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Energy from renewable sources is globally a very important issue. In order to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, many countries enact laws for enhancing the consumption of renewable energy sources. Sooner or later traditional non-renewable energy sources would have to be replaced with alternative energy sources that are already used in developed countries. According to the European Commission (2018), the EU is already a global leader in the sustainable use of natural resources within an efficient bio-economy. The wood pellet industry is becoming more important and the use of wood pellets is increasing as one of the most important contributors to the renewable energy goals of the EU. Wood pellet is an environmentally acceptable product and its production contributes to desirable rural development and sustainable approach to the management of timber resources. This paper focuses on the market of wood pellets used for heating, pinpointing differences in consumers point of view, and drafting the possibilities of future consumption enhancement. Results revealed a relatively low use of wood pellets in all the three surveyed markets. The highest share of consumers of wood pellets came from the areas with less than 5,000 inhabitants. Such households were mostly over 20 years old. The most important factors to decide to use such source of energy were space (required for the heating system) followed by price of wooden pellets.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are main generators of employment and economic development in European Union. In Croatia and Slovenia, SMEs in wood processing (C16) and furniture manufacturing (C31) also play an important role in social cohesion and development of rural areas. The aim of this research was to investigate the current situation in SMEs in wood processing and furniture manufacturing regarding driving parameters of business and production management system in the time of a disturbed market situation caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Two different questionnaires in an e-mail survey were used to collect data for this research from companies and from experts in the field of management, production and marketing. Various statistical tests were used using seven driving parameters on data collected from 212 SMEs. Also, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used on the data collected from 20 experts. Results showed that companies in the time of pandemic crisis and during the time of major disturbances in supply chain pay the most attention to their production program and quality of their products, and then to marketing activities and situation on the market. According to the results presented in this research, the management model can help SMEs managers, micro and small enterprises in particular, to improve their decision-making process, make the necessary innovations easier and faster, and maintain the sustainable business and production management system of their companies.

Energy from renewable sources is globally a very important issue. In order to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, many countries enact laws for enhancing the consumption of renewable energy sources. Sooner or later traditional non-renewable energy sources would have to be replaced with alternative energy sources that are already used in developed countries. According to the European Commission (2018), the EU is already a global leader in the sustainable use of natural resources within an efficient bio-economy. The wood pellet industry is becoming more important and the use of wood pellets is increasing as one of the most important contributors to the renewable energy goals of the EU. Wood pellet is an environmentally acceptable product and its production contributes to desirable rural development and sustainable approach to the management of timber resources. This paper focuses on the market of wood pellets used for heating, pinpointing differences in consumers point of view, and drafting the possibilities of future consumption enhancement. Results revealed a relatively low use of wood pellets in all the three surveyed markets. The highest share of consumers of wood pellets came from the areas with less than 5,000 inhabitants. Such households were mostly over 20 years old. The most important factors to decide to use such source of energy were space (required for the heating system) followed by price of wooden pellets., Energija iz obnovljivih izvora globalno je vrlo važno pitanje. Radi smanjenja onečišćenja i emisiji stakleničkih plinova, države promiču zakone o poticanju potrošnje obnovljivih izvora energije. Prije ili kasnije tradicionalne neobnovljive izvore energije bit će potrebno zamijeniti alternativnima, koji se već koriste u razvijenim zemljama. Prema Europskoj komisiji, Europska unija (EU) lider je u održivom iskorištavanju prirodnih resursa u sklopu učinkovite bioekonomije. U tom kontekstu industrija drvnih peleta, kao i njihova upotreba, iz dana u dan postaju sve nezaobilazniji. U dijelu koji se odnosi na obnovljive izvore energije drvni su peleti jedan od važnijih elemenata koji pridonose ciljevima EU-a. Riječ je o ekološki prihvatljivom proizvodu, a njegova proizvodnja znatno pridonosi ruralnom razvoju i održivom pristupu gospodarenju prirodnim resursima. Ovim se radom želi potaknuti promišljanje kako proizvođača, tako i potrošača drvnih peleta o izrazitom tržišnom potencijalu drvnog peleta za grijanje u hrvatskim, slovenskim i slovačkim kućanstvima. Nadalje, u radu su prikazane razlike u demografskim profilima ispitanika, njihovo znanje o drvenim peletima općenito te o mogućnostima budućeg poticanja potrošnje drvnih peleta u Hrvatskoj, Sloveniji i Slovačkoj. Rezultati su pokazali da je uporaba peleta na sva tri istraživana tržišta relativno niska. Najveći udio potrošnje peleta zabilježen je među potrošačima iz manjih područja (do 5000 stanovnika), a većina stambenih objekata ispitanika stariji su od 20 godina. Najvažniji razlozi zbog kojih se potrošači odlučuju na upotrebu peleta kao izvora grijanja jest prostor potreban za instalaciju opreme za grijanje na pelete te cijena peleta.

