Search

Purpose: The paper examines the opinions and attitudes of young adults as the target audience towards a high-tech brand on several specific levels. The goal of research is to investigate and explore the perception of both Apple product users and non-users related to the Apple brand, brand loyalty, purchase intention, recommendation intention, and other aspects. Methodology: The research instrument was created for the purpose of this research and was partially based on several prior studies with different standpoints. The online questionnaire consists of 22 items and was carried out in 2019. Parametric and nonparametric statistical tests were used for testing the difference between sample segments. Results: The results indicate that the Apple brand has a generally positive image among the respondents. The majority of the respondents use or have used at least one Apple product. Apple users are generally loyal to the brand and willing to recommend Apple products to their friends and family. Users primarily recall Apple as a top-of-mind (first-mention) high-quality smartphone brand. In contrast, non-consumers tend to recall different brand names when thinking about high-end smartphones but also suggest that a brand name is an important factor in the consumer decision-making process. Conclusion: Collected data and related analysis provide insight into (non)consumer perception of the Apple brand and Apple products in the Croatian market accentuating the main consumer attitudes and brand perception related to a high-tech brand.

Purpose: Children in the Republic of Croatia are, as everywhere else in the world, active users of information and communication i.e. digital technologies, which is reflected in their daily habits and routines in the digital environment. The purpose of this paper is to find out if there are gender-based differences in behavior and established habits in the digital environment between boys and girls. Methodology: Quantitative research was carried out using the CAWI method among 400 parents or guardians in the Republic of Croatia who provided answers on (their own) children of primary school age. This paper focuses on the segment of children and their gender, i.e. the existence (or the lack of existence) of differences in the behavior of boys and girls in a digital environment. The statistically significant differences are demonstrated by testing various variables between the two above-mentioned segments. Results: The research results indicate that, on average, girls and boys start to use the Internet at the same age, approximately at the age of 6. However, there are noticeable differences between the sexes in terms of the habits and in the way they use the Internet. Conclusion: The conclusion shows that boys more frequently have desktop computers, laptops, and gaming consoles, and prefer to play online games and spend time in the online world, while girls more often post and publicly share photos, video records, and music. They equally use the Internet on weekdays, but boys spend more time on Internet activities on weekends.

Starting from the System Justification Theory, the aim of this paper is to explore levels of general system legitimation, inequality perception and meritocracy perception among Croatian citizens, as well as to determine whether there is a difference between social groups of lower and higher social standing in this regard. Survey research on a sample of the Croatian general population (N = 353) revealed that on balance the respondents do not perceive the Croatian social system as legitimate, equal and meritocratic. Regression analyses showed that retired persons express a substantially higher level of system legitimation and meritocracy perception when compared to employed persons, while higher religiosity was also a significant predictor in this regard. When it comes to the inequality perception, only female gender was a significant predictor. The results are discussed within the framework of the contemporary theories of meritocracy and system legitimation, as well as with reference to specific social and economic characteristics of the Croatian society, such as the Croatian War of Independence, transition to capitalism, welfare state development and labour market situation. Overall, the study results provide only a partial confirmation of the System Justification Theory.

The importance of student sport activities within the structure of academic development is arguably significant. However, university sport is one of the elements of academic development that is not represented adequately as a research subject on a global scale in both scientific and professional environments alike. Along with the global growth of university level education based on the rise of student mobility across countries and continents, and the strong global ICT development, a new perspective on university sport can be observed and several implications analyzed. The focus of this paper is set on the communication capabilities of the internet as a digital medium that can be used as a means of fostering student sport and related activities while taking into account the characteristics and behavioral components of the student population. The primary research was conducted on a sample of students of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. The research provided several interesting implications on student behavior regarding the general information collection and consumption, as well as information about student sport activities on the university level. The paper provides a brief sport marketing literature review and suggests several important guidelines for further research. The assumption that the internet is a key element in the marketing potential of student sport was confirmed. Comparative analysis of digital marketing activities of benchmark universities has been conducted in order to determine suggestions on creating and/or improving digital marketing tools such as web site, social network presence and mobile application for reaching marketing potential of university sport.

In this paper an attempt has been made to contextualize the ecological dimension of contemporary Catholic social teaching. With this aim in mind, the authors discuss the merits of several theories and approaches (political economy approaches, ecological modernization theory, environmental justice theory, and social constructionism) coming from environmental sociology and other disciplinary traditions in the social sciences. After an analysis of relevant historical documents of Catholic social teaching with respect to the environmental issues covered by them, the authors discuss the main lines of argument present in the recent (2015) encyclical Laudato Si’ (Pope Francis) and interpret them in the aforementioned theoretical framework. In conclusion, the usefulness of Catholic social teaching for the public dialogue between science and other relevant stakeholders, as well as its main strengths and weaknesses have been discussed.

