Business Systems Research : International journal of the Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy
Business Systems Research (BSR) is a scientific journal focusing on research findings in economics and business systems. Additionally, BSR considers research that combines business and economics with other fields of scientific enquiry, e.g. information systems, mathematics and social sciences. BSR examines a wide variety of business decisions, processes and activities within the actual business setting, as well as within the systems approach framework. Why submit? Our policy is to give feedback to the authors as fast as possible. After receiving the paper that is prepared according to the Author instructions, the editorial board will inform the author on the appropriateness of the paper to the journal within two weeks. The first review will be delivered as fast as possible, but not later than two months. Reviews that we provide are thorough and give author clear directions on how to improve the paper. Journal is indexed in Scopus, Web of Science (ESCI-WoS), and is indexed at Portal of Croatian Scientific and Professional Journals. Currently, it is indexed as Q3 for Economics, Econometrics and Finance in Scopus.
Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy "Irenet"
Burnout and Digital Storytelling in Business and Economics Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Literature Review
Background: In business and economics education, digital storytelling has emerged as a multimodal pedagogical approach, while the growing presence of artificial intelligence has introduced new opportunities and risks related to overload, authorship, and responsible tool use. Objectives: This paper examines the relationship between digital storytelling and burnout-related issues in business and economics education, and seeks to position artificial intelligence as a contextual factor that may influence both the benefits and risks of this pedagogical approach. Methods/Approach: The paper is based on a literature review of studies identified in the Web of Science database. The selected studies were analysed thematically with a focus on digital storytelling, communication, engagement, and burnout-related challenges in higher education. Results: The reviewed literature indicates that digital storytelling is associated with improved communication skills, stronger motivation, greater learner engagement, and more meaningful participation in learning activities. Conclusions: The findings indicate that digital storytelling has relevant pedagogical potential in business and economics education, particularly in strengthening audience-oriented communication, narrative coherence, and active student participation. However, these benefits are not automatic, as their sustainability depends on structured implementation and on limiting the additional cognitive and technical demands associated with artificial intelligence-supported learning.
Copyright (c) 2026 Business Systems Research : International journal of the Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Post-COVID Digital Banking Adoption in Kosovo: The Roles of Trust, Utility, and Physical Channels
Background: This study examines post-COVID digital payment adoption in Kosovo, following banks’ expansion of digital channels and the temporary loan moratoria introduced during the pandemic. Objectives: It analyses how trust and perceived utility influence digital payment usage, how reliance on ATMs and bank branches shapes these perceptions, and whether these relationships differ by gender. Methods/Approach: The study uses 673 survey responses collected between June 2023 and February 2024. CFA was applied to validate the constructs, SEM to estimate the proposed relationships, and multi-group SEM to test gender moderation. Results: Trust is the strongest predictor of digital payment usage, while perceived utility has only a marginal effect. Trust also increases perceived utility. Reliance on physical channels shows a substitution pattern: greater ATM use is associated with lower perceived utility, and more frequent branch visits are associated with lower trust. Utility–trust and ATM–branch reliance covary positively. Gender moderation is limited, although substitution effects are stronger among men. Conclusions: Post-pandemic digital payment adoption depends mainly on trust, supported by perceived utility. Banks should strengthen the visibility of security, reliability, and user value, while gradually nudging heavy ATM and branch users toward digital channels through targeted training.
Copyright (c) 2025 Business Systems Research : International journal of the Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Measuring Social Impact and Enhancing Workforce Integration in Croatia’s Hotel Industry: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategic Perspectives
Background: Croatia’s hotel industry faces persistent labour shortages and a rising reliance on foreign workers, underscoring the importance of structured workplace integration and measurable social outcomes. Objective: This paper proposes a sector-specific framework for social impact and integration aligned with EU sustainability directives and leading Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. Approach: Drawing on literature and insights from three Croatian hotel leaders, we synthesise integration practices and map them to relevant indicators. Results: We identify actionable metrics and governance levers that improve employee satisfaction, retention, and community cohesion. Implications: The framework supports transparent ESG reporting and practical workforce strategies for sustainable tourism growth. In addition, the study makes a conceptual contribution by linking workforce integration practices to ESG reporting requirements, and a practical contribution by offering a structured indicator set tailored to the hospitality sector. This positions the paper as a conceptual, case-informed research article with both academic and managerial relevance.
