International Journal for Quality Research

10

Authors: Pavle Popović, Dragan Vujović, Tamara Gvozdenović

Commencing from the already obtained results of the maritime market research, this work aims at defining and development of the innovative model. The research work will clarify a new approach of understanding the context of maritime companies through the processes that influence the purpose, goals and sustainability of port facilities. By using modern scientific methods and approaches, a new multi-criteria model was developed in the work, which was tested in real conditions and with real data, with solutions for ranking the strategic elements created within the general sub-strategy for each port service. The defined new approach is the starting point for managing the maritime system of transport and for the development of the IMS strategy of the sea port, in the field of communication strategy, on a strategic level.

12

Authors: António Henriques de Araujo Junior, José Glenio Medeiros de Barros, Nilo Antonio de Souza Sampaio, Luiz de Freitas Ayres, José Salvador da Motta Reis, Gilberto Santos, Luis Cesar Ferreira Motta Barbosa

Brazil has one of the cleanest energy matrices in the world, mainly a matrix based on hydropower. The research aims to identify and define variables that most strongly influence the economic viability of operating equipment and wind farms in Northeast Brazil, identifying the key performance factors for the economic analysis performed, such as technologies, equipment size and productive efficiency. The cash flow analysis allowed the calculation of the break-even for the different variables analyzed, equipment load factor, wind turbine investment and effective hours available for wind generation, among others. Although for the situation analyzed, wind generation projects in the Northeast of Brazil are economically viable, the profitability of these projects for the assumptions of the calculation assumed is still low, considering they generate a 15 year pay-back and a return rate of 9.22% p.a. as opposed to an assumed financing cost of 7.35% p.a.

12

Authors: Victoriia Overchuk, Viktor Zvonar, Olena Koval, Olena Kyselova, Mykhailo Goncharenko

The results of the study indicate significant changes in human capital due to the military confrontation with the Russian Federation. It was established that the human capital in the pre-war period was characterized as highly educated and qualified, which is proved by high indices in the international talent competitiveness rating (61st place out of 155 countries), however, during the war period there was a significant loss of human capital, which was estimated at 4031 thousand killed, 4735 thousand wounded, 1 million 2 thousand forcibly deported to the Russian Federation, 13.7 million displaced, of whom 5.7 million people left the country. In order to overcome the crisis situation it is suggested to point the main ways of preservation and post-war restoration of human capital in the direction of: creating appropriate conditions to stimulate the return of citizens to Ukraine, the development of effective programs of post-war restoration of human capital and its sustainable development in Ukraine, as well as providing free and unimpeded access to educational services with opportunities for participation of applicants in international projects and programs.

14

Authors: Urszula Balon, Joanna M. Dziadkowiec, Magdalena Niewczas-Dobrowolska

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are often used in business of various sizes and industries to assess operational efficiency and evaluate process effectiveness. A universal model for implementing and utilizing KPIs has been elaborated in the company, and its functionality has been verified in a selected enterprise. In accordance with the developed model, efficiency indicators have been proposed, and among them, key performance indicators (KPIs) have been selected. In addition to commonly used financial indicators, indicators evaluating the performance of the quality management system have been included, along with the need for quality cost optimization.

14

Authors: Magdalena Niewczas-Dobrowolska, Urszula Balon, Joanna M. Dziadkowiec

Food safety is the basic characteristic of food and the most important one because food has the direct impact on our health. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the whole food chain and consumer behavior by the restrictions, shutdowns and fear of being infected. This paper presents the results of the survey conducted among 71 enterprises operating in the food industry in Poland in 2022. The representatives were asked to assess the influence of the pandemic on food safety standards and their usefulness during the pandemic. They were also asked about the positive and negative aspects of the pandemic from the perspective of the food industry. It was shown that the pandemic strengthened the need and understanding of the hygienic standards, collaborations with suppliers and employee training. On the other hand, caused the more frequent food quality and safety inspections, shortages of the employees and supplies, and economic losses.

16

Authors: Vladimir Shper, Svetlana Sheremetyeva, Vladimir Smelov, Elena Khunuzidi

In this paper some issues relative to the gap between the traditional theory of control charts and real problems practitioners encounter are discussed. We consider both the general reasons for this discrepancy and different examples of misunderstandings. The trend to develop statistics as mathematical branch of science in the area of statistical process control has led to (i) ignoring many real complexities; (ii) creating many new types of charts that rarely help practitioners to improve their processes. We offer some practical advices, such as the introduction of two types of the assignable causes of variations (internal and external); the refusal from a traditional assumption that repetitive measurements are always normally distributed; the simple and practically convenient technique to calculate control chart limits for highly non-normal data. As the main direction for future efforts, we offer to start discussion about the implementation of Shewhart control charts into the program of school education.

