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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 9 March 2012

Ivan‐Damir Anić, Edo Rajh and Arnela Bevanda

The purpose of this study is to investigate decision‐making styles of young consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It aims to test the applicability of Sproles and Kendall's…

1678

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate decision‐making styles of young consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It aims to test the applicability of Sproles and Kendall's Consumer Style Inventory (CSI). The paper also aims to segment young consumers based on their decision‐making styles (CDMS), profile consumer segments, and explore differences in gender and household income among segments.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected by means of a self‐administered survey. The sample consists of 600 young consumers from 18‐24 years of age, students from two large universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficients; K‐means cluster analysis, Chi‐square test, and two‐proportion z‐test.

Findings

Factor analysis identified 20 items and six CDMS factor solution. The results further indicate that young consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina might be classified in five segments according to their decision‐making styles. Young males were shown to be impartial, middle ground consumers, while females were more hedonistic‐oriented consumers. There were no significant differences in household income among segments.

Originality/value

The paper provides an empirical evidence of applicability of Sproles and Kendall's CSI instrument in the case of young consumers in developing transitional economy. The study shows that the CSI instrument might be used as a tool for segmenting and profiling young consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and thus it enriches CDMS literature.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 May 2022

Alexander Guest, Ilke Dagli and Marian Machlouzarides

Despite the end of conflict in 1995, Bosnia–Herzegovina still suffers from unresolved ethnic and social tensions, where fostering social cohesion, active citizenship and…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the end of conflict in 1995, Bosnia–Herzegovina still suffers from unresolved ethnic and social tensions, where fostering social cohesion, active citizenship and mitigating ethnonationalist tensions and politically motivated violence remains among the main goals to achieve transformative peace. This paper, based on quantitative analyses of 3,637 adult respondents, shows that the tendency of Bosnians to be active or violent citizens sometimes overlaps and are not very distinct patterns of behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that differentiate pathways and help explain (un)civil civic behaviours and inform the work of peace and development actors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a quantitative household survey conducted with a representative sample of 3,637 adults in Bosnia and by using a wide range of statistical tools from scaling to correlation analysis. This data set measures factors and conceptual notions associated with passive, constructive and aggressive civic tendencies and social cohesion in a nuanced way by using different metrics and scales. The survey was designed and conducted by The Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development (SeeD) and the Bosnia–Herzegovina Resilience Initiative in 2020, in partnership with The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) and The International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the SCORE Bosnia–Herzegovina study (SeeD, 2020).

Findings

Overall, the factors that were discovered to be linked to the manifestation of constructive and aggressive civic tendencies are multidimensional, and range from intergroup relations (e.g. tension, tolerance) to political and civic attitudes (e.g. ethnonationalism, civic responsibility, gender equality), from individual traits (e.g. education, economic stress) to the media landscape (e.g. information consumption). While the empirical evidence shows that some of these factors can push citizens towards both active and violent civic behaviours simultaneously, this study identifies and distinguishes those that can reduce aggressive civic tendencies while increasing constructive civic tendencies.

Practical implications

This paper proposes a replicable approach and evidence-based conclusions which can help validate the theories of change for the peace and development actors to ensure that scarce peacebuilding resources are invested where the impact is greatest, and the actors can protect the sanctity of their responsibility to do no harm.

Social implications

This paper seeks to provide a robust empirical understanding for more effective policy-making and programming that can support Bosnia–Herzegovina’s endogenous resilience against socio-political shocks and transformative peace trajectory. This paper seeks to demonstrate how peace and development actors can build and use an evidence-base for understanding civic behaviours and as a result formulate tailored efforts with greater likelihood of impact. This would help fulfil commitments towards sustainable development goals and the 2030 global agenda (UN General Assembly, 2015).

Originality/value

This study contributes insights to the emerging literature at the nexus of peacebuilding, individual skills/attitudes and civic behaviour. While the conclusions are highly contextual, the methodology is informed by multidisciplinary literature and is replicable in other post-conflict and non-conflict contexts, and thus can be used for cross-country comparisons and theory building around civic activism and constructive citizenship. The approach distinguishes between passive citizens, constructive activists, aggressive activists and purely violent citizens. This study discovers that the bifurcation is between passive citizens and active citizens, and although constructive and aggressive civic tendencies might be theorised to be contradictory, they overlap and tend to co-occur.

Article
Publication date: 12 August 2020

Kanita Beširević

The purpose of this study is to present, in the introductory part, the main project phases and the translation of classical literature masterpieces in the public domain from…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present, in the introductory part, the main project phases and the translation of classical literature masterpieces in the public domain from English or French languages to Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian; digital formatting to make the contents as usable and attractive for students and teachers as possible; Web presentation and digital library application; and marketing of the project and the materials published. Additionally, extensive descriptions of all project activities and elaboration on the financial constraints are given together with the observations related to the proposed self-sustainability by using the cross-platform free cloud software. Another challenge originating in a unique political context was presented with an explanation of the necessity to create digital content in three domestic languages. The central part provides a wider context by discussing the potentials of similar digital practices to be applied elsewhere based on the lessons learned. Finally, in conclusion, the short recapitulation and the final assessment of the project are given.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents the project Digital Library of Required Classic World Literature for Elementary and Secondary School Curricula in Domestic Languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina (in Bosnian: Digitalna biblioteka lektira). The descriptive methodology has been used to present the project to the scientific community and get constructive feedback.

