Iztok Podbregar

Occupational stress among slovene managers with respect to their participation in recreational sport activities

Occupational stress among slovene managers with respect to their participation in recreational sport activities Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the level of stress that managers experience at workplace, and to determine possible differences between the selected independent variables, including gender, age and participation in recreational sports, and the level of occupational stress experienced. Methods: We studied a sample of 85 managers from randomly selected Slovene companies. The data obtained were processed by the SPSS computer programme and analysed by the following statistical methods: descriptive statistics and frequency distribution for variables; t-test to examine the statistical signifcance of differences between the genders concerning the experience of stress symptoms; and ANOVA to examine statistical signifcance of differences between age groups and physical activity of groups in terms of stress symptoms. All our statistically significant conclusions were drawn at a 95% confidence interval. Results: The participants assessed their work-related stress as moderate. There were no statistically significant differences in their experiencing of occupational stress with respect to the selected socio-demographic variables, i.e. gender and age. However, the participating managers differed significantly in two variables, i.e. participation in recreational sports activities and experience of occupational stress. The lowest level of stress was experienced by managers practicing recreational sports at least three times a week, and the highest in those not engaged in any recreational sports activities. Conclusion: Managers who often experience stress need to adopt healthier, more physically active, lifestyles. Stres Na Delovnem Mestu Pri Slovenskih Managerjih Glede Na Udeležbo Pri Športnih Dejavnostih Namen: Ugotavljali smo stopnjo stresa, ki ga managerji doživljajo pri svojem delu, identificirali stresorje, ki delujejo na delovnem mestu managerja, ter ugotavljali morebitne razlike med izbranimi neodvisnimi spremenljivkami (spol, starost, udeležba pri športnih dejavnosti) in doživljanjem stresa pri managerjih, povezanega z delom. Metode: V raziskavo smo vključili 85 managerjev naključno izbranih slovenskih podjetij. Podatki so bili obdelani s pomočjo statističnega programom SPSS za Windows. Uporabljene so bile naslednje statistične metode obdelave podatkov: deskriptivna statistika ter frekvenčna porazdelitev za spremenljivke, t-test in enosmerna analiza variance za preverjanje statistične pomembnosti razlik med izbranimi neodvisnimi spremenljivkami in doživljanjem z delom povezanega stresa. Vse statistično značilne zaključke smo sprejemali pri 5-ostotnem tveganju. Rezultati: Managerji, udeleženi v raziskavo, v povprečju ocenjujejo svoje delo kot zmerno stresno. Prav tako je bilo ugotovljeno, da ne obstajajo statistično značilne razlike v doživljanju z delom povezanega stresa glede na izbrane socio-demografske spremenljivke - spol in starost. Statistično pomembne razlike se pojavljajo pri doživljanju z delom povezanega stresa ter udeležbo pri športnih dejavnostih. Najnižja stopnja stresa se pojavlja pri managerjih, ki se ukvarjajo s športno dejavnostjo najmanj trikrat tedensko, najvišja stopnja stresa pa se pojavlja pri tistih managerjih, ki se s športno dejavnostjo ne ukvarjajo. Zaključek: Pri managerjih, ki pogosto doživljajo stres, je potreben bistven premik k bolj zdravemu življenjskemu slogu, ki vključuje več gibanja.

OSINT: A “Grey Zone”?

Ga sper Hribar is a doctoral candidate at the University of Maribor, Slovenia, where he received his Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Security (Security Services) under the mentorship of Dr. Iztok Podbregar and Dr. Teodora Ivanu sa of the university’s Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security. Active in publishing and research, his fields of interest include Crisis Management, National Security, the Security Services, Intelligence, and Counterintelligence.

eWar - reality of future wars

The rapid development of information and communication technologies, especially the invention of digital computers and the Internet, pushed almost a whole world into information age, where information became so powerful that it can be directly used as a weapon of destruction. We can expect that beside conventional warfare, information warfare and cyber warfare are becoming more and more a possible option in future conflicts. Few cyber conflicts have shown that digital weapons can be successfully used to achieve attacker goals. Specially, the Stuxnet worm has proven, that digital weapons can also have kinetic effects and that the wars in the future will not be held only in a cyberspace, but rather the cyberspace will be exploited to achieve some advantages over the enemy. This paper contains a short analysis of the possible applications of modern information and communication technologies in the future conflicts.

Solutions to Threats and Risks for the National Security of Slovenia

Either peace with no crisis, or war – this is the current dilemma, again. Over the recent decades, this dilemma was solved in both developed and undeveloped countries. The main threat and risk today is the current general social crisis, largely due to the lack of requisite holism (RH) in values/culture/ethic/norms (VCEN) and behaviour, hence based on one-sided and short-term behavior of the influential people and their organizations, including enterprises and governments. Problems can be solved by innovation of VCEN of one-sided behaviour toward RH under the label of social responsibility (SR) and of its legal framework, leading to realization of shared interests of all humankind, such as peace, justice, and survival. The current threats and risks to security of any country, including Slovenia, can best be avoided in this way.

