management
VOLUME 15 ■ NUMBER 3 ■ FALL 2020 ■ ISSN 1854-4231
management
issn 1854-4231
www.mng.fm-kp.si
Klemen Kavcic, University of Primorska, Slovenia, klemen.kavcic@fm-kp.si
associate editors Claude Meier, University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration, Switzerland, claude.meier@fhhwz.ch Maja Mesko, University of Primorska, Slovenia, maja.mesko@fm-kp.si
managing and production editor Alen Jezovnik, University of Primorska Press, Slovenia, alen.jezovnik@upr.si
editorial board
Josef C. Brada, Arizona State University,
usa josef.brada@asu.edu Birgit Burbock, FH Joanneum, Austria,
birgit.burboeck@fh-joanneum.at Andrzej CieSlik, University of Warsaw,
Poland, cieslik@wne.uw.edu.pl Liesbeth Dries, University ofWageningen, The Netherlands, liesbeth.dries@wur.nl Henryk Gurgul, agh University of Science and Technology, Poland, henryk.gurgul@gmail.com Timotej Jagric, University of Maribor,
Slovenia, timotej.jagric@uni-mb.si Ladislav Kabat, Pan-European University,
Slovakia, dekan.fep@paneurouni. com Pekka Kess, University of Oulu, Finland,
pekka. kess@oulu.fi Masaaki Kuboniwa, Hitotsubashi
University, Japan, kuboniwa@ier.hit-u.ac.jp Mirna Leko-Simic, Josip Juraj Strossmayer
University of Osijek, Croatia, lekom@efos.hr Zbigniew Pastuszak, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Poland, z.pastuszak@umcs.lublin.pl Katarzyna Piorkowska, Wroclaw University of Economics, Poland, katarzyna.piorkowska@ue.wroc.pl Najla Podrug, University of Zagreb, Croatia,
npodrug@efzg.hr Cezar Scarlat, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania, cezarscarlat@yahoo.com Hazbo Skoko, Charles Sturt University,
Australia, hskoko@csu.edu.au Marinko Skare, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Croatia, mskare@efpu.hr
Janez Šušteršič, International School of Social and Business Studies, Slovenia, janez.sustersic@issbs.si Milan Vodopivec, University of Primorska,
Slovenia, milan.vodopivec@fm-kp.si aims and scope
The journal Management integrates practitioners', behavioural and legal aspects of management. It is dedicated to publishing articles on activities and issues within organisations, their structure and resources. It advocates the freedom of thought and creativity and promotes the ethics in decision-making and moral responsibility
indexing and abstracting Management is indexed/listed in doaj, Erih Plus, EconPapers, ebsco, and ProQuest.
submissions
The manuscripts should be submitted as e-mail attachment to the editorial office at mng@fm-kp.si. Detailed guide for authors and publishing ethics statement are available at www.mng.fm-kp.si.
editorial office up Faculty of Management Cankarjeva 5, 6101 Koper, Slovenia mng@fm-kp.si ■ www.mng.fm-kp.si
published by
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Abstracts translated into Slovene by Martina Paradiž and Karin Podlipnik

Revija Management je namenjena mednarodni znanstveni javnosti; izhaja v angleščini s povzetki v slovenščini. Izid revije je finančno podprla Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije iz sredstev državnega proračuna iz naslova razpisa za sofinanciranje izdajanja domačih znanstvenih periodičnih publikacij.
management
VOLUME 15 (2020) NUMBER 3	ISSN 1854-4231
161 Foreign Languages: The Key Factor in Employability Fitnete Martinaj
179 Internal Communication in Global Project Teams Martin Bizjak and Armand Faganel
207 Characterizing Safety Leadership Based on the Seven Skills of Effective People Model Paula Nicoleta Neag, Alin Gaureanu, andAnca Draghici
221 The Factors Influencing the Buying Decision of Customers Behaviour Ales Lukman and Tina Vukasovic
235 Abstracts in Slovene
[MH^H https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.15_3
Foreign Languages: The Key Factor in Employability
fitnete martinaj
International School for Social and Business Studies, Slovenia fitnetemartinaj@hotmail. com
The globalization of knowledge, and of higher education itself, is contributing to an increasing use of foreign languages. Nowadays, labour markets worldwide demand employees and graduates who possess foreign language proficiency and good communication skills. The aim of this article is to show that possessing foreign language skills offers graduates and employees the opportunity of a better job, career success and promotion. This study investigates the role of foreign language skills in the employability and success of Kosovo citizens. In addition, an international review of the effects of language skills on effective communication is provided in order to make a national and international comparison. Our findings support the hypothesis that foreign languages constitute a good amount of knowledge management which generates success for both graduates and employees. We will try to prove this hypothesis through a relevant literature review and others' research. This article's objective is to explore the benefits of learning foreign languages. The results show that the use of foreign languages is crucial for employment, career success, knowledge sharing and cross-cultural communication.
Key words: foreign language skills, employability, communication, career success
[MEI^B https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.15.161-178
Introduction
Language skills, communication skills, adaptability skills, and critical thinking skills are some of the key attributes that graduates should have when they intend to enter labour market and when professionals are required to work with advanced technologies. The research carried out by the uk Subject Centre for Languages (Gallagher-Brett 2004) identified more than 700 reasons to study languages, which were arranged into the following categories: citizenship; communication; economic; social and political dimensions; democracy; diversity; employability; environmental sustainability; equal opportunities; globalization; identity; intercultural competence; international
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dimension and foreign policy; key skills; language awareness; mobility/travel; multilingualism; personal and social development of the individual and values. The 'Languages for Jobs' report (European Commission 2011a) shows that the demand for foreign language skills in the European labour market is steadily rising and also bound to increase in the short to medium-term future. The socio-economic and cultural position of a specific nation is reflected through language. Employers are constantly in need of employees with strong communication skills covering a wide range of verbal and written communication (European Commission 2011a). According to the elan study (cilt 2006) on the effects on the European economy of shortages of foreign language skills in enterprise, a significant amount of business is being lost in the eu due to a lack of language skills. Studies show that education systems have to respond better to pupils' learning and professional needs and work more closely with employers, chambers of commerce and other stakeholders, linking language teaching to the creation of career paths. Using data from the European Commission (2011a), the analyses show that English, German and French are the most widely learnt foreign languages in Europe. Adults who know one or more foreign languages are more likely to be employed than those who do not know any foreign language. As stated above, there are many reasons to study languages. However, this study is limited to the investigation of only some of them, including employment, communication, intercultural competence and career success.