Further development of family farms in Croatia largely depends on their adaptation to the contemporary demands of the open market, in particular by keeping up with new technologies and acquiring new knowledge. Through such adaptation, farmers would gain better access to information and new markets and a better position in negotiations. Overall, they would become better managers of their businesses. The Internet, coupled with other information and communication technologies (ICT), represents a tool for linking up different interest groups within the vertical agricultural chain. The role and significance of ICT and information literacy within agricultural activities is presented through a review of European development initiatives and theoretical insights regarding this topic. To reveal obstacles (objective and subjective), the current level of skills and the readiness to adopt new knowledge and technologies, a survey was conducted on a representative sample of inhabitants from rural areas, i.e. farmers, since they are a determining factor of such changes. The present paper is part of the research exploring a wider context of ICT implementation aimed at enhancing farmers’ competencies, and consequently, enhancing overall agricultural performance. The analysis seeks to confirm the basic hypothesis that there are objective and subjective obstacles, but also the interest and willingness to increase the level of knowledge in the observed social unit.

Industrialization and its role in stimulating modernization in the second half of 20th century changed the picture of village regarding dominating activity and professional structure of village population and new quality of social relations respectively. Slavonia and Baranja, being traditionally the most rural areas in the Republic of Croatia, also meet with the changes not only through marginalization of agriculture in total social development but also through changes of rural area. It can be followed through the changes of educational and professional structure of village population, through their understanding of life quality in the village and in the town as well as through the perception of the contents characteristic for the village and town. The village also met with the change of relations toward nature that is more and more exploited but less maintained. The techno-centric and pragmatic one replaces nature-centric and eco-centric dimension of rural life. How much such a reality has been accepted among the inhabitants of this area and how much they still live in the traditional characteristics of the region was expressed by the desire to learn while working in the field itself. The research carried out in twenty villages of Slavonia and Baranja and in the city of Osijek partly confirms such changes and their acceptation among the inhabitants but also denies the thesis that the future of this region is outside agriculture at least in the opinion of respondents. However, the reality is a change of identity of the region what the environment has already perceived and what the inhabitants have gradually accepted within the region. A part of the research results carried out within the frame of the project “Posttransitional Identity of Rural Area in Slavonia and Baranja” will be shown in this work.

Put prihvaćanja obrazovanja i znanosti kao društveno potrebne djelatnosti bio je dug i prepun zapreka. Industrijalizacija je kroz 19. stoljeće pokazala da je znanost ključna poluga tehnološkog napretka, a onda i društvenog razvitka. Kako je svaka tehnološka inovacija u biti primjena novih znanstvenih spoznaja, obrazovanje je postalo nužnim u pristupu i uporabi takve tehnologije. Dvije su koncepcije današnjeg pristupa razvoju obrazovanja: koncepcija cijeloživotnog učenja i kocepcija društva koje uči. Ove su koncepcije tehnološki uvjetovane, ali i tržišno nametnute svim društvima današnjice. Stoga je svakoj zemlji, i Hrvatskoj dakako, razvoj obrazovnog sustava koji će odgovarati zahtjevima vremena postao urgentnim zadatkom.

Život je suvremenog čovjeka određen visoko sofisticiranom tehnologijom, brzom komunikacijom i učestalošću inovacija. Paradigmu društva moderne zamijenila j e paradigma postmodernog, umreženog društva - paradigma informatičke tehnologije. Znanstvena se dostignuća približavaju čovjeku putem obrazovanja koje preuzima ulogu komunikativnog medija globalne tehnologizirane stvarnosti. Paradigma informatičke tehnologije nameće svim sudionicima u globalnoj komunikaciji iste obrasce. Uklopiti se u njih znači obrazovanjem pripremiti stanovništvo za novu komunikaciju, novu tehnologiju i novi, tehnologizirani sustav vrijednosti. Ne biti pripremljen, dakle obrazovan, za takvu komunikaciju, znači unaprijed biti eliminiran. To se odnosi jednako na društva, kao i na svakog pojedinca. Jer u vremenu tojotizma i netokracije disfunkcionalnom postaje orijentacija na “trajne” vrijednosti tradicije bilo kojeg društva. Obrazovanjem se postiže komunikacija ne više na razini kolektivne svijesti, već individualizirane i tehnološke.