Designing a Digital Business Model for Internal Audit Functions: A Framework and Case Study from the Financial Sector
Background: The internal audit function is a strategic infrastructural function of a company, organisation, or institution. Its digital transformation process must align with the organisation-wide digital business transformation process. The main determinants distinguishing successful from unsuccessful companies and internal audit functions are their overall business models. Objectives: The main aim of this paper is to propose and design a unique digital business model canvas for the internal audit function and test its usefulness in practice. It also aims to investigate the current state and characteristics of internal audit functions’ business models and their innovations in the financial sector. Methods/Approach: A combination of a comprehensive literature review and qualitative empirical research is applied to achieve the defined objectives. Results: A unique canvas for designing the internal audit function’s business model is proposed. It summarises, on one page, how the function creates, delivers, and captures value for its stakeholders. This theoretically developed and empirically validated model is suitable for developing, describing, analysing, and synthesising customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, strategic direction, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and operational direction. Conclusions: Empirical investigation of the current state and characteristics of internal audit functions’ business model innovations and their compliance with global digital transformation trends shows that, in the Croatian financial sector, internal audit functions digitally innovate some elements but do not yet holistically transform all aspects. Thus, their digital business models differ in digital maturity, though digital transformation processes within the internal audit function align with those at the institutional level.
Algorithmic Awareness and Digital Responsibility: The Role of Platform Trust and Digital Literacy
Background: The algorithmic structuring of digital platforms increasingly shapes how users perceive risk, build trust, and engage with automated systems. These dynamics are especially relevant for younger users navigating opaque decision-making environments, where automation affects behavioural alignment and perceived control. Objectives: This study investigates the influence of algorithmic awareness, digital literacy, perceived risk, and platform trust on users’ sense of digital responsibility and automated behavioural responses. A research model is developed to examine how cognitive sensitivity and platform trust interact to shape user compliance in algorithmic environments. Methods/Approach: The study was conducted with a sample of 508 Croatian digital users and used the Digital Engagement and Awareness Scale (DEAS), an instrument developed for this study and subjected to preliminary validation through pilot testing and subsequent measurement-model assessment. The data were analysed using PLS-SEM to examine direct relationships among constructs. Results: Algorithmic awareness increased perceived risk and reduced platform trust. Digital literacy significantly reduced algorithmic subjection, and platform trust also showed a negative association with it. Platform trust demonstrated a weak mediating role in explaining automated behavioural compliance. Conclusions: This study contributes a multidimensional framework of digital responsibility that integrates cognitive and affective user factors. The findings provide empirical insights relevant for ethical platform design, algorithmic governance, and user engagement in complex digital systems.
Consumer Trust and Adoption of Digital Payment Systems in Emerging Markets
Background: Digital payment systems have already become the key to transforming financial services in emerging markets, but their usage remains highly dependent on user trust, perceptions of usefulness and convenience, and the availability of favourable conditions. Objectives: This research sought to investigate how consumer trust and adoption of digital payment platforms depend on variables, drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and a multidimensional trust theory. Methods/Approach: A quantitative survey of 500 respondents across four emerging-market regions was conducted. The relationship among performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and the three trust dimensions was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results: Performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, and trust-related constructs were strong predictors of behavioural intention to use digital payments, and actual system utilisation was strongly predicted by behavioural intention. Trust was identified as mediating the users' technological perceptions and their intentions to adopt. Qualitative implications revealed issues of security, data privacy, and infrastructural inconsistency that continued to influence user reluctance and perceptions of risk. Conclusions: The results highlight the roles of trust-building mechanisms, effective user support systems, and regulatory assurance in promoting digital financial inclusion in emerging markets.