Language and Cultural Skills Dimension on Employability
of Kosovo Citizens
Youth unemployment is a huge problem in Kosovo. The country's current youth unemployment is as high as 57.7% (Rrumbullaku 2019). The results for individual countries show that in 17 out of 24 European Member States, knowing foreign languages and/or being proficient in at least one is positively related with employment status. Given that Kosovo people live and operate in a common territory with one or more communities that speak a different language, the relationship they create with each other's language reflects the esteem they have for the other's culture and traditions in general. Kosovo, being a European country, has had a unique past compared to other countries because it has been under an international administration for many years. This administration's language of operation is English and it is amazing the amount of effect that this administration has had upon Kosovo institutions. During the
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United Nations Mission in Kosovo (unmik) period, English has been the most important language (Polloshka 2018). unmik was responsible for the reconstruction and development of education system in Kosovo and its authority was based on three main areas: physical reconstruction; legal reconstruction; and academic reconstruction (Pichl 1999). According to the World Bank report (2012), the quality of education in Kosovo is lower than in eu countries and this has created difficulties for new employees in the labour market, and reflected negatively on the economic growth of the country. English and other languages spoken inside Kosovo provide grounds for a multicultural business environment (Multilingualism features in Kosovo are provided in table 1). Albanian is the official language, along with Serbian. Other languages including Turkish, Romani, and Bosnian are also spoken in Kosovo. English is widely spoken, especially by the young. English is also taught at schools starting from primary education while German is widely spoken in general society (http://www.beinkosovo.com). According to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (2013), the role of foreign language skills in the intercultural and international business communication of Kosovo people is further reinforced by two important factors: (1) overall, the most important target countries of Kosovo's business companies are different language-speaking countries, and (2) the Kosovo diaspora resides in some of the most highly industrialized Western economies, where they are able to accumulate substantial capital, gain advanced skills and develop effective networks. Thus, the skill 'fluent in foreign languages' is statistically significant in Kosovo, suggesting that individuals are socialized and well networked. To date, there has been no systematic attempt to measure foreign language skills directly in Kosovo and analysis has been limited to inexact approximations of skills such as education levels, years of schooling, or occupational categories. Workers with more skills improve their own productivity as well as that of other workers, increase capital productivity, and facilitate innovation and the adoption of new technology. Better skills in foreign languages, marketing, sales, and design, as well as computer skills are important for Kosovo companies to compete in markets. To address these needs, the Vocational and Education Training (vet) system needs to be better aligned with the skill demands in these areas. While commerce and services are the two sectors that accounted for most of the new jobs over the past decade, the sectorial profile of vet students is heavily skewed toward business/law, as well as medicine and computer science, whereas the share of vet students in the services skill sector (based on Eurostat
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table 1 Multilingualism in Kosovo
1	Kosovo provide grounds for a multicultural business environment.
2	Kosovo people live and operate in a common territory with one or more communities that speak a different language.
3	English is the most important foreign language.
4	Albanian is the official language, along with Serbian.
5	Other local languages include Turkish, Romani and Bosnian.
6	English is widely spoken, especially by the young.
7	German is widely spoken in general society
categorization) is very low in relation to the share of jobs created in services (Skills 2020 Kosovo 2014).
The Kosovo Jobs Diagnostic Report (Cojocaru 2017) shows that English and computer skills are deficient in Kosovo institutions. Employers were asked to evaluate, for a set of skills, whether there were differences between what is required for the job and the current level of this skill in a typical worker. On average, less than five per cent of firms thought there were differences between the skills of typical Type A workers and job requirements. For Type B workers the gap is somewhat wider, but still less than 10 percent for most skills. Insufficient skills are most common with respect to knowledge of foreign languages (especially English), as well as insufficient computer skills (basic word processing skills for Type B; presentations and/or other advanced purposes such as creating and managing databases, or using specialized computer programs for Type A). Skills gap analysis (Hapgiu and Osmani 2018) is a trending topic among businesses and policymakers, and it refers to the fact that private sector employers encounter significant difficulties in finding skilled and qualified labour for particular operations within their companies. At first sight, this concern seems paradoxical, not least because the unemployment rate in the country is at staggering levels, whereas the number of people enrolling in higher education institutions is double of that of the European Union. In normal circumstances, such figures on higher education enrolment should be an indicator of the talent and skill abundance in the labour market, an element that would make domestic companies much more competitive in regional and broader terms. At present, the country has structural challenges in terms of being able to prepare a skilled labour force in line with needs and demands. This inability of education institutions to build a workforce in line with what the labour market needs has been elaborated in detail at Skills Gap Analysis, which focused on manufacturing, trade and professional services (Hapgiu and Osmani
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2018). Moreover, skills explain most of country's variations in long-term growth rates, and even small improvements in skills could raise growth rates significantly. Increasing the level and relevance of skills of the workforce is consequently a central focus of the Employment and Social Welfare Strategy 2018-2022 of the Government of Kosovo (The World Bank 2019).
Language Effects on the Employment of Graduates
The employment of graduates is becoming an increasingly prominent economic and social problem and has attracted extensive attention from researchers, who suggest that entrepreneurship education has a positive influence on entrepreneurial behaviour and employment performance (Martin, McNally, and Kay 2013). Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe with a median age of 29.5 years, and youth are the country's great asset. The last decade has seen a significant increase in the number of young people attending university. Finding a good job upon graduation is an important milestone for young people, but the transition to employment in Kosovo often comes with many challenges. Finding solutions to improve educational and employment opportunities for young people is essential to Kosovo's development (The World Bank 2012). The ten basic competences pointed out by the European Commission wherein foreign language skills is specified, remain at a poor level in Kosovo and this requires a greater focus on improving school curricula, starting from earlier grades (Skills 2020 Kosovo 2014). Regardless of enormous efforts by Kosovo institutions and international donors to create employment policies and appropriate strategies for the labour market through education and vocational training, Kosovo still continues to have a high rate of unemployment (Kita 2008). According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (2010), the main objective of the ministry in Kosovo is to adopt a sectorial strategy and action plan for increasing of employment and strengthening vocational training, in accordance with the labour market demands. Leitch, Hazlett, and Pittaway (2012) place the role of entrepreneurial education in broader contexts by considering entrepreneurship as a way of thinking and behaving, suggesting that the benefits of building the national entrepreneurial culture is not limited only to the creation of new ventures, but rather to preparing students for the labour market. The perceived capabilities for entrepreneurship may be seen as high self-efficacy among the Kosovan students which indeed indicates 'the strong personal belief in skills and abilities to initiate a task and lead it to success' (Bandura 1997). As Markman, Balkin, and
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Baron (2002) note, the perceptions of self-efficacy are very critical in entrepreneurship, because self-efficacy perceptions rather than objective ability motivate individuals to demonstrate entrepreneurial behaviour. However, in Kosovo, this is not the case. The large differences between the high self-perception of the knowledge, skills, and experience of students and their entrepreneurial intentions suggest that the Kosovan students have a very positive self-perception of their ability (Krasniqi, Pula, and Lajqi 2018)
Furthermore, the ict Sector Study (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2018) reports a low rate of the quality of schools and training for people working in the digital tech sector in Kosovo, i.e. 29 % extremely unhelpful, 29% unhelpful, 14% neutral, 29% good conditions and 0% great conditions. On the other hand, the use of English language by Kosovan people not only indicates a sign of prestige and necessity for people who want to get educated or work abroad, but is also the main tool of communication between people inside and outside Kosovo. Graduates' proficiency in English language is keenly sought after by employers to help drive their organizations to compete successfully in the era of globalization and competitiveness (Hamid, Islam, and Hazilah 2014). Work placement modules align closely with Kolb's (1984) notion that, 'Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience'. According to Phipps and Gonzales (2004), in order to become employed, graduates should 'live' the foreign language rather than just 'have' it. They offer a concept of 'languaging' as opposed to 'language learning'. In their words, this is the process of becoming 'active agents in creating their human environment' (Phipps and Gonzalez 2004, 2). Graduates should not only be contented with learning to speak a language well but should remember that their main aim is to improve their communicative competence and abilities (Dornyei 2005; Fallah 2014).
