Protestantization of the Roma from Southeastern Serbia

The Protestantization of the Roma refers to the recent process of mass involvement of Serbian Roma in small religious communities of Protestant provenance. The research was conducted using the deep interview method on the basis of a structured questionnaire with baptized believers of Roma nationality belonging to the Christian Baptist Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Adventist Church, and Evangelical Pentecostal Church in the territory of Southeastern Serbia. The sample included both Roma and non-Roma high clergy of the abovementioned religious communities, as well as religious leaders of major religions of the region (Serbian Orthodox Church and Islamic Community). This paper describes and discusses the ways (missionary activities, conversion, and proselytization) factors (socio-economic, seminarial, cultural, and political) of the Protestantization of the Roma, the results of the Protestantization of the Roma and the components of the new religious identity of the Roma converted to the “third” branch of Christianity. The principal findings of the research show that the process of Protestantization of the Roma in Southeastern Serbia leads to: 1. the emancipation and mitigation of social exclusion, 2. reshaping of the cultural identity and religious matrix, 3. the changes in the position of a minority, and 4. rethinking and adaptation of the Rromanipe(n). The Serbian society has the opportunity to meet and accept Christian Protestants in their entirety through the Roma and the positive impact that Protestantism has on their lives. At the same time, the Roma will be enabled to become exactly what all Christian believers strive for: to be the salt and the light to others in their own community

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

The purpose of this paper is to present a situational leadership model. The model is universal and can be applied in small, medium and large enterprises of various industries. Numerous surveys on U.S. Fortune 500 companies and surveys on other companies around the world have shown its universality, but also the need to improve the model. The aim of this paper is to adapt the model to the needs of the service activity that deals with vehicle servicing. The paper presents the hypothesis that by adapting the situational leadership model in service activities, it will lead to better personnel leadership, increased profits and satisfaction of the demands and requirements of stakeholders. We used quantitative and qualitative methodology in our paper. We collected numerical data based on a situational questionnaire, and we collected qualitative data based on interviews with employees and leaders. The results of the conducted research confirm that by adjusting the situational leadership model, the profit of the organization can be improved. The extension of the model refers to the clear definition of business objectives, and the requirements of the CEO that leaders must have the highest knowledge and skills to effectively manage staff in given situations. The limitation of the research refers to a small sample, because we applied and adjusted the model only to one service organization. The originality of the work refers to the adaptation of the model of situational leadership in a service organization that deals with vehicle servicing. For the first time, the development of leaders is assessed in situational leadership models at the request of the CEO. Based on the results, the CEO analyses the development of leaders and the development of employees. To achieve the defined goals, the CEO requires from leaders to be at the highest level of development. Therefore, the introduction of continuous training of leaders is necessary. There are several ways to assess employee development. For the first time, employees are developed based on their ability to perform jobs. Leaders must be able to adapt their leadership style to all employees, to train employees as quickly as possible to perform tasks independently

Publications in English in biomedical sciences - Part I: Proper use of prepositions

It is well known that English represents the main language of communication in contemporary biomedical sciences. One of the major problems that occur in communication (both oral and written) in English, which should not be underestimated, is the correct usage of the language by authors whose mother tongue is not English. Our aim was to single out the most common and frequent mistakes made in the use of prepositions so that they could be avoided by authors of scientific papers in English

On-line blind separation of non-stationary signals

This paper addresses the problem of blind separation of non-stationary signals. We introduce an on-line separating algorithm for estimation of independent source signals using the assumption of non-stationary of sources. As a separating model, we apply a self-organizing neural network with lateral connections, and define a contrast function based on correlation of the network outputs. A separating algorithm for adaptation of the network weights is derived using the state-space model of the network dynamics, and the extended Kalman filter. Simulation results obtained in blind separation of artificial and real-world signals from their artificial mixtures have shown that separating algorithm based on the extended Kalman filter outperforms stochastic gradient based algorithm both in convergence speed and estimation accuracy

