Miha Marič

Congruence of leader self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership: Understanding what authentic leadership is and how it enhances employees’ job satisfaction

We propose and empirically test a multilevel model of cross-level interactions between leader self-perceptions (team level) and follower perceptions of authentic leadership on job satisfaction. Data from 24 supervisors and 171 team members were used. Applying hierarchical linear modelling, we found that follower perceptions of authentic leadership predict employee job satisfaction. We also found support for the interaction effect of leader self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership in predicting job satisfaction, integrating the leader- and follower-centric perspectives of authentic leadership. Polynomial regression analysis further supported the fact that the congruence between leader self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership is beneficial and that both need to be present at high levels to produce the most beneficial results in terms of followers’ job satisfaction.

Relation between Entrepreneurial Curiosity and Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy: a Multi-Country Empirical Validation

Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to present empirical analysis of the relation between entrepreneurial curiosity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. A detailed literature review in a broad field of entrepreneurship, narrow field of entrepreneurship psychology, and organizational sciences revealed, at one hand different connections between determinants influencing entrepreneurs, and latest scientific research trends on the other hand. Although the significance of curiosity in motivating and learning has received expressive scholarly support, like also entrepreneurial self-efficacy as one of the most studied personal attributes among entrepreneurs, no study to our knowledge existed in relation to entrepreneurial curiosity connected with entrepreneurial self-efficacy. An online multi-country survey was conducted in Slovenia and USA among entrepreneurs and results of structural equation modelling showed that entrepreneurial curiosity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy are related. Entrepreneurial curiosity has a positive impact on entrepreneurial self-efficacy of running entrepreneurial tasks. The findings of this research have both theoretical and practical implications.

An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Entrepreneurial Curiosity and Innovativeness

Abstract Background and Purpose: Despite scholarly interest in understanding the role of different determinants on entrepreneurs and their behavior, little is known about the relationship between entrepreneurial curiosity and innovativeness. This research explores the relationship between entrepreneurial curiosity, which motivates entrepreneurs to gather information about their business and innovativeness that motivate entrepreneurs to incorporate innovations into entrepreneurial processes. Design/Methodology/Approach: Participants in this study were entrepreneurs from Slovenia and USA. By using structural equation modelling, we linked the two constructs of entrepreneurial curiosity and innovativeness to test the influence. Results: Results indicate that entrepreneurial curiosity positively influences innovativeness. The results of this study indicate that at the frame of entrepreneurship psychology entrepreneurial curiosity is important for innovativeness. Conclusion: This paper links the two studied constructs and presents a valuable contribution for entrepreneurship theory; therefore, the results could be used for a further scientific research as also for practical implications.

Educational Institution's Image: A Case Study

Educational Institutions Image: A Case Study This article presents our findings about the factors influencing educational institutions image. Based on the literature review we composed a web questionnaire which was send to all current students at University of Maribors Faculty of Organizational Studies. Based on our research results we found out that eight factors influence educational institutions image which have various amounts of influence on the educational institutions image. The factor with the most influence is the quality of professors and of their lectures and the second most important factor is the learning content. These two factors come before all of the others in the matter of influencing the educational institutions image. Our basic recommendation is to build on these factors starting with the most important ones first.

An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Entrepreneurial Competences and Innovativeness of Successors in Family SMEs

Abstract Background and Purpose: In the recent period, scholarly interest for family entrepreneurship and succession has been increasing while the question of innovative capability of family SMEs and of innovativeness of founders and successors is relatively unexplored. Little is known about the factors, which are positively correlated, or affect innovativeness of successors in family SMEs. This research explores the relationship between entrepreneurial competences of the founders in family SMEs and innovativeness of their successors. Design/Methodology/Approach: The target group were family SMEs of the first and the second generation – their founders and successors in Slovenia. As our research includes two independent samples with mostly ordinal data, we used univariate (analysis of means, variance, reliability index Cronbach alpha, t-test) and multivariate (simultaneous analysis of more variables, correlation) statistical methods to study the two constructs - entrepreneurial competences of the founders and innovativeness of successors, to test the positive correlation between the two. Results: Results indicate that entrepreneurial competences like creativity, attitude toward risk-taking, attitude toward negotiations, technical knowledge and skills and marketing knowledge and skills of the founders in family SMEs positively correlate with innovativeness of successors. The results of this study indicate that entrepreneurial competences of founders are important factor for fostering innovativeness of successors. Conclusion: This paper links the two studied constructs and presents a valuable contribution for entrepreneurship theory; therefore, the results could be used for a further scientific research as also for practical implications.

Psychological Empowerment, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment Among Lecturers in Higher Education: Comparison of Six CEE Countries

Abstract Background and Purpose: Organizations should implement new findings from the field of human resource management. If an organization wants to have successful and effective employees, they should be satisfied with all aspects of work and at the same time they should be feel commitment towards an organization. To have a full insight in employees, organizations have to take care of psychological side of employees, which manifests in psychological empowerment. Design/Methodology/Approach: The survey was conducted among 409 university lecturers in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Serbia, and Slovenia. The investigated constructs of psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational commitment were compared. Spreitzer’s PEQ was used for the assessment of the psychological empowerment, Spector’s JSS for job satisfaction, and Allen’s and Meyer’s OCQ for the assessment of organisational commitment. Results: The research showed that the highest level of psychological empowerment can be found among university lecturers from Serbia and the lowest from Germany. Job satisfaction level is the highest in Austria and the lowest in Slovenia. Affective organisational commitment is the highest in Slovenia and the lowest in Germany. Continuance organisational commitment scored the highest in Croatia and the lowest in Czech Republic. Additionally, the outcomes show the highest level of normative organisational commitment in Czech Republic and the lowest in Austria. Only affective organisational commitment was not found as statistically significant. Conclusion: Knowledge of psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment can be helpful for leaders, because with this knowledge they can manage, develop and motivate employees properly.