Employability skills play a significant role in whether a candidate is hired by the desired company because these attributes are highly sought after by employers (Lowden et al. 2011). Most employers and fresh graduates agree that more emphasis should be given to the development of a student's skills and attributes, including communication, team-working, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and leadership, otherwise known as employability skills (Lowden et al. 2011). Among these attributes, communication skills with good proficiency in English are also found to play an important role in embracing industry (Chin 2018). A similar survey was conducted in the uk where Harvey et al. (1997) reviewed these factors and concluded
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that graduates not gaining employment during the first six months were due to poor communication skills. This was further supported by Mason, Williams, and Cranmer (2006) in that the conception of employability greatly depended on the development of communication. A report generated by the Confederation of British Industry (cbi 2007) found that, among eight skills, communication and literacy were required for employability. According to the cbi, this shows how important it is for graduates to possess communication skills, which act as key factors for employability. The Harvard Business Review (McCormick 2013) informed that recruitment and hr managers around the world and applicants with exceptional English language skills (compared to the average level in their country/territory) earn 30-50% higher salaries. Research shows a direct correlation between English language skills and economic performance. This is a virtuous cycle, with improving English skills driving up salaries, which in turn creates more money to invest in further language training.
When speaking about what foreign languages contribute for em-ployability, it can be said that English is and continues to be, the dominant language of global trade (European Commission 2011b and cilt 2006). Lack of English language skills has been considered a barrier to accomplishing entry into employment and workforce. English communication skills are an important prerequisite for a career at a national or international level. A good command of the English language is believed to assist graduates to have better communication as they are able to deal with various challenges (Zhang et al. 2012). Being proficient in English is positively associated with being employed only for the 25-40 age group and knowing German has a positive association with employment status for the 41-64 age group (European Commission 2011a). Even though the advantage of knowing English is clear, different languages are associated with distinct employment levels in different countries. English, French, German, Russian and Spanish are the most taught languages (among languages spoken in two or more countries) in Europe, and are therefore those that Eurostat suggests should be prioritized in the identification of the best-known languages. A study conducted by Mulkerne and Graham in 2011 shows the direct relation between employability and graduates who have developed linguistic and intercultural skills. The authors show that on the labour market there is a constant demand for foreign language skills. Accordingly, languages are tools for communication, the carriers of entire worldviews, and the repositories of culture and identity.
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Foreign Languages Generate Effective Communication
language skills generate cross-cultural
communication
Welch and Welch (2008) have described that language is an important aspect of culture. It is always inherent in a certain culture. If language influences the way we behave and how we perceive things, it means that culture is also inherent in the language itself. Learning a foreign language enables new working opportunities to be opened or the development of a new professional activity. Scientists identify negotiation as one of the key skill areas for working effectively across cultures. International negotiators require additional skills and competencies on top of those required in domestic business negotiations (cilt 2006). It is argued that language has a dual function, both as a means of communication and a carrier of culture. Language without culture is unthinkable, as is human culture without language. A particular language is a mirror of a particular culture. Language is what people use to express, create and interpret meanings and to establish and maintain social and interpersonal relationships. This understanding of language views language not simply as a kind of knowledge to be learnt, but as a social practice in which to participate.
Kitishat, Al Kayed, and Allah (2015) stress the importance of cultural awareness for any learner; an effective foreign language must be accompanied by cultural teaching. They argue that if students learn the language without the culture in which it is rooted, their learning will be passive because they will learn signs that are linked with the wrong signifier. Second language teachers should be second culture teachers, with the ability to experience and analyse both the home and target cultures. Teachers of the culture of a linguistic community need to know the culture to be taught and know the culture of the language learners (Qu 2010). Furthermore, intercultural problems arising from the use of it have been identified relatively recently. A number of studies suggest ways in which program interface designers might develop their products for optimal use by people from different cultures (cilt 2006). In 2012, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (egfsn) published a report on the skills required to trade internationally both in existing and emerging export markets. Among the skills required are foreign languages and cultural awareness. The National Employer Survey (Higher Education Authority, solas, and Quality and Qualifications Ireland 2015) showed that approximately one quarter of employers indicated that they had
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a specific requirement for foreign language proficiency skills in their organization. The Ireland's National Skills Strategy 2025 (Department of Education and Skills 2016) lists foreign languages and cultural awareness among the cross-sectorial skills that improve an individual's employability and enable occupational mobility. Learning a foreign language is no longer a luxury for some but a necessity for most. It is an international key which upon turning will open many doors and opportunities for those that embrace and enjoy the challenge.
language skills generate business communication
Foreign languages play an important role in business communication. Competence in foreign languages in business assists understanding of conversations, communication and negotiations between practitioners and foreign customers. Practitioners can run business more smoothly with the use of foreign languages (Rasouli, Dyke, and Mantler 2008) and their foreign customers will feel more comfortable. Foreign language plays a role in assisting customers who face problems in communication (Cotton, Falvey, and Kent 2007), especially in terms of communication with multinational companies and companies outside a country. Effective communication in the workplace can increase the overall productivity of a company, 'Twenty-first century organizations increasingly depend on information-sharing and effective communication to successfully run their companies' (Washington 2014, 266).
