bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-Merger Performance in Financial Service Industry: A Case of the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Erić Dejan , Stošić Ivan , Dapčević Vuk
Published: November 2023

The main objective of this paper is to analyze key financial performance indicators in certain financial institutions after mergers and acquisitions (M&A) with foreign organizations in the Republic of Serbia. The main actors in these M&A activities were banks. Our research and analysis covers the period from 2002 when M&A processes were intensified by the end of 2017. The results obtained indicate that the arrival of foreign banks led to the consolidation of the Serbian financial services market. Numerous strategic advantages have been achieved and lot of weaknesses from the paste have been eliminated. However, when analyzing the most important profitability ratios (ROA, ROE, NIM), a slightly different picture is obtained. Compared with the banks that came through greenfield investments and a group of domestic banks, this group of banks made slightly lower performances.
Creating Monetary Measurement Unit (MMU) as the Global Universal Measure for Hedging against Inflation and Currency Risk
Authors: Manić Aleksandar , Grubišić Zoran
Published: November 2023

The paper presents an indicator created to reflect the long-term stability in the trend of real growth of the global economy, based on the current market data through a basket of currencies with a government bond yields based premium. The results suggest that the indicator is adequate to be considered as a benchmark for widespread indexation, with a potential hedging for diverse types of contracts and assets against price level volatility and currency risk on an international scale.
Estimation of Price Elasticity of Demand for Cigarettes in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Macro Data Analysis
Authors: Gligorić Dragan , Petković Saša , Pepić Anđela , Ateljević Jovo , Vukojević Borislav
Published: November 2023

Tobacco consumption continues to be behavior engaged in by a large percentage of Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) citizens. According to the official statistics, nearly half of the state’s adults, that is about 1,200,600 people, consume tobacco products on a daily bases. The state excise policy is one of the main available tools for reducing smoking prevalence because cigarette prices are under the direct impact of this policy. The specific excise on cigarettes introduced in BiH in 2009 and has increased every year so it was the main driver of cigarette price growth. In order to provide research-based evidence for more effective tobacco taxation policies in BIH, in this paper we estimate the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes using the macro-level data for the period 2008 to 2017, on a semi-annual basis. The results have shown that the increase in prices of cigarettes has a statistically significant impact on cigarette consumption, at a significance level of 1%. The estimated price elasticity coefficient is in the range from -0.71 to -0.83, depends on the selected control variables used in the model. It means that the increase in real cigarette prices for 10% led to a decrease in cigarette consumption in the range from 7.1% to 8.3%.
The Determinants of Capital Structure and Optimization: Evidence from the Power Sector
Authors: Alihodžić Almir , Muratović-Dedić Ajla
Published: November 2023

The optimal capital structure differs between companies and depends on the nature of the business, the characteristics of the business, etc. Usually when business income is higher, there is a reduction in business risk, while, on the other hand, higher profits and accumulated profits lead to an increase in investments and debt. In the research 10 companies of the power sector, representing the stock exchange index ERS 10 were examined. The following dependent variable was used: short term debt to total liabilities (STDTL). The following independent variables were used: current ratio (CR), return on capital employed (ROCE), earning before interest taxes depreciation (EBITDA), return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE),  the tangibility of assets (TOA), firm size (FS) and gross domestic product growth (GDP growth). The research period covered the years from 2008-2018 on a semi-annual basis. The total number of observations was 220. The main objective of the paper is to determine explanatory factors that influence the changes in short-term indebtedness and profitability of 10 companies within the power sector of Republika Srpska entity that constitute the stock exchange index ERS 10 in the period 2008-2018 on a semiannual basis (a total of 220 observations). The dependent variable is a short term debt to total liabilities (STDTL) while independent variables are as follows: current ratio (CR), return on capital employed (ROCE), earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA), return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), the tangibility of assets (TOA), firm size (FS) and GDP growth.
Western Balkan countries as an attractive investment destination
Authors: Marjanović Darko , Đukić Mihajlo
Published: November 2023

