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The Innovation Centers Development in the Regional Context of Russia

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

Purpose: According to the ranking by global competitiveness benchmarking study (WEF Competitiveness Report, 2017), Russia has the 43rd index of the competitiveness out of 142 countries compared by 67th place at 2012. We can explain it with different reasons but primarily it is a result of strengthened fundamentals, including the quality and quantity of education, training programs, and innovation capacity. In this article we consider the innovation to be the major factor that keeps countries to sustain their competitiveness that is a strategic goal for any economy including the Russian economy as well. Design/methodology/approach: Design approach for the research is based on benchmarking data and case studies analysis, as well as on author´s research activities and practical experience. The sample was chosen from research institutions (national research universities) and innovation centers as well as enterprises in different industries.Findings: There are a few forms of innovation ecosystem were considered that could become a moderator for evolving innovations and sustainable economic growth. Those are integrated distributed centres of competences at enterprise level, innovative business regional clusters (hubs), high skills centres of competences at universities, business-universities joint alliance. The concept of innovation development and the findings of this article defiantly make practical impact and resonance that get to be discussed and resulted in actions of regional and national administrations. Research/practical implications: The outcomes and implications proposed in the article related to functioning of Centres of Competence and Innovation Centres are very important for practice, and for keeping and increasing the positive dynamics of economic development cycle. The establishment of the Innovation Centres of different forms has to become a national idea of the sustainable economic growth. It has to be included to the strategic plans of the government for the better future.

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Innovative Development for Northern Regions: Russian Case

Author(s): Svetlana Panikarova,Maxim Vlasov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: According to the ranking by global competitiveness benchmarking study (WEF Competitiveness Report, 2017), Russia has the 43rd index of the competitiveness out of 142 countries compared by 67th place at 2012. We can explain it with different reasons but primarily it is a result of strengthened fundamentals, including the quality and quantity of education, training programs, and innovation capacity. In this article we consider the innovation to be the major factor that keeps countries to sustain their competitiveness that is a strategic goal for any economy including the Russian economy as well. Design/methodology/approach: Design approach for the research is based on benchmarking data and case studies analysis, as well as on author´s research activities and practical experience. The sample was chosen from research institutions (national research universities) and innovation centers as well as enterprises in different industries.Findings: There are a few forms of innovation ecosystem were considered that could become a moderator for evolving innovations and sustainable economic growth. Those are integrated distributed centres of competences at enterprise level, innovative business regional clusters (hubs), high skills centres of competences at universities, business-universities joint alliance. The concept of innovation development and the findings of this article defiantly make practical impact and resonance that get to be discussed and resulted in actions of regional and national administrations. Research/practical implications: The outcomes and implications proposed in the article related to functioning of Centres of Competence and Innovation Centres are very important for practice, and for keeping and increasing the positive dynamics of economic development cycle. The establishment of the Innovation Centres of different forms has to become a national idea of the sustainable economic growth. It has to be included to the strategic plans of the government for the better future.Purpose: The aim of the research is an analysis of innovation environment of the northern regions and using it as the basis for identifying factors hindering innovation activities of the northern regions, as well as formulating ways of speeding up innovation development of the northern regions of Russia.Design/methodology/approach: Мethodological basis of the research is built on the algorithm of the knowledge index evaluation suggested by the World Bank; innovation development rating of the Russian Federation regions compiled by the Russian Academy of Public Economy and state service of the Government of the Russian Federation; Higher School of Economics, National Association of Innovations and Information Technology Development. Comparative evaluation of the level of innovation activity development in the northern regions of Russia was conducted, challenging points in the innovation development of the northern regions were identified, recommendations on improving efficacy of innovation activities of the norther regions of Russia.Findings: Authors conducted analysis of northern regions innovation environment in order to evaluate context for creation and development of innovation activities. Knowledge index for northern regions was calculated on the basis of knowledge index evaluation algorithm suggested by the World Bank. Knowledge index evaluation allows for subdividing northern regions into four groups. In general, this method allows for identifying those Russian Federation regions that are most capable of creating, accepting and disseminating knowledge, that is possessing innovation potential. Research/practical implications: The authors identified main regional policy trends in the field of innovation development stimulation: 1. Implementing additional financial mechanisms of target industrial company support.2. Forming new mechanisms of innovation projects financing.3. Implementing major infrastructure projects aimed at uniting major enterprises, small businesses, research institutions and higher education institutions. 4. Creating institutional support for innovation policy.5. Development of informational, expert – consulting and educational infrastructure for innovation activities.Originality/value: Comparative evaluation of the level of innovation activity development in the northern regions of Russia was conducted, challenging points in the innovation development of the northern regions were identified, recommendations on improving efficacy of innovation activities of the norther regions of Russia.

