The Commitment of B&H Companies to Innovation or Imitation

Inovacije postaju sve važniji čimbenik u naporima poduzeća da sačuvaju i unaprijede svoj konkurentni položaj na domaćem i stranom tržištu. Inovativne tvrtke su one koje reagiraju na iznenadne promjene u okruženju, ali su i same pokretači promjena. Između ostaloga, dinamične i turbulentne promjene u okruženju, kao i stalno rastuća konkurencija utjecale su na skraćivanje životnog ciklusa proizvoda i trajanje inovativnih rješenja. Počevši od modela stvaranja vrijednosti, tvrtka se može odlučiti stvoriti novi model, ili oponašati i prilagoditi neki dominantan model u svojoj djelatnosti. Obje krajnje pozicije (inovator, odnosno sljedbenik) zahtijevaju iznimne organizacijske vještine. Cilj je ovoga rada utvrditi jesu li tvrtke u Bosni i Hercegovini inovatori ili sljedbenici, i to na temelju životnog ciklusa proizvoda te načina kako poduzeća reagiraju na promjene. Kako bi se dobila cjelokupna slika inovacijske snage promatranih tvrtki u Bosni i Hercegovini, također će se analizirati dinamika investicija u istraživanje i razvoj, kao i stavovi top menadžmenta o važnosti inovacija u postizanju konkurentnih prednosti za vlastite tvrtke.Innovations have become an increasingly important factor in the struggle to preserve and improve the competitive position of enterprises in domestic and international markets. Innovative companies are those that react to sudden changes in the environment but are also the very cause of change. Dynamic and turbulent changes in the environment and constantly increasing competition, among other factors, have affected the shortening product life cycle and the duration of innovative solutions. Starting from the model creation value, a company may decide to create a new model for value creation or create an imitation - an adaptation of a dominant model in the industry. Both extreme positions (innovator vs. follower) require exceptional organizational skills. The aim of this paper is that, the life cycle of products and companies’ reactions to changes, determines whether the B&H companies are inventors or followers. In order to get a complete picture of the innovative strength of the observed B&H enterprises, we will, in addition, analyze the dynamics of investment in research and development, as well as top management’s view of the importance of innovation in achieving competitive advantages for their companies

Utjecaj glavnih komponenti radnog mjesta na zadovoljstvo i učinak zaposlenika u kontekstu digitalizacije

In the time of digitalization within the framework of the fourth technological revolution, it is necessary to return the human being to the first place in the science of management. Men and women as the performers of activities should be on the pedestal of all modern processes that take place in society and business, to avoid the problem in which the society was “trapped“, during the previous industrial revolutions. The application of information technology in general and artificial intelligence in particular affects the design and content of the main components of job design, which inevitably leads to a reflection on the satisfaction and performance of employees at the workplace. The paper aims to explore the impact of specific workplace components on employee satisfaction and performance, further recognizing which components contribute the most in the context of digitalization and 4IR. From Hackman and Oldham’s job design theory and Mintzberg’s organizational structure framework, we propose and test a research framework that investigated the impact of technical system, work assignment and worker features on employee satisfaction and performance in a contemporary context. The research was conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a random sample of 125 respondents from public and private sector organizations, different industries and companies’ sizes. The analysis was realized through hierarchical multiple linear regression model and the key findings revealed that the task and knowledge characteristics of artificial intelligence-enabled jobs are vitally important for inducing innovative work behaviour among employees.U doba digitalizacije u okviru četvrte tehnološke revolucije potrebno je ponovno postaviti ljudsko biće na pijedestal u području menadžmenta. Muškarci i žene kao nosioci aktivnosti trebaju biti na pijedestalu svih suvremenih procesa koji se odvijaju u društvu i poslovanju, kako bi se izbjegao problem u kojem je društvo bilo „zarobljeno“ tijekom prethodnih industrijskih revolucija. Primjena informacijske tehnologije uopće, a posebice umjetne inteligencije, utječe na dizajn i sadržaj glavnih komponenti dizajna posla, što neminovno dovodi do refleksije na zadovoljstvo i učinak zaposlenih na radnom mjestu. Cilj rada jest istražiti utjecaj specifičnih komponenti radnog mjesta na zadovoljstvo i učinak zaposlenih, dodatno prepoznajući koje komponente im najviše doprinose u kontekstu digitalizacije i 4IR-a. Iz teorije dizajna poslova Hackmana i Oldhama i Mintzbergovog okvira organizacijske strukture, predlažemo i testiramo istraživački okvir koji procjenjuje utjecaj tehničkog sustava, radnog zadatka i karakteristika zaposlenika na zadovoljstvo i učinak zaposlenih u suvremenom kontekstu. Istraživanje je provedeno u Bosni i Hercegovini na slučajnom uzorku od 125 ispitanika iz organizacija javnog i privatnog sektora, različitih industrija i veličina poduzeća. Analiza je realizirana kroz hijerarhijski model višestruke linearne regresije, a ključni nalazi su otkrili da su karakteristike zadataka i znanja o umjetnoj inteligenciji od vitalnog značaja za poticanje inovativnog ponašanja među zaposlenima