Foreign direct investments are potentially very important for each country as they could significantly contribute to its economic development. The importance of foreign direct investments reflects in their ability to contribute to development of comparative advantages and competitiveness. In the last 20 years, WB countries have tried to attract as many foreign investors as possible using various policy incentives. Foreign direct investment inflows followed the pace of economic transformation and reforms towards a market economy, leading to economic growth. The aim of this paper is to analyse characteristics of the inflow of foreign direct investments in the Western Balkans (WB) countries, as well as the impact they might have on their economic growth and development. In order to determine the amount of foreign direct investments, but also the position, ie. competitiveness of each of the observed countries, there have been used secondary data from the official UNCTAD reports. The paper will also present an analysis of the greenfield investments for selected economies, as very important type of foreign investments that probably have the largest positive spillovers. The time period covered by this research was from 2010 to 2019. The results of the conducted research indicate that Serbia is the most attractive investment destination, considering that in the observed period, more than 60% of the total amount of foreign direct investments that were directed to the countries of the Western Balkans ended up on its territory.
Gender Based Analysis of the Access to Public Procurement in Western Balkan by SMEs
Authors: Popović-Pantić Sanja , Semenčenko Dušica , Vasilić Nikola
Published: November 2023

The subject of research is access by SMEs to public procurement in Western Balkan region including a gender equality perspective. The key objectives of the paper are: to identify key barriers that make it difficult to engage in public procurement; to determine whether there are differences in the perception of the importance of barriers to inclusion in public procurement between male and female-owned companies; and to check whether there are differences in the perception of the importance of barriers to participation in public procurement between different-sized companies. Results show that there are no significant differences in the perception of the importance of barriers to participation in public procurement between male and female-owned companies. Also, different-sized companies have a similar perception of the importance of barriers to participation in public procurement.
The Puzzle of Relationship between the Economic Growth and Happiness
Authors: Naghdi Yazdan , Amirtaemeh Hamid , Kaghazian Soheila
Published: November 2023

In economic research, the relationship between economic growth and happiness is ambiguous. Happiness does not show a positive or negative dependence on economic growth over time. Based on the theoretical foundations and using interdisciplinary concepts in economics, e.g. political economy, technology philosophy, generalized method of moments (GMM), and data of 153 countries over the period 2000–2018, this paper tries to show that the one-dimensional look at economic growth and ignoring the growth consequences, including emotional gap, environmental degradation, and oligarchy (lack of healthy democracy), have a crucial role in creating growth and happiness. The main purpose of this study is to accept or reject the theory of Easterlin, called the “Easterlin puzzle”. According to Easterlin puzzle, the growth and development of countries do not increase the happiness of the people in those countries. Based on the model estimated in the present study for 153 countries, the theory of Easterlin is not approved, and economic growth has had a small but significant effect on short- and long-run happiness in these countries.
Military Logistics vs. Business Logistics
Authors: Aćimović Slobodan , Mijušković Veljko , Golubović Marko
Published: November 2023

Military logistics as a specific area of logistics management makes the difference between a well-supplied and self-sustainable army which due to an efficiently created supply chain, can perform it’s military actions more efficiently, and an army that, due to insufficient commitment to military logistics activities creates an inefficient army that is cut off from food, water, and other basic resources without which the army can’t function. The specifics of military logistics make this area of logistics management special, formally separated, but essentially very close to the field of business logistics. The aim of this paper is to point out the features that distinguish military logistics management from business logistics management, but also to point out the complexities and limitations that military logistics bring with it. The key determinants of the difference will be presented through the organization of the logistics supply chain, the subjects, participants and goals it involves, but also the risk, the corresponding law, logistics process management approach, innovations, organization systems, and the basic methods of transportation that military logistics brings with it. The given specifics need to be analyzed and compared with the key features of business logistics, where through the examples from practice will be pointed out the points of contact, but also the key differences between these two areas of logistics.
Corporate Governance of the Companies Listed on the Belgrade Stock Exchange
Authors: Ljutić Ivana
Published: November 2023

The present article addresses the ex-post metadata statistical analysis of the corporate governance questionnaire of the listed companies at Belgrade Stock Exchange. The period is 2013-2020, with 50 reports filed as public information at the official website of the exchange. Methodology is based on the standardized approach promulgated on the IFC technical support to the exchange. It reflects fully the G20/OECD corporate governance principles and corporate governance assessment quality based on this method. The statistics consisted of handling of large and voluminous data with 50 questions, while the question No. 3 was included as a number but not as a question in the reports. Statistical calculation allowed us to make some conclusions and recommendations. At the same time, we are aware that those reports were not assured or audited internally withing the companies, externally by the auditors or by the stock exchange itself. The main goal of our analysis was to give a standard and harmonized overview on the quality of corporate governance of issuers at the Belgrade Stock Exchange, which in turn could be compared with the relevant exchanges worldwide, also to be used for policy makers, regulators and issuers to make practical steps to further improve the quality of corporate governance.
Monitoring fiscal risks in the national economy
Authors: Mladenka Balaban , Zoran Grubišic
Published: November 2023