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CSR and Tax Planning: Case Study of Football Club

Author(s): Igor Perechuda,Assidi Soufiene / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Based on a review of recent literature, this paper presents the association between tax planning and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Four dimensions of CSR were applied for this study: managerial, economic, social, and environmental. The study verifies the relation between CSR and tax planning in the aforementioned dimensions. Design/Methodology/Approach: Research is based on the case studies of the Legia Warszawa Football Club Limited Company — one of the best Polish football clubs — during the period between 2011 and 2014 and the Legia Warszawa Football Academy Foundation during the same period. The football club was chosen due to strong relations between sports and CSR. The case study is based on a comparative dynamical and structural analysis of financial data. The fundamental for the case study was the review of previous literature and legal analysis.Findings: This study shows how the company is committed to both social responsibility and tax planning. The case study confirms that CSR was performed in four dimensions. The confirmation was provided, described and analysed based on the business model of the chosen entity. Furthermore, it is possible to observe that performance of CSR is noticed mainly in the managerial and economic dimensions.Research/practical implications: Due to the CSR activities performed and planned by the foundation, the company gained a wide range of benefits. Positive effects of CSR management and tax planning in the current case can be seen mainly due to the use of legal opportunities.Originality/Value: The study proposes how the business model of the football club and foundation can achieve their common goals. It presents how economically important the cooperation between the foundation, which materializes the CSR activities, and the football club, a profit-making company, can be. The study also describes how it is possible to observe the relation between CSR and tax planning in case of the sports club.

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Sustainable Entrepreneurship: How to Measure Future Sustainability Impact for Early Stage New Ventures

Author(s): Malte Recker,Ingo Michelfelder / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The paper provides an overview on existing measurement approaches and the respective suitability to predict, to support and thus to increase the future sustainability value generation of new ventures along the three domains: Economic, environmental and social impact. It aims to identify required complements and adjustments to close the existing gap of suitable measurement tools, determining holistic sustainability for new ventures.Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review is chosen to assess existing measurement tools, methods and concepts from theory across relevant disciplines. Scope of measurement and applicability in the described context are the main assessment criteria.Findings: The literature review reveals that I.) there is a lack of sustainability measurement tools appropriate for early stages of a new venture, II.) that holistic measurement tools, covering environmental, social and economic value generation, are needed and that III.) the relative improvement of generated value needs to be taken into account in order to allow a meaningful comparison of different ventures and business models and to significantly reduce the complexity. IV.) Research needs to integrate initial findings from other studies looking at success factors covering the social and environmental value generation – rather than the economic outcome only.Research/practical implications: The research findings provide a basis for measuring, predicting and increasing sustainability impact generated from new ventures. The suggested complements and adjustments are shared for use in other benchmarking approaches and to help establishing the research field of sustainable entrepreneurship. Its application will provide important decision criteria for new ventures (how to increase sustainability), early stage investors (where to invest), policymakers (which types of ventures and business models to support) and sustainability dedicated accelerators (how to support the sustainability generation of new ventures).Originality/value: The contribution to existing concepts and tools is especially the starting development of early stage sustainability measurement and prediction approaches for new ventures. The literature review has shown that measurement tools are often too complex for early stage measurement. It is at these stages however, that public funds are invested and private investors decide on which business to help to achieve the growth stage.

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Do Senior Entrepreneurs Differ from Youth Entrepreneurs? Evidences from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.

Author(s): Ján Rehák,Anna Pilková,Zuzana Jančovičová,Marian Holienka / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Age in entrepreneurship research is one of the key variables which is extensively studied from different perspectives. One of the newest trends in entrepreneurship related to the age of population is “intergenerational entrepreneurship”. The key to the success of this concept lies in a thorough research of the differences and similarities between the different age cohorts of entrepreneurs, and their practical application. The aim of this paper is to study key drivers of differences between senior and young entrepreneurs in Europe focusing on opportunity and necessity driven total early stage entrepreneurial activities.Design/methodology/approach: Based on the revision of existing literature and research findings on senior and young entrepreneurs we have formulated the research assumptions that were further tested. The authors focus on relevant differences between senior and young (youth and young adults) entrepreneurs in Europe and validate their coherence through descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The dataset used in this paper is Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data from 2010-2014 in Europe.Findings: Our results confirm areas of significant differences both among studied groups and regions. Some of these findings are in line with general statements presented in literature, but there are also differences in comparison to relevant research studies done on senior and youth entrepreneurship. Our specific focus was also put on analysis of key drivers of TEA necessity and TEA opportunity in studied groups and their differences from regional point of view. Research/practical implications: Intergenerational cooperation is a topical issue which deserves high attention of policy makers on national and international levels. To use this potential and encourage it in right way asks for relevant thorough knowledge of these groups entrepreneurial characteristics. Therefore, our findings have practical implications for European entrepreneurial policies, programs and tools design to boost intergenerational entrepreneurship. Originality/value: Original value of our paper is in formulation of findings based on comprehensive analysis of differences among the youth, youth adult and senior entrepreneurs on European level based on robust GEM data which bring additional value to rare European studies on this subject.