The elan (cilt 2006) study reports on the specific reasons given by firms to explain potential losses they have experienced. The main reasons given are lack of staff speaking languages, followed by lack of follow-up and lack of confidence. Then there are switchboard problems and difficulties with agents or distributors. Lack of cultural affinity is also cited, but by fewer companies. The studies show that the foreign language proficiency is a basic requirement in most business contexts in the workplace, and that English as the main language of global communication still holds a dominant position (e.g. Ehrenreich 2010; Kassim and Ali 2010). Graddol (2006) has charted the linguistic dimension of globalization and its implications in particular for English. As the balance of economic power shifts away from domination by the West, with the rise of the so-called brics (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies the relative status and power of global languages such as Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Portuguese and Russian will increase, according to Graddol (2006). This process will be assisted by demographics, and the technological 'catching up' of other countries with the Internet revolution in which English had
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a head start. If the language is broken down into specific situations and skills, there will be a demand for: English for negotiations (6%) and English for meetings (5%), German for negotiations (4%) and correspondence (4%), followed by English for exhibitions (4%) and for correspondence (3%) (cilt 2006).
language skills generate knowledge sharing
Language is the most basic tool of communication between humans, and it has been used for knowledge dissemination throughout the history of mankind. In its simplest form, language enables knowledge sharing through the exchange of written material such as documents, and, in its most complex form, it allows knowledge sharing through knowledge creation and sense-making by providing a framework for discussion, dialogue, and contextualization (Renzl 2007). Knowledge of a language means not only knowing its linguistic forms but also knowing how to use it (Toit 2003). Lin and Lee (2006, 75) have described knowledge sharing as 'the activities of how to help communities of people work together, facilitating the exchange of their knowledge and increasing their ability to achieve individual and organizational goals'. Since language is a means of knowledge sharing, any variances, discrepancies, and limitations in participants' language proficiency are likely to have considerable impact on the quality of knowledge sharing (Koskinen, Pihlanto and Vanharanta 2003). Piekkari, Welch, and Welch (1999) found that employees proficient in the corporate language were able to participate in knowledge-intensive activities such as training and seminars, and were able to network with experts from other language communities. According to Dhir and Goké-Paríolá (2002), transmission of information takes place through social interaction with others and thus language is a primary source that facilitates the provision of such medium for communication. The significant role of language in the knowledge sharing process is described by Husted and Michaiova (2002) as the importance of language becomes even more vital when difference in the native languages of the partner or employees increases the ambiguity substantially. The lack of fluency in the corporate language may create a possibly major obstacle even in well-codified knowledge, to being accessible and also affects the behavioural transparency which reduces the limits of understanding of each other behaviours. It leads to misunderstandings and communication problems in multicultural settings and affects the knowledge sharing, transfer and learning processes heavily. In the process of building trust (as cited in Welch and Welch 2008, 350), 'language
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becomes one of the keys that unlocks the potential contribution of trust. It is very difficult to establish a trusting relationship without an adequate basis of communication'. From the point of view of knowledge sharing and communication language dissimilarities can cause uneven patterns of interaction and knowledge sharing. In contrast to the belief that diversity in groups is seen as beneficial, language differences can have a negative impact on interaction and knowledge sharing when the group members have inadequate language skills (Makela, Kalla, and Piekkari 2007).
language skills generate career success
A high level of knowledge of a foreign language enables one to do things that would otherwise be impossible. 'Business is always and in any context looking for the language skill in conjunction with some other skill or expertise' (Wabenhorst 1992). The combination of a foreign language and another skill is a major selling point for the job-hunter. Employability skills comprise specific personal characters and skills that enhance the employment prospects of a graduate. Therefore, employability skills are beneficial not just to the graduate, but also to the organization in which the graduate works (Tejan and Sabil 2006). To a greater extent, education is considered to be the vehicle of the creation and growth of new entrepreneurial and technological ideas which form the basis for innovation and growth. Indeed, the universities play a significant role in enhancing the absorptive capacity of actors such as employees at firms and researchers at universities and research institution need to drive the economic growth (Audretsch, Lehmann, and Wright 2014). Accordingly, Clarke (2018) holds the view that employability skills is not just the responsibility of the graduate alone, but that employers and universities should also help graduates in developing the desirable employability skills. Ali, Othman, and Ahmad (2017) in their study reported that employers are focusing a lot of attention on graduate skills and this calls for universities to also focus more on equipping their graduates with skills that are needed in the job market. The latter will help in increasing the graduates' chances of gaining employment as they will have the necessary skills to adapt to the changing business environment.
International mergers and acquisitions that constantly shape business have shifted focus from solely professional skills towards requirements regarding language capabilities (Piekkari 2008). Globalization and cultural issues have wide effects on careers in today's organizations (Bloch 1995; Leong and Hartung 2000, 212). Entirely
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new job positions are created and new skills and qualifications are required (Buchholz, Hofacker, and Blossfeld 2006). Integrating foreign language skills with business skills, educational background and cross-cultural communication skills is essential (Bloch 1995) Furthermore, language skills can secure one's position in the field of international business, and offer capabilities to perform international tasks well and effectively (Bloch 1995).
Discussion and Conclusion
The changing global economy and international settings demand high levels of foreign language skills, as well as cultural competencies to be taken into account both for employees and graduates and while conducting business. In this respect, we support the idea that increased foreign language knowledge unavoidably leads to employ-ability and up-to-date labour market knowledge. The role of university language departments is crucial, both with regard to developing expertise in modern languages as well as in teaching foreign languages.
In the future, the need for language skills is most likely to increase in Kosovo and beyond. Occupational standards should serve as a letter of guarantee for qualifications earned by individuals in different fields. Such standards which should be developed in line with the European Qualifications Standard, aim to prove that an individual who has earned an occupational standard is fully competent in performing a given task/role in the organization. The process for the development of such standards needs to be accelerated in the future (Hapçiu and Osmani 2018). The labour legislation in Kosovo should be amended with a view to creating a more dynamic labour market that encourages competition and labour force productivity. Additionally, institutions should work to remove all potential barriers. Kosovo should also work towards empowering social dialogue as a very important link to ensuring the harmonization of education and labour policies (Hapçiu and Osmani 2018). The Stabilization and Association Agreement between Kosovo and European Union Article 107 Education and Training (p. 15) says that they shall cooperate with the aim of raising the level of general education and vocational education and training as well as youth policy and youth work in Kosovo, as a means to promote skills development, employability, social inclusion and economic development in Kosovo. The relevant eu programmes and instruments shall contribute to the upgrading of educational, training, research and innovation structures and activities in Kosovo.
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Education is considered to be the vehicle to the creation and growth of new entrepreneurial and technological ideas which form the basis for innovation and growth. Indeed, the universities play a significant role in enhancing the absorptive capacity of actors such as employees at firms and researchers at universities and research institution need to drive the economic growth (Audretsch, Lehmann and Wright 2014). There is a critical need to ensure that all students across all disciplines have an opportunity for entrepreneurial learning (European Commission 2008). Not only the promotion of entrepreneurship in tertiary education, but the promotion of entrepreneurial learning at secondary and vocational education is very important for developing an entrepreneurial culture. Entrepreneur-ship education incorporates the courses, programmes and processes offered to students to strengthen their entrepreneurial traits, attitudes, skills and knowledge required for starting and growing new ventures (Hahn et al. 2017). Ways should be found to provide language training for employees, provide work experience opportunities for foreign students and employees, make use of migrant workers' language skills and to seek opportunities to collaborate with educational institutions in order to support language education and training.