Fiscal risks are short-term and medium-term deviations of fiscal variables about the values foreseen in the budget, financial or other reports or projections of public finances. Fiscal risks, therefore, represent the exposure of public finances to certain circumstances that may cause deviations from the projected fiscal framework. Deviations can occur in revenues, expenditures, fiscal results, as well as in the assets and liabilities of the state, in planned and expected. External risks, such as natural disasters or global financial crises, cannot be affected by the government, but it is possible to define exit strategies that would mitigate their effects. From a social point of view, the research should contribute to 1) a better understanding of the impact of fiscal risks on the budget 2) an introduction to the types of fiscal risks in the national economy, 3) a better understanding of methodologies for monitoring fiscal risks. The paper points out various fiscal risks that affect the budget of the national economy, as well as ways to monitor and reduce fiscal risks
The Impact of Import, Export and FDI on the Economic Growth of the Western Balkans Countries
Authors: Marjanović Darko , Beraha Isidora , Simović Vladimir
Published: November 2023

Macroeconomic stability is one of the important factors influencing the growth and development of national economies in today’s modern global economy. Economic policy should create conditions for macroeconomic stability and economic growth based on increased investment, exports, savings, productivity, and competitiveness, while reducing macroeconomic imbalances, especially the fiscal deficit, inflation, and the current account deficit. In order to achieve macroeconomic stability, as well as sustainable economic growth, it is important to pursue a rational economic policy and carry out accelerated structural reforms. The main objective of the paper is to analyze the impact of key indicators, i.e., export and import of goods and services and FDI on economic growth of the Western Balkans countries. Such an analysis is important to show the state of the economy and predict its stability. The research focuses on the countries of the Western Balkans, while the analysis uses secondary data from the UNCTAD database for the period 2011-2020. The research results indicate that Serbia is progressing much faster than other countries of the Western Balkans. In the coming period, a growth trend can be expected in all Western Balkan countries, which will result in better economic development and increasing openness to new investments.
Intercultural Competences in the French Financial Services Companies
Authors: Petković Miloš
Published: November 2023

The aim of this paper is to explore public corporate news related to the topic of intercultural competence (ICC) in 4 French companies in the year of 2018. In order to answer the research question, a computerized lexical content analyses were done of 424 separate news (texts), with 243,146 words. The research model generated a bottom up clustering on keywords, titles and abstracts. The examination of the data concentrates on 4 main clusters of news that focus on (1) motivation as an affective component - desire to cooperate with strangers, (2) knowledge as a cognitive component – understanding and awareness, (3) skills as a behavioral component – personal ability to engage behaviors, and (4) financial performance as a final success result – companies' ability to gain competitive advantage and create future value. A transversal review of the four clusters reveals that ICC as a portfolio of specialized competences whose complementary intellectual resources are crucial for the companies’ value creation process is insufficiently present in the communication practices. ICC as a part of human capital is a key companies’ resource for creation of future value and should be therefore more considered in companies’ communication practices. The article contributes to the current literature on ICC narratives. It seeks to provide explanation of which ICC components companies focus most on in order to gain competitive advantage and financial performance.
Crowdfunding Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ljumović Isidora , Hanić Aida , Stevanović Slavica
Published: November 2023

The aim of this paper was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on crowdfunding using data from the Kickstarter platform. The study period covers the COVID years from March 2020 through 2021 and three years before the pandemic. We crawled data from Kickstarter.com with custom-made software, a scraper robot. The research was based on a sample of a total of 43.977 campaigns, of which 29.5% were started during the COVID era and 70.5% were launched previously. To test our expectation that the characteristics of the campaigns during COVID-19 have changed, we applied a t-test. The results show that crowdfunding created an early response to the COVID crisis, manifested as differences between campaigns initiated during and before the pandemic period. Campaigns initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic had lower goals, much higher amounts of funds pledged, a higher number of backers, higher chances for success, and a shorter blurb description, while they were more frequently chosen as favourites by the Kickstarter staff. The coronavirus is a huge economic burden, particularly for start-ups, entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). As a result, the findings of this study suggest that crowdfunding, as an online option, might help fill in the finance gap during times of crisis.
State and Perspectives of Agricultural Land Acquisitions
Authors: Budak Ana
Published: November 2023