Economic Diplomacy and Bilateral Trade Flows in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Croatia
Background: Economic diplomacy is widely regarded as an instrument of trade promotion, particularly for small open economies seeking to strengthen their position in international markets. Objectives: This paper investigates the determinants of Croatian bilateral trade flows from 1992 to 2022 using an augmented gravity model. In addition to standard gravity variables, such as gross domestic product and geographical distance, the analysis focuses on the role of embassy presence as a proxy for economic diplomacy. Methods/Approach: The study distinguishes between two forms of diplomatic presence: Croatian embassies abroad and foreign embassies in Croatia. Given the prevalence of zero trade flows in the bilateral trade dataset, the Poisson Pseudo-Maximum Likelihood estimator is applied. Results: Embassy presence is positively associated with bilateral trade. Croatian embassies abroad are particularly relevant for facilitating exports, while foreign embassies in Croatia are more strongly associated with import flows. Conclusions: The results suggest that economic diplomacy contributes to trade development, but its effects differ across trade directions. Crisis periods also affected trade unevenly: the 2008 global financial crisis had a stronger disruptive effect on Croatian trade flows, whereas the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have had a less pronounced negative impact.
Copyright (c) 2026 Danijel Mlinarić, Hrvoje Jošić, Antonio Vlahov https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
From Responsibility to Resilience: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility Committees in the Stability of MENA Banks
Background: Bank stability is fundamental for sustaining economic growth, fostering investment, and maintaining confidence in the financial system. In recent years, the rise of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the creation of CSR committees (CSRCs) have transformed banks’ governance models toward more ethical, transparent, and accountable practices. Objectives: This study examines how CSR committees influence bank stability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a comparative analysis between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and non-GCC countries. Methods/Approach: Using an unbalanced panel of 40 commercial banks from 2010 to 2022, the study employs the System Generalised Method of Moments (SGMM) estimator to address endogeneity, account for dynamic panel bias, and control for unobserved heterogeneity, thereby producing robust and reliable estimates. Results: Empirical findings reveal that the presence of CSR committees significantly enhances bank stability in the overall sample. However, this positive association is statistically significant only for GCC banks, not for non-GCC counterparts. Conclusions: These results highlight that institutional quality, regulatory strength, and governance culture determine how CSR governance mechanisms translate into financial stability. The study contributes to understanding the role of CSR governance in promoting sustainable banking in emerging economies.
AI-Driven Personalisation and Customer Engagement in Social Commerce: Evidence from Kosovo
Background: The study aims to examine the role of artificial intelligence-oriented personalisation in customer interaction of social commerce platforms in the developing market, such as Kosovo. Objectives: A quantitative design was used, and 312 active users were sampled, with surveys offered to all demographic segments. Methods/Approach: The customer's behaviour was conceptualised using the Technology Acceptance Model, the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, and the Uses and Gratifications Theory. Results: The findings reveal a strong, positive correlation between AI-based personalisation and engagement. AI-based personalisation has significantly improved satisfaction, loyalty, and purchase intent. Age and education were ranked among the most critical moderators, and gender differences were not substantial. Conclusions: The study is informative for both theory and practice, as it provides insights into strategies for maximising customer contact through prudent personalisation under new market conditions.
Burnout Dimensions among Corporate Employees in Croatia: Differences by Gender, Working Hours, Job Position, and Company Size
Background: Burnout syndrome, characterised by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy, is a growing concern in contemporary fast-paced workplaces. In Croatia, research has mostly concentrated on helping professions, rarely focusing on the business sector. Objectives: This study aims to assess the extent of work-related burnout among Croatian corporate employees and examine whether individual and occupational characteristics are associated with significant differences across the three core burnout dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy. Methods/Approach: Using t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), burnout dimensions were compared across groups defined by gender, age, education, position, working hours, department, company size, and industry. Results: Although most employees did not exhibit severe manifestations of burnout, the findings indicate moderate levels of exhaustion, suggesting early signs of strain. Overall, respondents display patterns consistent with a mildly overextended profile, although threshold values for high burnout are not reached. Differences across groups were observed, with higher exhaustion reported among employees working longer hours and in larger companies, and differences in cynicism and professional efficacy across gender and job positions. Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of recognising early signs of burnout and understanding how burnout-related dimensions vary across employee groups. Such insights may support the design of more targeted organisational practices to promote employee well-being in the Croatian business sector.