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Organizational Culture of SMEs in Serbia, Influence of National Culture on Entrepreneurial Leadership Style and Philosophy

Author(s): Dusanka Rodic,Ondrej Jasko,Mladen Cudanov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Purpose of this paper is to search for connection between national culture and organisational cultures, especially actual and preferred leadership styles, in SMEs in Serbia, a country with very high “Power Distance” dimension of national culture. Also, national culture influence is compared with globalisation as a way of collective programming. The focus is on the leadership style of the entrepreneurs, the degree of its acceptance among employees and how those styles correspond with national culture. Design/methodology/approach: This study analysis based on Hofstede methodology, using structured data about organizational culture dimensions. Data was collected using on-line questionnaire. Data in the sample consists of fifteen self-selected entrepreneurial SMEs in Serbia where measurement of their culture by the Hofstede methodology was negotiated. Descriptive statistics and cross-case comparisons were used discuss and propose conclusions.Findings: In the research, it is found out that SMEs in Serbia have organizational culture which does not support autocratic leadership style as actual one and that is not desirable one too. This is not the logical consequence under the influence of national culture which score high in two dimensions: Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance. The most dominant actual leadership style is consultative and it is also the most desired one. This implies that entrepreneurial orientation and constraints for being competitive in global market shifts the organizational culture into the direction where leadership styles and its acceptance question national culture influence.Research/practical implications: The outcomes are the overview of the dimensions of organizational culture in SMEs research study of 15 entrepreneurial companies. The most interesting outcome is identification of globalization effect on national culture in case of entrepreneurship in SMEs and shows unexpected contradictory of national culture dimension influence on actual and desired entrepreneurial management styles, especially in national cultures which score high in Power- Distance index. This paper can set further hypothesis for a wider research.Originality/value: Contribution is an overview of organizational culture dimensions of SMEs in Serbia with emphasis on management philosophy and actual and desired leadership styles by qualitative analysis of structured data to show the perspective relations between national culture, leadership styles and degree of its acceptance. Limitations of this study are that no true random sample has been used and results cannot be generalized. The fact that companies do not share details about aspects of their business and potential source of competitive advantage, like organizational culture or leadership style to random researchers, this study still provides insight, presenting data hard to gather.

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The Economic Consequences of Students Inflow for Local Enterprises

Author(s): Diana Rokita-Poskart / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the mechanism via which educational migration related to undertaking higher education can influence on local good and service market, labour market and entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approach: The economic consequences of student inflow have been shown for one of the academic cities in Poland – Opole which has one of the highest student-to-inhabitant ratios and approx. 90% of students are internal educational migrants. The analysis has been based on the results of empirical research conducted among educational migrants of all universities in Opole selected based on quota sampling. The complementary to the presented data were the correlation analysis and the result of the research conducted in 2016 among the local enterprises which concern their opinion about the impact of incoming students on their companies. Findings: The results and estimates presented in this study shows that educational migrations related to tertiary education may create substantial economic benefits for the academic city. This study paid particular attention to benefits for local market of goods and services, the local labour and thanks that mechanism on local enterprises in an academic city.Research/practical implications: The results of the research and the estimates can be used by local authorities of academic city for awareness of the importance of students’ inflow for local economy. The diagnosis can be used in design scenarios for improving the demographic and economic situation of the academic city. Originality/value: The impact of the inflow of student of local economy of academic city, especially their economic consequences for the area of the internal inflow are a research problem almost absent in the scientific discourse

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Critical Evaluation of Czech Municipal Spending Predictive Models

