Razlike u prilagođavanju između uslužnih i proizvodnih poduzeća

This paper studies the differences in adaptation to the environment of service, mixed, and manufacturing companies. Adaptations are contingent on the characteristics of the environment and technology. By them, companies try to manage environmental uncertainties. The latter are subjectively perceived amplifications of small scale multi-level, lagged, nested, and nonlinear changes. Companies intend to manage perceived environmental uncertainties. They facilitate adaptations that either reduce environmental uncertainties or make an efficient reaction to unexpected external developments possible. First type of adaptations is explained by resource dependence theory transaction-cost economics: the second one is explained by contingency theory. Strategic choice theory incorporates both types of adaptations. On the grounds of those four theoretical perspectives, we constructed a research model of organizational adaptations to environmental change. The focus is on exploration of differences in adaptations among service, mixed, and manufacturing companies. Organizational adaptations are studied from internal as well as external perspective. Research is based on a survey conducted on the sample of 236 medium and large companies in the period 2000–2005 in Slovenia. Findings confirmed that companies with different technology adapt differently. Mixed companies adapt mainly through external relationships, manufacturing companies adapt mainly internally, while service companies use both types of adaptations in congruent proportions. Adaptations of mixed companies are best explained by resource dependence theory, adaptations of manufacturing companies by environmental contingency theory, and adaptations of service companies are best explained by strategic choice theory.Članak proučava razlike u prilagođavanju na okolinu usporedbom uslužnih, miješanih i proizvodnih poduzeća. Prilagodbe se očituju u (ovise o) značajkama okoline i u tehnologiji. Pomoću njih poduzeća pokušavaju savladavati nepredvidivosti okoline, koje se očituju u subjektivno percipiranim povećanjima manjih, različitih razina, odloženih, umetnutih i nelinearnih promjena. Poduzeća namjeravaju ovladavati opaženim nepredvidivostima u okolini primjenom olakšavanja prilagodbama, koje bilo da smanjuju nepredvidivosti okoliša, bilo da omogućuju učinkovito reagiranje na razvoj neočekivanih vanjskih promjena. Prvi tip prilagodbi objašnjavaju dvije teorije: teorija ovisnosti o izvorima i ekonomika transakcijskih troškova, dok drugi tip objašnjava teorija kontingencije (teorija ispunjenja pretpostavki). Teorija strateškog izbora objedinjuje obje vrste prilagođavanja. Na temelju tih četiriju teoretskih aspekata napravljen je model za istraživanje organizacijskih prilagođavanja na promjene u okolini. Žarište istraživanja su različitosti u prilagodbama usporedbom uslužnih, miješanih i proizvodnih poduzeća. Proučavaju se organizacijske prilagodbe kako s unutrašnje, tako i s vanjske perspektive. Istraživanje je zasnovano na uzorku 236 srednjih i većih poduzeća u razdoblju 2000–2005 u Sloveniji. Rezultati su potvrdili da se poduzeća s različitim tehnologijama različito prilagođavaju. Miješana poduzeća prilagođavaju se većinom putem vanjskih odnosa, proizvodna poduzeća se u najvećoj mjeri prilagođavaju interno, dok uslužne djelatnosti koriste obje vrste prilagođavanja ravnomjerno. Prilagođavanja miješanih društava najbolje se mogu objasniti pomoću teorije ovisnosti o izvorima, prilagodbe proizvodnih poduzeća teorijom kontingencije, dok se prilagodbe poduzeća koje se bave uslužnim djelatnostima najlakše objašnjavaju teorijom strateškog izbora

A generalized p-form model in D=3

A topological model in three dimensions is proposed. It combines the Chern-Simons action with a BFK-model which was investigated recently by the authors of hep-th/9906146. The finiteness of the model to all orders of perturbation theory is shown in the framework of algebraic renormalization procedure.Comment: 15 page