Reliability of Fingerprint Biometry (Weibull Approach)

Biometrics refers to the identification of a person on the basis of their physical and behavioural characteristics. Today we know a lot of biometric systems which are based on the identification of these, for everyones unique identity. Some biometric systems include the characteristics of: fingerprints, hand geometry, voice, iris, etc., and can be used for identification. Most biometric systems are based on the collection and comparison of biometric characteristics which can provide identification. This study begins with a historical review of biometric and radio frequency identification (RFID) methods and research areas. The study continues in the direction of biometric methods based on fingerprints. The survey parameters of reliability, which may affect the results of the biometric system in use, prove the hypothesis. A summary of the results obtained the measured parameters of reliability and the efficiency of the biometric system we discussed. Each biometric system includes the following three processes: registration, preparation of a sample, and readings of the sample. Finally the system provides a comparison of the measured sample with digitized samples stored in the database. Also in this chapter we show the optimization of a biometric system with neural networks resulting in multibiometric or multimodal biometric systems. This procedure combines two or more biometric methods in the form of a more efficient and more secure biometric system. During our research we carried out a »Weibull« mathematical model for determining the effectiveness of the fingerprint identification system. By means of ongoing research and development projects in this area, this study is aimed at confirming its effectiveness empirically. Efficiency and reliability are important factors in the reading and operation of biometric systems. The research focuses on the measurement of activity in the process of the fingerprint biometric system, and explains what is meant by the result achieved. The research we refer to reviews relevant standards, which are necessary to determine the policy of biometric measures and security mechanisms, and to successfully implement a quality identification system. The hypothesis, we have assumed in the thesis to the survey has been fully confirmed. Biometric methods based on research parameters are both more reliable and effective than RFID identification systems while enabling a greater flow of people.

Factors influencing plagiarism in higher education: A comparison of German and Slovene students

Over the past decades, plagiarism has been classified as a multi-layer phenomenon of dishonesty that occurs in higher education. A number of research papers have identified a host of factors such as gender, socialisation, efficiency gain, motivation for study, methodological uncertainties or easy access to electronic information via the Internet and new technologies, as reasons driving plagiarism. The paper at hand examines whether such factors are still effective and if there are any differences between German and Slovene students’ factors influencing plagiarism. A quantitative paper-and-pencil survey was carried out in Germany and Slovenia in 2017/2018 academic year, with a sample of 485 students from higher education institutions. The major findings of this research reveal that easy access to information-communication technologies and the Web is the main reason driving plagiarism. In that regard, there are no significant differences between German and Slovene students in terms of personal factors such as gender, motivation for study, and socialisation. In this sense, digitalisation and the Web outrank national borders.

Strategic Aspect of Knowledge Management

Abstract Background and Purpose: This paper analyses the strategic aspects of knowledge management in organizations in Serbia, from the theoretical and empirical point of view. In its theoretical part, the paper analyzes the latest literature in the fields of knowledge management, relations between communications strategyes and knowledge management, generations of knowledge management and organizational culture. Design/Methodology/Approach: In its empirical part, the paper deals with determining the level of knowledge management in Serbian organizations through diffrent generations of knowledge management, as well as the problem with explicit and tacit knowledge management. The hypotheses were tested using data colleted from organizatons in Serbia via questionnaire, which consisted of 50 questions to examine five key factors in knowledge management. Results: The results showed that out of 41 indicators, only eight are rated positively. Results of t-test indicate significant distinctions within factors affecting the quality of knowledge management, as well as differences in quality of explicit and tacit knowledge management, therefore they confirmed both hypotheses. Conclusion: The knowledge management projects in organizations in Serbia are initiated, as well as that belonging to the first generation of knowledge management can be defined.

Homecare Service Providers as an Organizational Form of Support for the Elderly: Establishment and Planning of Optimal Capacity

Abstract Background and Purpose: Different studies have highlighted health care allocation problems in Slovenia that indicate the increased need for homecare services for the elderly. It was also found that Slovenian municipalities differ dramatically in the availability of elder care services. A number of older people with diverse unmet needs for care remains. Therefore, the need for the establishment of an additional type of formal homecare services for the elderly exists. Design/Methodology/Approach: Although many positive effects of home elder care against institutional care are stressed in the literature, the results of many studies performed in recent years have indicated that accessibility of homecare for elderly in Slovenia remains scarce, and it is not equally accessible throughout the country. To mitigate this problem, a new organizational form called “elder homecare service provider” is indicated. The aim of the provider is to offer a variety of different services for the elderly (e.g. homemaking, social networking, transfer services, basic life needs, basic health services, etc.). The establishment of such an organization needs to be designed carefuly, while the unique characteristics and specific needs of the target population must be addressed to optimize desired outcomes. Results: The aim of the paper is to provide fundamental guidelines for the establishment of elder homecare service provider. All essential characteristics of such an organization are defined. To ensure an appropriate level of service quality, the primarly focus is oriented towards the planning of personnel team capacity. For this purpose, the service provider was described using the stochastic queueing model, which enables service capacity optimization considering different performance measures. The usefulness of the model was illustrated with a numerical example, which has shown that the results obtained provide valuable information for decision support. Conclusion: The establishment of a homecare service provider network would have many positive effects on society in general. The quality of the everyday life of the elderly is expected to be improved considerably, particularly in the rural areas where a lack of institutional care support is reported. Guidelines proposed in the paper together with the quantitave model for planning of its optimal capacity provide useful information, which are especially relevant in the preliminary phase of the establishment of service providers.

