Search

This study considers the impact of related parties’ trading (RPTs) on the listed company’s earnings management level (EM) in Vietnam’s securities market, of which EM is measured according to the modified Jones model by Dechow and Associates (1995). Through using 5 more control variables as public. How auditing firm, firm size, financial leverage, revenue growth and operating cash flow affect EM, The research results show that RPTs impact the same dimension on EM level. The study provides empirical evidence of the impact of RPTs on the EM level of companies listed on Vietnam’s securities market. Among its results to science is that it indicated with evidence, the higher the RPTs are, the greater its EM level becomes. We also identify practical contributions and limitations showin in the conclusion section.

This qualitative study was conducted to provide a model of managerial practical wisdom in public hospitals in order to define the components affecting managerial practical wisdom, development strategies and its results in hospitals based on interpretive paradigm using Grounded strategy and content analysis technique and based on paradigm model of Corbin and Strauss (2008). To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 hospital managers, professors and experts in the field of health care management. The basic themes of the interviews during the data analysis and coding stage identify the central class, causal, contextual, intervening factors, strategies and consequences of managerial practical wisdom in the form of a paradigm model and finally to create Grounded theory about managerial practical wisdom in these hospitals. Accordingly, the dimensions and components of practical wisdom among the managers of the mentioned hospitals were cognitive abilities and managerial competencies, factors affecting its development including individual factors (personal experiences, personality pattern, and individual values) and organizational factors (spirituality at work, organizational values and organizational will).Moreover, the results of developing this type of wisdom among the mentioned managers can be categorized as individual results (mental and psychological well-being), organizational results (improving service quality, stakeholder satisfaction, organizational dynamism and agility, organizational vitality and organizational citizenship behaviors) and social outcomes (social capital development). These results can be used in the creation and development of quantitative tools for measuring managerial practical wisdom and as a qualitative complement in evaluating the quality of decisions among hospital managers.

The main aim of the article is to identify pro-environmental actions in farms in the Wielkopolska region. The article uses the results of surveys carried out in 2020 in a group of 120 agricultural holdings from Wielkopolska running agricultural accounting according to the FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) system. The time scope of the analyses referred to the period 2016-2019, and in the case of economic data to 2018. The issue of pro-environmental activity on farms is complex due to the integration of the economic and environmental dimensions, which requires further scientific knowledge. It was found that the investigated farms in Wielkopolska, which undertook pro-environmental actions, most often realized it in the area of land improvement. The farms which showed the highest activity in terms of undertaken pro-environmental measures were more strongly connected with the market. The managers of these farms are open to innovative ecological solutions despite their quite high age (e.g. half of them are planning to install photovoltaics). It was also found that it was easier for larger farms to carry out pro-environmental measures due to the wider possibilities of income creation. In the case of smaller farms, there is a greater need to implement measures from the area of pro-environmental investments. In turn, in larger units, measures reducing production intensity, and in all groups concerning land improvement.

The research aimed to evaluate suitability of Bitcoin and its platform in emerging markets such as Vietnam. We used qualitative analysis combined with data collection method published, statistics, analysis, synthesis, comparison, to generate qualitative comments and discussion; evaluate results, the article analyzed and evaluated the impacts of Bitcoin and virtual currency on society of Vietnam, both positive and negative sides. It was found that virtual currency not accepted in Vietnam as means of payment yet, while many nations in the world accept it. We need to complete the legal framework for virtual currencies in general, Bitcoin in particular. The State should continue to have policies to improve information technology infrastructure, build and improve the capacity of the contingent of financial experts, encryption, and security experts and give warning risks in virtual currency transactions. The scientific value of paper is using experiences from previous studies in other countries to generate recommendations for conditions of Bitcoin development in merging markets. Last but not least, the research was limited to the case of Vietnam; hence, we can expand research to other Asian countries or other emerging markets.

Nowadays, many developing countries such as China, India and Vietnam, etc. have been trying to improve public service culture in public service organizations through eliminating corruption, more integrity, and training and improving good corporate governance. Based on theories background on public service culture, or public administration culture and conflicts of interest, this paper aims to evaluate real situation of interest conflicts in public enforcement in Vietnam nowadays; then, it will use a combination of logic and synthesis, qualitative and quantitative methods, and inter-social scientific industries analytical method to propose some recommendations to reduce conflicts of interest in public enforcement in the country on the basis of further clarifying the concept of “public service culture” and “conflict of interest” in public service. For instance, the paper suggests that we need to amend regulations on giving and receiving gifts, and increase the control over assets and income. Last but not least, we suggest future desired research direction: we can expand researches to other emerging markets in Asia, China, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, etc.

This study aims to explore the impact of job stress on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) among university teachers in Bangladesh along with the mediating effect of occupational commitment (OC) on this relationship. An online questionnaire survey using the Google form was conducted to collect data from respondents. 244 valid samples were analyzed using bivariate correlation and regression analyses. The results of hierarchical regression analyses reveal that job stress is negatively and significantly linked to OC when controlling for demographic variables, such as age, gender, educational qualification, type of university, designation, and teaching experience; surprisingly, it has no significant effect on OCB. However, OC is positively related to OCB. Also, the OC has a full mediating influence on the linkage between job stress and OCB. With the support of mediation test, this study suggests OC as a personal resource and mechanism to better manage teacher job stress and improve OCB. Detailed implications and contributions have been discussed in the previous sections.

Through years Sony In Japan has shown success in bringing to the market high quality products, and via technical inventions. Today risk management is one of vital issues in Sony to maintain its reputation in global markets. The purpose of this study is to find out impacts of economic factors at macro level on net profit of a big technological giant like Sony. We found that movement of net profit in big firms such as Sony will reflect the business health of technology system and the whole economy. The results of quantitative research, in a seven factor model, show that the increase in inflation, GDP (increasing too much) and lending rate and reducing risk free rate has a significant effect on reducing Sony net profit with the highest impact coefficient, the second is decreasing the exchange rate. Last but not least, this study proposes risk management solutions and business management plans to lower business risks, cost and enhance its net profit.