Lokalna samouprava kao civilizacijska tekovina teorijski je i praktično sastavnica svih suvremenih demokratskih političkih sustava u svijetu, razina vladavine najbliskija građanima, s ulogom predstavljanja važnosti i stajališta lokalnog. Prema Ustavnim odredbama jedinice lokalne samouprave su gradovi i općine. Lokalna je vlast ustrojena putem predstavničkih, izvršnih i upravnih tijela te mjesne samouprave, što znači da se pravo građana na lokalnu samoupravu ostvaruje preko lokalnih predstavničkih tijela koja su sastavljena od članova izabranih na slobodnim i tajnim izborima, na temelju neposrednoga, jednakog i općeg biračkog prava. Temeljem Zakona o lokalnoj i regionalnoj (područnoj) samoupravi načelo autonomija jedinice lokalne samouprave ostvaruje se njihovim statutom, gdje one u okviru zakona imaju mogućnost da samostalno urede unutarnje ustrojstvo i djelokrug svojih tijela prilagode lokalnim potrebama i mogućnostima. Najveći dio poslova jedinica lokalne samouprave pripada skupini društvenih djelatnosti, pa kako je riječ o razmjenskom odnosu između jedinica lokalne samouprave i građana nameće se logičnost primjene marketinga, ponajprije društvenog marketinga. U jedinicama lokalne samouprave, a napose u Gradu Požegi, bila bi logična primjena marketinga kao suvremenog načina poslovanja koji se temelji na utvrđivanju ljudskih potreba i načinu njihovu zadovoljavanja. Na temelju istraživanja potreba stanovništva, grad Požega morao bi planirati takve aktivnosti koje će uz primjenu marketing-mixa (proizvod, cijena, distribucija, promocija) razviti takve investicije i poslove koji će najbolje zadovoljiti potrebe stanovništva. Treba imati na umu i činjenicu da se potrebe i želje ljudi neprekidno mijenjaju i da prolaze različite etape životnog ciklusa.

Aktualnost teme suživota u Republici Hrvatskoj nije posljedica globalizacijskih procesa u svijetu. Suživot je vruća tema primamo nacionalnog sadržaja. Može li se novi početak suživota (dakako, između Hrvata i Srba) temeljiti na izgradnji građanske zajednice, ali tako da se ne potiskuje značenje nacije i nacionalnog? Mogu li se na oslabljenoj socijalnoj koheziji razvijati osjećaji građanske dužnosti kao nacionalne dužnosti? Može li gospodarski razvoj biti polazna točka u građenju socijalnog povjerenja? Takva i slična pitanja vraćaju nas na individualnu razinu ljudskog djelovanja koja bi prva trebala potvrditi zaživljavanje zajedničkih interesa koji ne bi bili obojeni skupnim (nacionalnim ili konfesionalnim). Suživot bi tek na individualnoj razini trebao početi kao egzistencijalna nužda i egzistencijalni interes, nikako kao institucionalno rješenje politike. Revitalizacija je gospodarstva prvi korak kojim se instalira gospodarska kooperativnost oko zajedničkog interesa - višeg životnog standarda.

Traganje za idealnim društvenim poretkom prisutno je kroz cijelu povijest. Niti danas taj posao nije završen. No pomaci su se svakako dogodili u odnosu na npr. Platonovu ideju pravednog društva, ili Augustinovu viziju nedostižne Države Božje. U tim pomacima značajnu ulogu ima i kršćanska vizija čovjeka, zajedništva i zajednice/društva. Ta vizija, aktualizirana kroz katoličko socijalno učenje od Lava XIII. do Ivana Pavla II; kao kritička svijest čovječanstva, imala je odraza na brojne rasprave o ustroju demokratskih poredaka. Ljubav i solidarnost među ljudima i narodima jesu temelj socijalnog učenja Katoličke crkve. Na njima izrasta kršćanska vizija zajednice ljubavi i solidarnosti koju ne treba shvatiti kao političku orijentaciju već kao prilog izgradnji jednog pravednijeg društva.