Introduction of a Lesson: A Guarantee of Motivation? The Significance of the Lesson Introduction for Learners’ Activation Level in Business and Economics Teaching at German Vocational Colleges

Konferenca o razvoju organizacijskih znanosti je konferenca z najdaljso tradicijo na Univerzi v Mariboru in vsako leto poveže studente, raziskovalce, gospodarstvenike in predstavnike javne uprave, ki delujejo na podrocju organizacije in managementa. Tema letosnje, že 36. mednarodne konference o razvoju organizacijskih znanosti, je Odgovorna organizacija in se nanasa na sirino organizacije v njenem notranjem in zunanjem okolju. Odgovornost do zaposlenih, poslanstva, strategije, procesov, tehnologije, razvoja so samo nekatera izmed podrocij, ki jim mora organizacija slediti. Identiteta organizacije se izkazuje z njenim vsestransko odgovornim ravnanjem in kaže vrednost navzven pri kupcih ali uporabnikih storitev. V casu, ki ga živimo, smo vpeti v preplet tehnoloskega in socialnega napredka, ki nenazadnje rezultira v posamezniku in družbi nasploh. Ravnanje organizacije se ravno tako ne veže samo na delovanje v lokalnem okolju temvec zaradi globalnih razsežnosti ucinkuje tudi v mednarodnih dimenzijah. S temo konference želimo odpreti polje vprasanj in poiskati odgovore, ki bodo doprinesli k napredku organizacijskih ved. Materialni vplivi, komuniciranje, znanje in postenje ter nenazadnje ideal odgovornega ravnanja lahko kot pomembni dejavniki obvladujejo pogosto nemirne situacije v in izven okolja nasih organizacij. Ker smo casovno in prostorsko vpeti v vzorce, ki mnogokrat ne sledijo vec nasim preteklim izkusnjam, je nasa želja, da s srecanjem na konferenci stopimo v korak s casom in prepoznamo dobre prakse, izoblikujemo nove metode in se seznanimo z aktualnimi trendi, ki jih organizacije vsakodnevno živijo.Konferenca o razvoju organizacijskih znanosti je konferenca z najdaljso tradicijo na Univerzi v Mariboru in vsako leto poveže studente, raziskovalce, gospodarstvenike in predstavnike javne uprave, ki delujejo na podrocju organizacije in managementa. Tema letosnje, že 36. mednarodne konference o razvoju organizacijskih znanosti, je Odgovorna organizacija in se nanasa na sirino organizacije v njenem notranjem in zunanjem okolju. Odgovornost do zaposlenih, poslanstva, strategije, procesov, tehnologije, razvoja so samo nekatera izmed podrocij, ki jim mora organizacija slediti. Identiteta organizacije se izkazuje z njenim vsestransko odgovornim ravnanjem in kaže vrednost navzven pri kupcih ali uporabnikih storitev. V casu, ki ga živimo, smo vpeti v preplet tehnoloskega in socialnega napredka, ki nenazadnje rezultira v posamezniku in družbi nasploh. Ravnanje organizacije se ravno tako ne veže samo na delovanje v lokalnem okolju temvec zaradi globalnih razsežnosti ucinkuje tudi v mednarodnih dimenzijah. S temo konference želimo odpreti polje vprasanj in poiskati odgovore, ki bodo doprinesli k napredku organizacijskih ved. Materialni vplivi, komuniciranje, znanje in postenje ter nenazadnje ideal odgovornega ravnanja lahko kot pomembni dejavniki obvladujejo pogosto nemirne situacije v in izven okolja nasih organizacij. Ker smo casovno in prostorsko vpeti v vzorce, ki mnogokrat ne sledijo vec nasim preteklim izkusnjam, je nasa želja, da s srecanjem na konferenci stopimo v korak s casom in prepoznamo dobre prakse, izoblikujemo nove metode in se seznanimo z aktualnimi trendi, ki jih organizacije vsakodnevno živijo.

Intelligence and the Significance of a Secret Agent's Personality Traits

Dr. Iztok Podbregar is a member of the Management Board of the Aerodrom Ljubljana and a Professor of Leadership and Management in Security Organizations. He is also a senior research scientist. His Ph.D. in Organizational Science and Management was awarded by the University of Maribor’s Faculty in Organizational Science. With extensive experience in the Slovene Armed Forces, Dr. Podbregar has held numerous ranking positions in that field. He was a member of the Slovenian delegation for the country’s membership in NATO. Head of the Air Force Department in Slovenian Armed Forces from 1991–1994, Deputy Chief of Defense from 1995 to 1998, and Defense Chief from 1998–2001. Holding the rank of Lieutenant General in the Slovenian Armed Forces, he has been awarded numerous honors, including the Golden Merit of the Republic of Slovenia.