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The objective behind this paper is to explore the main sources of resistance to change and how that resistance effects the whole organization. Employees' duty and overseeing resistance effectively are basic essentials for forceful change management. This paper implements qualitative approach to observe the employees' resistance to change in one of the government organization working under Ministry of Industries of Pakistan. This is a qualitative study in which sample of 10 interviews have been conducted from the managers, deputy managers and executives working in this government organization. As indicated by Kurt Lewin's force field analysis this study shows, a manager looking for to "push" the procedure of organizational change must put all push to decrease the impact of preventing forces while expanding the impact of main driving forces and along these lines work with resistance of employees towards change.

Everyday people have been experiencing changes in weather and climate. The question is whether we are really on the top of a tendency or we just overstate the weather change because of our heuristic mentality? If the negative tendency of change is adopted we must involve climate friendly technologies in the strategic decision making process of enterprises. On the other hand, the important thing to keep in mind is that the main motor of the strategy is the profit. In case of the latest climate related strategies the problem is the hard quantification of the real profitability because it also depends on external effects. In spite of the classical investment analysis, the costbenefit analysis is able to take into account negative and positive external effects. In case of strategic decision the new technologies or methods are also confronted with resistance. In the strategic decision making process we should calculate with these resistances as well. The aim of this study is to highlight those long-term calculation methods and business models which are able to consider the external effects of projects and examine the real profitability and break-even point in case of bad climate tendency scenarios. This paper presents a new method which includes the cost-benefit analysis and the change equation.

The subject of this research is to reveal the customer's approach towards local food in general and to explore the impact of its labelling on consumer perceptions. The main objective is to find out if an eco-label, a local-label or a bio-label has an impact on consumer behaviour. The following methods were used during the research: eye-tracking technology, in-depth interviews, the A/B testing method, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test and the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test for testing hypotheses. Data were collected from the eye-tracking device in December 2015 and additionally revised for higher validation. In total, the observation contains 121 respondents (63 participants in the reference group - A, and 58 participants in the control group - B). Participants are defined as being from generation Z. It is assumed that the presence of the label on a product has an effect on consumer behaviour. The experiment itself took place at the eyetracking laboratory of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Mendel University in Brno.

This paper empirically examines the influence of desk sharing on the various forms of employee commitment. Previous literature has examined the influence of innovative workspace on employee satisfaction as well as the possible the benefits and disadvantages of desk sharing, but not the influence desk sharing may have on employee commitment. Our study examines the level of commitment in organisations that apply desk sharing compared to those with traditional office settings, finding that desk sharing does not necessarily have a negative influence on commitment. Indeed, desk sharing employees show higher level of affective commitment when applied moderately. However, a radical application of desk sharing leads to lower commitment; thus, when applying desk sharing it is important to consider the specific conditions, organizational needs as well as managerial example. The findings point to a number of implications relating to the application of desk sharing and other flexible office settings.

The purpose of this empirical research is to determine the relative impact of food safety concern, ethical concern and health consciousness on the theory of planned behavior dimensions. Moreover, this study also ascertains the impact of the theory of planned behavior dimensions (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on repurchase intentions of organic food among Pakistan and Italian consumers. A highly structured questionnaire is used to collect the data from 337 consumers from Italy and 314 consumers living in Pakistan. As proposed by the researchers, measurements invariance tests are used to analyze the cultural differences (if any) and subsequently structural equation modeling is used to determine the study hypotheses. The study results revealed mix findings and demonstrated significant differences between Pakistani and Italian consumers.

The paper investigates the relationship between short selling activities of stocks on the volatility of the US market and its sectors. We apply the multivariate DCC GARCH Model on the NYSE US 100 Index between November 2017 and October 2018. We find evidence that investments in some specific firms on the market reduce the market volatility and higher short selling activities reduce risk in the market. The study also finds that firms in the financial sector dominate the market and short selling activities in this sector has a greater impact on the market volatility. We also find portfolio managers to be better off investing in the market than creating portfolio within sectors.

This study was focused on application of perceptual carrying capacity concept in the environment of trade fairs. The main contribution of this study is exploration of customers' attitude towards overcrowding at trade fairs as there is not known any study with focus on these events. For this purpose, the eye tracking experiment was conducted, where different images depicting different level of visitors were used. In addition, the aim of the study was to identify what is at the centre of people's attention when looking at photographs taken at trade fairs. The study was conducted with 30 respondents from generation Y. The results imply that the number of people is a very important factor in deciding whether to attend these events (in this case trade fairs) or not at all. Simultaneously the in-depth interviews showed that people tend to have more of a negative attitude towards both overcrowding and a low number of people perceived at an event. This study also suggests that the optimal number of people at trade fairs is not extreme, not too low or not too high.