The significance of wood and paper products originating from certified sustainable sources has been increasing worldwide during the last two decades paralleling overall interest and concern for global sustainability issues. Forest certification is a voluntary verification tool that has been gaining importance not only as an independent verification tool in the wood processing industry but also as an influencer in private and public purchasing policies and as a component of emerging wood harvesting and trade legality schemes. There are two main types of certification, forest certification for forest management and chain-of-custody (CoC) certification which tracks certified wood through the manufacturing supply chain. This study focuses on the chain-of-custody component. A multinational survey of CoC certificate holders in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia was conducted to identify the general understanding of certification concepts as environmental, economic and social tools, to determine incentives for CoC certification implementation by companies, and to identify difficulties in existing certified wood product supply chains. Results indicate that respondents demonstrated a high level of understanding of the chain of custody certification concept. Respondents also link forest certification mainly to the issues of legality, tracing the origin source of supply and prevention from illegal logging. The main expected benefits are linked to the improvement of external company image followed by business performance factors such as penetrating new markets, increase of sales volume, expanded market share and the increase of profit margin. The key problems connected to certified supply chains relate to the overpricing of certified material inputs, while respondents reported none or minimum price premiums for their certified products over non-certified alternatives.

The wood industry, as a traditional sector, represents a very important part of the economy in terms of ensuring a sustainable development of society and transition to a low-carbon society in both countries studied, Slovenia and Croatia. For its further development, it is crucial to know the current position of the industry. The best way to achieve this is an analysis of financial data and international comparative evaluation of its operational efficiency. The aim of the research is to compare the relative efficiency of the wood industry using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist Productivity Index (MI), focusing on the Slovenian and Croatian wood industry sectors (C16 and C31) for a recent five-year period (from 2013-2017). With this purpose, the combined measure DEA/MI was applied. The analysis includes only the highest rated companies with more than fi ve employees, divided into 12 clusters regarding the company size. As a result, it was established that clusters CRO-C31- micro, CRO-C16-micro and SI-C16-larger have the highest operational efficiency, due to the effects of different financial indicators, especially activity and liquidity ratios. In general, within the grouped clusters regarding country and subsector, groups SI-C16 and CRO-C31 achieve the highest values for the average of weighted score of efficiency, while CRO-C16 achieves the lowest values., Drvna industrija Sloveniji i Hrvatskoj tradicionalan je gospodarski sektor tih zemalja i vrlo važan dio gospodarstva u smislu osiguranja održivog razvoja društva i prijelaza na društvo s niskim udjelom ugljika. Za daljnji razvoj drvnoga sektora bitno je poznavati trenutačni položaj industrije, a najbolji način za to je analiza financijskih podataka i internacionalna usporedna procjena industrijske operativne učinkovitosti. Cilj istraživanja bio je usporediti relativnu učinkovitost drvne industrije uz pomoć analize omeđivanja podataka (DEA) i Malmquistova indeksa produktivnosti (MI), s naglaskom na slovenski i hrvatski drvnoindustrijski sektor (C16 I C 31) tijekom posljednjih pet godina (2013. – 2017.). Za tu je svrhu primijenjena kombinirana mjera DEA/MI. Analizom su obuhvaćene samo najbolje ocijenjene tvrtke s više od pet zaposlenih, koje su s obzirom na njihovu veličinu podijeljene na 12 klastera. Utvrđeno je da klasteri CRO-C31-mikro, CRO-C16-mikro i SI-C16-veliki zbog utjecaja različitih financijskih pokazatelja, posebice omjera aktivnosti i likvidnosti, imaju najveću operativnu učinkovitost. Općenito, unutar klastera grupiranih prema zemlji i podsektoru istraživanja, skupine SI-C16 i CRO-C31 pokazale su najviše vrijednosti za prosjek ponderirane ocjene učinkovitosti, a CRO-C16 imao je najniže vrijednosti.