It can be concluded that if individuals want to remain employable and graduates are to meet labour market demands, they should embrace multilingualism. Despite the fact that English is the most studied language in the world, in many European and global companies, languages other than English are used. Hence, the contribution of foreign languages to employability, competitiveness and achievement is too obvious to be doubted.
Our research was limited to the effects of foreign languages on employment, communication, intercultural competence and career success. Future research could focus on economic, social and political dimensions, on democracy and diversity. Finally, our recommendation to graduates is to review the language needs in particular markets while educational institutions should also be aware of the importance of their role as support service providers in the area of language training.
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Internal Communication in Global Project Teams
martin bizjak
University of Primorska, Slovenia martin.bizjak87@gmail.com
armand faganel
University of Primorska, Slovenia armand.faganel@upr.si
Communication in global project teams is emerging research topic as more and more work is done in form of global project, with geographically dispersed teams communicating using different communication channels. There are several unique dimensions to consider in comparison to communication in traditional project teams, including some unique risks and success factors. This article provides a systematic literature review on internal communication in global project teams. Cultural aspects of global project team collaboration were also investigated. A bibliometric analysis was performed through methodological approach applied in previous studies. Traditional project management and communication methods are not the best option for global projects as they can't answer the additional challenges that global projects provide in comparison to traditional projects. Key risks and success factors on global projects were identified and proposals extracted on how to run the internal communication on global projects. Requirements for successful global project manager were described. Our research revealed a gap in available literature, encouraging further exploration and serving as a basis for further research.
Key words: project management communication, global project management, internal communication, cultural impact, project performance, literature review
[gBH https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.15.179-206
Introduction
The field of project management rapidly expands as the global trend of projects is rising. The globalization of markets, mergers of international companies, and integration of managerial and business processes in global corporations are changing project management fundamentals (Eriksson et al. 2002). Project management practices are
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becoming increasingly important, as more and more work is organised through projects and programmes (Winter et al. 2006). Business activities are becoming more and more project based rather than process based (Zein 2012). Project management has long been considered as an academic field for planning-oriented techniques and an application of engineering science and optimization theory. Project management is now the dominant model in many organisations for strategy implementation, business transformation, continuous improvement and new product development. Due to rapid expansion the need for an internal discussion and debate about project management research increases (Soderlund 2004).
Binder (2009) wrote that project managers spend most of their time communicating. Effective communication to all stakeholders is according to Project Management Institute (2013) the most crucial success factor in project management with 55% of project managers agreeing on that. While communication could be seen as a traditional team issue, the problem is magnified by distance, cultural diversity and language or accent difficulties (Lee-Kelley and Sankey 2008).
The studied field is highly topical, since many authors discuss various aspects of project management and communication within teams all across the globe (e.g. Akkermans et al. 2020; Chen et al. 2019; Holzmann and Mazzini 2020; Kerzner 2019; Kock et al. 2020; Papadaki et al. 2019; Peña and Muñoz 2020; Shirley 2020; Souza, Tereso, and Mesquita 2020). The aim of the research is to investigate the process and role of internal communication in global project teams, distinguishing from internal communication in traditional project teams and emphasize the importance of cultural aspect in global project team communication. A literature review was performed with the focus on topics under investigation. The conclusions were drawn along with recommendation for further research in this area of science.
Research Method
Literature review process represents much more than collecting and summarizing literature (Onwuegbuzie et al. 2012). It is as a data collection tool, a method, a mixed research method, and, above all, a methodology (Onwuegbuzie and Frels 2016). The literature review represents a method as the literature reviewer chooses from an array of strategies and procedures for identifying, recording, understanding, meaning-making, and transmitting information pertinent to a topic of interest.
In the first step of our research we defined our research problem.
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According to Onwuegbuzie and Frels (2016), an effective problem statement is the description of a current and important challenge that is confronted by researchers and/or practitioners for which there are no adequate solutions available from the extant literature. We also defined research scope and boundaries (Mossolly 2015). In this research we decided to investigate what has been addressed in available literature about communication on projects, with special focus on internal communication in global project teams. Cultural impact was also investigated since it influences internal project communication, especially on global projects (Lee-Kelley and Sankey 2008). Several related contents such as communication with external stakeholders, vertical organizational communication, political and financial aspects of global project management were not discussed.
The search for literature was mostly done online, using academic databases such as ScienceDirect, ResearchGate and Emerald Insight and search engines such as Google and Google Scholar. The keywords 'project management communication,' 'global project management communication' and 'project management internal communication' were used to search for relevant literature as they obviously relate to the topic under research. Initial selection was done based on relevance of article titles for the topic under research. All the articles which passed through the first selection were carefully read and relevance for the topic under research was put under question again. Only articles identified as relevant for the topic under research were considered in this study. We categorized the literature under investigation based on its specific focus to help us structure the work, link the content and generate conclusions. The search was focused on the literature published in last decade; nevertheless, we still included some earlier publications which are found relevant for our research. Our literature review is a mixed research study as the primary studies under investigation were both qualitative and quantitative.
Literature Review
The major findings identified in reviewed literature, relevant for the topic under research, are confronted in this chapter. It starts with introduction of global projects and the differences to traditional projects. Requirements for global project manager are also discussed. Next chapter discusses the role and process of internal communication within global project team and the communication channels used. Last chapter focuses on cultural impact, including
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cultural management in global project teams. The specifics of some most important cultural entities are also explained.
global projects
The definition of global projects is far from being obvious (Mossolly 2015). Among several other definitions, Fossum et al. (2019) define global projects as temporary collaborations between organizations across locational, temporal and relational distances with the intention to jointly deliver a unique product or service. Traditional projects are in contrast usually run within same organization and are not geographically dispersed. Another thing that distinguishes global projects from traditional is project complexity. Global projects are usually considered as high complexity projects, thus managing global projects using traditional project management approach would be difficult, or even impossible (Aarseth, Rolstadas, and Andersen 2013). Alami (2016) agrees that traditional project implementation is not an excellent fit for global projects.