The study identifies the factors that influence marketing through social media of users in the Vietnam market, conducted through qualitative and quantitative methods. The research results show that Intention to use social media marketing is directly affected by Attitude towards advertisement and Attitude to electronic words of mouth. Additionally, perceived usefulness, Search Level and Perceived risk are factors that directly affect Attitude towards advertisement. Whereas, material condition and perceived usefulness are factors that affect Attitudes towards electronic words of mouth. This study also provides some implications for marketers through social networks to increase the confidence and effectiveness of marketing campaigns and programs through this channel.

The report presents the results of research on predictors of professional burnout syndrome among women and men working in management positions. The research included over 2000 people working in a variety of workplaces. For the analysis of content and structure of burnout syndrome, 198 people with high probability for occurence of the burnout symptoms were qualified. In the study, a Polish version of Questionnaire of Behaviour and Experiences connected with AVEM (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltensund Erlebensmuster, Schaarschmidt, Fischer, 1997) were used. With the help of regression analysis, the key components of syndrome‘s structure were determined, with pointing to the leading significance of coping with failure and defensive attitude in enforcing its symptoms. Suggestions for prevention measures against the burnout syndrome which are concentrated on strenghtening the skill of coping with failure have been presented.

ASEAN (The Association of SouthEast Asian Nations) demand on energy is depending on economic growth of each country, resources, and political and regulations of each country. This study aims to investigate the role of international trade, financial development, foreign direct investment (FDI) on the consumption of renewable energy (RE) in ASEAN countries of the world. The findings explore that positive nexus among the international trade, real output, financial development, foreign direct investment and consumption of RE. Last but not least, this paper will propose several recommendations and policy suggestion for ASEAN countries to manage and encourage better renewable energy projects in the region. One of its original value is that, in the globalization and integration era, environment pollution will affect all ASEAN countries and in the region, so these nations need to link together to implement renewable projects for environment pr otection and for further generation.

In this paper, impact of cost of substitution and joint replenishment on inventory decisions for joint substitutable and complementary items under asymmetrical substitution has been studied. The phenomenon of substitution is considered in a stock-out situation and when items become out of stock due to demand then unfulfilled demand is asymmetrically substituted by another item. We formulate the inventory model mathematically and derived optimal ordering quantities, optimal total costs and extreme value of substitution rate for all possible cases. Moreover, pseudo-convexity of the total inventory cost function is obtained and the solution procedure is provided. Numerical example and sensitivity analysis have been presented to validate the effectiveness of the inventory model and substantial improvement in total optimal inventory cost with substitution with respect to optimal total inventory cost without substitution is seen.

In recent years, universities increasingly have been involved in the marketing and licensing of their intellectual property rights, mainly in the form of patent selling, technology licensing, and contract research. Although the reasons for this are clear, there are correlated research questions that deserve further attention. We examined how this happens and under which conditions universities carry out such activities to define outbound open innovation. This paper focuses on a specific part of the vast literature dealing with technology transfer from academia, and conducts a systematic review of the literature on the economic exploitation of the knowledge produced (in any form) and sold by universities. The results indicated that a greater part of such research analyzes commercialization modes, with licensing being the main channel of technology transfer, followed by analyses of the performance of the various research modes. In addition, some papers also mention the value network; fewer studies discuss strategies and the managerial perspectives. We analyzed the literature in 42 academic journals and 118 papers specifically dealing with this research topic. This review is the first to analyze literature systematically in terms of the financial benefit acquired by universities from technology transfer and to analyze the best means through which the income can be generated, e.g., licensing, commercializing, the creation of spin‐offs, and transferring knowledge or technology to other institutions or establishments.

Firms absorb knowledge from their partners, make it their own, and use it for innovation. The knowledge performance of a firm embedded in an inter‐organizational network can vary depending on how concentrated its ties are and the number of direct ties. This study used an agent‐based model and the organizational learning curve theory as basis to show that the knowledge performance of firms can be modified by the way in which the structural factors of an ego network are managed. In particular, the concentration of tie strength decreases the average level of a firm’s knowledge profile; that is, a firm’s knowledge level decreases when it has strong ties with a particular firm and weak links with others. The number of direct ties, the so‐called node degree, increases the diversity of knowledge in the long run. The cumulative knowledge reduction effect of the concentration of tie strength varies depending on the network type. In a random network, the average knowledge reduction effect is mitigated by a high absorptive capacity, whereas the reduction effect is strengthened in a scale‐free network. A knowledge strategy is presented to assist firms in effectively accumulating knowledge toward sustainable growth.

This study analyzed the close interaction among organizational networking and financial mechanisms of growth and sustainable growth of SMEs operating in Albania. Data on 120 SMEs for 2017–2018 were analyzed using multivariate regressions and multilayer perceptron artificial neural networks. Initially, the data were analyzed using multivariate regression analyses to find the correlation between firms’ growth measured by three different indicators: return on equity, return on assets and business size. In this approach, growth takes into consideration a firm’s liquidity, its operational efficiency, and leverage indicators in addition to organizational characteristics. The results obtained during the initial phase were fed to the multilayer perceptron artificial neural networks model to evaluate SMEs growth and further their sustainable growth process by using the age of the firm, classified into start‐up, grown, and matured stages. The model results showed that SMEs in the start‐up stage assume a risk‐taker approach toward sustainable growth. In the grown stage, they implement a market‐timing strategy in selecting investments toward a sustainable growth perspective. Those in matured stage replicate the liberal managerial style of the SMEs in start‐up stage, but employ a less aggressive strategy.

Regional development is a complex challenge for policymakers in government, business, and industrial leadership. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, labeled Industry 4.0, has created integrated opportunities for a circular economy involving actors from different society strata. This paper presents an integrated approach that combines conventional strategic planning methods with tools adapted to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The regional development methods discussed here are demonstrated with a real‐life case study from a major regional development project initiated by policymakers. The integrated approach presented here lists opportunities and challenges in regional development applications with interest to both researchers and policy makers. The case study is from the North of Israel, which also is called the Galilee. The Galilee is considered a geographical and social peripheral region in Israel, and, as such, it creates significant complexities and challenges for regional development policymakers. As a peripheral region, the Galilee suffers from major weaknesses such as low income, low productivity, poor services, and negative migration, especially of young populations. The paper presents the theoretical foundation of an integrated approach which includes an assessment using the Industrial Maturity for Advanced Manufacturing (IMAM) tool developed at the Samuel Neaman Institute, Technion, Israel. The IMAM scale assesses the maturity and ability of industrial companies to adapt and implement innovative and advanced manufacturing technologies and processes. We suggest that an integrated approach combining a strategic plan and an IMAM assessment can be replicated in other industrial zones.