Perceived Barriers and ICT-Related Attitudes among Secondary School Students in Croatia: An Exploratory Study
Background: This paper examines factors influencing students’ engagement with information and communication technologies (ICT) in secondary education. While prior research typically distinguishes between intrinsic and extrinsic inhibitors, empirical evidence on their joint and differentiated effects remains limited, particularly in the context of transition economies. Objectives: The study aims to analyse the role of intrinsic inhibitors and external influences in shaping ICT-related attitudes and use among secondary school students, with a focus on their interrelationships. Methods/Approach: Data were collected from 187 high school students in Northern Croatia and the City of Zagreb. The analysis combines confirmatory factor analysis, network analysis, and structural equation modelling. Results: The results support a three-factor structure consisting of intrinsic inhibitors, external influences, and ICT use. External influences have a strong positive effect on intrinsic inhibitors, which, in turn, negatively affect ICT use. At the same time, external influences have a direct positive effect on ICT use, indicating the presence of competing effects. This suggests that external factors simultaneously increase exposure to ICT while generating psychological barriers that limit its effective use. Conclusions: The findings highlight the complex role of external influences in ICT adoption. Rather than acting solely as barriers, they also function as drivers of ICT exposure. Policy efforts should therefore focus not only on improving infrastructure and teacher preparedness but also on reducing students’ psychological barriers to ICT use.
information and communication technologies
Early Identification of At-Risk Students in Online Education: A Deep Learning Approach to Predictive Modelling
Background: Predicting student performance in online learning is difficult due to class imbalance and limited model interpretability. At-risk students are fewer than high performers, biasing predictions, and methods like SMOTE fail to preserve temporal patterns. Although black-box models are accurate, they lack transparency for actionable insights. Objectives: This study proposes a deep learning framework combining LSTM networks and attention mechanisms to address these issues using the OULAD dataset. LSTMs capture temporal dependencies, while attention improves interpretability by emphasising key features. Advanced resampling mitigates class imbalance for robust at-risk student detection. Methods/Approach: The methodology applies the KDD framework to process data, uncover patterns, and build models that predict student success risk, ensuring efficient data handling, robust modelling, and actionable insights to improve retention. Results: The BiLSTM-RNN achieved the best performance, effectively capturing temporal dependencies and attaining the highest accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Conclusions: The findings support more effective and targeted interventions in online education, offering valuable insights for research and practice.
Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of the Automotive Sectoral Innovation System
Background: This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the South Korean automotive innovation system. It analyses the transformation of production-based innovation across system elements and the broader system in which they are embedded, both increasingly shaped by AI. Objectives: The study addresses the lack of systematic analyses of AI’s impact on the automotive business system and aims to generate strategic, policy, and theoretical insights. Methods/Approach: The research applies an augmented sectoral system of innovation and production (SSIP) framework, combined with Delphi analysis, expert interviews, and document analysis. Results: The findings indicate accelerating transformations across SSIP components in both the present and the near future. Automakers, parts suppliers, and technology suppliers, together with their AI networks, emerge as leading actors, while research institutes, universities, government agencies, institutions, and consumers lag. Intensifying interactions among SSIP constituents, AI systems, and AI-based production activities and innovations further reinforce these transformations. Conclusions: A holistic analysis of the AI-driven automotive SSIP shows how leading actors interactively shape system dynamics. The findings provide a basis for designing policy instruments to support slower-transforming actors and facilitate overall system transformation.
The Gender Pay Gap among Full-Time and Part-Time Workers in Serbia: Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Background: This paper analyses the gender pay gap among full-time and part-time employees, focusing on the labour market in the Republic of Serbia. Objectives: Using data from the annual household survey on income and living conditions, this paper examines whether the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the extent of the pay gap in the Republic of Serbia between the two groups of workers who can be defined as full-time and part-time employees in terms of the employment contract. Methods/Approach: Separate models were estimated for full-time and part-time employees in the wage sector using the 2019-2020 data sample. Results: Applying this approach reveals differences in wages between men and women depending on working hours. The efficiency of full-time and part-time employed women in earning their potential wage is 9.3% and 19.8% lower than that of men, respectively. Conclusions: In Serbia, during the COVID-19 period, there was a significant decline in part-time employment for both men and women, but this trend continued after the crisis, showing a new reality in the labour market.
