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Innovation Typology: Comparative Study on Central European Countries

Author(s): Lucia Kohnova,Ján Papula,Nikola Salajová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The purpose of this research article is to present the importance of innovation forsustainable development of companies in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This paperpresents the topic of specific types of innovations that are conducted by companies with themain objective focused on analysis of differences among organizations based on the country ofoperation, company size and company maturity. Design/methodology/approach: The research method of data collection in this research wasan extensive survey of enterprises from five EU countries. The research tool was an electronicquestionnaire that was distributed to representatives and management of organizations. Thisresearch was part of a research project, which was realized during the period 2015-2018. Research objectives are achieved with extensive analysis using statistical Chi square testing ofsignificance of differences found among selected groups of companies. Findings: The analysis in our research has shown several differences between analyzedcountries, where Austrian and German companies conducted product innovation significantlymore than Slovak and Czech companies. 54% of large companies have conducted technologicalinnovation recently, while smaller companies conducted mainly product innovation. Growingcompanies conducted all types of innovation more than mature companies. Research/practical implications: The importance of innovation in current dynamicenvironment pushes companies into fast decisions regarding future development. Slovak andCzech companies need to sustain their competitiveness to Austrian and German companiesmainly by increasing product innovations. Large companies may face slower pace of growth. Originality/value: This unique research consisting of 1482 companies provides important viewon differences in behavior of companies. The originality of the research comes from thecomparison of five European countries, where SK and CZ companies are compared to strongereconomies as DE, AT and CH. Identified statistically significant differences provide managersimportant information that can lead to specific actions in their future innovation management.

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The Assessment of Labor Resources Quality Improvement Models by Entrepreneurs

Author(s): Alexandr Kokovikhin,Andrey Yevgenyevich Plakhin,Ekaterina Sergeevna Ogorodnikova / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: This article presents an analysis of entrepreneur satisfaction with the labor resourcesquality improvement models. The results obtained are of great importance, since they willimprove the efficacy of the regional executive bodies of state power in programs for staffingsmall and medium-sized businesses. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of entrepreneurs on the website of the Ministry ofInvestment and Development of the Sverdlovsk Region, was conducted from November 2017to January 2019. A total of 3420 questionnaires were sent, filled out and returned. The effect ofusing a particular model on the availability of frames is checked on the basis of the models ofpair regression. Findings: The results of the study allow us to conclude on the greatest impact of public-privatepartnership models while improving the quality of labor resources from the perspective ofproviding entrepreneurial activities. The use of this model will improve the security ofentrepreneurs labor resources. Research/practical implications: It has been revealed that the most effective model regardinglabor resources quality improvement directed at ensuring entrepreneurial activity is through astate-private partnership dual model. The authors proposed an institutional model fororganizing the dual training of labor resources with the participation of large and smallbusinesses. Originality/value: The presented study uses a unique data set for the regions of Russia.Approbation of the method is made on the basis of materials obtained in the course of studiesconducted in 2017-2019.

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Aplication of Artificial Neural Networks for Forecasting in Business Economy

Author(s): Andrea Kolková / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The forecasting method is now a whole lot. They are often based on the specificconditions of the given time series, and their methodology is mostly the result of research inscientific centres and universities. In recent years, Artificial Intelligence has been very muchdiscussed (hereafter AI). Implementation of AI into enterprise decision-making brings a wholehost of new opportunities and challenges. One of them is certainly the use of AI in forecasting. Design/methodology/approach: The paper after classic models present, the AI-based model,namely the neural networks model, introduce. Subsequently, the models are applied to 166monthly data from year 2008 to 2018. After analysing the data, forecasting ex-post is performedand evaluated according to selected accuracy indicators. After evaluating accuracy, the mostaccurate model for the given enterprise variables is selected and ex-ante forecasting performed. Findings: Benefit of this paper can be seen in particular in the expansion of possible forecastingmethods to ensure the most accurate results of business forecasts. The evaluation of thesuitability of the models is ensured by the best values of the selected accuracy measures. Research/practical implications: The paper confirms the possibilities of using the neuralnetwork method for business time series as the best model with RMSE 0.3134768. In thepractice of specific businesses, the contribution can help with the selection of suitable methodsfor forecasting. In future research, I can focus on other forecasting methods, such as the use ofother AI tools, chaos theory, fuzzy logic, or genetic algorithms. Originality/value: At present, the practical use of neural networks in the corporate economyin the Czech Republic is still an outlying issue. Its wider use in practice requires exploration ofthe use of academic and other scientific institutions. The way in which scientific knowledgecan be accessed through practice can be a wider use of this tool in practice.

