Strategic management of Scientific Research Organisations (SROs) as a tool for success - evidence from Serbia

The influences of today’s complex environment, as well as knowledge economy development, cause rapid changes in the management patterns in Scientific Research Organizations (SROs). The strategic management of SROs becomes the main tool for achieving organizational success. Research and development activities that are carried out in SROs are mostly project-oriented, so a definition of appropriate programs and projects is crucial for strategy implementation. In the last century, in Serbia, like in most post-communist countries, research and development activities were not triggered by market needs, which is a new challenge for the SROs management. In the presented research, the employees in SROs identified the need for introducing a strategic approach to project management

An integral model for strategic management in science and research organisation

U širem kontekstu naučnoistraživačke organizacije bi trebalo posmatrati kao deo velikog sistema međusobno povezanih aktera, čije eksterno okruženje karakterišu rizik i neizvesnost, a interno visoka ulaganja u naučnoisraživačke aktivnosti, čiji rezultati su neizvesni i vidljivi tek u budućem periodu. Strateški pristup upravljanju naučnoistraživačkim organizacijama je sveobuhvatana, višedimenzionalna i balansirana konstrukcija različitih elemenata koji čine sistem upravljanja u ovom tipu organizacija. Imajući u vidu značaj naučnoistraživačkog rada, primena strateškog pristupa u funkciji unapređenja funkcionisanja naučnoistraživačkih organizacija je od izuzetnog značaja za razvoj naučnoistraživačkog sektora, razvoj nacionalne ekonomije, pa i šire. Razvoj integrisanog modela strateškog upravljanja u naučnoistraživačkim organizacijama predstavlja kompleksnu oblast istraživanja, koja povezuje koncept strateškog upravljanja i projektno organizovan naučnoistraživački rad. Analiza postojećeg fonda znanja u ovoj oblasti potvrđuje da se sveobuhvatnost i integralnost modela strateškog upravljanja u naučnoistraživačkim organizacijama može postići povezujući međusobno zavisne komponente strateškog upravljanja, koje su pojedinačno i detaljno analizirane, sistematizovane i posmatrane kroz tri osnovne faze opšteg modela za strateško upravljanje organizacijama: planiranje, implementaciju i evaluaciju. U skladu sa predloženim istraživačkim modelom i hipotezama, u ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji je empirijski verifikovan integrisani model strateškog upravljanja u naučnoistraživačkim organizacijama u Srbiji. Rezultati istraživanja potvrđuju glavnu hipotezu rada, ukazuju da je primenom savremenih teorijskih dostignića i naučnih metoda i tehnika, za date uslove realnog sistema i uticaje okruženja moguće razviti održiv, integrisani model strateškog upravljanja naučnoistraživačkim organizacijama čija primena će unaprediti efikasnost naučnoistraživačkog rada...From a wider perspective, the scientific-research organizations should be seen as a part of a large system of interconnected actors, whose external environment is characterized by risk and uncertainty, while high investments made internally should be expected to have uncertain results, detectable only in the future. A strategic approach to the management of scientific research organizations is a comprehensive, multidimensional and balanced construct of various elements that constitute the management system in this type of organization. Bearing in mind the importance of scientific-research work, the application of strategic approach aiming to promote scientific-research organizations is undoubtedly of great importance to the development of the scientific-research sector, the development of the national economy, and even more. The development of an integrated model of strategic management in scientific-research organizations represents a complex field of research that connects the concept of strategic management and project-based research work. The analysis of the existing knowledge concerning this field confirms that the comprehensiveness and integrity of the strategic management models in scientific-research organizations are possible to achieve by connecting mutually dependent components of strategic management, which are analyzed, scrutinized individually and in detail, systematized and finally examined through the prism of three basic stages of the general model for strategic management of organizations: planning, implementation and evaluation. Following the proposed model and hypotheses, this dissertation empirically verifies the integrated model of strategic management in scientific-research organizations in Serbia. The research results confirm the main hypothesis, suggesting that applying modern theoretical knowledge along with scientific methods and techniques to the existing conditions and the actual system makes it possible to develop a sustainable, integrated model of strategic management of scientific-research organizations and that its application will improve the efficiency of scientific-research work..

Innovation Potential of Agricultural Companies in Serbia

The influences from the environment mostly triggered by the crisis situations, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing armed conflict, have caused some changes in the structure of all industrial sectors, putting considerable pressure on agricultural and food companies worldwide. Moreover, the growing need for agricultural and a food product increases the need for the accelerated development of this sector, which cannot be achieved unless innovative technologies and solutions are introduced. The indicators of the innovation activities in Serbia for the period from 2018 to 2020 suggest that the innovations in this sector were at the lowest level, which determined the subject of the research of this paper. Applying the methodology of EUROSTAT and the OECD, the authors analyse the innovation potential of the companies operating in the agricultural sector. The aim of the paper is to emphasise the importance of these innovations in overcoming the problems faced by the agricultural sector in Serbia, as well as to highlight their impact on the growth of the productivity and competitiveness of the sector. In accordance with the findings, the recommendations for decision-makers will be presented and possible directions for a further research will be recommended

