Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the three components of intellectual capital (IC) (human, structural, and relational), and contextual factors relating to ...organisational climate (OC) and innovation culture, together with their influence on business performance (BP). Design/methodology/approach This empirical research is based on an online questionnaire, which collected data from a non-probability quota sample consisting of 253 Croatian SMEs. The scales for IC, OC, and innovation culture were constructed to test the relationship between these dimensions and assess the BP of the SMEs. Findings Based on a survey on 253 SMEs in Croatia, the analysis shows that the key dimensions of IC, innovation culture, and OC are vital to a company’s success and are strongly inter-correlated. Higher BP is positively related to higher levels of both IC and innovation culture. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of the research is the subjective aspect of the study. The data used in the study were self-reported where respondents in a survey gave their assessment of firm performance. Although this was necessary because of the absence of other data, it is an issue that must be taken into account when interpreting the findings in the study. Practical implications Understanding the role of IC, OC, and innovation culture in relation to BP, particularly in former transition countries, can have important implications for managers and enterprise owners, as well as policy makers and the academic community. Social implications The findings emphasise the important role of tacit knowledge in the innovation process, of which IC and OC are good examples. Originality/value This empirical study brings evidence from the understudied country of Croatia. Croatia is a post-transitional country and the last accessed member of the EU, on the dividing line between a modest and a moderate innovator. This is the first empirical study conducted in Croatia that explores the association between three concepts that are typically investigated separately (IC, OC, and innovation culture).
PurposeThis study, an exploratory one, aims to empirically investigate the association of national intellectual capital (NIC) with the national digital transformation readiness of the European ...Union's (EU’s) member states. Apart from building the conceptual model of NIC, this study explores the role of NIC dimensions in the digital divide between European countries.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature review and the available EU statistical data and indexes, the theoretical framework and conceptual model for NIC were developed. The model explores the relation of NIC and its dimensions (human, social, structural, relational and renewable/development capital) on the readiness of European countries for digital transformation and the digital divide. Significant differences between EU countries in NIC and digital readiness were tested. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the association of each NIC dimension with digital transformation and digital divide within the EU.FindingsDespite a positive association between all dimensions of NIC and digital transformation readiness, the proposed model of NIC was not confirmed in full. Regression analysis proved social capital and working skills, a dimension of human capital, to be the predictors of digital transformation at a national level, able to detect certain elements of digital divide between EU member states. Structural capital, knowledge and education, as dimensions of human capital, were predictors of the digital divide in terms of the integration of digital media in companies.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has a limited propensity for generalisation due to the lack of common measurement models in the field of NIC exploration.Practical implicationsThis research offers policy makers an indication of the relationships between NIC and digital transformation, pointing out which dimensions of NIC should be strengthened to allow the EU to meet the challenges of digital economy and to overcome the digital divide between EU member states.Social implicationsThe use of digital technologies is key in creating active and informed citizens in the public sphere and productive companies and economic growth in the business sphere.Originality/valueThis study provides an original theoretical framework and conceptual model through which to analyse the relationship between NIC and digital transformation, which has thus far not been explored at the level of the EU. This research makes an original contribution to the empirical exploration of NIC and produces new insights in the fields of digital transformation and intellectual capital.
PurposeThe main purpose of this research is to analyse the efficiency of the main European monitoring frameworks to estimate the transition of the countries within the European Union (EU) towards ...circular economy (CE) using the example of Croatia.Design/methodology/approachAssessment methods with reliable data and appropriate indicators are essential when it comes to measuring transition and progress towards CE. The methodology employed in this research is a systematic and critical analysis of the seven European measurement frameworks employed to assess Croatia's progress towards CE.FindingsThe analysis revealed how EU's monitoring frameworks have developed over time and how useful they are in evaluating country's progress towards CE. The measurement tools and indicators proved, in the case of Croatia, insufficient for clarifying and understanding its progress towards CE. Selection of indicators within monitoring frameworks is arbitrary while their interpretation is highly contextual, dependent on policy targets and local conditions. These results can be extrapolated to other EU member states.Practical implicationsPolicy recommendations for more efficient CE transitions are provided.Originality/valueThis research sheds light on the CE development in Croatia – an understudied European country in this context – and discusses the country's goals towards sustainability. The limited success of developed CE indicators is discussed.
The aim of the article is to explore the possible impacts of culture on in-country regional differences in innovation capacities and propensity to entrepreneurship using the Hofstede’s model of ...national culture. There is a number of studies that proved the profound influence of culture on innovation and entrepreneurship capacities. By contrast to cross-country cultural studies, the cross-regional cultural research on innovation and entrepreneurship within a country, especially in Europe, is an under-researched area. The research is based on national survey data (N = 1000) in Croatia, the country that suffers from weaknesses in innovation and entrepreneurial capacities with great regional development disparities. This suggests it as a good example for exploring regional cultural differences.