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Integrating the Principles of Responsible Management Education According to the Needs of CSR Learning

Author(s): Irina Kostadinova,Svilen Kunev,Diana Antonova / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: More than ten years after the Principles of Responsible Management Education(PRME), a UN Global Compact Initiative, it is time to review what has been achieved. As aresult of the cooperation among EU universities, an international study was conducted onconsumer needs of Sustainability and CSR training through the integration of PRME. A Con-ceptual model for the educational strategy transformation in business universities is presented. Design/methodology/approach: Descriptive statistics of the results of a study on the PRMEand an Overview of Business Student Needs in CSR at three leading universities from Romania,Bulgaria and Slovenia, are presented. The Linear Modelling of Structural Equations (LISREL)has been used to establish the strength of the correlations between the six basic principles ofPRME and its influential factors applied to CSR training: Purpose, Value, Method, Research,Partnership and Dialogue. Findings: As a result of formulated study hypotheses, based on Global Compact principles,arguments have been put forward to improve the six-step Model for Transformation of the CSReducational processing in business universities (PRMS). After conducting an online study withthe target groups – 153 students from University Politehnica, Bucharest (81); University ofRuse (40), and University of Maribor (32), the data obtained were systematized. Research/practical implications: The impact assessment of university education initiativesincludes, but is not limited to, impact on students - it is important to remember that PRME'smain task is to educate the next generation of responsible business leaders and professionals. Originality/value: A survey questionnaire was used on the sections of the TransformationModel for the PRME (PRMET, 2019), which identified and evaluated the opportunities forraising the results of CSR education. Through an in-depth study of student behaviour,a conceptual model and guidelines for improving university curricula for CSR andsustainability are defined.

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Product Managers for the Digital and Collaborative Age

Author(s): Georgy Laptev,Dmitry Shaytan / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The objectives of the research are (1) to identify the key universal competencies(qualities, personal characteristics and abilities to carry out professional activities successfully)of product managers to work in digital and collaborative environment successfully, as well asto (2) create effective training program based on human-centered design and project basedlearning approaches for development of these competencies. Design/methodology/approach: The key universal competencies were identified and validatedwith the means of in-depth interviews and working day observation of 57 experienced productmanagers and using content analysis and expert assessment. The training program based ondesign thinking and project based learning approaches to develop such competencies of nascentproduct managers was created. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program the pre- and post-surveys of the 20 nascent product managers were administered with 95% response rate. Thedata was analyses using statistical method, i.e. calculation of the mean, standard deviation,mean difference and a paired t-test. The research was held in 2018 and took 5 months for allstages. Findings: Empirical research revealed the key universal competencies of product managersinvolved in innovative product development and working in digital and collaborativeenvironment. The design thinking, project based learning in combination of usage of a digitalrapid prototyping technique have proven to be effective tools to develop these competencies. Research/practical implications: The competencies identified in our initial research can beused in Assessment Centre method for (1)identifying people who are potentially capable forprofessional activity in the field of management of innovative product development, and for(2)assessment of existing product managers to evaluate their effectiveness. Originality/value: Presented study demonstrates the set of key universal competencies ofproduct managers and contributes to identify, assess and train people for professional activityin management of innovative product development using agile, lean and system design thinkingformats and modern digital rapid prototyping technique.

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Eu Law on the CSR Reporting – Puzzling Maze?

