Usporedba ex catedra i računalno potpomognutih metoda i tehnika poučavanja: politika nastavne prakse

Teaching at higher education institutions in Serbia still relies on traditional ‘ex catedra’ methods and is mostly based on acquiring factual knowledge, which discourages student participation in the learning process, as well as any initiative on their part. The aim of the paper is to point to the implementation of the traditional ‘ex catedra’ versus the use of IT-supported teaching methods and techniques. The underlying idea is that professors’ abilities depend on their familiarity with different teaching methods and techniques, their knowledge of a foreign language, and the use of ICT. The data analysis has confirmed that teachers do differ from each other with respect to their academic titles: senior teachers (associate and full professors) use traditional methods more frequently than younger teachers do. In general, all teachers should incorporate modern trends into their teaching styles, since traditional teaching methods and techniques are used more often than IT-supported ones.Na visokoškolskim institucijama u Srbiji poučavanje se još uvijek oslanja na tradicionalne ex catedra metode, većinom se temelji na usvajanju činjeničnoga znanja, čime se studenti obeshrabruju od sudjelovanja u procesu učenja i poduzimanja inicijative. Cilj ovoga rada jest uputiti na upotrebu tradicionalnog ex catedra poučavanja u usporedbi s računalno potpomognutim metodama i tehnikama poučavanja. Smatra se da sposobnosti nastavnika ovise o njihovu poznavanju različitih metoda i tehnika poučavanja, znanja stranoga jezika i upotrebe informacijsko-komunikacijskih tehnologija. Analiza rezultata potvrdila je da se nastavnici međusobno razlikuju s obzirom na akademska zvanja: iskusniji nastavnici (izvanredni i redoviti profesori) češće se koriste tradicionalnim metodama od njihovih mlađih kolega. Općenito, svi bi nastavnici trebali uključiti moderne trendove u svoje stilove poučavanja, s obzirom na to da se tradicionalne metode i tehnike koriste češće od onih računalno potpomognutih

CHALLENGES TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL IN THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OF SERBIA

Sound and efficient public administration is a foundation for the functioning of the state, as it contributes to its ability to ensure high quality public services while strengthening competitiveness and progress. This means that a sound public administration is characterized by reliability, accountability and transparency, as well as the level of technical and organizational capacities that ensures financial sustainability and standardized service. The aim of this paper is to present the findings of a research conducted in spring 2017 involving executive officials in the public administration of Serbia. The purpose of the research was to map the existing capacities of the Serbian public administration, in order to lay the groundwork for the strengthening of those capacities in the period ahead and for reaching the SIGMA principles of public administration applied among EU member states, especially in financial management segment. The findings of the research presented in this paper are part of the primary research findings collected within ERASMUS+ project conducted on the sample of 240 examinees. The authors of this paper participated in the project implementation

THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT BANKS FOR FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION

Klimatske promjene i globalne negativne posljedice zahtijevaju mjere za prilagodbu na održiviji model rasta i razvoja ekonomija. Stoga se kao prioritet nameće ublažavanje štetnih posljedica i poticanje održivog i klimatski otpornog gospodarstva. Jednu od ključnih uloga u procesu transformacije gospodarstava na nisko-ugljičnu budućnost imaju razvojne banke. Cilj rada je istražiti ulogu razvojnih banaka u klimatskim financijama kroz pregled literature i analizu podataka o klimatskim financijama država članica Odbora za pomoć u razvoju unutar Organizacije za ekonomsku suradnju i razvoj u razdoblju od 2012. do 2018. godine. Korišten je metodološki pristup analize postojećih teorijskih ishodišta i empirijska analiza dostupnih sekundarnih podataka. Očekivani doprinos ovog rada je u povećanju vidljivosti značaja razvojnih banaka kao kanala distribucije klimatskih financija koje su bile značajan dionik za transmisiju klimatskih financija od razvijenih ka slabije razvijenim državama.Climate change and global negative consequences require measures to adapt to a more sustainable model of economic growth and development. Therefore, mitigating the harmful effects and promoting a sustainable and climate-resilient economy is a priority. One of the key roles in the process of transforming economies into a low-carbon future is played by development banks. The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of development banks in climate finance through a review of the literature and analysis of data on climate finance of member states of the Development Assistance Committee within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2012-2018. A methodological approach to the analysis of existing theoretical starting points and empirical analysis of available secondary data was used. The expected contribution of this paper is to increase the visibility of the importance of development banks as channels for the distribution of climate finance, which were significant stakeholders in the transmission of climate finance from developed to less developed countries