Author(s): Pavel Rousek / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The aim of the paper is detailed knowledge of factors that affect the volume and structure of municipal expenditures, based on research of budgetary expenditures of 6258 Czech municipalities. The sustainability of the public sector is not yet widely discussed in the professional public. As the Gutherie & Farneti (2008) study shows, the first area has been voluntary reporting in Australia.Design/methodology/approach: The sample used for basic results are 6258 Czech municipalities and their budgets. The data sources are three systems of Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic – ARIS, ÚFIS, and MONITOR. The analyzed predictive model assumes constant grow rate. The analysis is based on the generated time series of the municipal budgets.Findings: Some factors have a greater impact on public budget size; the impact of other factors is primarily structural. Analyzed predictive model with constant growth rate doesn’t allow a satisfactory estimation of future values. General predictions based on this model could be used in the economic growth; it is not applicable in times of economic crisis. This issue could be fixed by adding more parameters of the prediction like GDP.Research/practical implications: The entire thematic framework is illustrated by case studies, which are based on 3 municipal budgets. Attention is paid especially to big cities with the largest budgets, municipalities with financial problems (bad practice) and municipalities with healthy financing (best practice).Originality/value: Several theoretical publications are dedicated to this area. However, there are almost no studies on real data. For example, Ochrana and Pavel deal with an analogical issue in Czech conditions. This is the opportunity for future cooperation.

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Life Cycle Assessment – A Tool for Evaluating the Level of Technological Eco-innovation

Author(s): Magdalena Rybaczewska-Błażejowska / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The intention of this article is to propose, examine and discuss an alternative approach for measuring the level of technological eco-innovation of enterprises, based on the methodology of life cycle assessment (LCA).Design/methodology/approach: The main objective of this research is to verify a new methodology for measuring the level of technological eco-innovation of enterprises, based on LCA. The method of LCA that is conventionally applied to assess potential environmental impacts of individual goods or processes is translated into the evaluation of a whole company. In consequence, taking into account a production structure and manufactured products, results of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) and the origin of impacts, an environmental profile of an enterprise is created. It has the form of matrix (MATLCA ). Findings: A manufacturing company, representing the pulp and paper sector, was covered by the LCA analysis. The environmental profile of the paper mill, located in Poland, was calculated using specialised software SimaPro 8.1 and the ReCiPe method. It proved that the analysed enterprise has the most damaging effect on the environment in the following impact categories: freshwater eco-toxicity, marine eco-toxicity and natural land transformation. They result from the graphic paper, exactly materials (cellulose) used, and the process of graphic paper production, exactly energy (electricity, thermal energy and natural gas) consumption. Consequently, to be more technologically eco-innovative, first of all, the paper mill needs to move towards more energy-efficient technologies.Research/practical implications: The research proved high applicability of the proposed methodology for evaluating the level of technological eco-innovation of enterprises. Due to its universality, the method can be used both at micro level by individual enterprises and at macro level by policy makers to make a benchmark analysis of technological eco-innovation.Originality/value: This is a fully original study that proposes a new approach for quantitative description of the level of technological eco-innovation.

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The Role of the Academic Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Building Entrepreneurial and Innovation Potential. Conclusions from Chosen Polish Universities

Author(s): Anna Sęk / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: In the second decade of the 21st century societies and economies have visibly concentrated around entrepreneurship and innovation. Academic entrepreneurship emerged as one of the ecosystems supporting these trends. However, scientific research dedicated to entrepreneurship education does not seem to be extensive enough. The present study shall have its contribution by trying to analyse the role and measure the effectiveness of academic entrepreneurship and its institutions in the process of building socio-economic potential in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation given the local context.Design/methodology/approach: The study conducted in March 2017 was designed to verify whether the activity of particular entities within the academic entrepreneurship ecosystem promotes entrepreneurial and pro-innovation behaviours among students. The qualitative part of the study was based on structured in-depth interviews with academic teachers of business and non-business universities. The quantitative sample was obtained with the use of a standardized questionnaire directed to students from several Polish universities. The data were complemented by a documentary analysis of reports and statistics related to the subject.Findings: The gathered data have shown that Polish students from the selected universities have some interest in entrepreneurial and pro-innovative activity, but level of their entrepreneurial knowledge is not satisfactory. The obtained data suggest some mismatch between the relatively complex and quickly evolving academic entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region and the level of profits it shall bring to its potential beneficiaries.Research/practical implications: The study tries to draw practical conclusions from how the functioning of the academic entrepreneurship ecosystem translates into particular behaviours and attitudes. The recommendations of the paper shall be useful to regional educational and economic policies in terms of cooperation between education, science and business. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the overall discussion over building entrepreneurial and innovation potential in the society by way of cooperation between universities and businesses. Relatively new and constantly changing ecosystem of academic entrepreneurship is still quite disorganised and unregulated. The study attempts not only to explain and categorize it but also to measure the actual quality of entrepreneurship education. A concise assessment of the academic entrepreneurship ecosystem is provided based on the analysis of its chosen entities within selected Polish universities.