Transformational leadership and employee satisfaction

The main purpose of this paper was to carry out an empirical research on whether transformational leadership, in comparison to other contemporary leadership styles, contributes to higher employee satisfaction levels. In total, 399 respondents took part in this research, which was conducted in companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany. This was the starting point to identify the dominant leadership style in each of the two countries. Using a nonparametric Mann-Whitney test, it was proved that there is a statistically significant difference in employee satisfaction under transformational leadership as opposed to the transactional and charismatic styles. After a detailed research of the literature, it became apparent that research on this subject is scarce. Accordingly, presenting transformational leadership and its influence on employee satisfaction was a particular challenge

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPATIBILITY IN MANAGEMENT STYLE FOR SUCCESSFUL CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN ACQUIRED COMPANIES

U akademskoj zajednici ne postoji konsenzus o optimalnom oblikovanju i provedbi strategije preuzimanja poduzeća, već se često analiziraju različiti faktori i različite perspektive uspješnosti preuzimanja poduzeća. Jedan od ključnih čimbenika uspješnosti preuzimanja poduzeća je i optimalno upravljanje promjenama u preuzetom poduzeću. U radu se korištenjem financijskih pokazatelja uspješnost poslovanja preuzetog poduzeća utvrđuje usporedbom uspješnosti poslovanja poduzeća prije i nakon preuzimanja. Optimalno upravljanje promjenama se, pak, definira otporom zaposlenika, stoga je cilj rada utvrditi utjecaj stila menadžmenta na otpor zaposlenika pri provođenju promjena u preuzetom poduzeću. Hipoteza prema kojoj sličnost novog menadžmenta preuzetog poduzeća s promijenjenim menadžmentom rezultira manjim otporom zaposlenika, također se testira u okviru ovog istraživanja. Empirijsko je istraživanje provedeno pomoću anketnog upitnika na uzorku poduzeća koja su bila preuzeta u vremenskom razdoblju od 1998. do 2006. godine u Republici Hrvatskoj. Znanstveni doprinos rada ogleda se u verifikaciji važnosti kompatibilnosti stilova menadžmenta za uspješno upravljanje promjenama u preuzetim poduzećima.In academic community there is no consensus on the optimal design and implementation of acquisition strategy, yet different factors and perspectives for successful acquisition are being analyzed. One of the key factors for successful acquisition is optimal change management in target company. In this paper, successful performance of target company after the acquisition is defined by comparison of business performance prior and after the acquisition using financial indicators. Optimal change management is defined by employees’ resistance, and therefore the aim of this paper is to determine the impact of management style on employees’ resistance during change process in target company. Hypothesis according to which similarity between new management of the acquired company and replaced management results in lower employees’ resistance is also tested in this research. Empirical research was conducted using a questionnaire on the sample of target companies that were acquired in the period from 1998 until 2006 in the Republic of Croatia. Scientific contribution of this paper can be seen through the verification of importance of compatibility in management style for successful change management in acquired companies

Diversity and equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Limits to legislation, public debate and workplace practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to knowledge about workplace diversity and equality in an under-researched country. Focusing on the south-eastern European transition economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), it elaborates on the countrys legislation, public debate and previous research in the field. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on a synopsis of the legislative framework, existing literature, public media and personal communications with human resource (HR) practitioners. Findings There is only limited research on diversity and equality in BiH. Ethnicity and gender are the most common grounds for discrimination. Although a solid body of legislation addressing anti-discrimination and equality issues exists, implementation is insufficient. The public debate tends to reinforce inter-ethnic conflicts and a negative atmosphere regarding sexual minority rights. Research limitations/implications Due to the general lack of research on diversity and equality in BiH, the findings presented in this paper only can serve as a first approximation of the topic. Further academic research on concrete business practices and perspectives of HR managers is needed. Practical implications Firms not only need to increase compliance with anti-discrimination law, but they should also focus more on the benefits a multi-ethnic society can offer. Originality/value This is the first paper in the management literature that provides comprehensive insight into workplace diversity and equality in BiH.(VLID)387176