Problems of Management in the 21st Century

169

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2014, PMC

173-182

Authors: Godson Ahiabor

It is believed that many of the problems confronting leaders can be traced to their inability to analyze and evaluate organizational cultures. Thus, many leaders, when trying to implement new strategies or a strategic plan leading to a new vision, will discover that their strategies will fail if they are inconsistent with the organization's culture. Organizational culture does not only affect the manner in which managers manage and consequently shape employee behavior, but also the total output and the way it provides services to its customers. Corporate culture or organizational culture is the behavior of humans within an organization and the meaning that people attach to those behaviors. Culture includes the organization's vision, values, norms, systems, symbols, language, assumptions, beliefs, and habits. In addition, different individuals bring to the workplace their own uniqueness, knowledge, and ethnic culture. Corporate culture covers moral, social, and behavioral norms of one’s organization based on the values, beliefs, attitudes, and priorities of its members. The researcher can say that corporate culture does have a positive impact on the productivity of any organisation, and with Vodafone, it does increase its productivity.

197-205

Authors: Agnieszka Bem, Paulina Ucieklak-Jeż

The aim of this study is to assess the functional state of health for elderly residents in Poland. The analysis has been using the data from the survey “Social Diagnosis” carried out in 2013, in Poland. The research concentrates on subjective measures, used to assess the population’s state of health, based both on mortality and disability studies, while disability is defined as reduced ability to carry out daily activities. The authors have evaluated the health status of the elderly in Poland in 2013, using measures of health function (ADL) and activity restrictions (IADL). The results show, that functional health of older people in Poland is significantly correlated with age and sex of respondents. The interpretation and the conceptualization of desirable directions of changes should lead to active life style’s promoting, adjusted, accordingly, to health state and age. It also provides important information for social care managers, by defining needed form of interventions.

213-222

Authors: Joanna Radomska

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the elements of the Eight "S" model that affect strategic implementation and results achieved by companies. The main research question, to which the author sought an answer, was whether there was a relationship between individual elements that affect strategy implementation and the effects it brings in revenue growth. The survey covered 200 of the best-ranked Polish companies (where revenues constituted one of the ranking criteria) where the level of strategic implementation was considered satisfactory. Testing of the research hypotheses has shown that the factors defined as Resources and Shared Values have a minor impact on the strategy implementation. The research also has shown that there is an additional element that could be incorporated into the model - the system of informal communication. In addition, the paper describes the interrelations between elements of the model.

113

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2014, PMC

117-123

Authors: Maja Andrijasevic, Vesna Pasic

Ratio analysis, due to its simplicity, has, for a long time, been one of the most frequently used methods of financial analysis. However, the question is how its results are a good basis for assessment of financial condition of a company by the external users of financial reports. If one takes into account numerous limitations, one can rather say that ratio analysis is a rough approximation of financial situation. What are the limitations, can they be overcome and in what way, can they, at least, be reduced, and to what extent the user has to take a reserved attitude when making business decisions on the basis of ratio analysis? The last but not the least, we should accept the fact that by insisting on financial analysis other aspects of the analyses are, in practice frequently marginalized, thus neglecting the fact that actually they themselves in the most direct manner point to the causes of potential disorders in business activities of a company.

132-139

Authors: Marianna Dobó

The research, which was started in 2013 focuses on the decision-making process after vis-mayor situations (Dobó, 2013). Disaster Management in Hungary is a less known and researched area. However, over the last years natural problems had great impact on the decision making process of the local government (Csefkó, 1997). The disasters transformed the processes that had been working so far. The examination of the changed decisions became very important. Researches were carried out by the Disaster Management Department of National University of Public Service. One of the most important projects is the Critical infrastructure protection that could provide practical knowledge about the topic. The decision-making process after the crisis had not been analysed in previous studies. This research can be divided into several parts. First, there is exploration of the theoretical frameworks, laws and regulations. The decisions of the local government and the disaster management process can be presented by becoming familiar with the previous disasters. The most important stage will be the examination of the post-disaster period when the roles and the transformation of the players can be demonstrated. The methodology is complex. In the first phase, after consideration of the literature, the focus is on the changes of the law. The second stage contains media monitoring, document and map examination as well as interviews with the actors. In the third stage, the observation comes as a new method to the second phase: cooperative decision making process, crisis communication replacement, social reconciliation. The topic at any time is up to date due to the fact that while the preparedness for a crisis has become more urgent, the prediction of vis-mayor situations and consequently, the preparation is almost impossible. In this context, the decision-making process of 15 municipalities, which are now live every day of their flood, pour of the river-wall or red mud disaster and after the storm, was examined. The creation of a theoretical framework and their presentation on conferences happened so far. Processing the methodology and case studies of the disaster management are currently going on. The presentation of the achievement is expected in the autumn period.