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Corporate Social Responsibility from the Perspective of Companies Providing Express Courier Services in the Czech Republic

Author(s): Dana Sommerauerová,Tomáš Kučera,Jaroslava Hyršlová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been lately an extensively discussed topic. CSR has influence on how customers see companies. This concept is important not only for customers, but also for other stakeholders such as are the following: investors, employees, the general public, media, the state and other. With the development of e-commerce social responsibility issues become more and more important for companies providing express courier services. The aim of this paper is to present and to compare approaches taken by the selected companies providing express courier services in the Czech Republic territory to CSR issues.Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical background of this paper is based on foreign and domestic literature. Information published by the selected companies on their individual web pages is used in this paper. The focus of attention is approaches of the above-mentioned companies to CSR regarding their economic, environmental and social aspects and impacts. Research methods used for data analysis included content analysis and comparative analysis of publicly available information.Findings: This paper focuses on presenting the individual approaches of the selected companies to CSR. These individual approaches are compared on the basis of economic aspects, environmental aspects and social aspects and on the basis of those impacts that get the biggest attention from the individual selected companies.Research/practical implications: This paper summarizes publicly available information about the individual selected companies’ approaches to CSR. This collected information is analysed and compared with regard to important economic, environmental and social aspects and impacts of these companies. Programs that are implemented by the individual selected express courier services companies in accord with CSR are the subject of the research interest.Originality/value: This paper summarizes and compares approaches of the selected companies providing express courier services in the Czech Republic territory to CSR issues. The experience gained in this research contributes to extending the knowledge in the area of CSR with regard to this type of companies that are becoming increasingly important thanks to growing significance of e-commerce.

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Sustainabilty Information from Swedish Tourism Companies – What, Where and for Whom?

Author(s): Anna Sörensson / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Within the tourism industry, there is a considerable focus on sustainable tourism. One way for tourism service providers to address these issues and present their sustainability work is through annual reports, sustainability reports and homepages. Sustainability report is a way for tourism companies to be more legitimate and accountable toward their stakeholders. The research objective, with this study, was to investigate and analyze Swedish tourism service providers’ sustainability information. What kind of sustainability information is presented? Where is the sustainability information presented and for whom?Design/methodology/approach: The data for this study was collected mainly during December 2015-February 2016. The research design was constructed as a qualitative explorative study on tourism companies and how they present their work with sustainability (economic, social and environmental) for their stakeholders. Data was collected from 50 different tourism companies in Sweden from their annual reports, sustainability reports and their home pages. They are large-sized tourism companies with a yearly turnover between 5-50 million euros.Findings: The result shows that what they present is often focused on social or environmental sustainability (not both dimensions). The tourism service providers are all presenting economic sustainability since they must do an annual report yearly. Another conclusion is that they do not use sustainability report as their communication channel to show accountability and legitimacy to their stakeholders. Home pages are used mostly for presenting their sustainability work despite that there are large differences between how much information from the companies. The stakeholders seem to be mainly the customers.Research/practical implications: It still seems like that many tourism companies do not see the benefits in sustainable tourism. If tourism companies want to be legitimate and accountable concerning sustainability they have the possibility to present more information about their sustainable information to stakeholders and conduct even more efforts on sustainability issues in their everyday business life. It would be interesting to make interviews to gain more insight in what they want to communicate to their stakeholders concerning their sustainability work. It would also be interesting to compare with other countries and culture concerning tourist companies’ sustainability work and their communication to stakeholders.Originality/value: The main value of this paper is that the study focuses on large sized tourism companies that must present a sustainability report from 2017. The European Union has decided to make it mandatory for large sized companies to present sustainability reports in 2017 and this study is therefore interesting since it shows their sustainability work before this law is implemented.