AI-Driven Peer Company Identification: A Semantic Text-Similarity Approach Beyond Traditional Industry Classification Systems
Background: Traditional classification systems, such as NACE and NAICS, primarily classify businesses by industry, limiting their ability to identify related companies. Objectives: This research aims to improve the identification of related companies by analysing their descriptions, utilising a more semantic approach. Methods/Approach: A pre-trained BERT model was employed to assess semantic text similarity for suggesting peer companies. The goal was to create a system that assists experts in comparing companies based on their descriptions, rather than developing a perfect classification tool. Results: Trained on publicly available data, the model achieved 73.6% accuracy in identifying related companies, with accuracy exceeding 90% for selected industry-pair combinations. Conclusions: While the system demonstrates promise, its outputs are intended to guide professionals who must ultimately validate the results. The findings emphasise the strengths and limitations of using AI models for this purpose, providing a foundation for future enhancements and real-world applications. However, the solution remains a conceptual idea, limited to only 13 industry categories, highlighting the need for broader testing and development.
Moving NATO Burden Sharing into the Future: Analyzing Burden Sharing in the Post-Cold War Era
Background: This paper examines the determinants of NATO military expenditure in the post–Cold War period from 1990 to 2019. It focuses on whether differences among NATO allies can be better explained by economic size, resource endowments, or broader indicators of national capability. Objectives: The study compares five predictors of military expenditure: gross domestic product, gross resources, net resources, the Productive Capacities Index, and an adjusted Composite Index of National Capability that excludes the military component. Method/Approach: The analysis uses panel models with country- and year-fixed effects, with standard errors clustered by country. Results/Findings: The results show that economic size and resource-endowment indicators are most strongly associated with military expenditure. Gross domestic product, gross resources, and net resources show consistently positive and statistically significant within-country effects. By contrast, the Productive Capacities Index is positive but statistically insignificant, while the adjusted Composite Index of National Capability has limited explanatory power. The findings remain stable across alternative samples and model specifications. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that economic scale and resource endowments are more useful for explaining variation in defense outlays among NATO allies than broader composite capability indices.
The Dynamics of Customization, Perceived Fairness, and Customer Loyalty within a CSR Framework
Background: Customisation, understood as tailoring products, services, or communication to individual customer preferences, is increasingly used to enhance customer satisfaction, yet its impact on customer loyalty remains complex. Businesses increasingly focus on customisation to enhance customer satisfaction, yet its impact on customer loyalty remains complex. While customisation aligns with customer-centric strategies, ensuring fairness in these practices is crucial for fostering long-term relationships. This study explores the interplay between customisation, perceived fairness of the firm, and customer loyalty within the framework of corporate sustainability, drawing on equity and social exchange theories. Objective: We test whether perceived firm fairness mediates the link between customisation and customer loyalty within a corporate sustainability framework. Methods: We surveyed customers of a Croatian card services company using systematic random sampling and analysed the data using PLS-SEM. Results: Customisation improves perceived firm fairness but has no direct effect on loyalty. Fairness fully mediates the relationship between customisation and loyalty. Conclusions: Customisation boosts loyalty only when customers experience it as fair. Design transparent, consistently applied rules and communicate the “why” behind tailored offers to align with corporate sustainability principles and sustain long-term relationships.
Stakeholder Perceptions of the Organic Foods Industry in Sri Lanka
Background: The organic food market in Sri Lanka has been growing steadily, driven by increasing consumer awareness of health and environmental sustainability. However, the market faces several challenges, particularly related to supply and affordability. Objectives: This study aims to identify the perceptions of four stakeholder groups regarding the key factors influencing the development of the organic food market in Sri Lanka, with particular emphasis on demand, supply, marketing, and related factors. Methods/Approach: This research adopted an inductive approach; qualitative surveys and thematic analysis of both primary and secondary data sources were used to analyse market conditions and the perceptions of four stakeholder groups in the organic food sector in Sri Lanka. Results: Findings indicate a rising trend in consumer demand, especially among younger urban populations. However, the market is constrained by high production costs, inconsistent supply chains, and limited consumer trust. Conclusions: To promote the growth of the organic food market, the study recommends increased subsidies for organic farming, enhanced government certification programs, and more substantial marketing efforts to raise awareness and build consumer confidence.