The paper provides a multi‐informant assessment of agility maturity from an organizational point of view. We applied the Organizational Agility Maturity Model (Wendler, 2014) within a case study of an oil company to determine whether and to what extent there was managerial/employee (informant) agreement between agility assessment across different hierarchical levels. A multi‐grade fuzzy method used inputs from three academic subject matter experts and 26 organizational informants to calculate response data–based weighted means. Empirical results indicate inconsistency in assessment ratings across agility dimensions and agile criteria; single‐informant scores significantly exceeded multi‐informant scores. Furthermore, we found that top managers, compared with other managerial layers as well as employees, are more pessimistic (or perhaps more realistic) when assessing the overall agility maturity of the company. In other words, data indicate that the more generalized the role of the informant, the more critically they assess agility attributes.

After three industrial revolutions, the fourth comes, which transfers production to sophisticated networks of companies equipped with intelligent devices, machines, means of transport, communicating with each other using modern technologies. It creates new challenges for industrial enterprises, it requires redefining existing business models. The development of the concept of Industry 4.0 forces modern enterprises to quickly and flexibly adapt to the changing conditions of the technological environment. This is reflected in the changes taking place in the area of social and technical architecture of business models. Industry 4.0 contributes to creating a new kind of interaction between people and machines. These interactions significantly affect the way work is done and the resource allocation in the social and technical architecture of business models. The aim of the article is to identyfy the changes taking place in the area of social architecture of the business model in the era of Industry 4.0.

The article is devoted to identifying external and internal factors that shape inter-organizational trust in e-commerce. Studying how trust between e-commerce partners is built, four key B2B trust spheres were analyzed based on literature. After analyzing thirteen research reports, the factors shaping B2B trust are presented due to their frequency of occurrence in the reports. Research has shown that among the many factors determining B2B trust, the greatest value in interactions between e-commerce partners lies in the factors, i.e.: „common values”, „communication”, „experience and qualifications”.

The goal of this paper is to assess the current trends in research on food waste management innovations in social sciences and mapping them. To achieve this, 107 articles were extracted from the Web of Science database with the keywords food waste and innovations/technologies. Then, we grouped them in accordance with part of supply chain they concern and type of innovation they propose. We identified that the majority of the innovations concern the final stages of the food supply chain. It makes them more suitable for developed countries, where the wastage is the greatest in this phase of production. It also indicates a research gap in waste-reduction technologies in the initial stages of the food supply chain. Improvements in this field may be particularly beneficial from the food security point of view, because countries suffering from food shortages waste most of their supplies in the early stages of production.

The paper aims to provide with a close picture of the SME public policies in one of the most prominent capitalist economies of the world, that of the European Union. In order to do this, a qualitative analysis has been undergone, on the basis of the following indicators: access to financial resources for SMEs, regulatory and legal frameworks for SMEs, and public assistance on information and knowledge about markets. Since there is no prior research on the subject, the implications of this paper have impact on the theory, practice and policy making. The results of the content analysis suggest that there is a contemporary structure to the European SBA, with a focus on a persistent business approach, based on the results of scientific research and market studies involving the problems raised by the now compact European SME industry. In the end, it must be acknowledged that the present research is only preliminary, and to better understand the mechanisms behind the European policy, further studies on the subject are necessary. Nevertheless, the paper has managed to point out that public policy in the SME industry represents one of the most important aspects of the EU-28 new economic direction.

A statement by ACCA in May 2009 that any corporate governance system should consider factors such as transparency, accountability, fairness and responsibility, raises issues in this field over past few years. There are also a few researches which have been done in the field of international corporate governance standards. This paper chooses a different analytical approach and among its aims is to give some certain systematic conclusions. First, it separates international standards into groups: ICGN and OECD latest principles covered in group 1 while it uses ACCA principles as reference. Second, it identified differences between these above set of standards which are and have been used as reference principles for many countries and organizations. Third, it aims to build a selected comparative set of standards for corporate governance system in accordance to international standards. Last but not least, this paper illustrates some ideas and policy suggestions.

This study contains an analysis of the main determinants of the inflow of foreign direct investment to Poland. This article is devoted to the analysis of the main motives determining the inflow of foreign direct investment to Poland. It is the second part of the series and presents the scale and dynamics of FDI inflow to Poland between 2010 and 2018, as well as the results of own research carried out using structural equation modeling. This study focused on determining the cause-and-effect relationship between the scale of inflow of foreign direct investment and selected macroeconomic parameters of the economy. Based on the theories and results from previous research, a model was developed in which the variables and the nature of their relationship were determined. The model is based on four latent exogenous variables describing FDI determinants and one latent endogenous variable describing FDI inflow. In the article, structural equation modeling was indicated as a method for analyzing the factors conditioning the inflow of foreign direct investment. The proposed research concept will allow supplementing and extending the analysis of FDI determinants in Poland.

Nowadays, innovation and innovativeness have become a key conditioning factor in the survival of an organization. The organizations should have a sufficiently high level of innovation capability to be able to effectively develop and implement new solutions. Currently, researchers are increasingly talking about knowledge management processes in the context of creating and developing innovation capability of an organization (e.g. Hussein et al. 2016; Wijekoon and Galahitiyawe 2016). As noted by Hussein et al. (2016), sharing knowledge in a dynamically changing business environment is gaining key importance for the success of an organization. Knowledge itself, on the other hand, is indicated as a key source of innovation in the literature on knowledge management (Wijekoon and Galahitiyawe 2016; Monferrer et al. 2014; Nonaka et al. 2000; Yesil et al. 2013). The purpose of this study is to show what kind of research problems / which research problems related to knowledge management in the context of creating and developing innovative capability are most often raised by representatives of science in the world and the second objective is an attempt to answer the question whether innovation capacity can be treated as a result of knowledge management processes.