Corporate leaders often view innovation as a key contributor to superior profits, market sharing, and competitive positioning. However, confusion regarding the definition of innovation, how to create it, and how to implement it remains. In countries that are recent European Union members, little research has been done on innovation and how innovation is related to corporate management activities. In this study, the linkages were examined in the Croatian furniture industry. The first part of the study was to deconstruct innovation into three components: product innovation, production process innovation, and human resource innovation. The second part of the study evaluates the relationships between these innovation components and four company management activities/factors (research and development investments, company flexibility, export activity, and the Internet usage) were examined. Scale testing resulted in valid deconstruction measures of innovation. Hypothesized correlations between innovation components and company management factors were supported, although the results were not fully consistent with those of previous studies.

During the last decade, the Slovak and Croatian furniture industry markets have experienced changes that have made these markets more interesting for domestic and foreign investors. Furniture manufacturers and retailers are still trying to determine the best ways to adjust to customer demands, and understanding the furniture preferences of customers would provide beneficial information to the furniture industry. The purpose of this study, which was conducted in 2016, was to improve the knowledge regarding differences in the preferences of customers for furniture materials, attributes, and styles when purchasing furniture in Slovakia and Croatia. The findings showed that Slovak and Croatian respondents differ in their preferences for furniture materials, as well as the factors that influence their purchasing decisions when buying interior and exterior furniture. Overall, it was found that wood as the furniture material, compared with the surveyed substitutes, was widely preferred among the Croatian and Slovak respondents.

Bogatstvo šuma na prostorima Republike Hrvatske uvjetovalo je razvoj pilanske prerade drva koja ima već stoljetnu tradiciju. S određenim zakašnjenjima u usporedbi s europskim zemljama, pilanska je prerada drva pratila razvoj tehnologije, zapošljavala stručnu radnu snagu te uz šumarstvo bila prva faza razvoja prerade drva. Troškovi su „u srcu“ mnogih poslovnih odluka. Nije dovoljno proučavati troškove za pojedino ili za ograničeno poslovno područje, već ih je nužno promatrati za cijeli lanac poslovnog procesa, tj. od dobavljača do kupca proizvoda ili usluga. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je usporediti čimbenike u proizvodnji uz pomoć kojih se mogu uspoređivati proizvodnje domaćih i inozemnih poduzeća kako bi se dobila slika konkurentnosti pilanarstva u Republici Hrvatskoj. Čimbenici koji su se uspoređivali jesu trošak po jedinici proizvoda, trošak sirovine s prijevozom, trošak energije, trošak kapitala (u ovom primjeru amortizacije) te trošak radne snage. Radi dodatnog povećanja i održavanja konkurentnosti, potrebno je više ulagati u tehnologiju kako bi se smanjili troškovi po jedinici proizvoda. Također treba utvrditi optimalnu tehnologiju s obzirom na kvalitetu, kvantitetu i vrstu drva.

Krajnji cilj inovacije jest poboljšanje poslovanja, a inovacijske aktivnosti u suvremenim uvjetima poslovanja smatraju se ključnim pokretačem poslovnog uspjeha pojedinoga gospodarskog subjekta, pojedine gospodarske grane, kao i cjelokupnoga gospodarskog razvoja neke zemlje. Industrije srednjeniske i niske tehnologije, kojima pripada i drvna industrija, međutim, iznimno su važan i daleko najveći dio proizvodnog sektora zemalja članica OECD-a, pokazuju izvanrednu stabilnost te zapošljavaju visok udio stanovništva, a drvna industrija, posebno proizvodnja namještaja, uspješno je izvozno orijentirana europska gospodarska grana unutar srednjerazvijenih zemalja. Inovativnost tvrtke te inovacija kao rezultat inovativnosti mogu biti vezane za brojne vanjske i unutarnje čimbenike tvrtke, stoga je cilj ovog rada bio objasniti povezanost inovacija i inovativnosti određenih vanjskih i unutarnjih čimbenika tvrtki koji imaju/mogu imati utjecaj na razvoj inovacija i inovativnosti tvrtki, a koja je dokazana u brojnim istraživanjima velikog broja znanstvenika/autora., In today’s modern business world, development of innovations and innovation activities is considered as a key driver of business success of an individual entity, specific industry sector, as well as the overall economy of a country. However, industries of low and/or medium-low technology, where wood industry belongs, are extremely important and they represent by far the largest part of the manufacturing sector in OECD countries. They show an excellent stability and employ a high share of the population. Wood industry, especially furniture industry, is a successful export-oriented European industry. Innovative companies and innovation as a result of innovativeness can be attached to a number of internal and external company factors. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to clarify the connection between concepts of innovation and innovativeness of certain internal and external company factors that have/could have an impact on company innovativeness and innovation development, and that have been established and researched in studies of a large number of scientists / authors.