16

Authors: Nikolina Ljepava

In the era of extensive digital transformation, all business areas are experiencing disruptive changes, and the marketing research industry is no exception. With research agencies increasingly depending on online panellists from commercial research panels, it is crucial to understand the characteristics of panel participants and their potential impact on the quality of collected data. The present study explores the role of participants' personality traits on the quality of data collected via online consumer panels. A quantitative study examined Big Five personality characteristics and social desirability of the responses in the context of online panel participation. The study results indicate that self-selected panel participants tend to be more extroverted and have lower conscientiousness scores than non-participants. Participants with higher openness and lower conscientiousness scores also tend to provide more socially desirable responses. The findings implicate that participants with specific personality traits might be overrepresented in commercial online panels and are more likely to provide socially desirable responses, impacting data quality and reliability.

16

Authors: Soraya Sedkaoui

This study aims to explore the three main dimensions of the SERVQUAL model, namely reliability, assurance, and tangibility, and analyze the casual relationship with customer satisfaction and loyalty in the Algerian banking sector. For this, a sample of 253 clients of three public banking institutions in Algiers was analyzed. The measurement and structural models were evaluated using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results indicate that banking service quality and consumer satisfaction are essential factors in customer loyalty. The values of R2 (60.2% in the variation of consumer loyalty and 52.7% in the variation of consumer satisfaction) make the confirmatory model relevant. The findings indicate that reliability and tangibility significantly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty in Algerian banks. Therefore, Algerian banks must recognize the significance of customer satisfaction and quality of service in fostering customer loyalty and improving the industry's overall quality of service.

18

Authors: Pierina Moreno, Rejina M. Selvam, Frederic Marimon

In this paper, a Quality Model for Collaborative Social Enterprises (SCC) proposed in the article "On the Convergence of Collaborative and Social Economy: A Quality Model for the Combined Effect" (2021) was validated through the Gioia methodology. Semi-structured interviews were carried out based on a questionnaire applied to an intentional sample. As a result, the Quality Model was improved, and new aspects were recognized such as: the importance of sustainability in SCC even if the companies are non-profit, the importance of the communication of social mission, an adequate definition of the decision-making process, the consideration of aspects related to ethics in data management, the definition of platform requirements and customer experience, and, finally, the need to have a social impact assessment as part of the main indicators. In addition to a general review in terms of drafting and organisation of the model, maintaining its dimensions and graphic representation remained unchanged.

20

Authors: Marko Slavković, Milan Stamenković, Marina Milanović, Stefan Sretenović

In previous years, remote working has become an important and widely applied business practice that has attracted the attention of academic researchers, especially in the field of social sciences. The purpose of the study is to identify, through the analysis of monitoring and self-discipline during remote working, the possibilities of applying remote sensing to improve the existing practice. The study participants were employees with a remote working status, and the sample counts a total of 227 valid surveys. The CART algorithm was deployed to analyze the acceptance of monitoring and the level of self-discipline during remote working. Results indicate generally less acceptance of direct monitoring, as well as self-discipline of remote workers. Life circumstances play an important role in accepting monitoring and achieving self-discipline. The study offers insight into how the remote sensing can contribute to the improvement of remote working and generally provides guidelines for the interdisciplinary relationship of remote sensing and social sciences.

26

Authors: Sandra Cecilia Baustista-Rodriguez, Guillermo Peña Guarín, Amable José Pérez

Today's business environment infers organizational competitiveness that encourages organizations to adopt standardized systems that facilitate effective business management. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) promote economic growth and equitable development; however, few works offer approaches that include the dynamics and resource constraints of SMEs. Hence, this paper proposes a method for integrating management systems in SMEs that articulates the continuous management cycle of Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA), with a four-phase implementation sequence: (1) Direction, (2) Structuration, (3) Application, (4) Evaluation and Improvement. It also discusses how SMEs can integrate their management systems with the knowledge necessary to reduce or mitigate risks arising from the organization's interactions with its stakeholders. This research advances the proposal of a practical sequence for building and implementing the integrated management system and presents the key strategic, operational and human factors as an innovative element to facilitate the understanding, implementation, evaluation and improvement of the IMS in SMEs.

10

Authors: Boris Jevtić, Milan Beslać, Dragan Janjušić, Milan Jević

This paper aims to investigate the significance of the impact of customer expectations of the use of digital technology services by hotels on their level of satisfaction. For these purposes, an empirical study was provided in Serbia in 2022. The research sample consists of 392 respondents from a specific growing demographic group of hotel services users, digitally born Gen X, Gen Z, and Millennials, aged 21 to 41, who stayed in hotels in the highest category during the year. Regression analysis and a five-level Likert attitude evaluation scale were used in the methodology of the research. The significant influence of customer expectations and positive experiences in using technological hotel services on satisfaction is confirmed. The findings of the paper can contribute to the literature and hotel management decision-making in designing a modern strategy of technological business development, digitalization of services, and digital marketing relations with service users, millennials as technological leaders of change, and further hospitality organizations' survival in the tourist market.

