjema na ravni policijskih uprav. Skupno smo izvedli sedem intervjujev. Ugotovitve: Raziskava je pokazala, da se nadzori, pa naj jih izvajajo nadzorniki iz Ministrstva za notranje zadeve ali Policije, dojemajo kot ključni element za učinkovito vodenje policijske organizacije. Udeleženci razgovora so poudarili vlogo policijskih vodij - tako z vidika načrtovanja dejavnosti notranjega nadzora kot tudi prenosa ugotovitev nadzora v policijsko prakso. Implementacijo nadzorstvenih ugotovitev v neposredno policijsko delo je mogoče zagotoviti z digitalizacijo policijskih delovnih procesovsogovorniki pa so izrazili tudi potrebo po sistematični rešitvi, ki bi jim omogočila preverjanje kompetenc policistov. Omejitve/uporabnost raziskave: V prispevku so prikazane ugotovitve z vidika izvajalcev nadzorstvene dejavnosti v slovenski policiji. Za celovit pregled področja bi bilo koristno primerjati ugotovitve z vidikom nadzorovanih, torej nadzorovanih uslužbencev policije. Ugotovitve raziskave so uporabne predvsem za načrtovanje procesov vodenja in upravljanja policijskega dela ter z vidika krepitve kakovosti policijskega dela. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Bistvena dodana vrednost prispevka je, da osvetljuje pogled nadzorovalcev na njihovo lastno delo ter na urejenost, delovanje in učinkovitost procesov izvajanja nadzora nad delom policistov

Zadovoljstvo z delom

Zavedanje o pomembnosti zadovoljstva zaposlenih z delom se pri delodajalcu po navadi pojavi šele takrat, ko pride do menjave kadra oz. prostovoljnega odhoda kadra iz podjetja. Z vidika zaposlenega je prav zadovoljstvo z delom tisti glavni razlog, ki ga ne samo zadrži pri podjetju, ampak tudi motivira k ustvarjalnosti, novim idejam, spodbuja njegovo pripadnost in lojalnost ter ga nasploh naredi dragocenega (delavca). Z vidika delodajalca je to največ, kar si ta lahko želi za svoje podjetje in k čemur mora stremeti, če si želi dolgoročnega uspeha. Ker je torej zadovoljstvo z delom obojestransko zaželeno, bi moralo biti njegovo zagotavljanje ustaljena praksa podjetij. Na podlagi podatkov, pridobljenih z rednim merjenjem zadovoljstva zaposlenih se tako izvaja upravljanje zadovoljstva, katerega rezultat bodo zadovoljni zaposleni in s tem boljši poslovni rezultati ter konkurenčnost podjetja. Magistrska naloga se v prvem – teoretičnem delu poleg opisa osnovnih pojmov dotakne še teorij, povezanih z zadovoljstvom z delom, razsežnosti zadovoljstva ter njegovega vpliva. Nadalje se v nalogi pojasnita merjenje in upravljanje zadovoljstva ter izpostavi pomembnost organizacijske kulture in klime ter motivacije. V empiričnem delu naloge je opisana primarna statistična analiza, anketa izpeljana s pomočjo spletnega orodja 1ka. Ugotavlja se zadovoljstvo zaposlenih v odvetniški pisarni, in sicer na delovnem mestu »tajnica«. Poleg splošnega zadovoljstva se meri še zadovoljstvo s plačo, delovnim časom, delovnimi pogoji in zadovoljstvo z nadrejenimi/sodelavci, pa tudi ocena varnosti zaposlitve, ocena lastnega dela ter ocena uspešnosti pisarne. Zadnji del magistrske naloge vsebuje povzetek rezultatov raziskave skupaj s pomanjkljivostmi, njihovo interpretacijo ter odgovore na postavljena raziskovalna vprašanja. Poleg dejstva, da so tajnice v odvetniških pisarnah na splošno zadovoljne s svojo zaposlitvijo, je pomemben še izsledek raziskave, da na to njihovo (splošno) zadovoljstvo najbolj vplivata zadovoljstvo z nadrejenimi ter zadovoljstvo s sodelavci. Za tajnice v odvetniških pisarnah so torej najbolj bistveni medosebni odnosi na delovnem mestu. Zanimiv je tudi rezultat raziskave, da tajnice, ki so zaposlene za nedoločen čas, svoje zaposlitve ne smatrajo za (bolj) »varno« v primerjavi s tistimi, ki so zaposlene za določen čas ali po pogodbi.Awareness on the importance of employee satisfaction with the work they do for their employer usually becomes apparent only when either a change in staff or a voluntary resignation of staff takes place. From the perspective of the employee, it is exactly employee satisfaction that plays the main role in not only retaining that same employee within the company but also in motivating the employee to be creative and bring forward new ideas, at the same time encouraging the employee\u27s sense of belonging to and being loyal to the company, thus making the employee generally valuable for and valued by the company. On the other hand, from the employer\u27s perspective such an employee represents the maximum of what the employer looks for in an employee for the company and what the employer should aspire to if the objective is long-term success of the company. Employee satisfaction is therefore desired by both sides and ensuring it should be a common practice in any company. By performing a regular follow-up on employee satisfaction with their work, this satisfaction is managed, the outcome of which are truly satisfied employees and with that improved both business results and corporate competitiveness. The first part of the master thesis is theoretical and includes, besides a definition of the basic terminology, the theories connected with employee satisfaction, dimensions of employee satisfaction and the overall impact of the latter. In the continuation, the measuring methods used and the management of satisfaction are explained, and the importance of organizational culture and climate at workplace, but also motivation, revealed. The empirical part of the thesis represents the primary statistical analysis, based on a survey performed by means of the 1ka online tool. The analysis observes the satisfaction of employees in a law firm and focuses on the position of »secretary« working in such a firm. The areas measured in the survey do not only cover payment satisfaction, but also work time satisfaction, work conditions satisfaction, satisfaction with superiors and colleagues, including an assessment of employment protection, a self-assessment and an assessment of the company\u27s overall performance. In the final part of the thesis, a summary of the outcome of the survey is provided together with all of its drawbacks and their respective interpretation, and with all the answers to the formulated research questions. Apart from the fact that secretaries in law firms are generally satisfied with their jobs, another important outcome of the survey shows that their satisfaction with superiors and colleagues has the strongest impact on how satisfied secretaries are in the end with their job. The survey thus reveals that interpersonal relationships at workplace play the most important role in the satisfaction of secretaries in law firms. Another outcome of the survey that calls for attention is that the secretaries who are permanently employed do not consider their employment to be (much) safer than the jobs of those secretaries with a fixed-term or contract employment