Proizvodnja namještaja oduvijek je bila važan segment gospodarstva Republike Hrvatske. Da bi se potencijali hrvatske industrije namještaja što bolje iskoristili te da bi se potrebne promjene mogle provesti na odgovarajući način, prethodno je važno utvrditi početno/trenutačno stanje tvrtki. Zbog navedenoga, cilj rada bio je analizirati opće, proizvodne, tehnološke, marketinške i tržišne segmente u hrvatskim tvrtkama za proizvodnju namještaja. Istraživanje je provedeno na području Republike Hrvatske, u tvrtkama kojima je proizvodnja namještaja glavna djelatnost poslovanja. Od 409 potencijalnih ispitanika u istraživanju je sudjelovalo njih 77. Analiza je pokazala kako je stanje u hrvatskim tvrtkama za proizvodnju namještaja na zadovoljavajućoj razini, iako je uvijek potrebno težiti što je moguće boljim općim i proizvodnim, tehnološkim, marketinškim i tržišnim aktivnostima.

Nowadays, furniture retail sale is a very competitive area and besides large and well-known global brands, a high share of the overall market consists of independent retail shops. The owners and sellers of furniture are daily faced with the increasing requirements of the ever more demanding market, to which they must constantly and repeatedly adjust. The choice of furniture stores regarding to some of selling place attributes could affect customer’s final decision about furniture purchase; however, there is little information about the relationship between furniture selling places attributes. In this study, the basic information is given regarding the selected furniture selling place attributes (size of selling area, number of salespersons, storage area, and number of suppliers) in Slovenia, Slovakia, and Croatia., Danas uz velike trgovačke lance poznatih svjetskih brandova namještaja i mala nezavisna prodajna mjesta namještaja imaju važnu ulogu na cjelokupnom tržištu namještaja. Vlasnici i prodavači namještaja svakodnevno se pokušavaju prilagoditi sve zahtjevnijim željama i potrebama svojih kupaca. Nadalje, pojedina obilježja prodajnih mjesta namještaja mogu utjecati na kupčevu konačnu odluku o kupnji namještaja, što je glavni predmet istraživanja brojnih studija i radova. Nasuprot tome, vrlo je malo radova u kojima je istraživan međusobni utjecaj obilježja prodajnog mjesta namještaja, pa je cilj ovog rada bio istražiti neke od njih (veličinu prodajnog prostora, broj prodavača, veličinu skladišnog prostora i broj dobavljača), utvrditi njihov međusobni utjecaj te ustanoviti postoji li razlika među odabranim obilježjima prodajnih mjesta namještaja u Hrvatskoj, Sloveniji i Slovačkoj.

In this paper, we compare consumer perceptions and attitudes in the wood products sectors in Slovenia and Croatia presenting them on the basis of a random sample of Slovenian and Croatian citizens between the age of 25 and 65. Data were collected using the computer assisted telephone interviewing method (CATI). The results suggest that, generally, there is a positive perception regarding the use of wood in both countries. The study results can potentially be a good basis for creating awareness-raising campaigns on the advantages of using wood in both countries.

The Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines innovation as (1) the introduction of something new or (2) a new idea, method, or device. Many empirical studies suggest that innovation is an important driver for developing or maintaining firm competitiveness. Innovation has been linked to improving products, production processes, supply chain efficiencies, market research, customer retention, business systems, relationships with exchange partners, profitability, and competitiveness. But how does it work? How can innovation be measured? In this study, we examined innovation in the US furniture industry. First, we deconstructed innovation into three broad categories: product, production processes, and company culture. Second, we examined relationships between the innovation subcomponents and the internal/external demographic characteristics of company size, company location population, age of employees, and education level of employees. Results show that although we were able to develop the three innovation constructs, only 25 percent of their hypothesized relationships to demographic factors followed hypothesized patterns of significance or directionality.