10

Authors: Davor Grgurević

Due to the lack of a risk management system, many organizations in the world have suffered significant financial losses. Therefore, it is necessary for every organization to establish a risk management system as a structural element of the management system as a whole. The problem of risk management exists as a global problem that requires global solutions. One of the possible solutions is to meet the requirements of international risk management standards ISO 31000: 2009 and use risk assessment techniques in accordance with ISO / IEC 31010. The risk management system is compatible with the quality management system ISO 9001: 2008 and is based on the same principles. If the risk is not recognized and the organisation does not cope or is unprepared for the crises, the organization can suffer great losses. A business crisis is an unplanned and unwanted period in a company's operations, of limited duration with an ambivalent outcome. Crisis management is a process that includes three phases: preventive management, identification, and reactive management of a business crisis, which is helped by controlling as a professional management support.The review of tools and risk management tools creates preconditions for better preparation of the organization for crises, for better coping and faster exit from the crisis.

14

Authors: Piotr Kafel, Piotr Rogala, Maciej Urbaniak

This study aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between the quality management method and the supplier performance measurement system. The results indicate that in some cases, organizations that had implemented lean management or TPS used supplier assessment measures more often and perceived them as more important ones. Moreover, according to the study, the most popular supplier measures are within the scope of process ones, such as timeliness of deliveries and completeness of deliveries. From the product measures, the most important one is the defectiveness level. The environmental measures' importance is, on an average level, much lower than the core-business ones. The most critical environmental supplier measure is using hazardous substances in production.

14

Authors: Francesco Giacobbe, Elisabetta Bemporad, Alberto Carro, Fabio Pera

This work aims to highlight the factors that characterize quality systems in the case of pressure equipment manufacturing. For the CE marking, according to the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), the manufacturer may adopt conformity assessment modules based on the Quality System for production process, directly for the product, for its final inspection and testing or for full fabrication process, design included. At international level, the ISO 9001 standard is now consolidated and wide spread and was revised in 2015 with the introduction of new concepts. This article highlights the individual requirements of ISO 9001 which are directly and indirectly correlated with the Quality System factors required by PED. This allows to comply with the essential safety requirements of the directive following a Plan-Do-Check-Act approach and conforming to the formalization of the management systems provided by the High Level Structure.

16

Authors: Markéta Šnýdrová, Lucie Depoo, Ivana Šnýdrová

The article focuses on comparing approaches of generations Y and Y of business university graduates to employer selection in order to determine whether generation plays significant role in defining or determining the weight of individual criteria that point at quality employer or "employer of the first choice". The aim is to identify criteria affecting choice of employment by Generation X and Y university graduates and point out differences among generations. Graduates from Business university in period of five academic years were surveyed using online questionnaire. A total of 870 graduates were contacted. The survey was responded by 236 graduates (160 from Gen Y and 76 Gen X), which is representative sample for the given university. The data were tested by Cronbach's alpha test of reliability and correlation analysis between described variables was calculated using the Spearman's correlation coefficient. Primary research has shown that the following factors are particularly important for both generations: meaningful work, independent work, the possibility of further development, financial remuneration, the possibility of career growth, ensuring a work-life balance. Thus, the recommendation for the employers is to focus mainly on the above factors within the framework of personnel marketing, both internally and externally.

16

Authors: Nikola Stefanović, Tamara Đalić, Jovana Vesić

The paper discusses an analysis of credit and card fraud phenomena identified by a multinational bank in the Republic of Serbia. The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of existing systems and practices for managing fraud risks in the banking sector of the Republic of Serbia. It explores the potential impact of fraudulent activities on the credit and card processes, as well as risk management in the banking system during the period before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically from 2018 to 2022. The most significant research result provides a descriptive profile of potential fraud perpetrators in the banking sector. This can contribute to decision-makers in finance, managers, and analysts to better scrutinize the profiles of potential credit users. Recognizing early signs that indicate a person is likely to commit fraudulent acts allows banks to prevent potential fraud in a timely manner, thus averting possible financial losses.

20

Authors: Angelika Nigbor-Drożdż, Wiesław Łukasiński

The aim of the article is to present an empirical analysis of startups perception by Gen Z representatives in Poland. The research was conducted in May-December 2021 via the Internet, and the questionnaire was completed by 500 people. It has become important to identify how Poles perceive startups by assessing their individual advantages and disadvantages. The achievement of the goal was made possible by literature studies and a questionnaire survey. In the work, particular attention was paid to defining the concept of a startup, identifying its advantages and disadvantages. An attempt was also made to define the attitude of Generation Z to their startups. The survey allows us to learn about the opinions of the new generation entering the labor market, and in 3 years' time it will constitute a significant part of it in Poland.