Differences to Traditional Projects
One of several attributes distinguishing global from traditional projects are their unique risks. Both traditional and global project are subjected to certain level of risk, but comparing to traditional, the risks on global projects are usually higher. Caldas and Gupta (2017) observed that risk factors such as complexity, size and duration, contribute to several projects not achieving their performance objectives. There are several factors impacting global project complexity, Binder (2007) lists number of distant locations, different organizations, country cultures, different languages and time zones. Although many believe that project complexity reduces project management performance, the researchers so far failed to establish this causal relationship (Bjorvatn and Wald 2018). Another risk, common for both types of projects is lack of project management maturity, which affects the project success (Dube and Katane 2017). Aarseth, Rolstadas, and Andersen (2103) mention lack of organizational support, improper facing with external requirements and managing internal stakeholders in the project team as further risks the project team need to handle. Oertig and Buergi (2006) warn about the issue of high turnover in project teams. There are some risks, which are unique for global projects and mainly include political, economic and cultural risks (Li 2009). Among these, political risk is believed to be the most difficult to mitigate. Eriksson et al. (2002) warn about the risk of local issues, which might prevail on global project, and even minor
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issues can become huge problems. Lack of mutual trust is also common risk on global projects and main issue of cooperation between people of different cultures (Anantatmula and Thomas 2008). Relational communication and psychosocial factors such as trust, commitment and communication have an important role in the functioning of global teams (Henttonen and Blomqvist 2005), but global team communication doesn't enable face-to-face communication, which cultivates trust and shared understandings (Alami 2016). Jarvenpaa and Leidner (1999) observe that global virtual teams may experience a form of 'swift' trust, but such trust appears to be very fragile and temporal. Still the trust must prevail within the team in order to achieve a high level of cooperation (Kalyvas 2009). There are number of different forms of trust and an optimal level of trust should be achieved to mitigate the chance of groupthink occurrence and to ensure a connection between trust, risk and interdependence within relationships (Parker, Kunde, and Zeppetella 2017). The project team needs to start with risk management activities from the very beginning of project. Clear requirement engineering from earliest stage of the project, as Eriksson et al. (2002) suggest, reduces costs and minimizes risk for misunderstandings. They also see prompt information availability for all team members on all organizational levels as another step towards successful project. To summarize, successful risk management on project is only possible through effective communication.
Beside risks it is also important to discuss global projects' success factors. Much research has been carried out to identify success factors in traditional projects, but little work has focused on success factors in global projects (Aarseth, Rolstadâs, and Andersen 2013). One of key success factors on both traditional and global projects is timely change management, requiring fast and efficient communication for quick detection of deviations and timely decision making (Ahuja, Yang, and Shankar 2010). Collyer (2016) agrees that it is necessary to communicate fast and timely. Proctor and Doukakis (2003) see effective communication as crucial for successful introduction of the change. It ensures stakeholder participation in the change management processes through teamwork and empowerment, meanwhile lack of communication routines leads to straightforward project culture with task performance and efficiency preferred over stakeholder involvement (Butt, Naaranoja, and Savolainen 2016). Collyer (2016) suggests that managers faced with rapid change may benefit from a culture supporting efficient communication and flexible leadership with rapid decision making. They should also look beyond
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traditional tools of communication as these don't meet requirements for timely change management on global projects (Ahuja, Yang, and Shankar, 2010). Still, Oertig and Buergi (2006) encourage traditional face-to-face communication and relationship building, as it increases employee satisfaction (Men 2014) and mutual trust (Alami 2016). Eriksson et al. (2002) emphasize that it is important to create trust and commitment within the team. Mohd and Noraini (2012) also observe strong relation between communication and trust in determining team success, while Kalyvas (2009) agrees that these two are key success factors. Dube and Katane (2017) list organizational culture, leadership, trust, communication and team commitment as other important success factors, followed by project management maturity Proper selection of project management approach, either prescriptive or adaptive, can also be a success factor on project (Rol-stadâs et al. 2014). According to Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008), the key success factors on global projects are project management competency, appropriate use of technology and networking ability, willingness for self-management, cultural and interpersonal awareness. Ranf (2010) adds sincere intention to integrate in new, different culture as the key to success in international business.
Global Project Management Requirements
Management of global project requires a project manager whose abilities reach further than what is usually required on traditional projects. Kalyvas (2009) observed that he or she needs to possess special abilities and skills comparing to those necessary for the traditional project manager. He or she has to deal with a number of challenges that require a flexible style of management, the ability to understand and a global mind-set, the ability to deal with the different cultural aspects, geographical distance, conflicts and tensions, communication, language, religion, customs, values and mutual trust (Lima and Patah 2016). He or she should be ready to face specific challenges, such as cross-cultural communication, work with different organizations, skewed time zones, multi-languages and collaboration across locations (Binder 2009). Being a good team builder and able to detect the strong points of his team is also necessary, besides strong understanding of the other people diversity and its acceptance (Kalyvas 2009). Project manager on global projects needs to be relationship-oriented and build trust to a much larger extent than in simpler projects (Aarseth, Rolstadâs, and Andersen 2013). Bristol and Yeatts (2010) emphasize that style awareness, communication style flexibility and respecting humanity of others build trust
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within the team. Ambiguity acceptance and translation skills are two further requirements that project manager needs to fulfill (Gray and Ulbrich 2017). Browne et al. (2016) see communication skills as most important leadership attribute. Project manager does not communicate with language only, but also with character - attitude, behaviour and personality (Zulch 2014b). The project manager that is trusted by the team and gets them to work together will communicate successfully (Zulch 2014b). He or she must lead the global team effectively by communicating efficiently via the means of communication that are available today (Kalyvas 2009). Ranf (2010) adds that the project manager needs to understand his or her own culture and the cultures of the project stakeholders. Oertig and Buergi (2006) also emphasize the importance of selecting creative leaders with a collaborative leadership style and excellent communication skills. Fluency in both technical and leadership languages is required. Technical language helps to define outcomes, just as leadership language serves to create trust, manage conflicts, invite commitment, and embrace accountability while producing the right results. Successful project managers need to have both project management and leadership skills (Project Management Institute 2013). Kerzner (2009) adds that to be effective, a project manager should be aware of communication styles of others. Effective team leaders are social architects who understand the interaction of organizational and behavioural variables and can foster a climate of active participation, accountability and result-orientation. This requires excellent understanding of the business environment and its cultures, combined with sophisticated project management and leadership skills (Thamhain 2012). Management of global projects requires leaders with access and ability of transition between different departments of the company, in order to promote the means of interaction within the team, to stimulate intercultural learning and implement training programs to help develop the mind-set (Rodrigues and Sbragia 2013). Oertig and Buergi (2006) appreciate the investment in language and intercultural communication training, as communication is a skill, and it must be developed through education and practice (Zulch 2014b). Success is no longer the result of a few geniuses, but depends on effective multidisciplinary efforts, involving the team and other stakeholders interacting in a highly complex, intricate, and sometimes even chaotic way (Thamhain 2012). The list of project manager competencies is getting more and more extensive, which makes it hard to extract the core competencies only. Authors observe growing focus on soft competencies, but also the need of an update on project
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management education to fill the gap between education and the real world (Alvarenga et al. 2019).
internal communication in global project teams
There are vast differences between communication on traditional and on global projects. The role of communication in global projects is even more important than in traditional due to their specific properties and requirements. Zajac (2013) sees project team communication as increasingly relevant research topic because the companies do more and more work in form of projects. Rodrigues and Sbragia (2013) also detect increasing trend of global projects and multicultural project teams, while Mossoly (2015) identifies the demand for special skills and knowledge required for managing global projects, raising the interest of researchers in this area.