Bogatstvo šuma na prostorima Republike Hrvatske uvjetovalo je razvoj pilanske prerade drva koja ima već stoljetnu tradiciju. S određenim zakašnjenjima u usporedbi s europskim zemljama, pilanska je prerada drva pratila razvoj tehnologije, zapošljavala stručnu radnu snagu te uz šumarstvo bila prva faza razvoja prerade drva. Troškovi su „u srcu“ mnogih poslovnih odluka. Nije dovoljno proučavati troškove za pojedino ili za ograničeno poslovno područje, već ih je nužno promatrati za cijeli lanac poslovnog procesa, tj. od dobavljača do kupca proizvoda ili usluga. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je usporediti čimbenike u proizvodnji uz pomoć kojih se mogu uspoređivati proizvodnje domaćih i inozemnih poduzeća kako bi se dobila slika konkurentnosti pilanarstva u Republici Hrvatskoj. Čimbenici koji su se uspoređivali jesu trošak po jedinici proizvoda, trošak sirovine s prijevozom, trošak energije, trošak kapitala (u ovom primjeru amortizacije) te trošak radne snage. Radi dodatnog povećanja i održavanja konkurentnosti, potrebno je više ulagati u tehnologiju kako bi se smanjili troškovi po jedinici proizvoda. Također treba utvrditi optimalnu tehnologiju s obzirom na kvalitetu, kvantitetu i vrstu drva., Abundance of forests in the territory of the Republic of Croatia was the reason for the development of sawmill industry that has a century long tradition. Although lagging behind the European countries, the Croatian sawmilling industry, along with forestry, represents the first phase of wood processing development, which is based on high manufacturing technology, trained employees and skilled workers. Costs are the core of many business decisions. It is, however, not enough to analyze the costs of a specific or restricted business area, but the costs of the entire business process – from supplier to product/service buyer. The aim of this paper was to compare the selected production process factors so as to make comparison between the Croatian and foreign companies, in order to get an idea of competitiveness of the Croatian sawmilling industry. Factors that were compared were: output cost per unit, costs of raw material including transportation, energy costs, cost of capital (in this case amortization), and the cost of labor. In order to further increase and maintain competitiveness of sawmill industry, it is necessary to make higher investments into technology with the aim to reduce the unit production costs. It is also necessary to determine the optimal technology in terms of quality, quantity and wood species.

In this paper, we compare consumer perceptions and attitudes in the wood products sectors in Slovenia and Croatia presenting them on the basis of a random sample of Slovenian and Croatian citizens between the age of 25 and 65. Data were collected using the computer assisted telephone interviewing method (CATI). The results suggest that, generally, there is a positive perception regarding the use of wood in both countries. The study results can potentially be a good basis for creating awareness-raising campaigns on the advantages of using wood in both countries., U ovom su radu uspoređene percepcije i stajališta potrošača u sektoru drvnih proizvoda Slovenije i Hrvatske, a prikazane su na temelju slučajnog uzorka slovenskih i hrvatskih državljana u dobi između 25 i 65 godina. Prikupljanje podataka provedeno je uz pomoć računala primjenom metode telefonskog intervjuiranja (CATI). Rezultati pokazuju da, općenito, postoji pozitivna percepcija o uporabi drva u obje zemlje. Rezultati istraživanja potencijalno mogu biti dobro polazište za kampanju podizanja svijesti o prednostima uporabe drva u Sloveniji i Hrvatskoj.

SAŽETAKCiljevi istraživanja bili su utvrditi kako su osigurane tvrtke drvnog sektora i od kojih se opasnosti osiguravaju. Promatrani su parametri bili: struktura osiguranja, velicina tvrtki, tehnoloske mogucnosti s određe- nom potrebom njihova osiguranja te ukupna sigurnost tvrtki drvog sektora koja se odnosi na imovinu i imovinske interese. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su kako se drvne tvrtke koriste uslugama osiguravajucih drustava, ali ne dovoljno. Pokazalo se kako osigurane tvrtke koje su pretrpjele velike stete imaju vece izglede za sanaciju steta te kako je poželjno da se primjene određeni modeli osiguranja jer je trosak premije osiguranja u strukturi ukupnih troskova gotovo zanemariv i nije poželjno na tome stedjeti jer osiguranje donosi potrebnu sigurnost, koja je nužna u tvrtkama drvnog sektora. Analizom i usporedbom dobivenih rezultata predstavljeni su i obrazloženi modeli osi- guranja koji ce biti najucinkovitiji. Kljucne rijeci: tvrtke drvnog sektora, osiguranje, rizik, klaster analiza, modeli ABSTRACTThe research goals were to determine how the wood sector companies were insured and which risks were covered by insurance. The following parameters were studied: the structure of insurance, company size, technological capabilities requiring insurance coverage, and the overall security of wood sector companies with respect to property and property interests. The results have shown that the wood sector companies use the services of insurance companies but not to a suffi cient extent. It has been shown that companies that had suffered great damage have greater security for the recovery of damage. It has also been shown that insurance models should be applied since the share of insurance premium costs in the total cost structure is almost negligible and that saving on these costs is not desirable taking into consideration that it brings the necessary security to the wood sector companies. By analyzing and comparing the obtained results, insurance models that would be the most effective have been presented and elaborated.