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Strategic Management of Open Innovation in the Service Sector

Author(s): Miroslav Špaček / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to design R & D strategy which is based on Open Innovation. Open innovation and open business models are believed to be powerful tools which enable companies to have competitive edge over competitors. Even if open access to innovation is becoming more popular within the innovation community, there are neither formalized guidelines nor “best practices” which would illustrate feasibility of this approach. Shortages of both scientific research and practical experience in this field are considered the gap which is filled out by this paper. The paper aims at providing guidance to practical application of these approaches.Design/methodology/approach: Case Study approach as well as ethnographic research were chosen as appropriate research methods. Case study deals with strategic management of open innovation in the company operating in service sector, specifically in ICT sector. The service sector is a suitable choice for OI adoption because there is a lower demand to protect IP. To achieve the goals, the analysis of current company foothold was performed by means of contextual interview. The target group were top and middle managers and company specialists who were engaged in processes improvement and corporate strategy elaboration. Findings: The findings revealed that the company in question suffered from suboptimum innovation performance. The rectification of shortcomings was rendered through Open innovation approach which was preferably executed on a strategic level. Structured process how to grasp Open innovation approach to be viable and functional from strategic point of view is proposed.Research/practical implications: The paper identifies main shortcomings in innovation performance and offers remedial actions. Moreover, the paper makes an induction to the elaboration and implementation of R & D strategy based on Open innovation. It also indicates the way which future research of Open innovation should focused on.Originality/value: Since the term Open innovation was coined by Henry Chesbrough in 2003, this concept is still under exploration. The main contribution of this paper consists in deepening applied research of Open innovation and providing clear practical guidance for the development of R & D strategy which involves attributes of Open innovation.

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The Role of Sensory Marketing in Product Innovation

Author(s): Adriana Starostová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The recently established field of sensory marketing attributes its existence to customer demand for sensational experiences, among other things. Consequently, scent is acknowledged as an effective form of communication of the brand. This study focuses on olfaction, comparing consumer behaviour between scented and odourless products, aiming to address the question of how scent impacts the consumers’ experience, offering recommendations to companies with regards to scented products. The study is relevant to all the enterprises that manufacture or develop their own product. The SME´s can benefit through understanding the importance of scent and empirical insights about how scent impacts consumer´s experience.Design/methodology/approach: A Qualitative study has been conducted through the collection of primary data using two types of questionnaires, a-priori and posteriori of a tested product distributed to 100 participants with 89 % response rate which provides a sufficient basis for a good overview of many possible effects of scent. A subsequent stage of the investigation involved ten in-depth interviews which expanded on the subject. The study has been conducted over two months (March to May) at the University of South Wales in 2015. The participants were randomly selected students and staff of the university. All age categories and ethnicities were represented.Findings: The results indicate enhanced (a) quality perception when the product is scented, (b) semantic associations with the scented product, (c) multi-modality of senses e.g. scent increases the desire to touch, (d) impact of scent on preference where the decision is not impaired by other factors such as availability or price and e) perceived favourability towards a hypothetical brand behind the scented product in some cases. However, where price was a parameter, the scent did not have an effect; presumably as aspects such as price and brand loyalty overshadow sensory aspects.Research/practical implications: It is preferable to increase the range of products that stimulate consumers’ senses. On the contrary, the cost is a determinant factor to consider before launching the product on the market as the price sensitivity can be quite high. The recommendation for companies is to diversify the portfolio and position scented products as more luxurious. Moreover, other sensory characteristics such as colour could be used in order to differentiate the purpose of the same product and facilitate multiple purchases. Other themes emerged such as the role of environmental aspects might be in some cases more important than the functional aspects.Originality/value: This paper offers comprehensive overview of possible effects of scent on consumer experience. The study further indicates how scented products should be positioned and incorporated in brand portfolio.

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Job Satisfaction in the Czech Republic

Author(s): Marek Stříteský,Václav Stříteský / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The paper aims to identify overall job satisfaction in the Czech Republic and explore its differences between the various economic sectors. It also provides a comprehensive view of potential influence factors on job satisfaction with the emphasis on sociodemographic variables and job characteristics. This study aims to offer a different perspective on the issue of job satisfaction, which is often analysed in conditions of one specific organization. In the Czech Republic, a study analysing the global situation of job satisfaction in terms of sociodemographic variables have not been published yet.Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on the quantitative research using personal interviews. Data was collected in cooperation with the research agency Median, s.r.o. within its research project Market & Media & Lifestyle. The size of the sample is over 15,000 respondents. Tests for the homogeneity of binomial proportions and logistic regression are used. Findings: The paper provides a comprehensive view of job satisfaction on the Czech market. The influencing factors of job satisfaction are discussed. These results can be used when assessing the level of job satisfaction of various groups of Czech employees in terms of specific companies. Research/practical implications: The paper includes implications for assessing the effectiveness of various HR policies on job satisfaction of various groups of employees in the Czech Republic. This comprehensive macro perspective on the issue of job satisfaction may lead to the conclusion that some socio-demographic groups of employees may generally exhibit lower level of job satisfaction regardless of the specific conditions of the company. Originality/value: This paper provides a different perspective on the issue often examined in the conditions of Czech Republic, which is still missing and is frequently published in other countries.