Strategic Management in Development of Youth and Women Entrepreneurship - Case of Serbia

Abstract Background and Purpose: Volume and sophistication of scientific research related to different aspects of entrepreneurship have significantly increased in recent years. Many authors point out the positive influence that development of micro, small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship has on economic growth and job creation. According to various researchers, youth entrepreneurship and women entrepreneurship are two very important elements of this global phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to provide the analysis of strategic framework for the support to the development of youth and women entrepreneurship in Serbia. Design/Methodology/Approach: Situational analysis of youth and women employment and examination of official Government strategic documents related to strategic framework for the support to the development of youth and women entrepreneurship in Serbia will be conducted. Results: Concrete activities have to be performed by different stakeholders, mostly non-government organizations. The activity stakeholders are on the bottom of the institutional framework, which provides the support to MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector that will execute the operations in accordance with the defined strategic framework. Conclusion: Youth-run enterprises provide numerous benefits for society; they reduce youth unemployment and help young people prepare for their future. Female entrepreneurs also have strong economic and social impact.

Country’s Development as a Determinant of Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity

Our study is built on the dependence of early-stage entrepreneurial activity on GDP per capita, GDP real growth rate, unemployment rate, inflation rate, investments and public debt of different countries. We divide the early-stage entrepreneurial activity into necessity-driven and improvement-driven opportunistic entrepreneurial activity. To establish the dependencies we have conducted the regression analyses. Our three main findings are: (a) early-stage entrepreneurial activity does depend on our predictors; (b) necessity-driven entrepreneurial activity is negatively correlated to country’s development; and (c) improvement-driven opportunistic entrepreneurial activity is positively correlated to country’s development.

Psihološki vpliv medijev na profesionalne športnike

Uvodoma so predstavljeni mediji, njihova funkcija, ucinki in moc ter nekaj zanimivih in odmevnih primerov porocanja medijev. Poleg tega smo opisali tudi poglavitne distraktorje in njihov vpliv na dosežke sportnika. Nadalje predstavljamo podrocje psihologije sporta kot znanstvene discipline, vlogo psihologije sporta in kratek pregled razvoja same psihologije sporta, opisujemo pa tudi psiholoski profil sportnika in poglavitne znacilnosti sportnikove osebnosti od samopodobe, samozavesti, sportne identiteta in motivacije v sportu. Opisujemo se kljucne pojme sportnikovega psiholoskega profila in navajamo, kako se razlicni sportniki spopadajo z njimi. V drugem delu naloge smo prek odgovorov treh profesionalnih sportnikov dobili vpogled v njihova stalisca o vplivih porocanja medijev na njihovo psiholosko stanje in sportne dosežke. Z analizo odgovorov smo ugotovili, da medijsko porocanje vpliva na sportnikovo pocutje in psiholosko stanje. Mediji o intervjuvanih sportnikih porocajo najveckrat ob nastopih na pomembnih tekmovanjih in nastopih za reprezentanco. Dobljeni podatki kažejo tudi, da so sportniki dokaj dovzetni na porocanje medijev in da le to lahko vpliva na njihovo samozavest, pocutje in razpoloženje, ne pa neposredno na njihove dosežke in uspesnost. Ugotovili smo tudi, da ima porocanje medijev bolj pozitiven kot negativen vpliv na sportnika, cetudi je porocanje ob neuspehih negativno usmerjeno. Intervjuvani sportniki sicer spremljajo porocanje medijev, vendar ne namensko in veliko manj potem, ko zakljucijo svojo sportno pot.

The Influence of Teachers’ Perceptions of School Leaders’ Empowering Behaviours on the Dimensions of Psychological Empowerment

Abstract Background and Purpose: School leader has an effect on teachers in divergent ways. If school leader wants their teachers to be successful and satisfied, he or she must have the potential to prompt work conditions that build up teachers’ psychological empowerment. Main aim of our research was to empirically test the relations between teachers’ perceptions of school leaders’ empowering behaviours and all dimensions of psychological empowerment (meaning, competence, self-determination and impact). Design/Methodology/Approach: We tested four hypotheses in one structural model by using structural equation modelling (SEM). The quantitative data was collected through an online survey on a sample of 525 primary school teachers in Slovenia by using two already validated questionnaires, The School Leader Empowering Behaviours (SLEB) and Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (PEQ). Results: Findings show that teachers’ perceptions of school leaders’ empowering behaviours are positively and statistically significantly related to all dimensions of psychological empowerment (meaning, competence, self-determination and impact). Conclusion: Knowledge of psychological empowerment can be beneficial for school leaders, because with this comprehension they can strengthen apprehension and potential in exercising empowering behaviours towards their teachers to maximize their psychological empowerment.