20

Authors: Sergey V. Ryazantsev, Inna V. Andronova, Erkin Sh. Shadmanov, Elena G.Popkova

The article reveals the unique experience of Russia and other CIS countries, which are fast-growing digital economies with a dynamically developing industry 4.0, as well as free migration. The purpose of this article is to study the prospects for improving quality management in Industry 4.0 based on educational and labor migration in Russia and other CIS countries. It is proved using econometric modeling of the experience of Russia and other CIS countries using regression analysis based on data for 2021 that immigration does not allow attracting highly qualified personnel for industry 4.0, but emigration does not lead to the loss of highly qualified personnel for industry 4.0.Alternative scenarios of quality change in industry 4.0 in Russia and other CIS countries have been created, which are based on the flows of educational and labor migration in the "Decade of Action" (in the period up to 2030). The scenario of filtration of incoming and freedom of outgoing migration flow has proved to be the best, since the optimization of educational and labor migration flows provides the highest rates of qualitative growth of industry 4.0 in Russia and other CIS countries by 223.96% with a probability of 46.5%.To implement this scenario, a promising model of migration flow management has been proposed to improve the quality of Industry 4.0 products in Russia and other CIS countries. The theoretical significance of the results obtained in the articleis that they clarified the role that the migration mechanism has on the quality management of Industry 4.0 products, taking into account the unique experience of Russia and other CIS countries.The practical significance of the authors' conclusions and recommendations is that they make it possible to improve the effectiveness of quality management in industry 4.0 based on educational and labor migration in Russia and other CIS countries.

20

Authors: Olexandr Yemelyanov, Yurii Dziurakh, Taras Danylovych, Nataliia Bondarchuk, Olha Demianchuk, Yulia Kharchuk

The article developed and tested methodological principles for evaluating the effectiveness of investing in resource-saving measures as a tool of anti-crisis financial management at enterprises. It is planned to carry out such an assessment by forecasting the values of the proposed indicator of the depth of the financial crisis at enterprises. The calculation of this indicator is based on comparing the minimum acceptable value of the financial result of the company's activity for the fulfillment of debt obligations with the actual value of such a result. The application of the proposed indicator makes it possible, among other things, to carry out a qualitative gradation of the depth of the financial crisis at enterprises by distinguishing them into six classes depending on the value of the indicator of this depth. At the same time, four of these classes refer to business entities already in a state of financial crisis or with signs of the possibility of approaching this state. Accordingly, by assessing the forecast or actual change in the number of such enterprises after they implemented resource conservation investment projects, it is possible to establish the effectiveness of investing in resource conservation measures as a tool of anti-crisis financial management at enterprises. To correctly calculate the predictive value of the indicator of the depth of the financial crisis at the enterprise, among other things, the simulation of this indicator was carried out. Such modeling provided, in particular, an opportunity to better understand the mechanism of influence of several factors on the value of the indicator of the depth of the financial crisis. It was established that the main factors include the structure of sources of financing resource-saving investment projects, the length of the crediting period, the capital intensity of products, and the share of expenses related to the consumption of specific production resources, etc. Based on the conducted theoretical studies, a method was developed for evaluating the effectiveness of investments in resource-saving measures as a tool of anti-crisis financial management at enterprises. This method was successfully tested on a sample of enterprises that belong to three industries and are characterized by a significant share of loan capital in the structure of asset financing sources. The results of the empirical analysis showed that implementing energy-saving projects at the studied enterprises will significantly reduce the number of enterprises in a crisis or pre-crisis state. It was also proven that the forecast value of the indicator of the depth of the financial crisis after the implementation of energy-saving projects decreases with an increase in the crediting period and the initial share of costs for the purchase of energy resources. However, the value of this indicator increases with an increase in the capital intensity of the enterprises' products and the share of loan financing of the corresponding energy-saving projects.

24

Authors: Magdalena Niewczas-Dobrowolska, Agnieszka Górka-Chowaniec, Tadeusz Sikora

The aim of the paper is to identify changes in consumer behavior regarding food caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative research was carried out using the CAWI method among 2,000 consumers selected for the study in a quota manner. The selection of respondents reflected the actual structure of gender, age and region of residence of adult Poles. The study was conducted in March 2022. This article reviews similar studies to identify the major changes in consumer behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers were characterized due to typical socio-demographic characteristics, but also due to the level of perceived stress and trust, as variables that may affect consumer behavior in the era of a pandemic. The most common changes in consumer shopping behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were determined: frequency of purchases, their size, place of purchase, type of food purchased, behavior of other buyers. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected consumer behavior when buying food. It is not known which of these behaviors will persist.