Telemedicine in Slovenia

Telemedicine could be one of the solutions for challenges in healthcare, especially in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. The results of the research about the state of telemedicine services in Slovenia are presented in this article. We found several telemedicine solutions in Slovenian healthcare. Metadata for them were collected. The solutions are placed in groups of telemonitoring, provision of healthcare services by remotely connecting patients with a doctor or healthcare professional and remote cooperation for the patient\u27s treatment between doctors or healthcare professionals who are physically at different locations. The opinions of the research participants regarding the challenges associated with telemedicine services in Slovenia were also collected. They are placed in three main groups: financing, healthcare system and healthcare professionals. Telemedicine is a necessity and the future of Slovenian healthcare services. If a solution is to be applied successfully, business processes must be changed so that a practically useful service can arise from the solution

COMPETING VIA CREATION OF DISTINCTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCES: "HOW TO DO IT"

The purpose of this paper is to twofold: (1) to identify specific and generic organizational competences that compose three different types of competitive advantages – product leadership, customer intimacy and operational excellence – and (2) to identify processes and approaches by which identified organizational competences are developed. Using multi-case study approach, the main findings come into two tentative theory building conclusions. (1) Behind different ways of competing there there are only four distinct organizational competences – innovation competence, competence of managing business risks, operational competence and stakeholder influence competence. These four competences form three distinct ways of competing: competing via product leadership, competing via customer intimacy and competing via operational excellence. (2) All four organizational competences are composed of nine organizational processes and approaches: bonding, attracting, showcasing, specialization, capitalization, internationalization, specialization, quality control, cost monitoring, and shielding. However, due to the case study research design this paper provides limited generalizability and thus calls for validations via quantitative research approaches.Keywords: competitive advantage, value proposition, organizational competences, competence creation processes</p

Remarks on Topological SUSY in sixdimensional TQFTs

We establish the existence of the topological vector supersymmetry in the six dimensional topological field theory for two-form fields introduced by Baulieu and West. We investigate the relation of these symmetries to the twist operation for the (2,0) supersymmetry and comment on their resemblance to the analogous symmetries in topological Yang-Mills theory.Comment: 12 pages, to be published in JHEP 11(1999)03

POSLOVNO PLANIRANJE ZA NAJBOLJU KORIST OD ORGANIZACIJSKE FLEKSIBILNOSTI I ORGANIZACIJSKE MUDROSTI

Strategic management literature states that the toughest business challenge is to merge organizational experience and wisdom of age with plasticity and flexibility of youth. Past research has shown that some companies have been known to couple the wisdom of age with the flexibility of youth. An example of this is the hidden champion type of companies. This paper studies the phenomenon of coupling the wisdom of age with the flexibility of youth on the sample of 95 hidden champion type of companies from Central and Eastern Europe. The research design combines multiple data-collection sources, qualitative and quantitative methods, multiple investigators, grounded theory approach and inductive reasoning with deduction. Research has come up with a set of tentative findings of how a firm can remain flexible and adaptable long enough that business wisdom is sufficiently gained about the market structure, namely: (1) by carefully allocating scarce resources to business activities in order to gain the wisdom of age; (2) by using leadership as an instrument mechanism to gain flexibility; or (3) by keeping the value proposition fluid to gain flexibility; or (4) by fixing the value proposition in order to gain the wisdom of age faster. The research has some severe limitations in the form of limited reliability of data and limited generalizability. Research is original in at least two ways: (1) it offers tentative insight into the grand strategic management dilemma of plasticity-irrationality vs. inertia-rationality, and (2) it researches multiple-countries of the CEE region.Literatura o strateškom upravljanju govori kako je najteži poslovni izazov spojiti organizacijsko iskustvo i mudrost koja dolazi s godinama s plastičnošću i fleksibilnošću mladosti. Dosadašnja istraživanja su pokazala kako određena poduzeća imaju određena iskustva s povezivanjem mudrosti starosti i fleksibilnosti mladosti. Primjer su vrste kompanija koje nazivamo „skrivenim prvacima“ (eng. hidden champions). Ovaj rad prati povezivanje mudrosti starosti s fleksibilnošću mladosti na uzorku od 95 poduzeća „skrivenih prvaka“ iz Središnje i Istočne Europe. Istraživanje kombinira prikupljanje podataka iz više izvora, kvalitativne i kvantitativne metode, više istraživača, pristup utemeljene teorije (eng. grounded theory approach) te induktivno zaključivanje s dedukcijom. Istraživanje je došlo do načelnih spoznaja o tome kako tvrtka može ostati fleksibilna i prilagodljiva dovoljno dugo da se prikupi dovoljno poslovne mudrosti o tržišnoj strukturi, na primjer: (1) pažljivo raspodijeliti ograničene resurse na poslovne aktivnosti kako bi se stekla mudrost iskustva; (2) koristiti vodstvo kao instrument fleksibilnosti; (3) zadržati fluidnost ponude vrijednosti kako bi se ojačala fleksibilnost; ili (4) popraviti ponudu vrijednosti kako bi se brže prikupila iskustvena mudrost. Istraživanje ima značajna ograničenja zbog ograničene pouzdanosti podataka i ograničene mogućnosti uopćavanja. Istraživanje je originalno zbog dva razloga: (1) nudi načelni uvid u veliku dilemu strateškog upravljanja – plastičnost/iracionalnost nasuprot inercije/racionalnosti, te (2) istražuje više država regije Srednje i Istočne Europe