The paper presents a case study in which a potential investor wanted to invest into a furniture store in the part of the Republic of Croatia named Dalmatia. In four Dalmatian counties (Split, Zadar, Šibenik and Dubrovnik counties), 220 randomly selected persons (180 answered) were asked by telephone what kind of furniture they would like to buy in the next two years and how much they were prepared to pay for the purchase. Based on the results of a consumer survey, fi ve possible alternatives (product lines) were selected and the priorities determined, i.e. which product line was the most profi table taking into account criteria of successful business operations using the multi-criteria model., U radu je prikazan studij slučaja na osnovi kojega potencijalni ulagači mogu ulagati u prodajna mjesta namještaja na području Dalmacije. U četiri dalmatinske županije (Splitsko-dalmatinskoj, Zadarskoj, Šibensko-kninskoj i Dubrovačko-neretvanskoj), 220 anketiranih osoba (180 odgovora) anketirani su telefonom o tome koje skupine namještaja namjeravaju kupiti u sljedeće dvije godine te koliko su spremni platiti za namještaj. Koristeći se rezultatima ankete, određeno je pet mogućih proizvodnih programa. Na temelju kriterija uspješnog poslovanja poduzeća, primjenom višekriterijskog modela, određeni su prioriteti, tj. ustanovljeno je koji je proizvodni program najisplativiji.

Sve se više sužava vremenski obzor u kojemu se pojedinac sa svojim obrazovanjem može osjećati „sigurnim“ na tržištu rada, a globalizacija, multikulturalno zajedništvo te brz ekonomski rast i tehnološki razvoj postaju veliki izazovi, pri čemu znanje i ljudska kreativnost postaju osnovni resursi razvoja i opstanka na svjetskom tržištu. Cilj rada je utvrditi obrazovnu strukturu zaposlenih na području prerade drva i proizvodnje namještaja, pri čemu je naglasak stavljen na zastupljenost visokoobrazovanih stručnjaka. Analiza obrazovne strukture obuhvatila je, prema Nacionalnoj klasifikaciji djelatnosti (NKD), područje DD 20 – Prerada drva i proizvodnja proizvoda od drva i pluta te područje DN 36 – Proizvodnja namještaja i ostala prerađivačka industrija. Istraživanje pokazuje da s 50% ispitanih poslovnih subjekata upravlja visokoobrazovani kadar, dok je među ukupno zaposlenima u preradi drva i proizvodnji namještaja samo 3,77% visokoobrazovanih., The labour market is becoming less and less safe for individuals with their education, while globalisation, multicultural unification, and fast economic growth/technological development present great challenges – with knowledge and creativity being basic resources of development and survival on the world market. The aim of this study is to establish the educational structure of the employed in the field of wood processing and furniture manufacture. The emphasis is upon the proportion of high professional qualification. The analysis of educational structure includes – according to the National classification of activities - the DD 20 area of Wood processing and production of wood and cork, and the DN36 area of Furniture manufacture and other processing industries. The research has revealed that 50% of the surveyed companies are managed by highly qualified staff, while only 3.77% of the employed in wood processing and furniture manufacture have high qualifications.