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Using Kohonen`s Neural Networks to Identify the Bankruptcy of Enterprises: Case Study Based on Construction Companies in South Bohemian Region

Author(s): Petr Šuleř / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Kohenen's neural networks are used for the creation of cluster analyses. Through these networks, we search for common features within a data set and then we interpret these, ideally with validity for the entire data set. The aim of the article is to conduct a cluster analysis on a data set concerning construction enterprises in the Southern Bohemian region. Accordingly, we will identify the basic variables common to companies that enter liquidation.Design/methodology/approach: The data set includes financial statements and non-financial information (e.g. number of employees, business location) of the construction companies, all of which had been in operation from 2006 to 2015 in the Southern Bohemian Region. The data was organized into a table where one row contained information about one company in a particular year. Subsequently, Kohonen's neural networks were generated and company clusters identified. We then focused attention on the clusters of companies that were in a state of liquidation and results of comparison then showed which sorting characteristics appeared repeatedly in the clusters of the companies.Findings: The Kohonen neural network was determined. After its application, we receive Kohenen's map. As a result, we have clusters of enterprises with the same characteristics. Subsequently, comparing the clusters in which there are companies in liquidation, we obtain the characteristics typical for companies experiencing difficulties.Research/practical implications: The practical outcome are the identified variables crucial for the survival of construction companies in the Southern Bohemian Region. The companies will thus be able to focus on the key factors of their success, or the indicators of their eventual failure. Their management will therefore be more efficient and accurate.Originality/value: The additional value is the use of neural networks and cluster analysis tools for predicting the possible bankruptcy of companies. The results in the form of identified key factors leading to the failure of construction companies in the Southern Bohemian Region also have their value.

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Exploring the Impact of Knowledge Management Process On Innovation By Means of Structural Equation Modeling: A Research in Automotive Industry

Author(s): Çağatan Taşkın,Dilek Taşkın / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of knowledge management process on innovation by means of structural equation modelling and propose strategies for automotive companies. The research is conducted in the fourth biggest city of Bursa which is a leading automotive industry area.Design/methodology/approach: The main population of this research consists of 252 automotive sub-industry companies that are registered to organized industry regions in Bursa city centre. A structured questionnaire was prepared based on the literature (Gold et al. (2001), Darroch (2003), Darroch (2005), OECD Oslo Manuel (2005), Du Plessis (2007), Carney ve Ryan (2010), Oeij et al. (2012)) and managers of the companies are asked to fill the questionnaire. 107 questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modelling is used to explore the impact of knowledge management process on innovation. Findings: According to the research findings; knowledge acquisition, knowledge transformation and knowledge application were found to have positive impacts on knowledge protection and knowledge protection was found to have a strong impact on innovation. Finally, in the light of these modelling results, strategies are proposed for the companies of automotive sub-industry. Research/practical implications: In today’s consumer-oriented markets, innovation has become the most important factor of sustainable competitiveness for companies. Companies must focus on knowledge and knowledge management process in order to be innovative in today’s economic environment that is rapidly changing because of the technological developments. According to Gold et al. (2001), knowledge management process consists of knowledge acquisition, knowledge transformation, knowledge application and knowledge protection steps. Company managers should know the relationships among these steps and the impact of these steps on innovation. This will lead to efficient knowledge management process, better innovation and competitive power for automotive companies.Originality/value: Knowledge management and innovation are two crucial and related concepts. Because, knowledge serves as an important role in the innovation process. It is very important to have the information about the impact of knowledge management process on innovation because this information can lead companies’ strategies and make companies more competitive. This study fills an important gap in the related literature by examining the influence of knowledge management process on innovation in Turkish automotive industry, Bursa region.