Author(s): Radka MacGregor Pelikánová,Robert Kenyon MacGregor / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Despite a decades-long discussion about corporate social responsibility (“CSR”),there is not much known about the exact evolution and meaning of the current EU law on CSRreporting. The two objectives of this paper are identifying and critically assessing this evolutionand then to recognize and address interpretation challenges. Its satisfaction is critical for theunderstanding, interpretation and application of the EU law on CSR reporting. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have recognized a myriad of perceptions of CSRand CSR reporting duty. They have conducted a holistic and interdisciplinary research andteleological interpretation of legislative sources, including the official EU database Eur-Lex,and have indentified key law instruments, namely ten critical Directives, and their provisionsand juxtaposed them. They have pointed out overlooked discrepancies, attempted to resolvethem, and discussed the implied dynamics and their impact. Findings: The perception of CSR reporting has been evolving in a more complex and piecemealmanner than is generally assumed. Due to the lack of the permanent consent on the CSRreporting duty, instruments of the current EU law are fragmental and inconsistent.Circumstances have shaped them while bringing different priorities and terminology. Research/practical implications: Our critical and comparative review of the evolution andstatus quo of the EU law on CSR reporting shows discrepancies and a lack of commondenominators. The legal framework is unclear; consequently EU businesses have to fumble. Originality/value: The presented overview and assessment is a pioneering attempt to help, ina unique manner, to assess the legislative will and the meaning of the CSR reporting duty.

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Elements of Organizational Structure Supporting Ethical Management of Organizations

Author(s): Radim Maňák,Vendula Fialová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The paper focuses on the usage of the elements of organizational structure supportingthe ethical management of organizations in the Czech entrepreneurial environment. The aim ofthe paper is to perform a pilot study in order to identify the range of these elements oforganizational structure used in companies in the Czech Republic and to verify conditions forfurther research. Design/methodology/approach: To fulfill the aim of the paper a questionnaire form wasapplied among the respondents (N=54) with a response rate of 71.25 %. The data were collectedbetween the 1st of November and the 20th of December 2018. The acquired empirical dataregarding the use of the organizational structure elements in the Czech Republic wereconfronted with theoretical premises from Czech and Slovak literature. Findings: Most of the examined elements of organizational structure supporting ethicalmanagement rarely occur in the Czech entrepreneurial environment. The ombudsman and codeof ethics are the only elements found in the researched environment. Further, it was found thatthe number of employees has an impact on the results. Finally, the opportunities and conditionsfor further research projects were verified. Research/practical implications: The research shows that the elements of organizationalstructure supporting ethical management are established in the Czech entrepreneurialenvironment, especially code of ethics and ombudsman. But there is still a substantial deficit inusing these elements in the Czech entrepreneurial environment compared to their theoreticaldescription in Czech and Slovak scholarly literature. As regards companies, it implies that theuse of these elements can bring them an advantage as their importance felt by participants isrelatively high. Also the pilot study verified that the research intention was well designed forfurther research projects. Originality/value: The main contribution of the paper consists in gaining empirical data aboutthe usage of organizational structure supporting ethical management in the Czechentrepreneurial environment.

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The Impact of Innovations on Enterprise Productivity in Russia

Author(s): Oleg Mariev,Natalia Borisovna Davidson,Karina Nagieva / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Innovations are a source of long term economic growth for the countries. Innovationsdefine competitiveness of business, and in a broader sense, they can solve a great number ofsocial and economic problems. Therefore the issue of innovations and their role in the economyis highly important. The aim of our work is to estimate the impact of innovations on productivityof enterprises in Russia and to reveal the determinants of innovative activity. Design/methodology/approach: Our research is based on Business Environment andEnterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) for the years 2012-2014 and covering 1564 Russianenterprises. CDM model applied in our research involves three steps of estimation and allowsto take into consideration various groups of factors affecting investment into R&D, and thenimplementation of innovations. Findings: The results of econometric analysis show positive significant returns innovations forproductivity of all firms. Positive impact of obstacles associated with investment into R&Dprobably arise because firms involved in innovative activities face greater difficulties due tospecific features of institutional environment. Besides, practically all ways of collaborationfacilitate increase in innovative sales relatively more than firms’ own ideas. Research/practical implications: Our research contributes to understanding firms’ innovativeactivities. The role of various groups of factors on the firm and regional level is studied. Resultsprovide useful information both for improvement of management activities at the firm level andfor designing economic policy measures for innovative environment in the regions and in thecountry overall. Originality/value: To the best of our knowledge, CDM model allowing to deal withendogeneity of innovations has not been applied to study innovations and their results for theRussian enterprises of different technological groups yet.