The paper aims to test the research hypothesis of whether more democratic and economically developed countries tend to have higher public debts (the “Three-D-Relationship”) or not. The hypothesis was tested on a panel of 91 countries over the period from 2012 to 2016 using a two way analysis of variance where debt was the dependent variable and regime type and income levels were factors. The results only partially confirmed the hypothesis. Higher democratic standards did correlate with higher debt levels. Similarly, higher income levels also correlated with bigger debt burden. Both “democracy” and “development” combined was not linked to higher debt levels.

The demographic shift in the age structure has the effects that many ageing employees work in organisations. Migration can slow down the ageing of population but could not stop it. More and more people with immigration background work in organisations. Therefore, the question is whether diversity sensitive attitudes count for all diversity aspects. The central aim of the study is to deal with the problem fields of multicultural teamwork. Thereby, the focus is on the collaboration of employees with and without immigration background. The interviews with employees with and without an immigration background of various company branches were conducted. The results show that employees with an immigration background have more contact and feel comfortable with persons from different cultures than employees without an immigration background. The qualitative analysis indicates that there is a high need of competence development, especially intercultural and social competences in organisations. The results of the study reveal that personality traits and characteristics of employees play a role to what extent they accept diversity and are willing to work with persons from another culture. Age is not important regarding intercultural competence development.

Web anonymization tools have been used for a long time, primarily by the users afraid of possible undesirable consequences of their on-line activity on the web. The paper analyzes both historically proven anonymization tools like TOR and newer tools, namely JAP/JonDo and CyberGhost VPN that are based on slightly modified technological principles. The primary focus is given to the measurement and evaluation of the latency increase and the transmission speed decrease in comparison to normal (non-anonymized) web browser operation. Results show that all anonymization tools being subject of the analysis provide relatively moderate latency increase. On the opposite, the transmission speed decrease was more significant, especially for JonDo. This confirms the conclusions of previous studies resulting that no anonymization tool is suitable for daily web browsing. On the other hand, in the case when higher anonymity is required, their use can be reasonably comfortable from the point of view of latency increase. However, their usefulness for downloading larger files is always disputable.

Most indicators used for determining the distributional effects of taxes as well as the inequality in the income distribution are based on the Gini coefficient and the Lorenz curve to a substantial extent, although the potential application of the Gini coefficient itself is much larger. However, the Lorenz curve and in particular the Gini coefficient need not present precise information on income or the distribution of wealth in a society. The Gini coefficient values may be affected by the form of the input data. We have ascertained that the level of Gini coefficient distortion depends on the number of households included in the research given that the income distribution in the sample is unequal. In addition, we define the form of the Gini coefficient in light of the form of the input data.

The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the shareholder structure and dividend policy of an entire region – the developed markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The results show that at least three shareholder groups influence the dividend policy of companies. The group of investment advisors favours higher dividend payments. However, the greatest likelihood to receive extraordinary dividend payments is with shares of companies with a high stake of government investors. Further, the group of minority shareholders show a negative influence, which might be affected by the low interest-rate period and hence the lack of alternative investment opportunities for members of this group.

Rapid progress of information and communication technologies (ICTs) affected the evolution of sexual harassment. Cybersexual harassment can be exposed via social media but as well might be a tool for harassers to attack or stalk individuals after anonysmously. This evolution of phenomenon enter to virtual reality require changes in differenr levels: individual, enterprise and state to counter the hybrid threats. The proposed conceptual framework reflects the main vulnerable groups, consequences. These main aspects trigger for the development of ICTs in order to change organizational policies, political and security regulations.

Following the landmark ruling by the German Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe on 7th February 2014 in which they endorsed the efficient market hypothesis, we present evidence on the efficiency of the German financial market. Introducing a new variance bound test based on the Component-GARCH model of volatility to analyse the long- and short-runs effects on the efficiency of the German financial market, we test the price volatility of four markets: DAX stock index, German sovereign debt index as provided by Barclays and Bloomberg, Euro gold index by the World Gold Council and Euro currency index by the Bank of England. Our use of the Component-GARCH-T model highlight two key contributions, the first being the analysis of the efficiency of the market in the long and short runs. However, a more important contribution is the result of our variance bound test highlight the relatively strong acceptance of the efficient market hypothesis in both the short and long runs in all the observed financial markets. It must be stated our research is of importance to researches in both applied finance and portfolio management. The influencing question of what moves specific markets is crucial to market participants seeking market alpha for their investments strategies and portfolio optimisations.