Raziskovalno vprašanje (RV): Zanima nas, ali se fizioterapevti v zdravstvenem domu izobražujejo, kdo jih največkrat spodbuja k temu, katera je njihova glavna ovira za izobraževanje in ali jim pridobljeno znanje iz izobraževanja pomaga pri njihovem delovnem procesu. Namen: Namen raziskave je ugotoviti, ali način vodenja vpliva na odnos zaposlenih do izobraževanja in znanja. Metoda: Izvedli smo eksperimentalno kvantitativno raziskavo, pri tem smo uporabili primarne in sekundarne vire podatkov. Primarne vire smo pridobili s pomočjo anketnega vprašalnika, za pridobitev sekundarnih virov pa smo uporabili deskriptivno raziskovalno metodo, in sicer na način sistematičnega pregleda slovenske in tuje literature. Rezultati: Ugotovili smo, da se fizioterapevti večinoma sami spodbujajo k izobraževanju. Od vodij v zdravstvenem domu jih najbolj spodbuja glavni fizioterapevt. Kot osrednja ovira pri izobraževanju se je izkazalo finančno sredstvo. Fizioterapevti pa so zelo zadovoljni z izobraževanji, saj jim pridobljeno znanje iz izobraževanj zelo pomaga pri njihovem delovnem procesu. Organizacija: Pridobljeni rezultati so v pomoč vodjem zdravstvenega zavoda in drugim zaposlenim z namenom opisa trenutnega stanja načina vodenja, izobraževanja in zadovoljstva zaposlenih. Z interpretacijo teh vidimo, katera področja se še lahko izboljšajo za zagotavljanje bolj kakovostnih fizioterapevtskih storitev. Družba: Izobraževanje ima pozitiven vpliv na zagotavljanju kakovostnih storitev, omogočanju boljšega izida postopka zdravljenja pacientov ter povečanju uspešnosti in učinkovitosti zavoda. Originalnost: Zavod se lahko strokovno razvija le ob nenehnem poklicnem in osebnem razvoju zaposlenih, kar pa omogoča le stalno izobraževanje in izpopolnjevanje ter medsebojno sodelovanje zaposlenih. Z raziskavo smo pridobili prve podatke o izobraževanju fizioterapevtov na primarni ravni zdravstva v Sloveniji in vplivu načina vodenja nanj. Omejitve/nadaljnje raziskovanje: Nadaljnje raziskave bi lahko raziskavo razširile na večjem raziskovalnem vzorcu. Tako bi lahko dobili tudi celostno sliko kakšno pozornost dajejo vodje izobraževanju zaposlenim fizioterapevtom na primarni ravni zdravstva v Sloveniji.

Raziskovalno vprašanje (RV): V raziskavi smo si s pomočjo izbranih člankov, zastavili raziskovalno vprašanje, ali je od vodij odvisna ustvarjalnost in inovativnost zaposlenih v organizaciji. Namen: Preučitev, kakšen vpliv imajo vodje s svojim vedenjem in vodenjem, glede na spodbujanje ustvarjalnosti zaposlenih v organizacijah. S svojimi pristopi namreč lahko zaposlenim pomagajo do ustvarjalnega razmišljanja. Metoda: Kot metodo smo uporabili kvalitativno analizo,10 strokovnih člankov in iz njih izluščili bistvo in ugotovitve. Rezultat: Dober vodja mora imeti dobro razvit čut za timsko delo, biti mora samozavesten in prepričljiv. Znati mora ostati miren v vseh situacijah, saj mu bodo zaposleni le tako zaupali. Dober vodja mora biti dober komunikator in usmerjevalec. Organizacija: Raziskava bo vodje seznanila, na kakšen način lahko oni pripomorejo k boljši ustvarjalnosti in inovativnosti. Družba: Vodja je tisti, ki mora v podjetju veliko truda vložiti v svoje zaposlene. Saj bodo le tako dosegli zastavljen cilj. Omejitve/nadaljnje raziskovanje: Da bi se lahko bolj približali ugotovitvam avtorjev, bi bilo potrebno izvesti anketni vprašalnik tako med zaposlenimi, kot med njihovimi vodji. Omejili smo se na že izvedene raziskave v izbranih člankih.

Both the 1961 European Social Charter and its revised version of 1996 constitute international social and economic rights treaties ratified by the Member States of the Council of Europe. Together with the European Treaty for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, they are the cornerstones of the contractual system for the protection of human rights in the member countries of the Council of Europe. Moreover, these contracts have contributed significantly to the development of European human rights standards in the areas of personal management, labour law and social security law. Nevertheless, it receives minimal attention from legal theorists. This leads to problems in its interpretation in practice. Through scientific and doctrinal interpretation, authors examine the various provisions of the European Social Charter. They seek answers to practical application problems through scientific literature as well as the case-law of the European Court of Justice. The aim and result of the authors’ work is to examine individual documents, to compare them and analyse the differences. The aim of the authors' work is also to evaluate the impact of the case law of the European Court of Justice in connection with the implementation of the Charter into the legal order as well as application practice. The benefit of this article is also the analysis of the impact of the Charter on the rights of working women.

Phu Quoc island of Kien Giang Province in Vietnam is endowed with resources for tourism development. The study explored the human resources, tourism marketing and promotion efforts of businesses towards the sustainable tourism development in Phu Quoc tourism. The authors used secondary and primary data to elicit information from respondents. Secondary data was collected from Kien Giang department of tourism, Statistical departments of Kien Giang and Phu Quoc. We administered questionnaires to 230 local residents, 150 businesses, and 530 tourists. Furthermore, interviews were conducted in Phu Quoc with local residents, businesses, tourists, local authorities’ officers, and 12 experts. The results suggest that Phu Quoc tourism sector lack quality workforce and marketing and promotion initiative is not well developed. The study proposes recommendations to stakeholders of Phu Quoc tourism sectors and more of that, the limitation and further research is suggested.

The main aim of the article is to try to determine, on the basis of the conducted research, the optimal competencies and skills that a manager should have in order to effectively manage the team (in the opinion of its members). The author will also indicate the connection and differences between the obtained data resulting from the Polish reality and the contemporary guidelines for the IPMA competence model. Apart from literature analysis, the author chose a diagnostic survey (research technique - questionnaire) as another research method. The respondents were, in 2019, employees (who agreed to take part in the survey) from 14 deliberately selected large enterprises based in Poland (200 people in total took part in the research process). After the analysis of the literature and the results of the conducted research, of course bearing in mind its pilot character, we can see that the perception of the competencies and skills of a manager, in Poland, is not fundamentally different from the model of competencies presented in the content. The only question that remains is whether this will be enough to bridge the gap between Poland and developed countries, especially in the face of new economic challenges.