Despite being marginal in both general and scientific public, land acquisitions have brought agricultural land in the unprecedented focus of interest. The causes of these changes are the consequence of, inter alia, the growing world population, which undeniably leads to the increased need for agricultural products. Therefore, in this article the most relevant cause of agricultural land acquisitions is considered – growing food demand. The history suggests that the acquisitions of agricultural lands are not a new phenomenon, but rather a new wave of déjà vu. However, what differentiates this wave of acquisitions from previous ones are, inter alia, its causes. The latest wave of agricultural land acquisitions, according to the general understanding, started with the global financial crisis. In these circumstances, the growing demand for land acquisition began, which led developing countries to realize that the purchase of agricultural land, despite its potentially negative effects, could serve as a catalyst for economic development. We drew the conclusion that more than a third of all the cross-border land acquisitions were caused by the growing food demand. The results of the research show that the growth of land acquisitions follows the growth of world population, implying that the demand for agricultural land will not be stagnant for at least three more decades. In other words, land acquisitions undeniably are in continuo. This implies the need that foreign direct investment policies in agriculture, are defined in a way which would maximise the benefits and minimise any potential drawbacks.
Just-In-Time Strategy Implementation Challenges and The Organizational Structure Dimensions
Authors: Erić Nielsen Jelena , Stojanović Aleksić Vesna , Todorović Spasenić Ana
Published: November 2023

The implementation of the Just-in-Time (JIT) strategy will be successful only if each individual in the organization is maximally involved and committed to independent work tasks, with maximum contribution to teamwork with other employees and active participation in decision making, but also planning, organizing and activity control. This research starts from the assumption that the way of organizing production lines, team work of employees and relationships with suppliers, as factors of successful implementation of JIT strategy, determine the parameters of organizational structure of production companies in Serbia, whose output does not have the status of final product, but other companies use it as an input in production. The subject of the research is a detailed analysis of the impact of the implementation of JIT strategy on the organizational structure of the production company, in order to point out the importance of harmony in the relationship between JIT strategy - the parameters of organizational structure. The research results showed that an adequate organizational structure is a pillar of efficient and effective implementation of JIT strategy in this category of manufacturing companies, because this production model requires strong cooperation within the company, where plants and processes must be arranged to generate efficiency and increasing productivity, while minimizing the total cost of production. Internal cooperation, whose pillar is a decentralized type of organizational structure, and cooperation with suppliers are key prerequisites for manufacturing companies, without or with minimal inventories, to ensure that production size meets demand requirements quickly and efficiently.
Stock Markets Integration between Western Europe and Central and South-Eastern Europe: Latest Trends
Authors: Minović Jelena , Janković Irena , Kovačević Vlado
Published: November 2023

The aim of the paper is to examine the stock market integration between Western Europe and selected countries of Central (Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and South-Eastern Europe (Greece, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and Romania). In order to achieve this goal, we used a bivariate BEKK model to obtain time-varying covariances and correlations for the period April 15, 2013 - March 29, 2019. Our results showed that Austria has the highest degree of integration among countries in Central Europe, followed by the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. Additionally, Greece has the highest degree of integration among all countries in South-Eastern Europe, followed by Romania, and Croatia. Thus, stock markets of Central Europe are more integrated with Western Europe than stock markets of South-Eastern Europe.
Corruption as an Obstacle to Pandemic Response
Authors: Škrinjarić Bruno , Budak Jelena , Carragher Allison
Published: November 2023

This research explores the relationship between corruption and pandemic outcomes by investigating whether European countries with higher levels of corruption were less successful in fighting COVID-19. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling techniques. Results indicate that corruption prevalence and poor bureaucratic quality both decrease trust in government, and this effect is persistent notwithstanding the socioeconomic conditions or geographic attributes of a country. Trust in government, coupled with stringency measures, is positively associated with the number of new people vaccinated, and thus fewer COVID-19-related deaths. Furthermore, corruption undermines trust in the government and its institutions and, through this mechanism, prevents the suppression of the pandemic. Unlike other scarce studies that looked at the direct link between corruption and vaccination only, we also examined the impact of corruption on the outcomes of government pandemic restriction measures and added several contextual variables into the model and found that corruption poses a significant obstacle to pandemic response. Our findings suggest to policymakers that their best weapon against COVID-19 is vaccination, and that renewed efforts to root out corruption and build trust between governments and citizens can positively impact vaccination rates and limit the most devastating effects of the pandemic.
Quality of Government as an Attracting Factor of FDI - Evidence from Chosen Southeastern Europe Countries
Authors: Jovanović Miloš , Domazet Ivana , Marjanović Darko
Published: November 2023