The Role and the Process of Communication
in Global Project Teams
Communication is as a core competency and connects project team members to common set of strategies, goals and actions. Although it is mostly viewed as the proper and timely delivery of information, it is more than that - the way that project managers generate the grounds for a project (Ziek and Anderson 2015). It could be defined as the function that integrates cost, scope and time to achieve a quality product and may be seen as having a foundation function (Zulch 2014a). Tkalac Vercic, Vercic, and Sriramesh (2012) define internal communication as an interdisciplinary function integrating elements of human resources management, communication and marketing. Most of the tasks performed by members of global teams are communicative and language-related (Zajac 2012). Communication is a key project manager's skill that has an impact on other cornerstone areas of project management (Men and Yue 2019). It must be delivered in a way that ensures effective participation of team members in order to achieve high team performance (Sarhadi, Yousefi, and Zamani 2018). Effective internal communication is crucial for successful organisations as it affects the ability of managers to engage employees and achieve objectives (Welch and Jackson 2007), moreover it is important integral part of employee development practice and one of the core elements of implementing employee development (Proctor and Doukakis 2003). It is also an important concept and integral to internal public relations with links to positive organizational and employee outcomes such as employee engagement (Karanges et al. 2015). It contributes to positive internal relation-
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ships by enabling horizontal communication between managers and employees, but can also pose a threat to organisational relationships, as poor communication can be counter-productive. Project managers who allow the team to take responsibility for their work will attain more from team members and communication will be more effective (Zulch 2014b). According to FitzPatrick (1997), effective communication of entire project team is the condition to have successful communication. Understanding the needs of different stakeholders, their motivations and interests is crucial for project managers (FitzPatrick 1997), as they are the key to the successful communication management (Curtin and Jones 2001). Project team members need to constantly collaborate, share, collate and integrate information and knowledge in order to realise project objectives (Zulch 2014b). Global project managers must involve the team members to identify the stakeholders and understand the communication channels between the team members. Having this in mind, good communication strategy must be defined (Binder 2009). Even if the project manager is the central point through which communications usually flow, the team members also need to be effective in their interactions with the stakeholders. To ensure this, the entire team needs to understand the goals, objectives, outcomes and benefits of the project (Cervone 2014). Sarhadi, Yousefi, and Zamani (2018) suggest that in modern paradigm, centralized power has taken a coordinator role in project teams by establishing a communication bottleneck, but in the participation paradigm, information flows freely among all project team members. Focused power is therefore replaced with effective communication. Stare (2011) on the other hand argues that increase of project manager authority positively impacts on several cultural dimensions and has a direct impact on the project's performance. Allen, Lee, and Tushman (1980) suggest that research projects show the best performances when they are not dominated by any individual, while technical projects perform better when the manager is more dominant and internal communication more structured.
In practice, communication process usually does not run smoothly and provides a constant challenge to project team members, especially to project management. Several organizations are facing problems with communication on projects and only one in four organizations can be described as highly-effective communicators, as Project Management Institute (2013) reveal. They further inform us that approximately two in five projects do not meet their original goals and business intent, and one of those is related to ineffective communication. There are several problems attributed to communication
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(Molena and Rovai 2016) and several possible causes for ineffective communication. A thorough analysis of each single case is required to identify the root cause. Monteiro de Carvalho (2013) does list one possible general cause; although the importance of communication is recognized, the formalized communication processes and practices are neither followed nor prioritized by project managers. High performing multi-cultural project teams on the other hand tend to have clearly defined communication procedures (Ochieng 2019). Cervone (2014) agrees that communicating in defined patterns helps to improve communication. Communication can be also impacted when different stakeholder groups use different jargon and language (Project Management Institute 2013). Every project should therefore have an agreed upon glossary of terms and acronym list and this should become an essential tool in project work (Mooz et al. 2004).
Communication Channels in Global Project Teams When discussing about communication, it is not all about the content and information design, but also appropriate media or communication channel selection. While information design seeks to improve the effectiveness of information, communication design is concerned with the selection of media most suitable for carrying particular information to specific audiences or recipients (Fox and Grösser 2015). The most important communication methods to use during the execution of a project are written, oral and electronic communication, of which written and oral communication are regarded as the most effective communication methods (Zulch 2014a). Traditional communication channels don't neither satisfy nor follow the increasing requirements of global projects. Rapid technology development constantly introduces new possibilities and plays important role in development of communication process. Global projects are being increasingly managed through internet networks to increase efficiencies and facilitate communication and information distribution. Thanks to online collaborative toolsets, project-related material can be customized to stakeholder's role and function in the organization (Harley 2011). Social media are another suitable environment and communication channel for global projects and their usage is found to be increasing. Social media categories of document sharing, speed of exchange and wider coverage, irrespective of geographic location are found as most useful for team cohesion. Cohesion, coordination and relationship building within global teams are seen to be significantly enhanced by the use of social media tools (Kanagarajoo, Fulford, and Standing, 2019). The most frequently used of current
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digital media and social media tools for eu projects are Facebook, Newsletter, Publications and LinkedIn (Pivec and Macek 2018). Due to rapid technology development, there are more and more communication channels available. Po, but it is very important that those are well-accepted by the stakeholders. If the media which is carrying the message is not acceptable to employees, it has low chance of being attended to or acted upon (Welch 2012). Some employees are still found to be relying on traditional channels, preferring e-mail, face-to-face communication, and telephone. Therefore, organizations may want to consider if and how to allocate resources for communication technologies. Although newer technologies hold great promise, resources may be better used in other areas if employees are not using those technologies (Snyder and Lee-Partridge 2013). Actual use of communication technology lags behind technical development and more could be done to encourage people to develop greater confidence on the suitability and dependability of the new technologies (Lee-Kelley and Sankey 2008). Successful project management with strong communication practice will change and evolve the organization (Johansen and Gillard 2005).
cultural impact on internal communication
in global project teams
Research into the cultural impact on multinational businesses was, and still is, the key to the success of global businesses (Zein 2012). Cultural issues can influence both positively and negatively the management of global project teams. There are several management challenges that require the adoption of certain ways of dealing with culture impacts to minimize potential problems in this context (Lima and Patah 2016). Distance between two countries can manifest itself along cultural, administrative, geographic, and economic dimension. Each dimension influences different businesses in different way. While geographic distance affects the costs of transportation and communication, cultural distance for example affects consumers' product preference (Ghemawat 2001). Economic situation of the country can also influence the cultural reaction to the project management deployment (Bredillet, Yatim, and Ruiz 2010). Cultural management needs to be included in the global project management spectrum as this will not only improve stakeholder resource management, but also the communication process. The literature of project management is light on the topic of managing stakeholders and there is little evidence of project managers learning from their colleagues in other disciplines (FitzPatrick 1997). Project managers
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traditionally have focus on efficiency and keeping the costs as low as possible, which has reflected into downplaying cultural and institutional diversity. This can often be pushed back on traditional project, but not in a global project (Ainamo et al., 2010). Anantatmula and Thomas (2008) see the global business environment and cultural values as two main driving factors that can be used as basis to build a successful project management effort in global projects. To be successful in managing resources across the globe, expectations for the team must consider the limitations of global project teams, including cultural differences and language barriers. How project managers manage these differences will determine the success of the global team as a whole (Browne et al. 2016).