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Clustering Russian Regions by Innovative Outputs Using a Multi Indicator Approach

Author(s): Oleg Mariev,Andrey Pushkarev / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: In this research, we aim to discover empirically the similarity of Russian regions in terms of innovation activity forming several groups of them. Design/methodology/approach: We are using clustering technique, namely hierarchical clustering and map Russian regions based on the cluster memberships, which provides measure of similarity between all regions of Russia. We employ the region-level dataset of 83 Russian regions for the period from 2010 to 2015. Findings: We find overall strong stratification of the Russian regions, with most of the Russian regions falling into clusters with low innovation outputs. We also find that over the time cluster memberships do not change for low-innovative regions, while for more innovative ones they do. It may imply that regions with higher innovative outputs increase them significantly faster than other regions. Research/practical implications: Our research contributes to better understanding of Russian regional development and has implications for regional policy decisions. We argue that stimulating innovations in leading regions may be beneficial for development of the neighboring regions as well, due to spillover effects. We understand the limitations of the research and propose to investigate further the innovation inputs, as it may provide insight on why regions are performing the way they are. Originality/value: This paper uses multi indicator approach to assess similarities in innovative output of the Russian regions. Our results provide an original insight of the current state of the innovations and their geographical distribution in Russia. This research may be of a practical use to the managerial decisions, connected to the location choice, as well as for adjusting current innovative policy in Russia.

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State Support and Prospects for the Development of Agriculture In Russian Regions

Author(s): Maria Markhaichuk,Natalia Kovalenko,Andrey Chekunov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate whether agricultural production increases dueto state support in the programs and activities on development of agriculture in Russian regions. Design/methodology/approach: Authors have collected data on 85 Russian regions for the2013-2017 years from Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (EMISS)of the Russian Federation. Panel regressions with fixed effects were employed to estimate theimpact of state support funds amount on the increase in agricultural production using up to threeyears lag. Findings: The regression analysis confirmed statistically significant positive impact of statesupport on the agriculture production in Russian regions. The study showed that state supportfor agriculture is highly effective in the short term, however, its impact increases over time. Research/practical implications: The study results can be used to justify the increase in thebudget funds expenditure to support agriculture, taking into account Russia’s WTOcommitments. Also, they can find practical implications in the formulation of state and regionalprograms for the development of agriculture and other industries for future periods. Originality/value: This study stands out from other studies on the effectiveness of state supportfor agriculture in the Russian Federation by the fact that there were no significant researches,which would confirm a strong positive effect of the support being implemented. The studyproved that state support for agriculture in the Russian Federation has positive effects in shortand medium term.

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Intellectual Capital as a Basis for Innovative Development

Author(s): Maria Markhaichuk,Natalia Kovalenko,Andrey Chekunov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between intellectual capital andinnovative development on the example of Russian regions. Design/methodology/approach: Authors have collected data on 85 Russian regions for the2013-2016 years from Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (EMISS)and Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. Panel regressions with randomeffects were employed to estimate impact of intellectual capital, VAIC and their componentson the indicators of regional innovative development. Findings: The regression analysis confirmed significant and positive impact of intellectualcapital, VAIC, and their components on the indicators of innovative development of Russianregions. Human capital and its effectiveness have stronger impact on the innovativedevelopment of Russian regions than other components of intellectual capital and VAIC. Research/practical implications: The study results can be used by state bodies in theformation of innovative development strategies for future periods and in the development ofmeasures to achieve the targets of the current strategy. Originality/value: This study empirically proved positive impact of intellectual capital, VAICand their components on innovative development of Russian regions.

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Measuring the Level of Sustainability in a Small and Medium Companies: EAN Sustainability Index Case

Author(s): José Alejandro Martínez Sepúlveda,Dario Mauricio Reyes / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The analysis of the impact of the concept of sustainability in the companies generallyuse a big number of indicators; however, is very common to measure the appropriation ofsustainability into the companies as specific aspects that make up sustainability (environmental,social or economic) and not with an integral vision (triple bottom line). Design/methodology/approach: This situation leads to the fact of being impossible to generatea consistent follow-up, from a statistical perspective, on the evolution of the degree ofappropriation and impact of sustainability as a tool for improving business effectiveness, sincethe qualitative parameters are subject to a highly subjective approach by those who collect theinformation, also highlighting the development of different indices that may provide partial ornon-integral interpretations on the subject. Findings: The present research proposed and analyzed previous research criteria and variablesto determine how these qualitative and quantitative variables can be used as inputs in an indexthat allows measuring objectively and under a series of standard criteria, the degree ofappropriation and implementation of sustainable production in small and medium companies. Research/practical implications: The present case study was developed as exploratoryresearch, for to generate an analysis and relationship basis of the measure factors, and to collectdata about the economic, environmental and social indicators for SMEs in Colombia. Originality/value: The EAN Sustainability index is the first sustainability indicator that, fromthe measurement idea for one incubator, can be used for SMEs in Colombia, and the work withthe economic development secretary of Bogotá is a preliminary proof of it.