This paper aims to examine the indicators of the quality of government of selected countries in South-Eastern Europe, which significantly influence the attractiveness of foreign direct investment. With the aim of quantifying the influence of certain factors on FDI, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania and Northern Macedonia are included as the selected countries of the region, with the period of analysis limited to the period from 2007 to 2021. The results of the empirical analysis of the influence of the factors have shown that the factors referred to as the Rule of Law Index, Government Efficiency Index, Public Administration Efficiency Index and Political Stability Index have a significant and positive influence on the attractiveness of the country for foreign investors, while some other factors such as the cost of starting a new business have a negative influence on the country's attractiveness.
Analysis of the Role of VCFs as Non-banking Financial Institutions in Financing Women’s Entrepreneurship
Authors: Jolović Nevena , Đuričin Sonja
Published: November 2023

Investment funds are one of the main players in the capital market. In the current conditions, especially popular is their form alternative investment funds (AIFs) and the modality thereof venture capital funds (VCFs). VCFs are non-banking financial institutions that collect the capital of many investors and directly invest it in a portfolio of perspective businesses, often gaining ownership in them. The main goal of these funds is to increase profits realized by the sale of shares in the mentioned businesses in the later period, i.e. when the companies, thanks to their innovations and potentials, become recognized on the market, and when the value of their shares rises. As VCFs can contribute to the expansion of investment in young, innovative, high-risk businesses, especially those run by women, the research aims to analyze the role which these non-banking financial institutions have in financing women's entrepreneurship. It is expected that research will encourage women to get into the entrepreneurial market and business entities in whose managerial positions they are to turn to non-banking financial institutions of this type for capital support. Descriptive and comparative methods, analysis and synthesis, and a detailed analysis of available domestic and foreign literature were used for the preparation of this paper. The result of the research is the confirmed belief that in current market conditions VCFs, as non-banking financial institutions, play a prominent role in financing women's entrepreneurship.
Perspectives on Poverty by Gender within the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Pavlovic Dejana , Ognjenovic Kosovka
Published: November 2023

Gender poverty is a serious factor needing further examination and monitoring as related to economics since it is a limiting factor to an economy’s potential. Inequality is not only a sign of an unhealthy economy but of current and potential social discord. Serbia has tried to actively better the economic position of women by implementing its National Gender Equality Strategy 2009-2015. The paper deals with how gender affects poverty in Serbia. Using statistical data on indicators of gender poverty from 2016 to 2018, sourced from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, this paper presents an analysis of the economic position of women in the Republic of Serbia (RS). Recommendations for the advancement of women in RS in terms of their economic status are also provided.
Persistence of Gender Stereotypes in Sports
Authors: Palaščáková Daniela , Palascakova Lenka
Published: November 2023

Equality among women and men is the fundamental principle of the European Union. European Commission has declared to eliminate and resolve the gender inequalities in decision-making within the Women’s Charter as well as the strategy for women and men equality. Although there is a continuous growth in women’s participation in sports, women are still underrepresented in the decision-making bodies of the sports institutions at local, national, European and global level. However, gender inequality remains common in our society, even though the way how individuals experience gender discrimination differs. The reason is the fact that inequality is the consequence of various factors influence, not the gender itself only. When strengthening gender equality in sports and decision-making, eliminating gender inequalities is the most important. Following the contemporary
The City-Village Interface in Ibadan (Nigeria)
Authors: Oladejo Mutiat Titilope
Published: November 2023

In general accounts of black soap production, it is traced to West Africa. And prominent across, Ghana, Benin Republic, Cote de Ivoire and Nigeria. However, this paper examines the nature of entrepreneurship associated with black soap production and trade in Ibadan of the twentieth century. The work analyses how women dominated the industry and its interface between the village and Ibadan city markets. The work locates the characteristics of innovation and market development imaged by women to earn livelihoods in black soap trade in Ibadan city and village. The paper uses the Asuwada sociation theory to explain the entrepreneurial resilience of women in Olode village. The work uses the historical approach to examine the city-village interface. Oral interviews were conducted with women involved in production and trade since the early twentieth century.
Adopting Adult Education for Fulfilment of the Right of Women to Education in Nigeria
Authors: Olomola Omolade Olunike , Olumide_Ajibola Chioma Agnes
Published: November 2023

The importance of education and the need for women’s education, in particular, is advocated worldwide. However, there are still impediments to the realisation of women’s right to education in Nigeria. It is through education that women acquire the desire and nature for the attainment of values, competence, skills, attitudes and knowledge. This paper highlights the need for serious consideration to be afforded to adult education generally in addition to adult literacy specifically in a bid to aid women in achieving their right to education. As such, the concept of adult and non-formal education being a basis aimed at the abolition of illiteracy amidst women in Nigeria was discussed.
Feature of Perception of Distance Learning by Students During the First Wave COVID19
Authors: Antipyev Konstantin , Levchenko Valeriy , Razinsky Gennady
Published: November 2023