The research proved that Croatian regions are culturally heterogonous but the correlation between regional culture and regional entrepreneurship and innovation capacities was not found. Hofstede’s model appeared as having little practical value for strategic management and development and suggest that other factors, presumably more structural than cultural, that mediate poor innovation and entrepreneurship performance should be taken into account. The article contributed to the conceptualization and empirical research of regional innovation culture and provide evidence of the limited explanatory power of Hofstede’s model in explaining regional differences by cultural factors.
•Impact of culture on in-country regional differences in innovation capacities and entrepreneurship is explored.•Cultural dimensions based on Hofstede’s model failed to explain propensity to innovation and entrepreneurship.•Structural factors rather than cultural values determine regional innovation and entrepreneurship propensity.
The goal of this research is to shed additional light on the internationalisation of scholarly publishing in Croatia through research based on the bibliometric analysis of the journal Društvena ...Istraživanja (DI). The first part of this research is dedicated to bibliometric analysis of DI since its conception in 1992, while the second part discusses the internationalisation of scientific journals in Croatia, relying on the critical analysis of relevant literature and the bibliometric characteristics of DI. The results of this research call into question the relevance of the existing scientific publishing policy to contribute to quality research papers and their internationalisation. The research provides implications for both editorial and publishing policies, as well as science policies in general.
Faced with the challenge to increase the level of innovation in science and technology many societies have developed a national innovation system as a form of public policy programs. If innovative ...culture is crucial for the adoption and development of new technologies, it is of great importance to explore the concept and possibly find out which type of culture is more innovative than others. Presented in the paper are the results of the first empirical study of innovation culture in Croatia based on a survey on the representative sample of Croatian population. Drawing on Hofstede's concept of dimensions of national culture, Croatian national innovation culture is operationalized as a set of value orientations and norms (uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity – femininity, long-term or short-term orientation, and power distance). Four scales based on Hofstede's dimensions were constructed, which mainly support the content validity of his concept. They could be used to measure differences in innovative capacity between groups and regions. The analysis shows the presence of multiple dimensions of innovation culture in Croatia that might hinder innovation capacity, but this doesn't necessary lead to the conclusion that we can identify one type culture elements as the only model for strengthening the innovative culture.
The aim of the paper is to identify the cross-national differences and similarities in policy-making trends on science in society (SiS) based on the comparative analysis of national reports from FP7 ...project "Monitoring Policy and Research Activities Related to Science in Society in Europe". Science in society in EU is characterized by two parallel processes: Europeanization and diversity of science and innovation policies. The focus of the analysis is to explore the possible indications of Europeanization as well as diversities and find elements of certain elements of core-periphery model. The focus of the analysis is to explore the existence of common issues of SiS and on the other side different policy actions and national priorities. Although the analysis reveals the presence of Europeanization process diversities and divides are still present which draws attention to a core-periphery model. While common trends can be recognized on the theoretical and contextual level mainly coming from the various processes of Europeanization, the core-periphery model is simultaneously present on the practical level of governance and policy-making.
The aim of this paper is to critically analyze the evolution of development paradigms to explain the changes in the concept of innovation and innovation policy that have occurred in the last ten ...years, and how these changes affect the development model of the County of Bjelovar -Bilogora (BBC), but also of Croatia as a whole. The research starts from the thesis that the last decade has witnessed the rise of a new development paradigm based on the concept of entrepreneurial economy in which the dynamics of entrepreneurship, flexibility and heterogeneity of ideas play a key role in economic development. The change in the development paradigm was preceded by a weakening of the concept of knowledge economy, and a shift from research-based innovation and high technology to entrepreneurial innovation as factors for economic growth and competitiveness. Less developed regions, such as BBC, which hardly compete in the field of high technology and technological innovation, have thus acquired a new development paradigm in which economic progress depends on the dynamics of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial innovation. The development of a new innovation paradigm in Croatia has been largely supported by the European Cohesion Policy, i.e. the Smart specialization strategy that sees the development of science and technological progress mainly in the context of regional development and within strengthening the local entrepreneurial competences. The research finds that BBC should ground its development on an entrepreneurial ecosystem with funding from the European Structural Funds, the basis of which the BBC in the past five years has made significant economic progress. The research is based on a critical conceptual analysis and used a qualitative methodology, mostly qualitative thematic analysis.
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