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Cultural Diversity and Innovation: The Case of the Czech Republic in Comparison to the EU

Author(s): Manuel Mayerhoffer / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Given the controversial impact of cultural diversity on a firm’s innovative capacity,the objective of this study is to explore the relationship of cultural diversity to innovation ona country level in the 2018 European Innovation Scoreboard among EU countries in accordancewith the research of Zhan et al (2015). By linking the findings to diversity management, thecase of the Czech Republic is considered specifically. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on the 2018 European InnovationScoreboard data on the innovative potential of nations which has been correlated with thepercentage of foreigners to a nations’ population. To test for significance, linear regression hasbeen employed. The scope was to investigate a potential linkage of cultural diversity andinnovation on a country level, which could prove beneficial for the theoretical field, as well asprovide implications for practitioners towards diversity management. Findings: The analysis indicates significant and mostly positive correlations of a nation’spercentage of foreigners to various factors from the European Innovation Scoreboard includingacademic research activities, venture capital investments, marketing and organisationalinnovations, as well as knowledge-intensive activities and their export. Research/practical implications: The research emphasizes the need for stronger considerationof cultural diversity in relation to innovation and emphasizes the opportunities for Czechbusinesses. Suggestions for further research focus especially on the inclusion of culturaldiversity as a variable when comparing innovation performance on a country level. Originality/value: The presented study contributes to the field by further investigating therelationship of cultural diversity and innovation and proposes the inclusion of the demographiccomposition as an additional factor in country-level analyses of innovative potential. Theinclusion of cultural diversity is so far missing in the European Innovation Scoreboard.

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Social Entrepreneurship and the Honourable Businessmen: Old Ethical Business Performance in a New Coat?

Author(s): Hartmut–Heinrich Meyer / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Publications on business ethics or social entrepreneurship make often references tothe honourable businessman for the definition of ethical values in entrepreneurship. Inreviewing the essence of the contribution, one arrives to the impression that the ethical valuesdetermining entrepreneurial behaviour are only presented in a new coat. For this reason the twotypes of entrepreneurs have been compared to analyse whether the ethical values have changedin its meaning as guidelines to conduct entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: The objectives of the paper were achieved by a qualitativecontent analysis of 25 different sources in the literature dealing with corporate socialresponsibility, social entrepreneurship and the honourable businessman. The method employedwas based on a qualitative research method of Mayring. Findings: The prime difference can be found in the constitutional relationship between theentrepreneur and society. Whereas the honourable businessman performs a business to build upa personal fortune and to redistribute some of it later in the form of donations, the socialentrepreneur starts to seek more a mutual benefit between the business and itself. However,both types of entrepreneurs seek long-term business relationships with their business partners. Research/practical implications: The image of an honourable businessman which has beenpartly transferred to a social entrepreneur could set new standards within entrepreneurialmarketing to promote entrepreneurial interest and intentions. As society values sustainabilityand ethical standards highly, the image of the honourable businessman could set guiding marksfor entrepreneurship during start-up as well as setting up sustainable business relationships. Originality/value: The main value of the study is the systematic evaluation of ethical values inas determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour in a qualitative holistic approach.