Aktualni trenutak dojučerašnjih europskih socijalističkih sistema je njihovo raspadanje i prijelaz ka nečemu što nije ni socijalizam ni kapitalizam, nego post-socijalizam. Kraj socijalizma bio je nužan uslijed raspadanja simbiotskih veza među elementima koji su omogućavali njegovo održavanje na političkoj, socijalnoj i ekonomskoj razini. Novoj zbilji socijalističkih društava suvremena sociologija ne smije prići s morfostatičkih polazišta. Morfogenetski pristup je jedino realan, a nalazimo ga u više teorija novih sistema. Jedna od njih je autopoietična teorija koju prezentiraju Dr. S. Saksida i Dr. A. Lauc. Oba autora nude autopoietična konstrukciju izlaza iz kaotičnog stanja društava u prijelazu kako na području regulacije socijalnog sistema, tako i na području managementa.

U novoj klimi hrvatske zbilje osjeća se nazočnost kako liberalne tako i demokršćanske orijentacije. Ova je nazočnost najizraženija u sferi politike, no ne manjka je niti u kulturi i ekonomiji. Tekst pokušava naznačiti ove orijentacije kroz liberalni i kršćanski aspekt poimanja slobode i demokracije. Iako nam novija povijest odnosa kršćanstva i liberalizma ne govori o njihovom uzajamnom uvažavanju glede poimanja slobode i demokracije, prije je riječ o kritičkoj distanci, suvremena zbilja demokratskog kapitalizma (primjer SAD) upućuje nas na nužnost građenja novih odnosa. Može li Hrvatska biti poligon toga građenja u sferama politike i kulture, a poglavito u sferi ekonomije?

The society and technology determine, by their specificities, the culture of an epoch, of an area and of the people that inhabit it. The modernity is primarily determined by I.C.T. so that the society is often called information society and culture the culture of the information age. Under such circumstances, one can hardly find a living space and activity which are not affected by I.C.T. In this paper, the authors analyze the intensity of the presence of I.C.T. in the rural area and in agricultural activities in Slavonia and Baranja. It is well known that in sociology a “peasant” means a way of life, culture of a certain region and time. Most frequently, this notion used to be determined by an attribute of autarchy and a firm existential orientation to nature. Today, the “peasant” has lost its original meaning. His space is more often determined by a “family farm” and his relation with nature is significantly characterized by technology. To what extent is technology nowadays - in particular I.C.T. - present in the production and in the way of life on a family farm in Slavonia and Baranja and what is the attitude of today’s peasant towards it, is explored by the authors of this paper. A survey was made on the sample of 153 family farms in Slavonia and Baranja.

Istraživanjem su utvrđeni instalirani kapaciteti i lokacija proizvodnih objekata za proizvodnju brojlera, jaja za konzum i rasplod, proizvodnja krmnih smjesa, klaonički kapaciteti za perad, načindržanja i hranidba brojlera i nesilica na društvenom gospodarstvu Slavonije i Baranje u predratnom i ratnom periodu (1990. i 1991.). Utvrđeno je smanjenje proizvodnje brojlerskog mesa za 48,7%, broj nesilica za konzumna jaja za 33,9%, broj nesilica za jaja za rasplod za 25,1 %, potrošnja krmnih smjesa za 35%, iskorištenje peradarskih objekata smanjeno je za 65%, dok su klaonički kapaciteti za perad smanjili iskorištenje za 75%. Smanjenje proizvodnje i iskorištenje kapaciteta u peradarskoj proizvodnji društvenog gospodarstva Slavonije i Baranje uslijedilo je kao posljedica osvajačkog rata kojeg vodi Srbija protiv Hrvatske.

This paper aims to look into intergenerational equity; furthermore to answer the question whet- her intergenerational equity is a part of the globalization process in developing the consciousness on sustainable development. The term intergenerational equity is poorly spread and used in scientific and research papers in the Republic of Croatia. It would be necessary to explore scientific papers of foreign authors in order to define the term, and then translate them in a way that preserves their original me- aning. Intergenerational equity within public debt management is particularly emphasized. This paper consists of two parts. The first part tries to define intergenerational equity and to find similarities and differences between linked terms. Further on it tries to answer the previously mentioned question whether intergenerational equity is a part of the globalization process in developing the consciousness on sustainable development. The second part discusses intergenerational equity within public debt management.

Copyright of Ekonomski Vjesnik is the property of Ekonomski Vjesnik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ekonomski Vjesnik is the property of Ekonomski Vjesnik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ekonomski Vjesnik is the property of Ekonomski Vjesnik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ekonomski Vjesnik is the property of Ekonomski Vjesnik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ekonomski Vjesnik is the property of Ekonomski Vjesnik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ekonomski Vjesnik is the property of Ekonomski Vjesnik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)