Drivers of Performance Measurement Use: Empirical Evidence from Serbia

In the last decades, the interest of academics and practitioners for the efficiency of performance measurement system use has grown rapidly. The aim of this paper is to examine, articulate and test the relationship between maturity of performance measurement systems, strategic compliance of performance measurement and managerial orientation, on one side, and the portfolio of performance measurement uses, on the other. Data were collected from 86 Serbian companies. The results indicate that the most influential factor for diversified use of performance measurement is the maturity of the system. The paper also discusses theoretical contributions, implications for managers and scholars, and recommendations for decision-makers

Antecedents of Hotel Profitability: Empirical Evidence from Belgrade

Tourism and hospitality have received an immense attention from scholars, policy holders, decision makers and other important stakeholders in Belgrade, a main tourist destination of Serbia. The aim of this paper is to determine the main drivers of profit margins in the hotel sector in Belgrade. A particular aim is to explore the effects of variables – size, market concentration, and market share and customer satisfaction – on hotel profit margins. The study analyzed the secondary reliable sources. The data were analyzed with correlations and regressions. The results indicate that customer perception is a paramount factor driving the financial performance of hotels. These findings could be useful to scholars and practitioners interested in business performances of Belgrade hotels

Key Success Factors of a Shopping Mall Project: Creditors Perspective in Serbia

Research question: The study researches the key success factors of a shopping mall project (SM) from the perspective of creditors in Serbia. Motivation: In Serbia, the retail landscape has seen a continuous increase in the number of SMs over the recent years. To support further development, project finance (PF) plays a significant role as an adequate financing structure for such projects. Idea: Existing knowledge highlights the importance of different factors for the sustainability of SM operation in the long run, describes their impact on project success, or offers potential solutions to a specific business problem. On the other hand, a question may be raised regarding the creditor’s ability to assess the quality of different investor decisions when deciding to finance a concrete project. Data: Research is based on the review of papers published in relevant international journals, while the presented case study is a real-life example from banks’ business practice. Relative significance of different factors from the creditors’ perspective was established and confirmed by means of a survey among bank professionals. Tools: Research findings are derived from a case study and simple empirical research conducted among bank professionals in Serbia. Findings: Results show that the most important elements of the project strategy which creditors consider relevant for project success in the long run are location and tenant mix. Contribution: Research results contribute to a better understanding between investors and creditors and may shorten the time needed for the credit approval process

An Acceptance Approach for Novel Technologies in Car Insurance

Background: Unlike other financial services, technology-driven changes in the insurance industry have not been a vastly explored topic in scholarly literature. Incumbent insurance companies have hitherto been holding their positions using the complexity of the product, heavy regulation, and gigantic balance sheets as paramount factors for a relatively slow digitalization and technological transformation. However, new technologies such as car telematic devices have been creating a new insurance ecosystem. The aim of this study is to assess the telematics technology acceptance for insurance purposes. Methods: The study is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). By interviewing 502 new car buyers, we tested the factors that affect the potential usage of telematic devices for insurance purposes. Results: The results indicate that facilitating conditions are the main predictor of telematics use. Moreover, privacy concerns related to the potential abuse of driving behavior data play an important role in technology acceptance. Conclusions: Although novel insurance technologies are mainly presented as user-driven, users (drivers and insurance buyers) are often neglected as an active party in the development of such technologies