U radu su prikazani struktura prihoda i zaposlenosti obrta i slobodnih zanimanja u djelatnostima prerada drva i proizvoda od drva (DD20) te proizvodnja namještaja (DN36) za Republiku Hrvatsku. Prikazani podaci obuhvaćaju razdoblje od godine 2002. do 2006, i to za svaku županiju posebno, kao i za cijelu državu. Ukupni rezultati stavljeni su u omjer s prihodima poduzeća tih industrijskih grana. Također su prikazani i trendovi u broju registriranih poduzeća te obrta i slobodnih zanimanja. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da je posljednje godine došlo do znatnog smanjenja prihoda obrta i slobodnih zanimanja u promatranim industrijskim granama. Zamjetan je i trend smanjenja ukupnog broja obrtnika koji se bave proizvodnjom proizvoda od drva i namještaja u posljednjoj istraživanoj godini. Unatoč tome, ukupne vrijednosti prihoda i zaposlenosti u preradi drva i proizvodnji namještaja imaju sve veće vrijednosti tijekom promatranih godina., The paper presents the structure of revenue and employment in crafts and freelance businesses in timber and timber products processing (DD20) and furniture manufacture (DN36) of the Republic of Croatia. The data refer to the period from 2002 to 2006 and are presented separately for each county and for the state as a whole. The overall results are juxtaposed in relation to the revenue of the companies in these industrial branches. Trends in the number of registered companies, as well as crafts and freelance businesses are also presented. According to the research results, there was a significant decrease in the revenue of crafts and freelance businesses in the monitored industrial branches in the last year. There was also a falling trend in the total number of craftsmen engaged in wood products and furniture manufacture in the last year of investigation. Despite this, total revenue and employment values in timber processing and furniture manufacture show a rising trend during the monitored years.

In the recent years the environment-friendly way of thinking has started to penetrate into areas where its opponents initially seemed to be the most strong – areas of economy and industry. This paper presents a methodology for diagnosing the existing ecological situation in the workplace in wood industry companies. Mathematical model, which is based on fuzzy logic, allows determining critical ecological parameters in the workplace. Taking into consideration the current situation and business objectives, this mathematical model can also be used for developing an optimal business strategy by using the method of fuzzy logic., Posljednjih nekoliko godina razmišljanja o prostoru koji nas okružuje sve su više počela prodirati i u područja koja su u početku bila najveća barijera za to – u ekonomiju i industriju. U radu je prikazana metodologija utvrđivanja postojećega ekološkog stanja radnog okruženja u drvnoindustrijskim tvrtkama. Metodologija se temelji na matematičkom modelu fuzzy logike. Modelom je moguće utvrditi kritične ekološke parametre radne okoline. Dobivenim rezultatima tvrtka stječe uvid u stvarno stanje na temelju kojega razvija svoje optimalne poslovne strategije.

Virtualni organizacijski oblici poduzeća (strateški savezi, partnerstva, mrežne i outsourcing veze, virtualni timovi i poduzeća) u suvremenom globalnom poslovanju postaju dominantni. Virtualne organizacije jedinstvenoga hijerarhijskog ustroja omogućuju racionalizaciju troškova poslovanja, efikasnije iskorištenje postojećih kapaciteta i fleksibilnost u odgovorima na izazove tržišta. Ako žele opstati u globalnom okruženju, hrvatska se poduzeća za preradu drva i proizvodnju namještaja moraju specijalizirati za područja u kojima mogu postići vrhunske svjetske rezultate i na njima temeljiti daljnje zajedničko poslovanje, razvijajući i njegujući partnerske odnose s komplementarnim poslovnim partnerima. Proces transformacije (virtualizacije) hrvatskih poduzeća za preradu drva i proizvodnju namještaja teče sporo i uz dosta strateških pogrešaka koje dovode do kriznih situacija i propasti poduzeća. Znatnija primjena koncepta virtualne organizacije na mikrorazini omogućila bi bržu i bezbolniju transformaciju klasičnih poduzeća, dok bi na makrorazini povećala konkurentnost cijeloga drvnog kompleksa., Virtual organizational forms of enterprises (strategic alliances, partnerships, networks and outsourcing connections, virtual teams and enterprises) become dominant in a modern global business world. Virtual organizations of unique hierarchy structure can provide the rationalization of business costs, more effective use of the existing capacities and flexibility in responding to market demands. If the Croatian wood processing and furniture manufacturing enterprises want to survive on a global market they have to get specialized in areas in which they can achieve top world results and based on such results develop their further business activities focusing their interest on partnerships with complementary business partners. Transformation process (virtualization) of the Croatian wood processing and furniture manufacturing enterprises is slow and accompanied with a lot of strategic errors, which can often cause crisis situations and closing of enterprises. Significant use of virtual organization concept would provide quicker and less painful transformation of traditional enterprises at a micro-level and increase competitiveness of the whole wood sector at a macro-level.