Suspension of Managerial Decisions in Relation to the Risks in the Business

This paper analyzes the importance of the elasticity of managerial decisions in different territories on the example of Coca-Cola Hellenic Group (CCH Group). Suspension of managerial decisions is an important part of the product life cycle. Previous studies have indicated the price elasticity different approaches depending on the life cycle stage through which the product moves. Bearing in mind the business risks and “sensitivity” consumer prices, CCH Group 's own market divided into three segments: the country in which the sale has been established, developing and emerging countries. On the basis of this division is made portfolio marketing mix, in order to find "the right product at the right time in the right location at the right price". In addition to achieving the economic benefits to the countries it operates in, the company generates direct, indirect and induced impact on economic development

Modeling Luminance Contrast Orientation Illusions

Luminance contrast orientation illusions are illusions of tilt whose presence or absence depends on the luminance values of some elements of their configurations. A simple model is presented which can account for a number of illusions of this type. Its basic feature is that the neural distributions corresponding to illusory tilt are similar to neural distributions induced by actually tilted stimuli

Role of Aspect in VP-Ellipsis in Serbian: Phase-Governed Approach

This paper derives the fact that VP-ellipsis in Serbian is aspect-sensitive - it is allowed with certain aspectual mismatches between the antecedent and the target VP, while being restricted with others. I propose that the apparent unsystematic discrepancies in the availability of VP-ellipsis in Serbian can be accounted for under a phase-governed approach to ellipsis, whereby only phases and phasal complements can be elided, as argued in Bošković (in press (a)). However, I argue that VP-ellipsis in Serbian is even more constrained in that, beside the phasal status of the target, the phasal status of the antecedent also matters. More specifically, general parallelism requirement on ellipsis extends to the paralelism in terms of phasal status between the antecedent and the target, i.e. either both are phases or both are phasal complements

Demaskiranje realnosti u Sloterdajkovоj filozofiji

In Sloterdijk’s analyseis, we can recognize distinguish the dual function of the media. On the one hand, the media can have a negative role: they it conceals the ““truths”” of the existing world. Under Tthe mass of information conceals the importance of the entirety of events and is lost, where the post-European man uses media for entertainment, to entertain, for play, or for masking reality. In that context, information serves itself; its purpose is to flow. Such “fragmentation” prevents disables the subject from to facinge reality. On the other hand, the role of the media can be constructive: the Ccontemporary media has the ability to dilate existing closed schemes which act as to deifying the state or a specific institution. If information is properly matched and molded the news does not have to be fragmentary, but rather it can represent oneness. That oneness is alive and in motion because new contents constitutes the frames through which a particular phenomenon can be observed. Thus, from the masked reality, it enters the process of revealing the truth, namely unmasking the truth from the layers of layers of delusions that hide (or represent) reality.U Sloterdajkovim analizama možemo da razlikujemo dvostruku funkciju medija. Sa jedne strane, mediji za njega, slično kao i za klasične autore imaju negativnu ulogu: oni prikrivaju „istine“ postojaćeg sveta. Pod obiljem informacija gubi se važnost celine dešavanja i čovek postevropskog sveta koristi medije za zabavu, igru i za maskiranje onoga što se zbilja događa. Informacije služe čisto radi informacija i takvo fragmentarno mišljenje onesposobljava subjekta da se suoči sa realnošću. Sa duge strane, uloga medija može da bude i konstruktivna. Savremeni mediji imaju sposobnost da razobruče postojaće zatvorene šeme koje rade u cilju obogotvorenja države ili neke posebne institucije. Ako se informacije na pravilan način slože i uobliče pokazuje se da vest ne mora biti fragmentarna već da može da predstavlja jedinstvo. To jedinstvo je živo i u kretanju jer novi sadržaji konstituišu okvire kroz koje se onda može posmatrati određen fenomen. Tako se iz maskirane realnosti ulazi u proces raskrivanja istine, tačnije demaskiranja istine od slojeva zabluda kojima se prezentuje stvarnost