Slovenian Micro Enterprises and eOpportunity Challenge

The paper investigates use of Internet in Slovenian micro enterprises, using data derived from 134 businesses. Data for the main study was collected via structured interviews with owners or top managers of micro enterprises between October and December 2009. The study showed that formal education of the manager and/or owner, his or her age, computer and IS knowledge and skills, size of the business (number of employees), the investments in hardware and software and level of Internet use (eBusiness, eBanking…) are positively associated with the micro enterprise success. Based on our survey and on the review of literature, recommendations have been given how to be more effective and efficient in introduction of eOpportunities to micro enterprises

Adoption of RFID microchip for eHealth according to eActivities of potential users

This paper investigates the possibility of introducing subcutaneous microchip radio frequency identification device (RFID) as a substitute for personal documents and credit cards. Microchips are used for many years for different purposes in production and sale, medicine and also to identify some domestic animals. In the study we were interested in whether people in Slovenia would be willing to use subcutaneous microchip and under what conditions. As an alternative solution multisystem smart card was suggested. This paper presents the preliminary results of study carried out from January 21 to February 16 2014. The results show that there is potential for commercial use of RFID implantable microchip also in Slovenia. The attitude of respondents toward adoption of microchips depends on their characteristics, characteristic of microchip and field of usage. Most of respondents would use RFID for healthcare issues, personal identification, and their home environment and at least for shopping and payments. Some discussion for future development of RFID is given

Razlike med narodnimi kulturami so pomembne

Aims: Global business today usually requires organizations to be present locally in countries where their customers are. To do this successfully, good cooperation with local people is needed. Therefore, this paper focuses on the integration of cultures in the business world. The insights from this study are expected to benefit Slovenian expatriates to foreign companies in South Korea, as well as national culture researchers. The main goals of this research include a comparison of Hofstede’s IBM survey results with the researched working environment, and identifying the benefits of merging two national cultures for the working environment. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to purposive samples within the researched working environments and the collected data analysed used SPSS, where the hypotheses were tested using a chi-square test and t-test for independent samples. Results: The results revealed significant differences between the two national cultures in the working environment, e.g.: fear of expressing disagreement towards superiors, commitment to work, preference of challenges, tendency to avoid conflicts and innovations - all differed according to nationality. Conclusion: Working together with people from different cultures requires a certain amount of adaptation (learning about another culture, expecting situations that are not usual). If this adaptation is successful, then cooperation between the different cultures can also be successful, leading to a potential output that is even better than cooperation between people from the same culture.Cilji: Globalni posel danes po navadi od organizacij terja, da so prisotne lokalno v državah, kjer so njihovi kupci. Za uspeh tega je potrebno dobro sodelovanje z domačini, zato se ta članek osredotoča na integracijo različnih narodnih kultur v poslovnem svetu. Doprinos članka je pričakovan za slovenske delavce v tujih podjetjih v Južni Koreji, kot tudi za ostale raziskovalce narodnih kultur. Glavni cilji te raziskave vključujejo primerjavo rezultatov Hofstedejeve IBM raziskave z raziskovanim delovnim okoljem, kot tudi ugotavljanje prednosti za delovno okolje pri združitvah dveh narodnih kultur. Metode: Ciljnim skupinam znotraj raziskovanega delovnega okolja je bil razdeljen vprašalnik, zbrani podatki pa analizirani s pomočjo SPSS, pri čemer so bile hipoteze testirane s hi-kvadrat testi in t-testi za neodvisne vzorce. Rezultati: Rezultati so pokazali značilne razlike med dvema narodnima kulturama znotraj delovnega okolja. Razlike glede na narodnost so tako pristone npr. pri strahu ped izražanjem nestrinjanja z nadrejenim, predanosti delu, obravnavanju izzivov, nagnjenosti k izogibanju konfliktom in inovacijam. Zaključek: Delo z ljudmi iz drugih narodnih kultur zahteva določeno mero prilagodljivosti (učenje o drugi kulturi, pričakovanje neobičajnih situacij). Če je ta prilagoditev uspešna, potem je lahko upsešno tudi sodelovanje med različnimi kulturami, kar lahko pripelje do rezultatov, ki so lahko še boljši kot rezultati kadar delajo skupaj ljudje iz iste narodne kulture

Behaviour Intentions to Use RFID Subcutaneous Microchips: A Cross-sectional Slovenian Perspective

This paper presents the second iteration results of a study investigating the possibility of radio frequency identification device subcutaneous microchip (RFID-SM) usage as a substitute for personal identification, healthcare issues, shopping or payments, and home usage. Our aim was to investigate the readiness to use SM-RFID in everyday life. In the study, we used an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to verify the main concerns regarding the use of RFID-SM among Slovenian people. The survey responses were gathered from October until December 2016. After evaluating the model, it can be concluded that the fit of the model is good and the significant path of dependence are similar as in the first study from 2014. Similar to previous results, the Health Concerns have a negative effect on the Perceived Trust and Perceived Usefulness of SM-RFID adoption. On the other hand, the Perceived Trust and Perceived Usefulness have a positive effect on the Behaviour Intention to use SM-RFID