A successful integration of migrants in the society as well as of older employees in the organisation is getting more important based on demographic changes. The central aim of the investigation is to deal with problem fields of the Human Resource Management, which arise by demographic changes regarding migration and the ageing society. Therefore, an explorative qualitative study with human resource managers and diversity representatives of the large DAX companies was conducted. The views of leaders and employees with and without an immigration background regarding diversity potentials in organisation are compared in this study. The results indicate that diversity is important for organisation. Employees have recognised the importance of diversity. Managers have not recognised the seriousness and urgency of cultural diversity and diversity actions. Human resource managers are not able to assess the additional stress of migrants correctly and to consider them in their day-to-day management and diversity actions.

This paper argues that individual members of Congress engage in economic opportunism, voting in the best interests of their constituents based on economic heuristics, when considering space policy legislation. Multivariable logit analysis is conducted on five votes in the House of Representatives to test the hypotheses. The economic opportunism effect is captured in the models by the presence of NASA Centers, relative importance of space industry and NASA procurements. Findings suggest that economic benefits to a member’s constituency can play an important role in legislative voting, particularly when legislation deals with federal aerospace funding, when space policy bills lack over-reaching bi-partisan support. In recent years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has seen its funding fall prey to partisan budget battles and party line voting, but this was not historically the norm. As we move forward into a future where NASA funding may become more scrutinized and politicized, this paper supports the thesis that individual members of Congress care more about the funds for their constituents than the other aspects of space policy.

This exploratory study addresses the need to identify specific and holistic upfront expectations into industrial value engineering projects for best tailored preparation of an efficient project execution. The analysis includes a total base population of 90 projects, which were conducted between 2010 and 2018 in 16 different industries. Out of those, 63 projects had a narrower value engineering context and have been analyzed with the support of a CAQDAS tool (Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software). Analytical results show that participants' expectations in value engineering projects vary depending on their industrial environments, but cope with existing studies on critical success factors for project management. Based on the findings the author recommends further research on fast project execution, closing the gap between trainingand project content as well as emphasizing the necessity of rigor with regards to the utilization and application of terminology, which includes sharpening the correct interpretation of value engineering, its tools and contents.

With this study, we will test the interrelations between the psychological concept of self-efficacy of managers and its influences on the resistance to change. The results show that it makes a qualitative difference, if change in competences occurs in a positive or a negative direction and that there is a clear predisposition of managers concerning change. Both results have to be taken into account in designing changes processes.

The purpose of this paper was to compare three models of customer satisfaction with supermarkets in Poland. The authors decided to verify what kinds of satisfaction models are appropriate for describing relations between customer satisfaction and other constructs. The authors used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test and validate the models containing several latent variables, such as: perceived quality, perceived value and customer expectations. All of them were equipped with proper manifest variables, measured in a survey. The survey questionnaires were distributed using snowballing method. Verified models confirmed the significant impact of perceived quality on customer satisfaction and these two variables demonstrated the highest correlation. The study showed that the customer satisfaction reaches higher determination in more complicated models, such as value-based model and confirmation model. The study also showed that customer expectations don't have a direct impact on customer satisfaction.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become increasingly important in nowadays society as providers of employment opportunities and key players for the well-being of local and regional communities. Access to external funding is one of the largest problem facing SMEs in European Union (EU). Entrepreneurs face difficulties implementing their development plans while creating new businesses, adopting innovation, etc. Scientists also argue that without external funding business cannot achieve good financial performance results. The European Commission (EC) is implementing a number of programs specifically designed to improve the financial environment for SMEs in Europe. Since the financial markets have failed to provide SMEs with the finance they need, the EC has developed and funded various financial instruments. According to the scientists, creating the appropriate conditions for the development of SMEs in each country would possibly reduce the unemployment rate, accelerate country's economic growth, help to overcome social problems, and create competitive environment. Given the current economic situation in the EU countries, the subject's relevance is obvious underlying the importance to assess whether a better access to external funding sources would provide benefits to the countries at micro and macro levels. The main empirical findings of this study confirm the results of early empirical studies that a better access to external funding is an important growth factor for SMEs as well as for the whole economy. The panel regression analysis results suggest that a better access to banks' funding has a positive and statistically significant effect on country's economic growth as well as on SMEs development, however, a better access to equity finance (venture capital, business angels' investment) has no statistically significant effect. While SMEs represent over 99% of businesses in the EU so it is crucial to support their growth and innovation as well as improve the financing environment for small businesses in Europe.

This paper investigates the mechanism of a financial accelerator. In particular, it examines the procyclicality of credit margins in Europe after the financial crisis, with an additional split into small, medium and large-sized banks. The empirical analysis is in contrast with contemporary authors because it approves that the financial accelerator is not present on the European market after the financial crisis. It could be caused by multiple factors, for example structural changes during the financial crisis, a change in the behaviour of commercial banks or extremely low interest rates. We tested our hypothesis on a dataset that consists of a data panel with annual data for the period 1998-2015 and includes 2,489 banks from 36 European countries from the Bankscope database. We also provide robust empirical proof that such behaviour was not occurring during the financial crisis or after the financial crisis in the European banking system.