Since many researchers and managers think about the essence, creation mechanisms and limits of the manufacturing model maturity, at this point, the author raises the question related to this issue: what dimensions (descriptions and desiderata) should be considered when conceptualizing this idea? The formulated question became a starting point and a point of conducting a creative synthesis, based, on the one hand, on a detailed analysis of the problem theory, and on the other hand – on the author’s own research. The above question and belief related to the existence of economic demand for results of application nature were the main inspiration to undertake research whose main purpose is to recognize: how the maturity of the business model is understood by selected experts operating in the Polish agricultural machinery sector?

The legal regulation of quarantine imposed on an employee is limited in the Labor Code (Act No. 311/2001 Statutes, the Labor Code, as amended, hereinafter referred to as the Labor Code), to the framework regulation of legal consequences of quarantine in labor relations. A number of labor-related problems arising from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic causing COVID19 will, therefore, have to be addressed by interpreting the legislation in force for the purpose of its practical application, as it had been previously considered to be of rather a theoretical nature. The paper deals with the partial problem of the service of documents in labor relations during the employee quarantine. It identifies what is served, it analyzes the correctness of the employer's procedure when it automatically relays the delivery task to the postal service, and it clarifies the interpretation of the term “last known address” in the context of its change as evidenced from the proof of temporary incapacity for work stemming from a quarantine imposed on the employee. The aim of the paper is to discuss the practical aspects of the service of documents in the labor context at the time of the current situation of the spread of coronavirus epidemic. In terms of the methodology, the paper is based on critical in-depth analysis of the current legal framework, descriptive method and scientific cognitive methods.

The article is an attempt to answer the question: Is the influence of marketing in the organization increasing or decreasing? In the search for answers to this question, changes that took place in marketing over the past twenty years haves been analyzed. Particular attention and a lot of space was devoted to the evolution of the marketing function and marketing management concept in the practice of business entities. The considerations undertaken in the study allowed, on the one hand, o indicatine the weakening of the importance of the marketing function in favour of the marketing concept of management, and on the other hando determinine their contemporary role in business practice.

Raziskovalno vprašanje (RV): Kako razširjeno je podjetniško podporno okolje za startupe v Sloveniji v smislu geografije, števila različnih subjektov in vira financiranja? Namen: Namen našega raziskovanja je, da ugotovimo razširjenost podjetniškega podpornega okolja oziroma ekeosistema za startupe v Sloveniji. Zanima nas, katera geografska področja podpore so pokrita, katere vrste subjektov podpornega okolja prevladujejo in kateri kapital jih ustanavlja. Metoda: Za pridobivanje podatkov smo najprej pregledali obstoječo literaturo in spletne strani posameznih subjektov na področju poslovnega podpornega okolja za startupe. Pripravili smo seznam vseh subjektov in analizirali, katere aktivnosti podpornega okolja nudijo startupom. Rezultati: Ugotovili smo, da je slovensko podjetniško podporno okolje za startupe na določenih geografskih območjih močnejše zastopano kot na drugih. Poleg tega večina podpornih subjektov ni specializirana za specifične potrebe start-upov, ampak pomaga tudi običajnim podjetjem, kar pomeni, da njihova podpora. Velika večina podpornih subjektov je bila ustanovljena z javnim denarjem, poleg tega tudi zasebni subjekti večino virov financiranja pridobijo iz javnih razpisov. Organizacija: Menimo, da bo naša raziskava pomagala subjektom podpornega podjetniškega okolja za startupe prepoznati kritična področja, ki jih je potrebno okrepiti, in s tem pomagala bodočim ustanoviteljem startupov do bolj učinkovite podpore v vseh fazah razvoja startupov. Družba: Ekonomska aktivnost in ustanavljanje uspešnih podjetij imata velik vpliv na uspešnost družbe in njeno socialno okolje. Uspešna podjetja ljudem omogočajo dostojno življenje in uresničitev potencialov. Startup podjetja predstavljajo velik potencial za rast in razvoj. Originalnost: Menimo, da je naloga originalna v dveh vidikih. Podaja analizo subjektov slovenskega podpornega podjetniškega okolja, pri čemer smo raziskali nekatere nove dejavnike in s tem pridobili nov pogled na tematiko. Po drugi strani, pa je našla luknje v obstoječem stanju, ki ustanoviteljem startupov otežujejo delo. Omejitve/nadaljnje raziskovanje: Raziskava je zaradi svoje obsežnosti omejena samo na Slovenijo in njeno podporno podjetniško okolje. Poleg tega je bilo pridobivanje podatkov omejeno na pregledovanje spletnih strani in objav ter ni bilo osebno preverjeno za vsak subjekt.

Working in a multigenerational company is a great challenge, especially when holding a managerial role. The differences between the core competencies of employees, their motivational factors, and the way they perceive ideas differs from generation to generation. Understanding and distinguishing between these differences entails a challenge in itself. To be a successful manager, one needs to be a leader and hold knowledge on properly motivating its employees. This articles’ main aim is to identify the gap between the different generations in the market, using a case example of Bibita Group. This article is of high relevance because this sort of research, although quite popular in other countries, has never been conducted in Kosovo. It uses a case example approach, which is a descriptive research design, to derive its conclusions. An overarching research method was used, including multiple research techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, to derive data that were useful for the purpose of this article. The results obtained from a questionnaire helped to better understand the characteristics of each of the staff members as well as their preferred motivational factors. The results revealed that the benefits earned from employing a multigenerational staff in a company outweigh the difficulties and consequences associated with the challenges of managing the gap between them.

Organizational ability to create and successfully manage knowledge, in its different forms, has become the basis of superior organizational performance and sustainable competitiveness. Nowadays, especially in developed economies, the importance of knowledge and intangible resources, i.e., intellectual capital, is rapidly increasing. The intangibles have a dominant role and gradually are replacing physical resources as the most important production factors of organizational success. Many studies gave significant findings in the field of intellectual capital measurement and its conceptualization, but there still is not a worldwide consensus on the dimensions of intellectual capital. Previous research focused mainly on traditional intellectual capital dimensions—human, relational, and structural capital—neglecting organizational renewal capability as a dimension of intellectual capital. There are no systematic findings on whether there are interrelationships of traditional intellectual capital dimensions in transition economies. This paper addresses and empirically tests the complementary role of traditional intellectual capital dimensions in organizational renewal, in the context of a transition economy. Primary data were collected using previously psychometrically validated questionnaires from 224 organizations in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) was used to test hypothesized relationships. Research findings suggest that renewal capital has a significant role. Furthermore, it demonstrates the intensity of relational and structural capital connection with knowledge renewal, highlighting the significance of different forms of knowledge in organizational renewal. Managers can find some useful directions to efficiently manage intellectual capital and to be aware of the presence of knowledge resource interrelationships and their importance for organizational renewal.

