The crucial elements of a smart factory, employees, machines, and products, have an important effect on current business models.
The main aim of our study is to present a case study of the impact of ...Industry 4.0 on the business model in a smart factory. The paper discusses the changes of business models of the organisation and determines critical factors that influence the business models in a knowledge society.
Our sample included managers, from the company TPV, who are in charge of implementing a digital business model, and who are the most knowledgeable informants on the topic of our study. Data was obtained from, most widely used method for data collection in qualitative research, semi-structured interviews with managers. Content analysis was conducted for the purpose of our study.
Results of our study show that the major change will be that machines will have a “mind” of their own, whose main goal will be to work in production, and the role of employees will be primarily in expressing their creativity, carrying out urgent interventions and performing custody of processes. The key critical factors influencing business models in a smart factory are top management and leadership orientations, motivation of employees, collective wisdom, creativity and innovations.
The study represents useful guidelines for strategic management of innovative companies in the earliest stages of the process of decision-making process.
The aim of the study is to review the topic of competences that will be present at smart factories. The study used bibliometric and topic analysis to achieve insight into new trends in Industry 4.0. ...Bibliometric analysis and topic mining was done on 43 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers, published before July 2018 in the Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science and Scopus databases, using the software tool Statistica Data Miner. Results are segmented into four sections: (1) personnel development in learning organizations, (2) training techniques for personnel, (3) future engineering profiles and engineering education, and (4) relational capabilities. Each section is thoroughly discussed in this paper. The study contributes to the pool of knowledge on Industry 4.0 phenomena by compiling competences needed at smart factories in the future.
The article "Sustainable Transformation of Romanian Companies through Industry 4.0, Green Production and Environment Commitment' develops an econometric model that establishes the link between green ...performance, digitization, green production and environmental engagement, using structural equation modelling. ...the article identifies key elements that help companies transform digitally and sustainably. The article "Digital Transformation, Financial Performance and Sustainability: Evidence for European Union Listed Companies" investigates the beneficial effects of digitalization on efficient use of natural resources, reduction of pollution, and looks at how motivated companies are to transformation into a sustainable company. ...they looked at whether or not hotels have increased the rate of digitalization as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aim of the study is to develop a conceptual key competency model for smart factories in production processes, focused on the automotive industry, as innovation and continuous development in this ...industry are at the forefront and represent the key to its long-term success.
: For the purpose of the research, we used a semi-structured interview as a method of data collection. Participants were segmented into three homogeneous groups, which are industry experts, university professors and secondary education teachers, and government experts. In order to analyse the qualitative data, we used the method of content analysis.
: Based on the analysis of the data collected by structured interviews, we identified the key competencies that workers in smart factories in the automotive industry will need. The key competencies are technical skills, ICT skills, innovation and creativity, openness to learning, ability to accept and adapt to change, and various soft skills.
Our research provides insights for managers working in organisations that are transformed by Industry 4.0. For instance, human resource managers can use our results to study what competencies potential candidates need to perform well on the job, particularly in regards to planning future job profiles in regards related to production processes. Moreover, they can design competency models in a way that is coherent with the trends of Industry 4.0. Educational policy makers should design curricula that develop mentioned competencies. In the future, the results presented here can be compared and contrasted with findings obtained by applying other empirical methods.
The study aimed to verify Allardt's prosperity model in the field of economic prosperity based on the notions of being, loving and having and to explore the existence of possible correlation among ...sets of all three variables. Canonical correlation analysis to predict relative prosperity was performed for selected 110 nations with the focus on Romania and Slovenia. The study results for Romania for 2011 indicate low approval of the government, low confidence in the judicial system as well as in financial institutions, in addition to concerns about health prospects and lack of confidence in the transparency of elections for the loving construct. In addition, the being construct is also negative in Romania suggesting overall dissatisfaction with the economic status and development, indicating strong dissatisfaction with governmental efforts to address poverty and efforts regarding sanitation, concerns about environment, existing standard of living and life expectancy, suggesting a weak health system. The study further suggests for Slovenia for 2011 negative expectations for the loving construct and below average expectations for the being construct. The approval of the government and confidence in the judicial system and financial institutions in Slovenia is also low, the only positive expectation is the confidence in electoral system, but Slovenians are also worried about their health prospects. In addition, the being construct for Slovenia is also slightly below average, indicating dissatisfaction with economic development and below average satisfaction with water quality and environment, and life expectancy suggesting health system inefficiency. The longitudinal study for the time period from 2011 till 2016 suggests moderate improvements for Romania in eight areas of relative prosperity, especially for the natural environment, governance and education, and for Slovenia practically unchanged situation. The study further suggests that both nations still face numerous challenges but due to implementation of certain structural reforms till 2016, albeit limited, some additional improvements regarding the economic prosperity of their citizens could be expected in the near future.
The main aim of this research was to define the development of a conceptual frame to understand the impact of organizational culture on business excellence in medium-sized and large Slovenian ...enterprises. In our research the focus was on the importance of the role of communication structure, interpersonal relationships, motivation, and stimulation as part of knowledge management among 825 managers working in medium-sized and large Slovenian enterprises. The aim was to find out if these elements lead or contribute to business excellence. To analyse our data we applied analysis of variance as research methods. Our proposed thesis was supported since significant differences in business excellence between enterprises, different in the above mentioned elements. We can conclude that an appropriate communication structure, interpersonal relationships, motivation, stimulation and values as part of organizational culture positively affect business excellence in enterprises. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to investigate the precombination phase of merger and acquisitions (M&As). The study of two implemented M&A cases in Slovenia shows that the precombination phase and related ...groups of success factors highly contribute to overall success with M&A. The proposed paradigmatic model may serve as an additional reminder when companies join forces. Study results show that precombination phase considerations lead to the notion of compatibilities and complementarities between combining companies; commonly referred as strategic, organizational and financial ‘fit’ and that indicated groups of strategic, financial and organizational success factors can be classified towards such ‘fit’ areas.
In the article is presented the case of trust-based marketing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. The relationship between the hypotheses was tested by means of structural equation modelling. The ...results of the first model show that the predictor variable (consumer satisfaction with safety and information) has a significant effect on the mediator variable (consumer trust). The results of the second model show that the consumer trust also has a significant effect on virtual brand loyalty (dependent variable). Model 3 was developed by including consumer perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and consumer trust as independent predictor variables and virtual brand loyalty as the mediator variable with the specific intention to determine whether the effects of consumer perception of CSR on virtual brand loyalty became insignificant or less significant. The results of Model 3 show a partial mediator effect of consumer trust regarding the relationship between consumer perception of CSR and virtual brand loyalty.
This paper aims to study the conative component of competencies of managers in the posttransition economy of Slovenia. A conceptual framework of the tripartite components of competencies is developed ...and a sample of 183 managers in 11 small and medium enterprises from different sectors of industry is analyzed. The eventual disparity with the managers` conative component of competency and their job-related self-expectations and level of adaptation is analyzed. The results of the study suggest that Slovene managers are not aggressive initiative-takers but do not resist opportunities when they arise. However, the conative component of managers reveals that they might have problems coping with market and economic challenges because they will most likely shy away from taking the initiative in finding new opportunities.