Environmental Aspect of Managing Innovation in the Construction Industry – the Example of Serbia

The perception of the environmental aspect in the construction industry is a necessity for the management of innovation in the companies of this industry. Construction industry has a great impact on the environment, especially in terms of energy consumption and energy saving. This study empirically analyses companies in the construction industry in Serbia with the aim to investigating how the application of the energy certification process indicates environmental benefits and improves the innovation behaviour of these companies. The results are important for the management of the construction industry

Organizational Structure and Organizational Culture - Impact on Innovative Behavior of the Organization

The innovative capacity of an organization is determined by numerous factors which operate in the external and internal environment. Without diminishing the role and importance of external environmental factors, the focus of this paper is the analysis of the impact of the organizational structure and culture on the innovative behavior of organizations. The paper starts from the assumption that business innovation is under the strong influence of the above-mentioned elements of the internal environment. The research results indicate that this influence can be positive or negative depending on the dimensions of the organizational structure and the values promoted by the organizational culture. The findings in the paper can contribute to the existing literature to interpret the nature of the relationship between the organizational structure and culture and the innovative ability of a company, as well as to find a way to improve the existing business innovation practice based on the creation of the organizational design that encourages workplace creativity and innovation. The desk research method has been used in this research. The papers and publications from scientific journals that addressed similar topics, along with other specialized literature focusing on the impact of organizational design on organizational innovativeness, have been used as data sources

Organizaciona dimenzija ocene inovacionog kapaciteta preduzeća - faktori znanja

U radu je ukazano na značaj organizacione dimenzije prilikom ocene inovacionog kapaciteta preduzeća. U prvom delu rada, prikazana je organizaciona komponenta kao faktor uspeha inovativnog preduzeća, kroz razmatranje značaja pojedinih elemenata organizacionog dizajna: organizacionog učenja; timskog rada; liderstva; organizacione kulture i motivacije i sistema nagrađivanjau kontekstu ocene inovacionog kapaciteta preduzeća. Drugi deo rada sugeriše na značaj statističkog monitoringa inovacionih aktivnosti na nivou preduzeća putem korišćenja upitnika The Community Innovation Survey (CIS), koga koriste zemlje Evropske unije, kao i pojedinine zemlje nečlanice među kojima je i Srbija. Na osnovu analize podataka, koji su dobijeni u okviru zvaničnog istraživanja Republičkog zavoda za statistiku o inovacionim aktivnostima preduzeća u Srbiji u periodima 2008-2010. godine i 2010-2012. godine, istraživani su mesto i uloga faktora znanja, kao važnih faktora koji utiču na obavljanje inovacionih aktivnosti u preduzeću

Effectiveness of the EU Programmes for Serbian SMEs

For several years Serbia has gained access to and is integrated into the main EU support programmes for research, innovation and competitiveness such as the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP), Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Meantime, Serbia has successfully set up the infrastructure to manage EU-based programmes. In this paper we are discussing the effectiveness of these programmes on improving technology transfer and linkages between the R&D sector and SMEs, as crucial components of a national innovation system in Serbia

Gender Inequality in Education and Science: The Case of Serbia

The research in the paper is directed towards the study of gender equality in science and education, with a focus on science and research activities in Serbia. The aim of the research conducted is to identify certain anomalies indicating the presence of a gender gap in education and science and to compare the trend in the domain of gender inequality with the one detected in Europe. Descriptive statistics is used in the research. The data is collected from various sources and the relevant literature that explores the gender gap in education and science, primarily focusing on the publications of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (SORS). The research proved the presence of gender inequality in science and research activities in Serbia. In fact, the gender segregation that is present in the education system is also reflected in the field of science. The research also confirmed the existence of vertical segregation, manifested through women's extremely modest participation in management positions of institutes and faculties

Business Process Innovation of Serbian Entrepreneurial Firms

Innovations are vital for improving living standards and can affect not only individuals but also institutions, economic sectors, and the whole country in many ways. This paper investigates the innovation performances of Serbian entrepreneurial firms. It focuses on business process innovations related to product and business process development. The sample consists of Serbian start-ups, which were founded in 2015, from five industries. The data about these entrepreneurial firms were collected via a questionnaire. The respondents assessed various statements about product and business process development innovations on a five-point Likert scale (1-strongly disagree; 5-strongly agree). The statements were derived from several indicators within the Balanced Scorecard’s process perspective. They were modified to fit the new definition of business process innovation provided by the OECD/Eurostat (2018) and according to the context of Serbian entrepreneurial firms. The statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics, frequencies, reliability analysis, and One-way ANOVA. The results indicate that most of the entrepreneurial firms introduced innovations that enabled them to operate more efficiently, improve their processes, establish certain routines, respond to customer complaints faster than their competitors, and develop a product or a service more quickly than their competitors. No statistically significant differences were found regarding introducing business process innovations among entrepreneurial firms from different industries. This paper can help policymakers assess the contribution of innovation to economic goals and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their innovation policies