Attitudes Toward Microchip Implant in Groups Pro and Con its Insertion for Healthcare Purposes

The perception of new technologies and medical interventions in the human body changes over time. Attitudes towards new technologies, health issues and approaches differ according to the gender, age, education, place of residence and background of the individual. Our research on the adoption of microchip implants for healthcare purposes has identified two main groups of people: those who would be willing to use microchip implants for healthcare purposes and those who reject this option without considering its use. This study examines the differences in the general opinion on microchip implants between respondents for and against their use for healthcare purposes. An online survey was conducted in four European countries. More than half of the respondents were inclined to use a microchip implant for healthcare purposes. Statistically significant differences in general attitudes towards microchip implants exist between the groups of respondents who are for and against the use of a microchip implant for healthcare purposes. The most significant difference is in perceived usefulness, which shows that respondents who are inclined to use microchip implants for healthcare purposes consider the technology more useful than those who are against it. All respondents disregarding their willingness to use microchip implants showed privacy concerns

Percepcija študentov glede kadrovskih kompetenc

Background and purpose: Human resource professionalism receives considerable attention in terms of the competence of individual. In this article, we want to bridge the existing competencies of students and the perceived competencies that they assume will be developed and obtained during their studies. The purpose of our paper is a) to present competencies in general, b) to determine the meaning of the development of competencies in the field of higher education, and c) to present the role of competencies in human resource management. The aim of this paper is to examine the human resource competencies among students, and their judgments regarding the competencies they have already received during their studies. Methodology: The questionnaire was distributed to full-time students of the Faculty of Organizational Science, University of Maribor, in such a way that both genders, both undergraduate and graduate studies, and all years of study were represented. We have measured students’ opinions concerning their current and future perceptions about professional competencies in the HR field. Results: Based on the self-assessment of fifteen HR competencies, we used hierarchical clustering performed with Ward\u27s method and standardized variables and got two clusters. A t-test was used according to low or high levels of students’ current competencies. The positive association between satisfaction with study programme and student\u27s opinion on development of competencies during their studies was confirmed with one-tailed Pearson correlation coefficient. Conclusion: The majority of students believe that they possess significant HR competencies. They have expressed a need for further education and training in that field. The students have assessed that the study programme allows them to acquire and develop the competencies for a successful task performance of the HR professional.Namen: Kadrovska stroka pripisuje visoko pomembnost kompetencam posameznika. V prispevku želimo povezati obstoječe kompetence študentov in kompetence, ki jih bodo po pričakovanjih pridobili in razvijali tekom študija. Namen prispevka je: a) predstaviti kompetence v splošnem, b) določiti pomen razvoja kompetenc na področju visokega šolstva in c) osvetliti vlogo kompetenc na kadrovskem področju. Cilj članka je raziskati kadrovske kompetence med študenti in ugotoviti njihovo mnenje o kompetencah, ki so jih že razvili tekom študija. Metodologija: Anketni vprašalnik smo razdelili rednim študentov Fakultete za organizacijske vede, Univerze v Mariboru. V raziskavo smo zajeli oba spola, visokošolski in univerzitetni študijski program ter vse letnike študija. Merili smo percepcijo študentov glede kadrovskih kompetenc. Rezultati: Na podlagi samoocen petnajstih kompetenc s kadrovskega področja smo izvedli razvrščanje v skupine z Ward-ovo metodo in standardiziranimi spremenljivkami in dobili dve skupini. Nato smo uporabili t-test s skupinama glede na nizko oziroma visoko stopnjo razvitih kompetenc. Potrdili smo pozitivno povezanost med zadovoljstvom s študijskim programom in mnenjem študentov o razvoju kompetenc med študijem, kar smo preučili z enostranskim Pearsonovim korelacijskim koe­ficientom. Zaključek: Večina študentov meni, da imajo kadrovske kompetence prisotne v večji meri. Izrazili so potrebo po dodatnem izobraževanju in usposabljanju na področju kadrovskih kompetenc. Študenti so ocenili, da program študija omogoča, da bodo pridobili oz. razvili kompetence za uspešno opravljanje nalog kadrovskega strokovnjaka

Impact of Green IS Practices on Organizational Benefits: The Perspective of SMEs Managers

The presented study investigates the impact of Green information system (Green IS) practices on organizational performance benefits in the context of a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Three categories of Green IS practices, namely pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development are taken into consideration. Furthermore, organizational benefits are considered to capture the extent to which SMEs achieve environmental and social performance. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse survey data collected from 156 managers of SMEs. The results indicate, that Green IS for pollution prevention and sustainable development have a significant impact on environmental and social performance, while product stewardship is not an effective source of perceived organizational benefits in neither of the proposed aspects. To achieve a higher level of organizational benefits arising from Green IS practices, more focus should be given to the strategic orientation of using Green IS in SMEs. From an academic perspective, the paper enhances the current knowledge in investigating the link between Green IS practices and organizational benefits, particularly in the SMEs perspective