Knowledge serves as a strategic competitive asset for any organization to increase and sustain competitive advantage. Organizations have promoted knowledge sharing by implementing Knowledge Management Systems. Despite having ingrained policies for sharing knowledge, most employees refrain from practicing this in their workplace. Connelly et al. (2012) termed this phenomenon knowledge hiding and defined it as “an intentional attempt by an individual to withhold or conceal what has been requested by another person.” Given the importance of knowledge hiding and the importance of this growing construct, this study systematically and retrospectively reviews 35 research articles on knowledge hiding published between 2008 and 2018. The review summarizes study characteristics as research profiles and then explores knowledge hiding, which is categorized and framed under respective sub‐topics. The scope and significance of the topic is discussed with reference to existing studies. Potential avenues for future research from theoretical, methodological, thematic, and demographic perspectives are highlighted along with managerial implications.

According to self‐determination theory, the attitude toward a threat is determined by the quality of self‐regulation. Job insecurity represents an intensive chronic stress, a threat without any objective signs that can undermine self‐regulation. This paper investigated the relationship between self‐regulation and job insecurity. More precisely, it investigated the way in which an increase in the quality of self‐regulation influences the affective component of job insecurity: feelings of powerlessness and the perception of threat intensity. The study was conducted on a sample of 310 employees of both genders, working in 24 companies of different sizes, profiles, structures, and ownership. The instruments used were the Perception of Job Insecurity Scale and the Ego Functioning Questionnaire. The hypotheses that an increase in self‐regulation quality is followed by a decrease in the sense of powerlessness with regard to the threat generated by job insecurity and a decrease of threat intensity caused by job insecurity were tested using multiple regression analysis. Results indicated that self‐regulation is associated with threat perception and sense of powerlessness. Integrated self‐regulation is related to a lower level of threat perception, whereas the impersonal one relates to higher perception of threat and sense of powerlessness. The paper confirms the role of personality dispositions vis‐à‐vis threat and further substantiates the value of self‐determination theory in the organizational context.

This paper examines creative city incentives of Ljubljana and small to medium‐sized European cities (Bratislava, Tallinn, and Edinburgh) according to the type of creative city (technological‐innovative, cultural‐intellectual, cultural‐technological, and technological‐organizational) they are. The paper utilizes a case study approach, because it allows in‐depth research of the particular object, taking into account multiple dimensions. Based on secondary data of the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor from the European Commission and European Smart Cities, we provide evidence that Ljubljana and Bratislava belong to the cultural‐intellectual type, Tallinn is technological‐innovative, and Edinburgh is a cultural‐technological type of creative city.

Raziskovalno vprašanje (RV): Katere kompetence menedžerjev, glede na način vodenja, so ključne za dobro počutje in zavzetost zaposlenih? Namen: S pregledom literature najti kompetence, ki jih potrebuje menedžer dobrega počutja ter preučiti razlike med ZDA, EU in Slovenijo. Metoda: Pregledali smo strokovno literaturo na temo kompetenc menedžerjev dobrega počutja v ZDA, EU in Sloveniji. Literaturo, ki se nanaša samo na delovno populacijo, smo razvrstili po principu IGLO (individualna raven, skupinska raven, raven vodje in organizacijska raven). Rezultate raziskav smo primerjali znotraj raziskovalnih okvirjev EU in ZDA ter Slovenije in rezultate kritično ovrednotili. Rezultati: Vsem državam/področjem je skupno, da podjetja ne bodo pozitivno poslovala brez uspešnega vodje. Uspešen vodja mora imeti širok nabor kompetenc. Njegova naloga ni le ustrezno vodenje poslov, organizacija dela, doseganje korporativnih ciljev in visokega dobička, ampak predvsem delo in odnos z zaposlenimi. Dober menedžer/vodja je v prvi vrsti človek. Zaveda se pomena vodenja in potrebe po stalnem razvoju veščin dobrega vodenja v hitro spreminjajočem se svetu. Za ustvarjanje vzdušja po volji večine mora stalno zbirati povratne informacije zaposlenih. Organizacija: Kompetenten menedžer je ključen za dolgoročen uspeh organizacije. Če menedžer ne vlaga v odnos z zaposlenimi in ne zgradi potrebnih povezav z ljudmi, so cilji organizacije težko dosegljivi ali celo neuresničljivi. Kompetence menedžerjev obsegajo več nivojev: od socialnih veščin, osebnostne zrelosti, usmerjenosti v izobraževanje ter nenehno izboljševanje na osebnem in profesionalnem področju. Z uporabo navdihujočih opomb lahko vodje ustvarijo občutek smiselnosti, medtem ko taktika pritiska zmanjšuje smiselnost in zavzetost zaposlenih. Družba: Vodja z razvitimi menedžerskimi kompetencami pozitivno vpliva na zaposlene, povečuje zavzetost in produktivnost zaposlenih., zmanjšuje fluktuacijo zaposlenih, omogoča večjo produktivnost in s tem dobičkonosnost podjetja. Uspešno podjetje lahko pozitivno vpliva na lokalno skupnost, širšo družbo ter naravno okolje. Originalnost: V času globalizacije in znanstveno-raziskovalne usmerjenosti, članek izpostavi usmerjenost menedžerskih kompetenc v človeške vrednote, ki so ključne za doseganje ciljev. Originalnost prispevka je v primerjavi menedžerskih kompetenc med tremi področji – ZDA, EU in Slovenijo, ki prikaže podobnosti in razlike v pristopu upravljanja organizacij. Omejitve/nadaljnje raziskovanje: Omejitev članka predstavlja manjše število člankov izbranih za primerjavo. Na podlagi večjega vzorca člankov, bi dobili bolj relevantne rezultate. Ocenjevanje zavzetosti zaposlenih in ustreznosti menedžerskih kompetenc v večini primerov sloni na subjektivni oceni. Potreben bi bil poudarek na posameznih veščinah in vzporedno merjenje učinka.