2020 has become an important challenge for all countries of the world.  Even though pandemics have occurred periodically in the past, the current pandemic is taking place in the context of the information society and globalization development Information on the spread of infection was rapidly disseminated through all channels of communication: television, social networks, messengers.  Most of the countries have made and are making efforts to reduce the possibility of simultaneously contracting with large numbers of people.  Educational institutions have begun to switch to distance learning.  Both teachers and students at all levels of education found themselves in the new conditions.  Vocational education has also turned into distance learning mode.  Universities did not stop education but faced considerable difficulties in its organization while being in the conditions of distance learning.  Based on the conducted research, the authors have studied the attitude of full-time students and female students to distance learning and adaptation to it.
Integration of Gender Aspects into Development of Knowledge Management System in The Entrepreneurial Organizations in Serbia
Authors: Radović Marković Mirjana , Nikitović Zorana , Somborac Borko , Penjišević Aleksandra , Vujičić Slađana
Published: November 2023

For entrepreneurial organizations to be able to successfully develop the business strategy, it is necessary to provide optimal resources for unhindered growth, internal coherence, stability of organizational culture, and competitiveness in the market. At the heart of these processes are employees, who directly influence organizational outcomes with their daily efforts, ability, and thinking. Also, the improvement of business functions is necessary for the organization to be competitive with other organizations in the market. In this context, the effectiveness of knowledge management is one of the key aspects in ensuring the development of both individual and group performance. In today’s time of great challenges for entrepreneurs, managing the processes that provide knowledge to both employees and organizations can be a key aspect of business sustainability that is imperative in turbulent circumstances. The purpose of the study was to examine how organizational culture and gender aspects of employees should be put in the function of knowledge management system (KMS). In line with this, this paper attempts to examine the extent to which the processes of improving the knowledge of employees from a gender perspective in entrepreneurial organizations in Serbia are effectively managed. In order for women to realize a greater contribution in entrepreneurial organizations, it is imperative to stimulate the educational process by empowering both women and men to improve their well-being and participate actively in entrepreneurial organizations building. Authors pointed out that when technology and organizational culture are coupled with educational assistance and training, however, adoption improves, and benefits are greater. Finally, they concluded that statistical parameters explicitly show that there are no significant differences on any tested issue, between males and females. This means that their perspective is identical when it comes to the development and use of knowledge management in entrepreneurial organizations.
The Effect of Gender and Age on the Dark Triad in Helping Professions – the Comparison with General Population
Authors: Čopková Radka
Published: November 2023

Helping professions represent professions in our society, whose main aim is to help others. Less attention was paid to the fact that, like every person, a helping professional has, to some extent, maladaptive personality traits too. The aim of the present study was to explore three aversive personality traits - Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy on a sample of helping professionals. The study was conducted on a sample of 312 participants from different sectors of the helping professions - pedagogical workers, healthcare workers, rescue workers, social workers and general population. The Slovak version of Short Dark Triad - SD3 has been administered (Jones & Paulhus 2014; Čopková & Šafár, 2021). The main result showed that helping professionals scored significantly higher than general population in psychopathy. The testing of between-subject variability while controlling the effect of gender and age indicated that in psychopathy healthcare workers and rescue workers scored significantly higher than general population. We find it helpful to point out that even among helping professionals, who are usually expected to be selfless and prosocial, we can find individuals who are attracted by the other side of pursuing this type of profession - the power they have over the person they provide help to. Based on several limitations we consider this study as a pilot one that might focus the attention on this understudied topic.
Is there a Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion across Countries?
Authors: Antonijević Marija Srdjan , Ljumović Isidora , Ivanović Đina
Published: November 2023

The aim of this paper is to examine the differences between men and women in 7 segments related to the financial inclusion. Research is based on the Global Findex Database for 2017. Sample comprises 144 countries worldwide. Authors applied nonparametric Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test using a 95% confidence interval. Results of Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test show that there are statistically significant differences between men and women in owning a financial institution account, saving at a financial institution, borrowing from a financial institution, owning a credit card, using a mobile phone or the Internet to access an account, using the Internet to pay bills or to buy something online, and making or receiving digital payments. In this regard, countries should focus their policies on measures to increase and improve women's financial inclusion, especially in the segments related to making or receiving digital payments and owning a financial institution account.
Entrepreneurial Orientation and Entrepreneurial Performance among Female Entrepreneurs: Empirical Evidence from Kenya
Authors: Muindi Kimeu , Masurel Enno
Published: November 2023