Findings

This study aims to be the first significant school digital library initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, because of zero funding and plans directed to self-sustainability through the use of free cloud software solutions, its viability will be tested over time.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations are concerned with paper length and formal limitations. A longer study should be written to present all features of this project. However, it implies possible positive developments in digital content creation and usage in schools of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Practical implications

This study was initiated to support the physical school libraries, but in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, its importance increased exponentially since the classes went online.

Originality/value

This paper is based on the original project and is written by the person who is the project leader and digital librarian. This paper aims to be the first significant school digital library initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 36 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

Nimet Beriker‐Atiyas and Tijen Demirel‐Pegg

The nature of the negotiated outcomes of the eight issues of the Dayton Peace Agreement was studied in terms of their integrative and distributive aspects. In cases where…

Abstract

The nature of the negotiated outcomes of the eight issues of the Dayton Peace Agreement was studied in terms of their integrative and distributive aspects. In cases where integrative elements were found, further analysis was conducted by concentrating on Pruitt's five types of integrative solutions: expanding the pie, cost cutting, non‐specific compensation, logrolling, and bridging. The results showed that real world international negotiations can arrive at integrative agreements even when they involve redistribution of resources (in this case the redistribution of former Yugoslavia). Another conclusion was that an agreement can consist of several distributive outcomes and several integrative outcomes produced by different kinds of mechanisms. Similarly, in single issues more than one mechanism can be used simultaneously. Some distributive bargaining was needed in order to determine how much compensation was required. Finally, each integrative formula had some distributive aspects as well.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Article
Publication date: 28 October 2014

Almir Peštek and Merima Činjarević

The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying dimensions of local cuisine image by identifying the key cuisine attributes tourists rely on in their evaluations of local…

3837

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying dimensions of local cuisine image by identifying the key cuisine attributes tourists rely on in their evaluations of local cuisine; and to identify those dimensions of local cuisine image which have the strongest influence of tourist satisfaction with food experience. These issues are addressed within the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an emergent tourism market in Western Balkans.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is exploratory. The city of Sarajevo was chosen as a study setting. Image of local cuisine was measured by using a multi-attribute approach in which several food attributes are specified and incorporated into the measurement instrument. Data from convenience sample of foreign tourists (n=402) were quantitatively analyzed using multivariate and descriptive statistics.

Findings

Results suggest that the local cuisine image compromises four components (dimensions): “food uniqueness and cultural heritage”, “food quality and price”, “nutrition and health benefits of food” and “affective image of food”. Furthermore, findings show that these dimensions differ in terms of their relative importance in explaining the overall tourist satisfaction with food experience.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is related to the geographical area (tourist site) where the research process was carried out. Thus, future research with greater geographical scope is required.

Practical implications

This study provides valuable insight to practitioners who are seeking to integrate local food (cuisine) into the tourism product.

Originality/value

This paper is the one of the first study that tries to identify perceived image of local cuisine held by visitors in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 116 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2016

Robert D. Hisrich, Saša Petković, Veland Ramadani and Léo-Paul Dana

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the possibilities and limitations of venture capital formation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia where there has been a lack of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the possibilities and limitations of venture capital formation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia where there has been a lack of success and benefits of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from this type of financing.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a rationale for specific methodological choices and justifies its choice. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. The methods section (research design) explains the entry criteria for the study population, specific imaging techniques and methods of data analysis.

Findings

Venture capital invest in companies in the beginning to achieve an above average return on investment. Unfortunately, there are no officially registered venture capital funds in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the venture capital funds to operate, it is necessary to adopt regulations governing this area, to create a favorable tax system and introduce a cash basis for VAT calculation for SMEs. The majority of respondents in the research believe that in the establishment of venture capital funds would provide one of the greatest supports by the governments of these countries, analyzing the economic situation in these countries, it is apparent that there is an under-developed legal and tax system, which does not support SMEs. In order to attract foreign and domestic investors, and form venture capital funds, it is necessary to create a favorable business environment.

Originality/value

The paper contains novel information and insight into VC funds in two transition economies of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 23 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 February 2024

Almina Bešić, Christian Hirt and Zijada Rahimić

This study focuses on HR practices that foster employee engagement during Covid-19. Companies in transition economies are particularly vulnerable to crisis and downsizing and…

653

Abstract

Purpose

This study focuses on HR practices that foster employee engagement during Covid-19. Companies in transition economies are particularly vulnerable to crisis and downsizing and other recessionary practices are frequently used.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the model of caring human resource management, we utilise interviews with human resource representatives of 10 banks in the transition economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We analyse the banks at two different times to demonstrate how and why companies adapt their HR practices.