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The Relationship between Decision-Making Style of Entrepreneurs and Their Financial Literacy

Author(s): Jasmina Okičić / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the relation between decision-makingstyles used by entrepreneurs and their respective financial literacy. Design/methodology/approach: The research was designed as a quantitative study withGeneral Decision-Making Style Inventory (Scott & Bruce, 1995) used. The OECD INFE CoreQuestionnaire (2011) was mainly used for measuring financial literacy. Using the purposivesampling technique, 51 entrepreneurs were selected. Research was conducted in Bosnia andHerzegovina during the first quarter of 2017. To gain better understanding of relationshipbetween entrepreneurs’ financial literacy and their decision making styles we use descriptivestatistics, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Findings: Results indicate significant association between rational decision-making style andfinancial behaviour, attitude and financial goals in business. The available evidence seems tosuggest that rational decision making style of entrepreneurs predicts their financial behaviourand financial attitudes. Research/practical implications: Findings suggest that entrepreneurial activities may beraised via enhancing particular skills in respect to different decision-making tools andtechniques. These results may produce useful pieces of information which might be helpful inthe creation of entrepreneurship education and training programs. Originality/value: To date, a considerable body of research has sought to understand thedecision-making styles and financial literacy of entrepreneurs. However, the present study isa pioneer attempt dealing with an in-depth analysis of relationship between those two concepts.Findings suggest that entrepreneurial activities may be raised via enhancing particular skills inrespect to different decision making tools and techniques

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The Phenomenon of Entrepreneurship Among Students

Author(s): Karolina Palimąka / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The aim of the study was to answer the question what factors determine the tendencyto set up their own business among students of the University of Information Technology andManagement in Rzeszów (Poland) – both in the group of students declaring the willingness tostart a company, and among the undecided. In addition, the answer to the question whetherthere is a relationship between the declaration of willingness to establish a company and gender,or, according to them, professional experience, appropriate education and the market are anindispensable criterion determining the establishment of their own company. Design/methodology/approach: Data collected during the among 447 students in May 2017at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow. Only 394 responseswere used for analyses, which were subjected to cross-checking according to the relevantvariables. The chi-square test were used to verify the occurrence dependence of variables. Findings: The conducted research shows that there is a dependence between the declaration ofstarting own business and gender, but professional experience or adequate education is not anessential criterion that determines the decision to start up a business. Among the surveyedstudents, the idea and the desire to be independent have the biggest impact on the decision. Research/practical implications: The obtained results determine the decision to continue theresearch in order to get an answer to the question - if the motives to set up your own companyare the same from the perspective of people determined to set it up, and those who are notinterested in this option - which has an even greater impact on such declaration. The results ofthe analyses carried out in this way will allow to adapt educational activities towards theincrease in interest in starting their own business. Originality/value: The research presented here uses its own set of data. In addition, they area pilot experiment of a conducted research in the international field.

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Innovations for Sustainable Protein Systems

Author(s): Ari Paloviita / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Introduction of new, alternative protein sources and products for replacingconventional animal products requires many innovations at the product level and the systemlevel. However, less attention has been given to analyzing the emergence of entrepreneurial andbusiness responses to sustainable protein system. The purpose of the paper is to analyze theopportunities and challenges in food processing related to sustainable protein systems from theperspective of sustainable innovations and sustainable entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: Thematic qualitative interviews were conducted in Finnishfood manufacturing companies during the first half of 2018. Nineteen (19) interviews wereconducted, of which sixteen (16) were face-to-face and three (3) by telephone using a semi-structured guide. Half of the companies represented traditional and established protein industry,whereas the other half represented alternative smaller-scale protein industry. The tape-recordedinterviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using qualitative content analysis andabductive coding scheme. Findings: The interviewees of the traditional protein industry generally favored incrementalinnovations, adjustments and improvements, whereas the interviewees of alternative proteinindustry emphasized more radical and systemic innovations. It was generally agreed that theglobal long-term challenges, including climate change and population growth, will provideincreasing opportunities for a more diverse variety of protein sources and products. Research/practical implications: Sustainable protein innovations can be incremental, radical,sustaining or disruptive, but their contribution to sustainable protein system differ. Futureresearch could study in more detail the practices of providers of sustainable protein innovationsand investigate spatial and cultural embeddedness of protein innovations. Originality/value: Academic implications of the study lie in the exploration of the relevanceof protein issues in the context of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship literature.Practical implications of the study relate to raising awareness towards sustainable proteininnovations in terms of new business models, value offerings and entrepreneurial practices.