Business Model Innovation: Impact of Entrepreneurial Competencies to New Value Proposition
Background: Rapid changes and dynamic markets significantly impact the way businesses operate. Many companies fail to adapt and innovate their business models, which jeopardises their sustainability. Managers, as key decision-makers, play a pivotal role in the innovation process, whereby their entrepreneurial competencies directly influence various dimensions of business model innovation. Objectives: The main aim of this study is to examine the impact of entrepreneurial competencies on the new value proposition dimension of business model innovation (BMI), exploring competencies such as opportunity recognition, analytical thinking, innovativeness, tenacity, and passion for work. It investigates how these competencies contribute to developing new offerings and new channels, attracting new customers and markets, and building new customer relations. Methods/Approach: The study is conducted on a sample of 267 managers of medium and large companies across various industries in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Results: The results show that different entrepreneurial competencies have a significant impact on various aspects of a new value proposition. Conclusions: The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the influence of different entrepreneurial competencies on new value proposition dimensions within BMI. Managers who effectively utilise these competencies can enhance their companies' value propositions, thereby increasing competitiveness and business success.
Mapping Competitive Dynamics Research: A Bibliometric Analysis (2000–2024)
Background: Competitive dynamics has been a central theme in business, management, and finance research, addressing how firms interact strategically to gain and sustain competitive advantage. Over the past 25 years, this field has evolved significantly, incorporating theoretical and empirical advancements to analyse competitive actions and responses. Objectives: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on competitive dynamics published between 2000 and 2024, focusing on key contributions, trends, and gaps in the fields of business, management, and finance. Methods/Approach: A systematic literature review was conducted using peer-reviewed articles from leading academic databases, applying predefined inclusion criteria to identify relevant studies. The review is structured to highlight thematic developments and methodological approaches. Results: The findings reveal significant growth in the study of competitive actions and responses, with an increasing emphasis on technology-driven competition and dynamic capabilities. Key trends include the integration of big data analytics, sustainability strategies, and cross-industry rivalry. Conclusions: This review synthesises critical insights into competitive dynamics, providing a roadmap for future research and practical implications for strategic management in dynamic markets.
Real-Time Shipment Tracking through IT-Enabled Systems and Electronic Logistics Marketplaces
Background: This case study illustrates the journey of a medium-sized transport firm in improving cross-organizational processes within a demand-driven supply chain through automated information exchange, connected IT-enabled systems, and the Electronic Logistics Marketplace (ELM). Objectives: Both parties (carrier and manufacturer-shipper) experienced positive changes reflected through a decrease in loading and unloading waiting times, better organization of processes in the client’s warehouse, less workforce needed to handle loading and unloading, decreased workload for dispatchers in the Transport Department, better management of the COVID-19 restrictions, etc. Methods/Approach: This research uses a case study approach. Within a single case study, evidence is gathered from multiple internal and external sources. A thorough case study protocol was also developed to ensure a transparent chain of evidence. Results: This case study illustrates the critical role of IT-enabled information systems and ELMs in connecting cross-organizational processes to enable real-time shipment tracking. The study highlights the optimization of invoicing and document handling processes. The study also emphasizes the increased flexibility that logistics companies can achieve when equipped with real-time data. Finally, the study advocates greater investment in integrating demand-driven supply chain processes with available IT infrastructure. Conclusions: This in-depth case study underscores the critical roles of process transformation and the strategic deployment of IT-enabled information in facilitating enhanced collaboration with business partners in a demand-driven supply chain.