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Exploring the Influence of Entrepreneurship Personality On Entrepreneurial Intention: A Research in Turkey

Author(s): Çağatan Taşkın,Onur Öztürk,Ahmet Akif Karadamar / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: It is well known that entrepreneurship is a crucial factor in global economy. It is regarded as a significant phenomenon for many researches. Considering the economic problems that countries face in today’s world, understanding entrepreneurship and the personality traits of entrepreneurs became very important. As it is well known in the related literature, personality traits play a great role in entrepreneurial intentions. As attitudes toward entrepreneurship can be discussed through personality traits, this paper aims to clarify which personality traits have effects on entrepreneurial intentions. Personality traits can be described as the constructs describing behavioural patterns in people’s lives. By shedding light on those traits which drives people’s entrepreneurship motives, this paper will help us understand what makes people successful entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted on university students studying at Business Administration Department (Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences), Uludağ University, in Turkey. A convenience sampling method was used in the research. A structured questionnaire was prepared based on the literature (Owoseni, 2014; Çolakoğlu and Gözükara, 2016; Ozaralli and Rivenburgh, 2016). Structural equation modelling is used to test the influence of entrepreneurship personality that consists of innovativeness, need for achievement, alertness and locus of control, on entrepreneurial intention of university students. Findings: This paper provides empirical insights about which personality traits have effects on entrepreneurial intentions. According to the modelling results, it is found that entrepreneurship personality has an influence on the entrepreneurial intention of university students. Research/practical implications: Entrepreneurial intention is considered to be the most influential factors on the economic development of countries. The findings of the research suggest that entrepreneurial intention is significantly related with certain personality traits. This may contribute to the entrepreneurship literature. Furthermore, higher education institutions may benefit from these results to improve their content of entrepreneurial education considering the significance of personality traits for creating an economically strong country.Originality/value: This study is one of the few researches that have examined the influence of entrepreneurship personality on entrepreneurial intention in Bursa which is a highly industrialized province. The results have implications for decision-makers in higher education institutions both at micro- and macro-levels, in terms of effective decision-making and resource allocation.

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Are Customers Ready for Evolving Digital Disruption?: Empirical Evidence from Banking Sector of Serbia

Author(s): Vesna Tornjanski,Mladen Cudanov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: This study aims to extend and deepen the understanding of whether customers of the banking sector of Serbia are ready for digital disruption – the phenomenon which significantly reshapes long successful business model and at the same time creates a new landscape of banking operations. The purpose of this paper is to research obstacles of internet-based technologies adoption in the banking sector of Serbia.Design/methodology/approach: The paper opted for a survey research method utilising a web-based questionnaire as a research instrument. The sampling frame consisted of the customers of 24 banks that operate in Serbia. Of the total asked customers to participate in the research study, 607 took part in it. Data were analysed in three main phases, using certified statistical methods.Findings: The study introduces several findings. First, the research results show that customers have equal preferences between traditional banking services and e-business services. This finding further indicates potential difficulties in adopting new forms of banking business model(s) that digital era imposes to banks for a significant number of users of banking services. Second, the study reveals the main reasons of why customers do not favour to use internet-based technologies in Serbia, which further facilitate the introduction of new strategies and measures toward finding effective solutions for both parties. Research/practical implications: The research findings address important implications to academics and managers in financial services to narrow the gap between digital pressures and customers’ satisfaction, and to facilitate further development of business strategies towards sustainable competitiveness in the banking sector of Serbia.Originality/value: This study is based on primary data and original hypothesis for the observed environment. Analysed data help explain issues in the important field of readiness for evolving digital disruption, by exploring issues of internet-based technologies acceptance in banking sector of Serbia. The paper contributes to the innovation theory and enhances the literature on the subject of digital disruption and technology adoption in banking sector in country’s context, which has been poorly addressed so far.

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The Topography of Intra-organizational Networks

Author(s): Anna Ujwary-Gil,Natalia Potoczek / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The paper aims to clarify the topography of several networks of a public organization. It proposes to analyze the intra-organizational environment through the prism of knowledge, resource, and task flows as the main sources of innovation. The study aims to expand the domain of knowledge, resources, and tasks used and performed by the employees giving us the idea what the possible structure of those networks can look like.Design/methodology/approach: The study involved a total of 82 employees of the public organization operating in the higher education sector (N = 82) out of 89 provided for testing, which is a total of 93% of respondents. According to the research network, the sample covered the entire population. We used an interview and a survey research composed of four questions. Also the Organizational Risk Analyzer (ORA LITE) software has been used. Findings: The paper provides empirical insights into the topography of the particular networks and the analysis of the potential risks that might accompany a given network or too many network gaps in an intra-organizational environment.Research/practical implications: The presentation of the topography of each network indicates the direction for management improvements related to the possibilities of underloading or overloading an individual employee with knowledge, resources, or tasks. It helps bridge the gaps in relationships based on inefficient flows of knowledge, resources, tasks, and it helps recognize some risks associated with too dense network that is not conducive to innovation.Originality/value: This paper satisfies an identified need to study how knowledge, resources and tasks, which are the main sources of innovation, may flow within an organization and what the network structure of the organizational and the two-mode network is.

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