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Interregional Tourism Flows Modeling as the Response to Optimise National Competitiveness

Author(s): Ekaterina Panarina / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The objective of this research is forecasting regional tourist activities in Russia basedon economic-mathematical modeling of interregional tourist flows. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a quantitative research methodologyusing both primary and secondary data drawn from Rosstat (Russian Federal State StatisticsService). For modeling of interregional tourism flows within national economic territory themethods of mathematical application were used with quantitative evaluation and forecasting.A formal model and empirical evidence are presented. To describe domestic tourism,a destination-origin matrix based on Marketing-mix elements is constructed, the coefficients ofa tourist attraction for different Russian regions are calculated. Design and methodology weredrawn based on the analysis of the numerous thematical research papers of national andinternational authors. Findings: As a result of research, the definition of a “tourist region” was specified, tourismdevelopment trends studied, a regional touristic competitive rating of Russian territories wascompiled. The suggested economic mathematical approach allowed to evaluate interregionalchanges of tourist flows influenced by growth of population income, tourist services qualityand prices. Research/practical implications: These findings might be used in regional developmentaccording to governmental regional social-economic development programs. This work will beinteresting for private and state decision makers in tourism and hospitality to help Russia toleverage its huge but greatly under-rated and untapped potential as an attractive touristdestination. Originality/value: The value of this work is enabling modeling of management decisionstowards to the trends in the development of tourism regions in Russia. Using methods ofmathematical application, we could build a comprehensive model for evaluation and predictionof interregional tourist competitiveness and obtain the results with a correspondence of thestudies’ objective.

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Organizational Culture – A Factor of Innovativess in Homestay Accommodation Services: The Case of a Croatian Island

Author(s): Nadia Pavia,Marta Cerović / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Homestay accommodation is an important form of tourism accommodation offer andtourist trends indicate that the demand for it is constantly growing. In comparison to the otherforms of accommodation, it is less formal, treating the guests in specific manner. The purposeof this study is to research the impact of organizational culture of homestay accommodationproviders, in combination with destination offer as supporting system, on the creation ofinnovative homestay accommodation services. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted using the questionnaires sent tothe homestay accommodation providers in island of Krk in Croatia in 2018, May. Insight gainedfrom the study should help familly business owners to enhance the competitiveness andimprove innovation of the homestay accommodation. 98 valid questionnairs were collected andused for empirical analysis. Findings: The research results indicate that all families possess their own, inherentorganizational culture. Observing the family as a business system, it comes to the understandingthat the organizational culture in homestay accommodation is matched with family culture andsupported by appropriate set of destination offer which plays important role in innovating ofhomestay accommodation services. Research/practical implications: The study has confirmed that family culture is a foundationof the organizational culture of homestay accommodation and is interconnected withdestination offer. Originality/value: The value of the paper is seen in findings indicating that innovative serviceof homestay accommodation stems from the organizational culture of the owner and hisengagement in offering destination services to the guest and making connections with serviceproviders in order to create quality tourism product. The paper is enriching the scarce literaturein the field of homestay accommodation services.

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Preffered E-Promotion Strategies of International Hotel Chains – Insights and Evaluation

Author(s): Loris Pilar,Iva Slivar,Tamara Floričić / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to identify, the most successful element of theonline promotional mix for hotel chains in the EU. Its purpose refers to understand promotionalstrategies by learning from the top hotel chains. Design/methodology/approach: This paper focuses on online promotion of hotel chains in theEU, its techniques and tools for communicating with the tourism market especially theirinvestments in SEO and AdWords, two of the most prominent online promotional techniques.The research is based on observation and analytical evaluation of web sites of hotel chains. Thiswas realised by using special digital tools with which promotional mix elements were evaluated.The research was conducted in July and August 2018 and the sample covered the ten largestEuropean hotel chains, evaluated through 37 indicators arranged into 6 main groups. Findings: The research findings show that the most notable tools and techniques of onlinepromotion for hotel chains in the EU are SEO, AdWords and Direct Marketing. Respectively,success of a particular online promotional tool is proportional to the investment made in itincluding monthly costs for a specific online promotional tool. Research/practical implications: The Internet is becoming one of the most important channelsfor marketing communication, making the constant development of online promotional strategyone of key elements of success. Future research should investigate how innovative promotionalstrategies impact SME in hospitality and the challenges of their application. Originality/value: The answer to the question “Which tools and techniques should be used andwhat promotional activities should be conducted?” supports the purpose and present maincontribution of the paper.

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