Training at the Police Directorate Maribor

Namen prispevka: Namen prispevka je predstaviti organiziranost usposabljanja slovenskih policistov in podati rezultate raziskave o ustreznosti usposabljanja ter o prilagojenosti usposabljanj razmeram in spremembam v družbi. V prispevku je prikazano, kako se usposabljanja izvajajo v praksi in kakšno je mnenje zaposlenih na Policijski upravi Maribor o sistemu usposabljanja. Na koncu so podani tudi predlogi izboljšav obstoječega stanja. Metode: Empirična raziskava o mnenju policistov o sistemu usposabljanja je bila opravljena v letu 2014 na vzorcu 328 policistov Policijske uprave Maribor. Kvantitativna analiza pridobljenih podatkov je bila izvedena s pomočjo programskega paketa SPSS. Na koncu so bili podani odgovori na raziskovalna vprašanja. Ugotovitve: Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da so policisti motivirani za usposabljanja, da si želijo več usposabljanj in da menijo, da jim usposabljanja pomagajo pri opravljanju dela. Potrjena je bila domneva, da se policisti določenih usposabljanj ne morejo udeležiti, kljub želji, kar nakazuje, da usposabljanja v policiji niso najbolj ustrezno načrtovana. Omejitve/uporabnost raziskave Raziskava je bila opravljena na dovolj velikem in reprezentativnem vzorcu policistov, da lahko rezultate posplošimo na celotno populacijo Policijske uprave Maribor. Da bi dobili pregled nad problematiko za celo Slovenijo, bi bilo smiselno raziskavo opraviti na več policijskih upravah v Sloveniji. Praktična uporabnost: Ugotovitve raziskave so uporabne pri načrtovanju usposabljanj v policiji. Na podlagi podanih ugotovitev bi bilo smiselno prilagoditi sistem usposabljanja. Več pozornosti bi bilo potrebno posvetiti tako ugotavljanju potreb po usposabljanjih kot tudi sami izvedbi usposabljanj. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Prispevek predstavlja ugotovitve raziskave o zadovoljstvu policistov s sistemom usposabljanja in njihovem mnenju o uporabnosti v praksi in s tem nadgrajuje dosedanja znanja s tega področja.Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to present the organization of training methods in the Slovenian police force as well as to display the results of research on the adequacy and adaptation of training conditions, which consequently bring changes in society. The paper reveals the transition from training to practice and the opinion of staff at the Police Directorate Maribor on the training system. The improvements to this issue are proposed at the end of the study. Design/Methods/Approach: An empirical research on the opinion of the police training system was conducted in 2014 on a sample of 328 police officers of the Police Directorate Maribor. Quantitative analysis of the obtained data was performed using SPSS. In the end, answers to the research questions were given. Findings: The results reveal that the police officers are motivated and want more training. Furthermore, they believe that training lessons contribute to their work performance. The presumption, that certain police officers can not attend the training despite the wishes, was confirmed and that shows that the trainings in the police are not appropriated planned. Research Limitations / Implications: The survey conducted on a sufficiently large sample of police officers, indicates the results can be generalized to the entire population of the Police Directorate Maribor. To get an overview of the problem in the entire country, it would be reasonable to carry out a research in several police departments in Slovenia. Practical Implications: The research findings are useful in designing of police training policies/ schedules. Based on the results of the conducted research it would be reasonable to adjust the training system. More attention should be paid to identifying training needs as well as to the implementation of training itself. Originality/Value: This paper presents the conclusions of a survey on police officers’ satisfaction with police training systems and their opinion about its practical efficiency/ applicability in practice and thus contributes to the already existing knowledge in this field

Awareness of Cloud Computing in Slovenian and Croatian Micro-Enterprises

This paper presents a comparison of the two studies conducted in Slovenian and Croatian micro-enterprises (µE) about the awareness of the cloud computing (CC). We were interested in the issues relating to the characteristics of µE and the latter\u27s use of information and communication technology (ICT) in business processes. Also, the characteristics of owners and µE were investigated. We found that the results obtained in the two countries were similar. In both cases, the most important CC characteristics were reliability, security and performance. Given that CC could represent a good business opportunity for µE, some managerial implications are proposed

Factors influencing the Information Literacy of Students: Preliminary Analysis

Our changing society is forcing higher education to improve teaching habits in the context of higher level of information literacy (IL) among students. IL is necessary not for only education but is a skill needed for successful engagement in professional and private life. An IL test and a survey on information and communication technology (ICT) usage were conducted among students from seven different faculties in Slovenia. The presented research in progress presents a preliminary analysis of the IL testing and ICT usage among students, to propose the model of factors influencing the level of students’ IL skills. According to the results, there are differences in IL, but they do not depend on the origin (faculty) of the student. ICT devices and applications usage could be an appropriate predictor of IL