Volunteering Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study Perspective
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes in all aspects of society, including the work of non-profit organisations. Many restrictions reshaped the economy and everyday life, causing serious threats to the work of both for-profit and non-profit sectors. However, the crisis also created an opportunity for innovation. As an important part of civil society, associations had to find new ways to support their beneficiaries and maintain volunteer activities. Methods/Approach: This paper used a quantitative survey of volunteers from the Krijesnica Association. Data analysis was conducted to assess changes in volunteer activities and to identify the main challenges volunteers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The research results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic led to the proposal and implementation of new forms of volunteering, such as digital volunteering. Significant restrictions on physical contact encouraged the modification of existing forms of volunteering, which enabled the continued provision of assistance to beneficiaries. Conclusions: Understanding the changes in volunteer activities and the challenges volunteers face is crucial for developing strategies to support civil society organisations and ensure their sustainability in the future. The Krijesnica Association successfully adapted to the pandemic's challenges and continued to support its beneficiaries. The development of new forms of volunteering and the challenges volunteers face are important lessons for the future and an incentive for further research
Towards Reliable Resilience Metrics in Corporate Settings: Content Validity Considerations
Background: Firm resilience is a critical concept for organisations aiming to navigate disruptions effectively, yet its translation into regularly applicable metrics remains underdeveloped. Thus, existing frameworks often lack systematic validation and fail to capture resilience's dynamic nature across various disruptions, hindering managers' confident implementation of resilience strategies. Objectives: This study aims to identify a content-valid and practical metric for measuring firm resilience, applicable across diverse firm contexts and disruptions. Approach: The research evaluates and compares existing metrics, based on their alignment with a newly proposed axiom system, to identify the most suitable measure for assessing firm resilience in post-disruption contexts. Results: The metric assessment revealed that the Dominance axiom posed the greatest challenge, with only two metrics fully satisfying the requirement. The semi-quantitative Likert scales encountered further issues with the Operationalisation axiom because of their unsettled interpretation as either ordinal or interval scales, a problem not observed with purely quantitative metrics. Conclusions: The BRAVE metric emerged as the most reliable for evaluating firm resilience, owing to its flexibility in accommodating varying time horizons. Future research should test the metric in real-world settings and explore potential simplifications or additional axioms to refine the resilience measurement framework.
Tourism on a Budget: Retrofitting IoT Solutions in Existing Apartment Accommodation
Background: The concept of applying smart devices known as the Internet of Things (IoT) is widespread in many industries, including tourism. However, a gap has been observed regarding retrofitting possibilities in existing facilities. Objectives: This paper explores feasible scenarios for implementing contemporary technological innovations in existing tourist capacities at an affordable price. Methods/Approach: To achieve the objectives, a conceptual model is first developed that provides an overview of the possible solutions for retrofitting IoT into an existing apartment. Then, a case study analyses several practical procedures suitable for smaller private renters to accomplish the optimal effects of the selected implementation measures. Results: The results show that even with small investments, consumers of tourist accommodation services will recognise the advantages of the comfort of a smart home. In contrast, service providers have the potential to reduce costs. The benefits for owners of multiple facilities at dispersed locations are particularly highlighted. Conclusions: Based on the advantages that the proposed change could bring to the providers of tourist services, various options are available for achieving the optimal combination of solutions - the maximisation of modernisation effects while minimising costs.
The Food Safety Level in the European Union Underpinned by the Performance of the Private Companies
Background: Monitoring food safety in the supply chain has been a priority of European consumer protection policies. In this context, over the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in notifications to the RASFF by private companies. Objectives: This study provides new insights by demonstrating that implementing private standards, such as GlobalGAP, is associated not only with increased notifications but also with reduced food safety issues when certifications are widespread. Approach: Thus, the effect of improvements in companies' actions, specifically the concrete application of the Global GAP protocol, on the number of notifications reported to the RASFF has been quantified through a multivariate panel-data analysis across 18 European countries. Results: The results highlight that while private standards improve detection, they also reduce risks, and that producer, trading company, and retail business management is indeed highly relevant to the effectiveness of the RASFF, as well as the fact that enterprises have become a leading actor in maintaining food safety. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of integrating private initiatives into public food safety policies. Specifically, the European Administration should incentivize the adoption of certification and enhance public-private collaboration to maximize food safety outcomes.
