Browsing by Author "Potocan, Vojko"

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    Current and future use of management tools
    (Technická Univerzita v Liberci, 2015-03-05) Nedelko, Zlatko; Potocan, Vojko; Dabić, Marina; Ekonomická fakulta
    This paper examines the use of management tools among Slovenian and Croatian employees, with the main focus on linkages between the current use of management tools and patterns of its future use. The authors developed and tested a model for predicting the future use of management tools based on the current use of tools by employees in organizations, underlying assumptions of the theory of planned behavior and the information-perception-behavior link. Descriptive statistics suggest that there are differences in management tools use patterns among Slovenian and Croatian employees. Among the most used tools, employees in both countries significantly and differently use (especially) outsourcing, mission and vision statements, knowledge management, total quality management, and customer segmentation. Using structural equation modeling for testing the proposed relations in the developed model on samples of Slovenian and Croatian employees reveals that the current use of tools plays an important role in predicting the future use of tools in Slovenian organizations, while linkages for the Croatian sample are rather insignificant. More specifically, the current use of management tools has a positive influence on the future use of management tools, while the impact of the current percentage of satisfied users with management tools is very weak. Further, a comparison of results with international data reveals differences in the patterns of management tools use between former catching up countries (studied are two former transition economies) and economies with a longer tradition in the market economy. Based on the current state of management tools use, linkages between their current and future use, and patterns of tools use in high-developed economies, the authors speculate about the future pattern of management tools use in catching up countries based on experiences from high-developed market economies. Those assumptions represent a building block for boosting the use of management tools in organizations in catching up economies, and thus helping those organizations to reduce the gap between them and most developed organizations.
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    THE INFLUENCE OF TRUST ON COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN SUPPLY CHAINS
    (Technická Univerzita v Liberci, ) Mlaker Kac, Sonja; Gorenak, Irena; Potocan, Vojko; Ekonomická fakulta
    In this paper we theoretically discuss and empirically examine the infl uence of trust on collaborative behavior in supply chain relationships. These concepts are very important in today’s interorganizational business world, and therefore in supply chains. In theoretical part of this article we presume that establishment and development of relationships in supply chain depends on development of trust. Trust is defi ned as a willingness to rely on a partner in a supply chain in whom one has confi dence. The stress is on expectation that another partner can be relied on to fulfi ll obligations and at the same time previous experience with partners in exchange relationships are taken in the consideration. Collaborative behavior is defi ned as a concept where two or more organizations, which work together in a supply chains, can through complementary characteristics gain shared means and goals that could not be achieved individually. Logistics managers, purchase and sales managers, project managers and employees in logistics department were included in our survey made on primary, secondary and tertiary sector of Slovene economy. We included companies of all sizes, both local and foreign companies present in Slovenia. 118 questionnaires were completed and involved in our research. According to the demographic data, our sample is comparable to population in terms of economy branch and size of companies. The Pearson correlation coeffi cient and linear regression analysis demonstrate statistically signifi cant strong correlation between trust, shared values and communication and strong negative correlation between trust and opportunistic behavior. At the end we can confi rm that there is a statistically signifi cant infl uence of trust on collaborative behavior in supply chains. The results clearly indicate that all factors included in research are very important for today’s supply chain management.