150-157

Authors: Costin Pribeanu

Augmented reality (AR) is a challenging technology for e-learning. Nevertheless, the benefits of AR in terms of increased engagement and motivation could be undermined by a low ergonomic quality. A challenge for designers is to provide students with a usable AR environment that is able to support an effective and efficient achievement of their learning goals. A user-centred design approach requires understanding users and the tasks they perform. This analysis focuses on task modelling and presents a task-based approach to the development of a Chemistry application implemented on an AR teaching platform. The task model enables an analysis of critical task sequences, helps to prevent potential usability problem, and provides with a basis for a task-based approach to evaluation.

3-4

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2014, PMC

8-17

Authors: Ebru Aykan

The present study was conducted to determine the relationships between the emotional competence and task-contextual performance of employees. Data were gathered from 342 employees working in state and private banks. Relationships between the variables, significant relationships between the emotional competence dimensions and performance dimensions were observed in this study. No relationship was observed between the “guilty” dimension of emotional competence and task performance.Non-hierarchical cluster analysis was selected and K-means cluster analysis was performed to determine the emotional competence levels of participant banking professionals. The seven pre-specified emotional competences were classified by using Ward’s method. Cluster analysis revealed that the emotional competences of the participants were clustered in two groups as high and low. Regression analyses revealed insignificant relationships between the emotional competence and task performance of employees, but positive significant relationships between emotional competence and contextual performance. Significant differences were also observed in the emotional competence levels and task-contextual performances of employees. In other words, individuals with high emotional competence levels also exhibited high performances.

27-34

Authors: Robert Lippert, Zoltan Gaál

One of the potential aspects of economic growth lies in focusing on furtherance the development of business clusters. By linking the complementary competencies of profit oriented enterprises, NGO-s, universities, research institutes and local authorities, the innovation potential and the productivity are significantly increased. The present study investigates a specific and challenging managerial activity, the role of the cluster manager. The aim of the research is to reveal the intrinsic motivation of cluster operations and to demonstrate the importance of the manager in the efficient and sustainable operation. An empirical research has been conducted involving cluster managers and member organisations through an extensive questionnaire survey in Hungary. First, determinant factors of cluster success have been identified. By using these factors, as the operational activity of the cluster, as well as the satisfaction of the members in the field of innovation and productivity, a new continuous three-dimensional maturity model has been introduced to evaluate the cluster success. Mapping the soft factors, organisational culture and leadership roles have been assessed by applying Competing Values Framework method. The results of the research depict the correlation found between soft leader characteristics and cluster success.

56-64

Authors: Viara Slavianska

The strategies for academic personnel management as a factor for increasing the quality of higher education are discussed in the present article. The quality of the educational service is not only a national and European priority, but it is also a basic strategic advantage of every Bulgarian university, currently functioning in a highly competitive environment – for this reason it is steadily outlined in its strategy for development. One of the ways for improving the education is through elaboration of the system for human resource management. In essence it is intended to attract, retain and motivate the quality personnel through a collection of policies, procedures, and criteria in the field of training, assessment and reward. In this connection there are presented the strategies for personnel training and motivating, applied by Bulgarian higher schools as an instrument for improving the work performance. There are identified real and potential problems and on this basis is demonstrated the necessity of improving the motivational policies and practices as a means for improving the quality of the educational service. Some possible solutions for increasing the motivation in academic environment are offered.

84-94

Authors: Piotr Tomski

Entrepreneurial intentions (EI) that direct attention, experience and activities towards business concepts, create the form and direction of organizations at their inception stage. Future organizational outcome, such as survival, development and growth are based on these intentions. The objective of the study is to examine undergraduates' EI on the example of the students of Faculty of Management of Czestochowa University of Technology (FoMCUT). Various dimensions of EI are discussed in the context of gender, student specialization, the level of studies and selected components of entrepreneurial attitude orientation. The conducted research leads to the conclusions concerning the level of EI of students of the faculty which is strictly connected with the science and practice of management and entrepreneurship. The survey took place in December 2013 and January 2014 on the randomly selected sample of 332 students of FoMCUT. The sample amounted to 6.9% of the total population of students of the Faculty. The research tool constructed by the author was the questionnaire. The respondents were the students of both full- and part-time course of study. This study is the basis for the future research on predictors of EI as the foundation of new business ventures. It directs attention towards relationships between entrepreneurial ideas and their possible results. It outlines the background for examining entrepreneurial traits and contexts which are important both for the development of every economy and creation of directions for the practice of management of micro- and small enterprises.

110

Authors: Editorial Board

End page, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2014, PMC