Machiavellianism and Aggression as Predictors of Emotional Manipulation
Background: Manipulation is the deliberate attempt by individuals to influence the actions of others. Machiavellianism is associated with a variety of undesirable behaviors including emotional manipulativeness, exploitation of others, high aggression, and low morality. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between Machiavellianism, proactive and reactive aggression and emotional manipulation, and to test whether Machiavellianism added incrementally to the aggression in predicting emotional manipulation, poor emotional skills and concealment of emotions. Methods/Approach: The Emotional Manipulation Scale, Short Dark Triad and the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire were applied to a sample of 332 individuals. Data was collected online from an convenient sample of the general population. Results: The findings showed that Machiavellianism positively predicted emotional manipulation, poor emotional skills and concealment of emotions. Proactive aggression positively predicted emotional manipulation and concealment of emotions while reactive aggression positively predicted emotional manipulation. The results showed that Machiavellianism did add incrementally to reactive and proactive aggression in accounting for variance in emotional manipulation, poor emotional skills, and concealment of emotions. Conclusions: The results generally indicate a greater importance of Machiavellianism than aggression in explaining emotional manipulation and provide additional insight into the complex relationships between individual factors and manipulative behavior. Keywords: Machiavellianism, leadership, aggression, emotional manipulation
Ethical Perceptions of Foreign Product Purchases Among Generation Z: The Impact of Patriotism, Ethnocentrism, and Worldmindedness
Background: Understanding consumer levels of ethnocentrism, patriotism, and worldmindedness is crucial for marketers, as these factors influence consumer preferences, purchasing decisions, brand loyalty, and ultimately the domestic economy. Objectives: This paper aims to examine patriotic and ethnocentric tendencies, assess worldmindedness, and explore the interrelations among these constructs within Generation Z in Slovakia. Methods/Approach: Primary data were collected via a structured questionnaire among 301 Slovak Generation Z respondents. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation with confidence intervals, and network analysis of 50 items across three validated instruments (CETSCALE, pseudopatriotism scale, and the Worldmindedness Scale). Reliability was assessed using McDonald’s ω, Cronbach’s α, and item-rest correlation. Results: The findings reveal low levels of ethnocentrism and patriotism, but relatively high worldmindedness within the cohort. Conclusions: These results suggest a growing openness of Generation Z to global values and foreign products, posing a challenge for domestic producers but creating potential for foreign exporters. As this cohort becomes a key economic force, businesses and policymakers must adapt to their global outlook when designing marketing and economic strategies.
Industry 4.0, Business Process Management, and Lean Six Sigma for Achieving Business Excellence through Operational Excellence
Background: Asset management organizations have integrated new technologies before, but this trend is expected to reach its peak in the coming years. Investors using technical instruments buy financial products from asset management companies (AMCs). Thus, AMC is working diligently to enhance its operations and processes, enabling investors to have seamless transaction experiences across its various platforms through simplified procedures and efficient management. Objectives: This study examines the performance drivers of AMCs, more specifically, how fundamental components contribute to business excellence by improving firm procedures and operations and creating new investor experiences. Methods/Approach: The report uses data from 387 asset management professionals from 10 businesses. In India, 10 prominent AMCs provided 387 valid replies to a work survey. The analysis was conducted using PLS-SEM. Results: The findings indicate that Industry 4.0, business process management, and Lean Six Sigma facilitate operational excellence and are key drivers of achieving business excellence in asset management firms in India. Conclusions: Organizations can achieve business excellence by applying concepts from Industry 4.0, business process management, Lean Six Sigma, and operational excellence. This is among the few empirical studies examining the enablers of business excellence in Indian AMCs.
Contemporary Challenges in Hotel Design and Architecture: Sustainability, Emotional Experience, and Architectural Preferences in Hotel Selection
Background: Architecture and design, understood as artistic disciplines, go beyond the purely functional requirements of a building program and become key factors in creating attractive and recognisable hotel facilities. In the contemporary tourism context, hotels increasingly serve as symbols of destinations, with architecture and design telling unique stories that contribute to the differentiation and success of hotel projects. Objectives: The aim is to explore the role of architecture and design in creating attractive hotels with an emphasis on contemporary challenges, sustainability, emotional aspects and desirable elements of architecture and design in the hotel selection process. Methods: Content analysis was conducted using qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with hotel architects and designers. Results: The research findings showed that architects emphasise the importance of integrating sustainable solutions, such as ecological materials and energy efficiency, as well as emotional aspects, such as creating spaces that foster a pleasant atmosphere, local identity, and sensory activation. Aesthetics and design, connection to the local context and history, innovative approaches, and functionality and comfort were identified as desirable elements when choosing a hotel. Conclusion: The research provides useful guidelines for creating spaces that are visually appealing, emotionally engaging, sustainable, and tailored to guests' needs, while respecting local history and culture.