Innovating Business Activities Using Triple Bottom Line Concept: The Case Of Building Hygene Company Valtex

Valtex, a Slovene company that provides hygiene products for commercial buildings, up until recently operated successfully in the eyes of the CEO and owner Niko Kumar, meeting the expected growth, profit, and cash flow. Yet suddenly the company is faced with the threat of bankruptcy which put past success on shaky grounds. Niko Kumar, together with his business partner and sales consultant, is forced to think deeper about the real value of the “building hygiene” business, its attractiveness in terms of triple bottom line (profitability, planet, and people), and study the value – if any – Valtex really creates for customers and society (planet and people). Most importantly with bankruptcy at the horizon, Niko is forced to explore novel areas where Valtex would really create substantial value for the customer and society. The case is suitable for post graduate students of management, short duration executive education programs, executive MBA programs, and entrepreneurship education. When discussing this case with a goal of helping Niko Kumar to innovate novel business activities for Valtex using sustainability perspective, an instructor is advised to use a set of strategic concepts: Porter’s (1985) five-force analysis and company activity system, Brandenburger and Stuart’s (1996) concept of value adding activities, Elkington’s (2002) concept of triple bottom line as well as train students in using brain-storming and other creative thinking techniques

Fructal Turnaround Through Strategic Cognition And Congruent Changes In Distribution System

Toni Balaži?, a young consultant who had just finished his Executive MBA study at a leading CEE Business School, was invited to serve as a CEO of Fructal, a fresh juice company, where he had been working as a cost reduction consultant. Fructal is in a serious financial crisis after having undergone a series of unsuccessful CEOs, a failing market image, rising mistrust and dissatisfaction of employees, negative sales trends, negative EBIT, rising problems and conflict within the distribution channel, and unclear strategic expectations from the mother company. Toni accepts the nomination aware of the risk for his career if he fails. Even with strong support from the president of the mother company, Toni faces a high level of mistrust among employees and old members of the management board, and an inward, product-oriented culture with a low market emphasis. After bringing new people to the management board, Toni restates the company goals: (1) streamlining operations and cost reductions; (2) open internal communication; (3) enlargement of the geographic focus; (4) innovation; and (5) development of new distribution models for each country. Though Toni successfully fulfills these goals, he fails to overcome a sense of unrest and worries about the business. The case is structured to enable students to grasp the profile of a turnaround leader, practice the analytical skills of problem identification, search for solutions, and discuss a turnaround strategy that emphasizes “distribution.” The case is suitable for post-graduate students of management, short duration executive education programs, executive MBA programs, and entrepreneurship education