Research Question (RQ): Research shows that organizations need employee energies to function, resulting in the processes of creation, the achievement of goals, and collaboration at all levels. In this research study, we are interested whether there exists an interrelated influence of Organizational Energy (Productive Energy, Comfortable Energy, Resigned Inertia, Corrosive Energy) and Autopoietic Endowments (Self-Awareness, Conscience, Independent Will, Creative Imagination) of employees. We selected Works Council members in Slovenian organizations as the target group for conducting the research study. Purpose: The purpose of the research was to examine the interrelated influence of organizational energy and autopoietic endowments of employees, assuming that a higher level of autopoietic endowments is reflected in a higher value of quality organizational energy. The purpose of this study was also to verify the research instrument. Method: We used a questionnaire as a measuring instrument to collect information for the pilot research. The questionnaires were based on two existing questionnaires and scholarly literature in our field of interest. Results: The research findings confirm the interrelatedness between Autopoietic Endowments and Organizational Energy of Works Council members. However, to check the influence of the independent variable on the dependent one, a larger sample would be needed. The results also revealed that the participants in the study had a higher value of quality- than low-quality energies, which indicates the participants constructive use of personal potentials. Organization: The existence of interrelated influences of Autopoietic Endowments and Organizational Energy is an important insight for organizations that contributes to the understanding of organizational energy management. Society: The conducted research represents a contribution to new findings in the field of implementation of workers’ participation in organizations in Slovenia. Originality: There is a dearth amount of research on the topics and the authors did not find research that intertwines organizational energy and the principles of autopoiesis in the context of workers’ participation, either in Slovenia or globally. Limitations / further research: The research was conducted in the form of a pilot study to verify the reliability of the questionnaire. The pilot study could be extended to a larger sample, but due to the separation of participants between the pilot and the main research, we decided to obtain a larger sample in the primary research. However, we tried to overcome the limitation by looking for a sample greater than 25, which is an acceptable number for conducting a pilot study to test the questionnaire.

Raziskovalno vprašanje (RV): Kako pomembno je dobro počutje zaposlenih v organizaciji, od česa vse je odvisno in kakšen vpliv ima pri tem vodstvo organizacije? Namen: Raziskati dejavnike, ki vplivajo na počutje zaposlenih in poiskati načine za vzpostavitev dobre klime v podjetju. Metoda: S pomočjo integrativnega pregleda literature oziroma že narejenih raziskav na tem področju ter z zbiranjem podatkov iz ZDA, EU in Slovenije. Rezultati: Rezultati vseh raziskav se ne razlikujejo bistveno, saj je dobro počutje zaposlenih neglede na državo in organizacijo odvisno od podobnih parametrov; dobri medsebojni odnosi, odnos z vodstvom, plačilo, možnost izobraževanja in osebne rasti, izobraževanja, napredovanje in ugodne delovne razmere. Organizacija: Vpliv na organizacijo je močan, saj organizaciji omogoča doseg boljše delovne klime, manj izostankov z dela zaradi bolezni in posledico manjše stroške ter večjo produktivnost delavcev. Družba: Dobro počutje ljudi vpliva na večjo pozitivno miselnost in v splošnem na manj stresno življenje ter boljše zdravstveno stanje. Originalnost: Članke obravnavamo glede na tri različna področja, to so: Evropa, Združene države Amerike in Slovenije. Skupne rezultate opišemo s pomočjo Vennovega diagrama. Omejitve/nadaljnje raziskovanje: Nadaljnjo raziskovanje bi morali raziskati ukrepe in načine za pomoč organizacijam v smislu inovacije na delovnih mestih za izboljšanje dobrega počutja in produktivnosti delavcev

Several Hungarian SMEs are facing problems using management methodologies. The goal of the research is to analyze the Hungarian management consulting market based on two previous Hungarian surveys. Strategic management consulting is one of the most important management consulting topics. The purpose of this research is to understand the Hungarian strategic management consulting market better. Two surveys are compared with each other and the size of the Hungarian strategic consulting market is calculated based on these secondary data. Trends and problems in the industry are also described briefly. The results of this research contribute to better understanding of the developments happening in this industry.

Over the past decade, research on innovation in family firms has shown incremental growth. Several scholars and practitioners across the globe have shown interest in this field, which has also enriched the current body of literature. Despite the growth in studies related to innovation, research lacks a comprehensive review of the past and present achievements. In our study, we tried to fulfill this gap with a focus on family and firms' influence on organizational innovation. Based on a systematic review of 30 plus journal articles, it presents an integrative picture of family firm innovation. Major research avenues have been discussed based on which areas of future research can be determined.

This study investigates empirically the development of working capital management and its impact on profitability and shareholder value in Germany. We analyse panel data of 115 firms listed on the German Prime Standard, covering the period from 2011 to 2017. The results provide evidence that efficient working capital management, indicated by a shorter cash conversion cycle, deteriorated over time, but that a shorter cash conversion has a positive impact on profitability and shareholder value. The findings highlight the need that managers should give greater priority to working capital optimization, even in a low-interest environment. The paper contributes to the literature by advancing this research area in Germany, and it is the first study investigating shareholder relationship with working capital management and all its determinants.

This paper is devoted to the study of ethical positions of the respondents from Hungary, China, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan. In the context of globalization, when the process of global economic, cultural, social integration occurs, the effectiveness of interaction between countries and peoples, especially in trade and economic relations, depends on the understanding of the concept of business ethics. Therefore, the understanding of national aspects of business ethics plays a significant role. The idea of business ethics may vary depending on the national and cultural characteristics, traditions, mentality and stereotypes of the country with which the interaction takes place. Therefore, it is necessary to study the ethical position. To do this, we conducted a survey, using the Foresight questionnaire, among 905 respondents from Hungary, China, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, who are students of the Department of Business, and had work experience in private and public sector. The results of the study confirm the hypothesis that ethical position differs depending of nation, gender, and work experience.