The purpose of this paper was to study whether entrepreneurial performance can be explained by entrepreneurial orientation among female entrepreneurs in Kenya. This empirical research is based on the data from 301 micro and small enterprises (MSEs) located in Kenya. A linear multiple regression analysis on the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on entrepreneurial performance among the female entrepreneurs was conducted. The paper focused on the five aspects of entrepreneurial orientation  (risk-taking,  innovativeness, pro-activeness, competitive aggressiveness and autonomy) and their ability to prompt entrepreneurial performance which was defined as firm performance, development of personal wealth and social performance. Social performance was rather well predicted by entrepreneurial orientation  (by 4 out of 5 aspects), whereas firm performance was only limitedly predicted by entrepreneurial orientation (only by 2 out of 5 aspects) and development of personal wealth was not predicted by entrepreneurial orientation  at all (by 0 out of 5 aspects). On the other hand, we  see that the entrepreneurial orientation aspects of innovativeness and pro-activeness have the most predictive value (for 2 out 3 entrepreneurial performance indicators), whereas risk-taking and autonomy have only limited predictive value (for only 1 out of 3 entrepreneurial performance indicators) and competitive aggressiveness has no predictive value at all (for 0 out of 3 entrepreneurial performance indicators). The paper is based on own-collected empirical data. The paper indicates that the benefits of aligning high levels of entrepreneurial orientation is not unanimous but varies across the different aspects of entrepreneurial orientation and the different entrepreneurial performance indicators.
Pushed or Pulled into Entrepreneurship? Motivations behind Entrepreneurial Entry for Women with Disabilities in Bangladesh
Authors: Dhar Saptarshi , Farzana Tahira , Abedin Sabiha Saju Ibne
Published: November 2023

This research is aimed to explore the entrepreneurial motivations for women entrepreneurs with disabilities (EWDs) in Bangladesh. The paper adopted the push-pull theory of entrepreneurial motivation as its theoretical background and assessed whether women EWDs chose to pursue an entrepreneurial career for “push” or “pull” reasons. A qualitative, multiple case study research methodology based on a semi-structured, in-depth interview format was adopted to enable the respondents to share their experiences. Four cases of women EWDs involved in small businesses were selected based on purposive sampling. Findings imply that the motivational reasons for women EWDs involve a blend of push and pull factors. Four pull factors - economic freedom, higher income, self-fulfillment and achievement, personal development and two push factors – job dissatisfaction and lack of career prospects were found as predominant entrepreneurial motivators. The unique contribution of this paper is to offer evidence on the entrepreneurial motivation for women EWDs in Bangladesh through a qualitative research methodology deriving data from in-depth interviews.
Earnings Quality and Price Informativeness:
Authors: Mansoori Ebrahim
Published: November 2023

Women’s representation on corporate boards has recently drawn increasing attention. This study aims to investigate the moderator role of females on board of directors on the relationship between earnings quality (EQ) and stock price informativeness. This research uses secondary data obtained from the Sahra database that span 158 active firms on the Tehran Stock Exchange from 2017 to 2021. Findings indicated that the presence of female directors on the board had a favorable impact on the correlation between EQ and pricing informativeness. That is, firms with more female board members have a greater association between EQ and pricing informativeness. The practical application of this research relates to female CEOs’ monitoring roles, thereby enhancing the quality of financial reporting.
Identifying the Sources of Work-family Conflict among Women Entrepreneurs in Iran: A Comparison between Opportunity- and Necessity-driven Women Entrepreneurs
Authors: Rafiaie Arghavan , Farhadinejad Mohsen , Modarresi Meisam
Published: November 2023

The purpose of this paper is to identify the sources of work-family conflict among Iranian women entrepreneurs and bridge the academic gap in this area. In this regard, the paper tries to employ opportunity- and necessity-driven entrepreneurship theory. The qualitative approach was used through conducting 15 in-depth interviews with Iranian women entrepreneurs in the Semnan province. According to the results, Sources of work-family conflict for Iranian women entrepreneurs were categorized into: social, cultural, family, and personal categories. These sources are different with opportunity- and necessity-driven Iranian women entrepreneurs.
Understanding Gender Approach to Educational Achievement:
Authors: Bahrun Bahrun , Sanusi Sanusi , Yeniningsih Taat Kurnita , Bakar Abu , Hasan Amiruddin
Published: November 2023

