Background. Organisations now have to rely on knowledge-worker productivity rather than advances in production equipment to sustain their businesses. There is a quite remarkable contrast in the operating procedures between the “East” and “West” approaches.
Research aims. This paper explores how an amalgamated wisdom of East and West management approach can instigate a wisdom-based renaissance of humanistic epistemology to provide a platform of harmony in managing knowledge-worker productivity, one of the biggest management challenges of the 21st century.
Method. The paper invites further discussions from the social and business research communities on the significance of “interpretation realism” technique in comprehending Lao Tzu, Confucius and Sun Tzu’s philosophies written in “Classical Chinese.”
Key findings. This paper concludes with a call to explore how amalgamating Eastern cultural wisdom (favouring a humanity approach) and Western practices (favouring a performance approach) help to instigate business harmony and its impact on the management of knowledge-practitioners and their productivity.
 

Background. The size of the older population that needs additional training and education is increasing due to the increasing life expectancy at birth as well as some non-demographic factors, for example, the faster development of technology. One of the most important directives in the area of education within the European Union is the Memorandum on Lifelong Learning, which states that all those living in Europe should have, without exception, equal opportunities that adapt to the demands of social and economic life, so they can actively participate in forging the future of Europe. Lifelong learning is a value which has become an important factor in setting the economic objectives of individual countries.
Research aims. The purpose of this small scale research is to determine the reasons for studying and reasons for continuous adult education in addition to what influences the success of individuals in education.
Method. We designed a questionnaire and we decide the sample institutions from education sector in Slovenia. In the research, we found that the majority of respondents believe that education leads to a better quality job position. They particularly see the reason for continuous adult education in a desire for additional knowledge.
Key findings. From the analysis carried out, we can see that those who have a higher level of education perceive adult training as a voluntary individual choice, a desire for knowledge, whilst those with a lower level of achieved education see training as a necessity to maintain employment. In addition we also found that individual commitment has the most influence on an individual’s success in their achievements in training and education.
 

Background. There are several studies focusing on different issues of innovation, however few of them study the footwear industry. With innovation being a key element for success, and while the Portuguese footwear industry enjoys a period of growth and international recognition (second most expensive in the world) it seems relevant to better understand the engagement of this industry with innovation.
Research aims. This paper addresses the issue of innovation in the Portuguese footwear industry.
Method. In order to develop this study data from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) carried out in Portugal during the period 2008 to 2010 was used. CIS is a survey that is carried in most EU countries, and explores company innovation in the product, process, marketing and organization dimensions.
Key findings. With the results from this survey, obtained from Statistics Portugal, the different dimensions of innovation were analysed individually and paired. As a main achievement, a lack of an innovative culture was identified. When innovation was identified it was mainly in product and process dimensions. It was also verified that when companies adopt an innovation strategy, it is normally present in more than one dimension
 

Background. The paper presents the conceptual and empirical examinations of the innovation generation process which is one of the most significant dynamic processes taking place within an organization. The generation of innovation is presented as a sequence of stages, progressing from idea generation through its development to the market introduction of the generated solution and it is considered at the organizational level.
Research aims. The purpose of the paper is to examine the broad sets of factors that influence the innovation generation process in the organizational, top managers’ and environmental context.
Method. By using the Delphi survey conducted among 264 experts representing a diverse professional and academic experience, the study analyses the perceived significance of each factor for the various stages of the innovation generation process.
Key findings. The results of the analysis indicate that the considered factors do not affect the innovation generation process with the same strength but exert varying levels of influence on the subsequent stages. Implications of these findings as well as the suggestions for future research are also discussed.
 

Background. Gathering information on the innovativeness of public organizations is a contemporary challenge for public policy-makers. The arts and culture sector in Poland needs more coherent and comprehensive data regarding innovations. Yet, there is no single classification of innovations, which could underlay development of a system for monitoring innovativeness of this sector.
Research aims. The purpose of this study is to cognize the types of innovations in cultural organizations and to propose their consistent typology as a basis for further research.
Method. Typologies of innovations derived from literature review has been grouped according to the components of the Aesthetic-Economic Situation Model. This revealed the potential areas where innovations may appear, what was verified through an instrumental case study. In order to collect the empirical data triangulated methods were applied and encompassed: structured interview, organizational documents analysis, such as annual reports and organizational website, and visual sociology comprising analysis of photographs.
Key findings. Typology of innovations provided by Oslo Manual has limited applicability to draw the full picture of innovativeness of art and cultural organizations, however this classification, after some definitional modifications, may be useful. Nevertheless, additional types such as cultural innovation, perception innovation, and functional innovation have been confirmed to appear in organization from the arts and culture sector.
 

Background. A commune local government is formed by inhabitants holding power through their representatives selected to the commune council and to positions of the executive body. Successful local growth is ensured by collaboration among all entities while fulfilling tasks specified by the state law and arising from inhabitants needs. In this paper an entity refers to inhabitants because this choice stems from the conviction that inhabitants co-participate in performing tasks and thus bear the consequences of management which, in the case of finance management, may lead to ill-considered expenditures and excessive indebtedness. Therefore, the research investigates inhabitant’s knowledge about financial economy, specifically the scale of the commune’s debt and related ramifications.
Research aim. The aim of the studies conducted is to propose a model for finance man-agement in the commune local government, including management under conditions of debt bondage, where local potentials are used for acquiring larger financial resources from the commune local government’s members.
Method. The research method used for the studies was a diagnostic survey. The survey rested on the method of questionnaire surveys and interview. The fragment of extensive empirical research carried out in all 118 communes across Warmia and Mazury Region was harnessed in the paper. Direct questionnaire surveys and interviews covered more than 5,000 persons, including councillors, officials, and principally inhabitants. 215 persons were randomly selected out of the whole base of questionnaires.
Key finding. The research subject outlined reveals a primary research problem addressed in the studies. This refers to the knowledge among the commune local government’s members about the magnitude of debt in the commune, knowledge about individuals responsible for this indebtedness and, finally, implications of the debt for inhabitants.
 

Background. Emergency management requires flexibility and adaptation to dynamic and changing circumstances. The urgent requirements and high standards of responsiveness in terms of emergency management depend on horizontal and vertical communication since this is of the main factors associated with the appropriate coordination of many essentially independent organisations.
Research aims. The paper attempts to identify the determinants of effective communication, particularly in regard to close coordination, as well as the role played by these processes in the management of local emergency networks.
Method. This work consists of a theory-based empirical study. It is qualitative in nature and the research method is based on both desk research and field research. The research was conducted as part of a research project entitled "Coordination, communication and trust as factors driving effective inter-organisational collaboration in the public safety management system " (DEC-2012/07/D/HS4/00537) financed by the National Science Centre.
Key findings. As a result, the new role of communication as a factor associated with the appropriate coordination in local emergency networks was identified