In this paper, the authors discuss knowledge management, with a focus on knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is dependent on trust and cooperation, which are elements of organizational culture. One specific aspect of organizational culture is of particular interest for knowledge sharing. This aspect consists of values, beliefs and atmosphere that characterize common mental space accepted by knowledge workers which affect behavior and readiness to share knowledge. This aspect of organizational culture is called collaborative climate and can be described as the 'permeability' of the human infrastructure for knowledge sharing. Collaborative climate in an organization can be considered as an environment that provides support to knowledge workers to create new knowledge that will be translated into a value, which will become competitive advantage of an organization. A questionnaire for assessing two dimensions of the collaborative climate: Organizational Culture and Employee Attitude was used as an instrument in this research. The main research questions in this paper are: 1) Is there a statistically significant difference between attitudes towards collaborative climate of managers and employees? 2) Is there a statistically significant difference between attitudes towards collaborative climate in capital intensive and knowledge intensive organizations? Research hypotheses emerged from the main research questions. The survey was conducted in order to answer research questions. Data collection was carried out in 2016 throughout the territory of the Republic of Serbia. The sample in this research consisted of 114 managers from 78 randomly selected SMEs from the database of the National Agency for Regional Development. Afterwards, 647 employees were surveyed from those same companies, and in total 761 valid responses were collected. Principal component analysis was applied to the data. In order to check for statistically significant differences, factor scores were tested using Leven's homogeneity test of variance and t-test. Data analysis indicated the existence of statistically significant differences between employee and managers attitudes in their assessment of collaborative climate in capital intensive and knowledge intensive organizations.

The aim of this paper is to examine challenges that organizations face when they start to deal with quality of customer data more seriously in order to manage their customer relationships better. Research extracted from the literature review has identified some problems with the quality of customer data as well as suggestions for their solutions. The author found that challenges regarding the quality of data used in customer relationship management are reflected in: decentralized data storage, inconsistencies in input and storage, inadequate integration of different data sources, different data defects, and their tendency in quality deterioration over time. In addition, problems have been identified in the high costs of maintaining data quality, as well as new challenges in the form of big data and open data. Possible improvement solutions have been suggested through a number of tools and frameworks by different authors.

Corporate competitiveness is constantly being shaped by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the explosive development of technology, the globalization and the hyper-competition. The VUCA status has now become a permanent reality: volatility and complexity cannot be traced to traditional corporate operations. The Industry 4.0 projects a physical, a digital and a biological megatrend such as advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, new materials, personalized healing, self-driving cars. Through usage of the resources and knowledge sharing, the global economy is experiencing mutations such as the sharing economy, the peer to peer economy, the gig economy in the labor market and the Big Data in planning. Meanwhile, the disruptive innovations are transforming industries and gaining exponentially competitive advantage. The special business concepts were born and whom cannot be handled by models of classic macro and micro economics: the largest taxi company in the world does not own any taxicab (Uber), the largest accommodation company does not own any property (Airbnb), the largest telecommunication company has no infrastructure (Skype), the world's most valuable retailer has no inventory (Alibaba), the most popular media doesn't create its own content (Facebook), the world's largest cinema doesn't have its own movie (Netflix). In the meantime, those are treasuring huge profits, business influence and information capital. The competitiveness of their agile way of working can be proved. These call for changes not only in the market, but also in organizational and individual terms. An adaptive corporate structure and leadership, a self-organizing group, an agile working method hold companies in the direction of growing track and changes in the future. My research about discovering some aspects of agile way of working versus traditional organization work. My hypothesis is that employees are more motivated, effective and committed in an agile team than in a classic hierarchy or matrix. I added own business and project-based worker as their flexible, effective work is a must. My hypotheses are partially fulfilled.

In the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries within the framework of the previous economic system, there were only traces of the features of modern human resource management (HRM). Since the political and economic changes, major transformation in the HRM practice has occurred, resulting in a development of the organizational position, role and practices of HR activity in the Central and Eastern European countries. The aim of our benchmark study is to compare the HRM practice of the CEE region with the other European countries and with the global HRM trends. The benchmarking study may show the region-specific characteristics of HRM practice in the CEE region. The comparison of specific HR variables (availability of HR departments and HR services, strategic importance of HR functions, budget of training and development, influences of Trade Unions) will be made based on the data of Cranet international research results from 2004 to 2016.

This paper examines the impact of employees' commitment on the productivity of organizations in the Republic of Serbia. Employees' commitment represents the willingness of employees to make efforts for the benefit of the organization and the desire to remain in them. It can be seen as: affective, continuous and normative commitment. Affective commitment reflects a belief in the goals of an organization and a willingness to actively participate in its development; normative commitment reflects a sense of obligation on employees to remain in the organization while continuing commitment is due to employees' assessment that leaving the organization causes greater costs than benefits. Previous research shows that all types of commitment have a major impact on the performance of organizations. As the number of empirical studies on this topic in Serbia is limited, this paper examines the impact of each type of organizational commitment on the productivity of organizations in Serbia, as well as the impact of the overall commitment. The aim of the paper was to identify the types of organizational commitment that have the greatest impact on the performance of organizations in Serbia and to propose measures to HR managers whose implementation can improve the operations of domestic organizations. The starting point of the paper was that employees' commitment has a statistically significant effect on organizational performance. To verify the validity of this assumption, a primary survey was conducted. 169 employees of 17 organizations in Serbia were surveyed. By applying correlation and regression analysis methods, it has been proven that overall organizational commitment, as well as its certain types, have a positive impact on the productivity of organizations in Serbia, with the impact of normative commitment on performance greater than other types of commitment. At the same time, the contribution of continuous commitment to the performance of organizations in Serbia is negligible (statistically insignificant). In line with the obtained results, recommendations for human resources managers in Serbia are proposed. The theoretical implications of the paper are reflected in filling the gap in the national literature in the field of organizational commitment, while the empirical implications are reflected in the mechanisms and measures that are proposed at the end of the paper.

The aim of this paper is to identify and measure the impact of internal factors on the business success of meat processing enterprises expressed through profitability. Panel analysis was constructed for the sample which includes 24 enterprises in Serbia at the period from 2007 to 2016. The accounting rate of Return on assets (ROA), as a measure of productivity, was in function of the dependent variable, while the size of the enterprise, age, debt ratio, quick ratio, inventory, sale growth and capital turnover ratio were found as independent variables. A regression model was constructed and indicated that most variables had a statistically significant influence on the dependent variable. This kind of results are very important for potential investors. They can help them to better understand impact of internal factors on profitability and make better decisions about investment in this sector.