A firm considers various factors when approaching a dividend policy decision. To analyze the determinants of dividend policy in the context of Bangladesh, questionnaire survey has been done from financial decision makers of sample companies. The nonparametric test and factor analysis is used for interpreting results. The research finding exhibits that in the first stage, the economic related factor, legal constraint factor, capital market related factor, residual policy factor, capital source factor and clientele factors are considered in dividend decision making. Then in the second stage, the companies follow the preceding years' pattern of dividend payment. In the next stage, dividend decision is made mainly on the level of earnings and liquidity. The observed result reveals that present earnings and liquidity are the most likely factors for the firm in deciding the payout policy.

The article deals with the impact that the EU enlargement had on productivity of firms in accessing countries, particularly Romania and Bulgaria that accessed EU in 2007. Microeconomic data suggest that the impact of accession itself can be negative in a short run in case of countries that received promised benefits in disintegrated manner and also experienced problems with obliging requirements of EU accession that resulted in negative measures taken. The negative short run effect can hinder the benefits in the euphoria following the accession and therefore could be considered as part of accession process in certain situations.

When China entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001, it also accepted some trade commitments in the area of state regulation, which have influence on the liberal free trade. The object of the paper is to highlight the changes that occurred in the selected areas of state regulation in the period 2001-2015, and to find out if China fulfilled its WTO commitments in the selected areas of state regulation. The aim of the qualitative research carried out in the area of state trading, price controls and state enterprises was to show the fact that although China liberalised its market in compliance with its trade commitments in the WTO, some strategic sectors of economy have remained under the influence of the Chinese state all the time.

The purpose of this paper is to compare several approaches to Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and show how different criteria can be used for dividing the IPA matrix to decisionmaking fields. The authors performed the IPA analysis basing on the data collected in customer satisfaction survey in health care sector. The survey was conducted from January to April 2016 in selected dentist's surgeries in cities Żywiec and Bielsko-Biała (southern Poland). Over 200 questionnaires were distributed, 100 of them returned. The study may facilitate the selection of appropriate form of matrix used in customer satisfaction surveys. It may be useful in future studies on adequate approach to IPA analysis. The paper is based on unpublished, own study.

We focus on the determinants and potential benefits of relationship banking. Based on the existing literature and the unique role intangible assets play regarding firms' capital structure, we test two hypotheses using rich data on firm-bank relationships in Germany. We show that firstly, a high share of intangible assets does not worsen the access of firms to debt financing. And secondly, firms with a high share of intangible assets are statistically significantly more likely to choose an exclusive and persistent bank relation.

This contribution deals with issues of corporate taxation in relation with economic growth. Its main objective is to quantify and analyse the relation of corporate taxation and economic growth using of OECD countries. The corporate tax rate is approximated by effective corporate tax rates such as corporate tax quota, marginal effective and average tax rates as determined by micro-forward looking approach and the alternative approach World Tax Index. The relation of taxation and economic growth is verified using an econometric model based on panel regression methods and tests using a dynamic panel. The model has shown a negative impact on economic growth for all six of the selected corporate tax approximators under the assumed significant level. A quantitatively higher negative impact has been verified in the case of labour taxation.

The paper is a comparison of living standards indicators as a measure of the prevailing situation for the citizens of selected EU countries. The indicators used for comparison were representative of economic, social and environmental influence factors. The indicators were compared by means of meta-analysis, comprising a selection of all 11 chosen indexes (with a set of calculated indicators) and living-standards focused studies. The selected methodology for the meta-analysis is a weighted multiple linear regression. The results of the meta-analysis point to those studies whose indexes show a positive effect and indexes which show a negative effect as regards living standards.

The aim of this paper is to measure the magnitude of profit shifting in the Czech Mining industry. The paper source data from AMADEUS provided by the Bureau van Dijk for the 10-year period 2005-2014 to seek evidence of profit-shifting activities and measure the magnitude. The paper applies panel regression model in the analysis to seek evidence and measure the magnitude of profit shifting using random effect model estimations. The paper therefore analyses tax effects on capital structure of subsidiary firms as a means of profit shifting and the results was that, there is substantial evidence of profit shifting with different magnitudes in separate model specifications.

Recent studies have underlined a limited scope of research published with regard to the impact of cybercrimes, which is investigated by applying the scientific literature analysis and surveys. This paper focuses on in-depth research on cybercrime costs by analysing the information from selected online materials in order to reveal a research gap. To support the contributions of the research in the field, two methods, namely, literature review and statistical analysis were employed. The findings reveal that several interested parties such as independent IT companies, governmental and non-governmental institutions have conducted various surveys to identify the impact of cyberattacks. The main challenges and vulnerabilities of analysing cybercrime costs can be overcome by further investigations.