Aleksandra Bošković
Predrag Mimović and Ana Krstić
The measurement and evaluation of performance are critical for the efficient and effective functioning of the economic system, because this allows for the analysis of the extent to which the defined objectives are achieved. Organizational performance is measured by different methods, both quantitative and qualitative. Many of the known methods for the evaluation and measurement of organizational performance take into account only financial indicators, while ignoring the non-financial ones. The integration of both indicators, through the combined application of multiple methods and the comparison of their results, should provide a more complete and objective picture of organizational performance. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a formal framework for solving complex decision-making problems, as well as a systemic procedure for the hierarchical presentation of the problem elements. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a nonparametric approach based on linear programming, which allows for the calculation of the efficiency of decision-making units within a group of organizations. The work is an illustration of the method and framework of the combined use of the multi-criteria analysis methods for the measurement and evaluation of the performance of higher education institutions in the Republic of Serbia. The advantages of this approach are reflected in overcoming the shortcomings of a partial application of the AHP and the DEA methods by utilizing a new, hybrid, DEAHP (Data Envelopment Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. Performance evaluation through an integrated application of the AHP and the DEA methods provides more objective results and more reliable solutions to the observed problem, thus creating a valuable information base for high-quality strategic decision making in higher education institutions, both at the national level and at the level of individual institutions.
Zoran Bogetić, Đorđe Kaličanin and Dragan Stojković
Shopper marketing has lately become a promising business initiative. The distinction between shopper marketing and traditional marketing paves the way for new relations, partnerships, and better results of retailers and suppliers. The paper explains the new perspective of marketing, with the shopper in focus. Retail has been identified as the center of gravity for enterprise cooperation and a new business consensus. The advantages and challenges of shopper marketing are also explained, including tracing the efficient category management model and partnership value creation. In the wake of the development of new category management guidelines, the paper points out the aspect of the institutionalization of cooperation in shopper marketing, as well as the future of multi-channel analysis and customer satisfaction.
Nguyen Duc Thanh and Pham Van Dai
Recent studies have clearly pointed out a decreasing trend of Vietnam’s economic growth in the short and the medium terms. This paper presents a study applying the growth diagnostic method for Vietnam to determine growth constrains. The binding growth constrains of Vietnam are found to include a poor business environment; an underdeveloped infrastructure, especially the transportation network market; failures related to information externalities, learning externalities and coordination failures. Notably, the energy infrastructure could be a vital constraint in a near future, but is not a binding constraint at present. The inefficiency of financial intermediaries and the government’s over-investment could become a binding constraint when the economy returns to its high growth path.
Dejana Zlatanović
The limitations of the individual use of systems methodologies in creative dealing with complex, dynamic and ambiguous problems, i.e. problem situations, caused by the increasing complexity and diversity of problem situations, indicate the necessity of a combined, i.e. synergistic use of systems methodologies. The aim of the research is to show how some limitations of the individual using of the interpretive systems methodology of Strategic Assumptions Surfacing and Testing (SAST) and Organizational Cybernetics (OC), as a functionalist systems methodology, can be eliminated by their combining. After identifying Critical Systems Thinking as a relevant conceptual framework for combining systems methodologies, the key features and limitations of SAST and OC are specified, and the assumptions, the conditions, the potential way, as well as the limitations of their combined, i.e. synergistic use are then determined. Despite the limitations, the methodologically appropriate combined use of these systems methodologies enables the improvement of managing problem situations in enterprises.
Nenad Stanišić
One of the main expectations in European transition economies is that the processes of building the market economy and European integrations lead to a significant increase in the living standard, as well as to catching up with the level of the income per capita achieved in developed European economies. A quarter century after the beginning of transition, many of the former socialist countries joined the EU and significantly increased their GDP per capita. On the other hand, transition in the countries of the so-called Western Balkans has disappointed in this sense. The paper tests the existence and speed of income convergence in the Western Balkan states and developed EU countries, in comparison with the so-called „New Member States”. The results indicate that, despite the achieved income convergence in the pre-crisis years, the outbreak of the global economic crisis has revealed many structural and reform problems that the countries of the region have been facing for a long time. Catching up with developed EU members’ average GDP per capita stopped in the Western Balkan states after the beginning of the crisis, with a simultaneous increase in the income gap between the Western Balkan states and the new EU member states.
Slavica P. Petrović
Issue 1 of Volume 18, Year 2016 of the Economic Horizons scientific journal contains two original scientific papers, three review papers and a book review.