Findings

Our findings show a changing mindset in the deployment of highly context-specific HR practices. Strengthening company culture through a sense of community and communication ensure stability and continuity in work. Rather than layoffs, flexible work has become standard.

Practical implications

By highlighting the interplay between HR practices and employee engagement, we contribute to the discussion on engagement in exceptional circumstances and challenging settings and demonstrate how caring responsibilities “migrate” into HR practices in the professional context of a transition economy.

Originality/value

We propose a context-specific “protective caring approach” to foster employee engagement during crises.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. 46 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 September 2019

Selma Harrington, Branka Dimitrijevic and Ashraf M. Salama

The purpose of this paper is to focus on Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, giving a general overview of its urban context through five historical periods, as part…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, giving a general overview of its urban context through five historical periods, as part of a research study on its modernist architectural heritage.

Design/methodology/approach

Designed to mimic the theatrical process which unfolds through acts and intervals, the paper combines literary, architectural, journalistic and historical sources, to sketch the key periods which characterise the city’s urban morphology.

Findings

The sequence of acts and intervals points to the dramatic historic inter-change of continuities and ruptures, in which the ruptures have often been less studied and understood. This explains the frequent conceptualising of Sarajevo through East–West binary, which synthesises it as a provincial capital from Ottoman and later Habsburg rule, a regional centre within two Yugoslav states and a capital city of a young state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This highlights the need to study the ruptures as clues to the flow of continuities, in which the care and after care for built environment provide a field of evidence and possibilities for diverse perspectives of examination.

Research limitations/implications

Corroborated by secondary sources, the paper examines the accounts of urban heritage destruction in the 1990s war, as recorded by a writer, an architect and a journalist, and outlines a pattern of unbroken inter-relations between urban and architectural space (tangible) and sense and identity of place (intangible).

Practical implications

This discourse is relevant to the current situation where the city of Sarajevo expands again, in the complexity of a post-conflict society.

Social implications

Challenged by the political divisions and the laissez-faire economy, the public mood and interest is under-represented and has many conflicting voices.

Originality/value

Inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities and the accounts from the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, this conceptual paper contributes to the formulation of a cross-disciplinary discursive prism through which the fragments of the city and its periods come together or apart, adding, subtracting and changing layers of meaning of the physical space.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 July 2019

Sanja Kovačić, Nemanja Milenković, Iva Slivar and Milica Rancic

The purpose of this paper is to provide a suggestion for the research framework on tourists as target groups for planning city branding strategies with reference to possible…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a suggestion for the research framework on tourists as target groups for planning city branding strategies with reference to possible differences for tourists having a different country of origin. This framework was applied to analyze and compare the perception of Banja Luka city brand (Bosnia and Herzegovina) by four main target group by country of origin.

Design/methodology/approach

The suggested research framework combines qualitative generation of tourist’s city brand associations and brand personality with quantitative measurements of city brand perception (scale developed following the framework of Anholts’ (2006) City Brand Index adjusted to tourists as target groups).

Findings

The developed research framework was demonstrated in the example of Banja Luka main target groups. Three dimensions of city brand which largely coincide Anholt’s (2006) dimensions were extracted: tourist attractiveness, life standard and safe and pleasant atmosphere. Differences between analyzed countries were found in city brand perception, brand associations, brand personality, but also in all other analyzed categories.

Research limitations/implications

Possible limitation of the study is the fact that results were interpreted including both those who have visited Banja Luka and those who are not personally familiar with it.

Practical implications

Practical implications of research findings are demonstrated in form of branding suggestions focused on particular target groups.

Originality/value

The study suggests a research framework on tourists as target groups in the city branding process. Also, it contributes to a very scarce research on differences in city brand perception by target groups by country of origin, but also to the literature related to Banja Luka city brand and tourism development.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2021

Ramo Palalić and Hamza Smajić

The aim of this study is to investigate a mediation role of leadership over business performance and socioemotional wealth, within two Bosnian family businesses. This research…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate a mediation role of leadership over business performance and socioemotional wealth, within two Bosnian family businesses. This research purpose brings interesting highlights regarding how family businesses embedded the role of leadership that it might have a tremendous influence on business performance while tuning the socioemotional wealth.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on qualitative research methodology. The sample is collected based on a purposive sampling method as in most qualitative studies. As the instrument for data collection is concerned, in-person-semi-structured interview has been employed with the owner-manager of each particular-family firm. Thus, two case studies were conducted and analyzed.

Findings

The research contributes both to the theory and the practice. From the theoretical perspective, it contributes to the theoretical knowledge of leadership as an important role in relationship between the socioemotional wealth and business performance. The practical contribution of this research could be summed up in the sense that business owners should seek to employ positive leadership vibes to create a good socioemotional wealth so that would be positively reflected in overall business performance of a family business. Other findings are further discussed.

Originality/value

Scarce empirical research offers mixed results while theoretical propositions that organizational governance (leadership) plays an important role in this relationship, is somehow neglected. Hence, this is the first empirical study on this particular that investigates this topic in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), even in the Balkan region.

Details

Journal of Family Business Management, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-6238

Keywords

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