There is a known gender gap in higher education where female students have different learning outcomes at school and university levels. This study explores the perspective of a gender model approach to educational achievement in terms of the thoughts of outstanding students in several universities in Aceh Province. Through data analysis of the interview data of 400 exceptional participants to hear their perceptions about their learning progress. Gender differences in educational outcomes are related to gender differences in non-cognitive traits of education, such as behavior, interests, motivation, personalization, consistency, and external support; However, causal interpretation of the interview evidence and literature review has concluded our research by determining which factors are most decisive for female student achievement as a gender approach model. Thought in solving policy approaches can help close this gender gap, and this finding shows how gender-based policies can close it. The results of this study are expected to be a meaningful input for developing studies for researchers, academic discussion, and policy-making to support female students' academic achievement in higher education institutions. The achievements obtained will be a model for women to increase their capacity as social workers.
Digital Competences as a Precondition for an Inclusive Digital Economy - Is There a Gender Gap Among Persons with Disabilities in Serbia?
Authors: Lazić Milena , Vukmirović Valentina , Banović Jelena , Simović Vladimir , Paunović Mihailo
Published: November 2023

Digital labour platforms provide lower barrier access to employment and income generation for all, having a great potential to create almost equal opportunities for persons with different forms of disabilities to engage in the labour market while contributing to their inclusive employment. However, to be able to provide adequate services to their distant employers, remote workers must possess a sufficient level of digital competences, skills and knowledge. Accordingly, the paper seeks to assess the level of digital competences of persons with disabilities in Serbia and to establish whether there are any gender-related differences in that regard. The results obtained aim to identify the gap between the existing and required competences for starting an entrepreneurial venture or finding a job using freelance platforms. The paper’s main contribution reflects the fact that digital competences of persons with disabilities in Serbia in the context of their self-employment are a topic insufficiently explored in the existing literature.
Revamp of Tourism Industry in Nepal
Authors: Bhandari Pratikshya , Sigdel Bijay , Photchanachan Sarana , Uppapong Kullaya , Bhattarai Asmita
Published: November 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic unexpectedly disrupted people and placed a global consequence; no industries have arguably been as hard-hit as Nepal's tourism industry. Therefore, the study has examined the influence of EO on revamping women-owned tourism businesses and how the mediating effects of competitive advantage influence the performance of women-owned tourism businesses in Nepal. Data were collected from 172 women-owned tourism businesses via a survey questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) tests the hypothesis via the Smart PLS software to measure the relationship through bootstrapping and algorithms. Data analysis revealed that EO doesn’t have a direct relationship with firm performance, whereas, through the mediation of competitive advantage, EO has a relationship with firm performance. Furthermore, findings show that EO plays a crucial role in revamping women-owned tourism businesses. This study has an important implication for women-owned tourism businesses seeking to revamp their business and, in the same way, gain competitive advantages.
Through the Eyes of the T. rex: Animal Behavior in Dinosaur Fiction
Authors: Gartley Luke-Elizabeth
Published: November 2023

Animal point-of-view fiction (also sometimes called “xenofiction”) is a niche genre that emerged in the modern era. Both prose fiction and comics told from an animal point-of-view can offer unique insights into cultural understandings of animal behavior, nature, and the environment more broadly. This article delves specifically into dinosaur point-of-view fiction, which at times has even been written by or with support from professional paleontologists. Through several popular examples of dinosaur fiction and comics published from the 1990s to the 2010s, this article will examine how these texts illustrate how fictional representations of scientific understandings conform to or challenge dominant narratives around the natural world, gender, and power. These stories, including Stephen Bissette’s unfinished comic series Tyrant (1993–1996), and Robert Bakker’s novel Raptor Red (1995), and most recently Tadd Galusha’s graphic novel Cretaceous (2019), use creative storytelling techniques to entertain readers, while also representing and participating in scientific discourses of paleontology and animal behavior.
Attuning to the Erratic End of Life: The Logic of Care in Hospice at Home
Authors: Wang Anne-chie
Published: November 2023

How do dying people receive good care at home in a highly institutionalized death context? The Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan, for example, has promoted hospice home care and respecting patient autonomy to improve the quality of end-of-life experiences. However, this study finds that end-of-life care is not automatically personalized or empowering for patients. From the theoretical perspective of care practices, this study accentuates the importance of family carers’ invisible work in achieving these goals for patients. Drawing from in-depth interviews and twelve months of participant observation in a medical center in northern Taiwan, the study found that family caregivers are meticulously attuned to the patient’s condition to provide care, which includes rearranging the place, coordinating resources and other carers, and practicing care. This paper reveals that the practice of hospice home care does not depend merely on the patient’s autonomy but also on the family caregivers’ and medical team’s work, which is relatively invisible within the health insurance system.
Cover Art | Bloomer Artist Statement
Authors: Timbes Kate
Published: November 2023

Artist Statement for Catalyst cover art "Bloomer"