Zhelyu Vladimirov

Implementation of food safety management system in Bulgaria

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors for the implementation of the efficient food quality and safety management system in the food industry and the food retail sector in Bulgaria.Design/methodology/approach – Through the standardised questionnaire 422 companies have been studied: 326 from four food sub sectors (meat, diary, fruit and vegetable cans, and bread products), and 96 food retailers. The fieldwork was accomplished in the period June‐October 2007, the first year of the Bulgarian membership in the EU.Findings – The findings revealed that the main factors for the adoption of the efficient food safety and quality management system were related to the companys information capacity and the information environment; firms belonging to food producers or retailers; overall company development; place of residence; expected benefits; improvement of the working conditions; customers satisfaction; capacity of consultants; frequency of inspections; size; and environment protection. Th...

Interaction of Leading and Supporting Factors for the SME Competitiveness

The main goal of this research was to investigate the SMEs competitiveness in terms of leading and supporting factors, and to compare the influence of these factors on SMEs performance. The study focused on four leading and four supportive factors. For each of these factors the respective indexes were constructed and calculated on the basis of 300 Bulgarian SMEs. Through the econometric modelling the research addressed the interaction between two groups of factors. The main findings related to the factors ordering - with some of leading factors stepping back and supporting ones becoming more important in the times of crisis.

A Global University for a Global Village

The Internet and educational reform efforts are creating a global network of universities. The ability of faculty members and students to communicate with each other independent of location has dramatically improved. In terms of administration, universities still function as separate entities. However, efforts to share information and to collaborate on research and teaching now encounter few barriers once personal computers and networks are available. This article reviews the technical, political, and administrative changes that have created this global system for learning. It suggests some implications for research and teaching, for individuals, institutions, and societies. The article also describes what universities and other organizations can do to strengthen and expand the global academic community. From a theoretical point of view, the “global academic community” is compared with discussions of a “global brain.”

Management Practices in Bulgarian Family and Non-family SMEs: Exploring “Real” Differences

Family businesses constitute an important part of the economies in Central and Eastern Europe. However, there is a lack of understanding about differences between family and non-family businesses in this context. This study investigates differences in management practices between Bulgarian family and non-family SMEs. To detect real rather than sample differences we apply multivariate statistical techniques that controls for the effects of a number of contextual variables as recommended by Jorissen et al. (Family Business Review 18(3):229–246, 2005). The chapter ends with discussion of the empirical findings and research and practical implications.