Cultural Management as Necessary Part of Global Project
Management
As already explained, people from different nationalities think differently about the relationship between the individual and the organization and have different perception of what an organization is, but a strong organizational culture can overcome barriers in a national culture (Hofstede 1983). Organizational culture has a significant influence on project performance and the long-term success of organizations (Yazici 2009). It is very important for people from other cultures to have more respect for the culture (especially organizational) of the country where they are located and work well with those leading their organizations, especially project managers, in order to contribute their best in team communication. Li agrees that foreigners should understand and respect local culture in order to mitigate culture risk. Appointing overseas project manager who is good at cross-culture management and has previous working experience in host country can also prove useful (Li 2009). The key to managing diversity is through cultural literacy and competency therefore project managers should take time to learn about different cultures (Obikunle 2002). Every global team should have at least some member who has prior distanced-working experience and can help other global members to deal with possible differences, tailored personal development programs and team-building exercises in order to raise cultural awareness and empathy (Lee-Kelley and Sankey 2008). Cross-cultural management is often regarded as a discipline of international management focusing on cultural encounters between what are perceived as well-defined and homogeneous entities and offering tools to handle cultural differences as sources of conflict or miscommunication, as S0derberg and Holden (2002) ex-
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plain. Same authors argue that this approach is out of phase with the business world of today, with its transnational companies that face the challenges of the management of global knowledge networks and multicultural project teams, interacting and collaborating across boundaries using global communication technologies. Effective use of cross-cultural project teams can provide a source of experience and innovative thinking to improve the likelihood of project success and enhance the competitive position of the organization. To achieve project goals and avoid cultural misunderstandings, project managers should be culturally sensitive and promote creativity and motivation through flexible leadership. Multicultural project management can succeed through culturally aware leadership, effective cross-cultural communication, mutual respect, and reconciliation (Anbari et al. 2009). Eriksson et al. (2002) agree that good leadership can resolve problems based on misunderstandings which are very common for global projects. Ochieng (2019) noted that effective project integration would have a positive effect on project success. The main categories for efficient integration process, central for project leaders and their project teams to appreciate and understand, are cross-cultural collectivism, cross-cultural empathy, cross-cultural change, and cross-cultural uncertainty.
Each and every project, including global, requires a project team, which is the core element in project execution (Mossolly 2015). Going one step further, contemporary project management environment may require coordination and management of multiple teams, across multiple sites and even countries (Harley 2011). In contemporary environment, using global teams is a must for companies in order to take advantage of the knowhow and globally dispersed competencies, to assure time to market and provide better customer support (Eriksson et al. 2002). Effective management of globally dispersed project teams involves a complex set of variables which relate to the organizational structure, business process, managerial tools, and to the people in the organization and to the work itself. People issues have the strongest impact on project performance as they affect many of the secondary performance variables, such as work process and managerial tools. People are an intricate part of these subsystems, and issues affecting the people eventually impact the broader enterprise. Working seamless across borders and cultures requires more than just issuing work orders, project summary plans or management guidelines. It requires emphasis on common values and goals to focus and unify the team (Thamhain 2013). Zulch (2014b) recommends a people-orientated approach towards project
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management, since the human element forms the project team. The project team becomes an open system as the human element continuously interacts with the external environment by receiving energy in and producing work out (Henrie 2014). The research on global projects shall always be associated with a clear link to global virtual team (Mossolly 2015).
National Cultures and Their Specifics
Each culture brings specific way of thinking and acting, a particular logic and a certain way of life. These factors become apparent by the time nations meet, as each party believes to behave in the one and only correct and right way. The tough work of a project manager entails coordinating all those 'right ways' to overcome the differences (Huang 2016). The classic approaches and methods of project management being used so far in most industrial applications were developed in the Western world (Huang and Chung 2014). The Western project management approach requires the use of not only its technology but also its values and beliefs (Wang and Liu 2007). This might work for traditional projects in Western world, but not for culturally dispersed global projects or even traditional projects outside Western world. Huang (2016) and several other researchers find significant differences between cultures in approach to project work.
Asian and Middle Eastern countries usually deliberately create opportunities to talk about business unofficially outside of the work environment. Asians like to use the indirect and extra-verbal communication to convey a message with the help of a specific location or gesture. The Chinese and East Indians prefer the project completion in phases to holistic approach. They are accustomed to react fast in the event of unforeseen situations. Chinese and Taiwanese have a tendency to be neglectful of accurate record keeping (Huang and Chung 2014). Mainga (2017) observed, after studying uae construction industry, that project management in Middle East is based on hierarchy of roles. This hierarchical segregation often results in mistrust within the team and also results in the formation of divisive 'teams within teams' leading to a low productivity and lack of synergy due to power clashes and a continuous effort to bring down the other team. State-owned enterprises in uae have the resources and willingness to recruit the 'best' project management talent/experts wherever they can find them across the globe. Three top factors that inhibit knowledge transfer across projects in uae are high time pressures towards the end of the project, too much focus on short-term project deliverables and fear of negative sanctions when disclosing
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project mistakes. On the other hand, China is culturally a long way away from nearly everywhere. The many dialects of the Chinese language are notoriously difficult for foreigners to learn, and the local population's foreign-language skills are limited. Well-developed Chinese business culture based on personal connections, often summarized in the term guanxi, creates barriers to economic interchange with Westerners who focus on transactions rather than relationships (Ghemawat 2001). Chinese tend roughly to keep in mind the final goal and start the project in small steps. By the end of each project phase, they check the status and adapt the project plan. If necessary, even the project goal can be adjusted according to the happenings. The preliminary framework serves as a guideline, however it's not unchangeable. They may give the impression that they are lacking concentration and consistency however this is due to the difficulties to come to an agreement with all stakeholders. The advantage of the Chinese concept is a very fast reaction time. If necessary, Chinese can work non-stop - day and night - and they expect an authoritarian leadership. Periodical controlling, especially in the early stages, is necessary. The Chinese work philosophy is: 'All is well that ends well' (Huang 2016). In general, the Chinese traditional values/beliefs of strong hierarchy, family consciousness, and boss orientation are empirically major cultural barriers (Wang and Liu 2007).
Germans like direct and open communication (Huang and Chung 2014) and usually work out an entire complex concept with all the necessary details at the very beginning. After all participants accept the plan the project is completed methodically. Everybody knows exactly what to do and works autonomously. The schedule is treated very seriously and strictly observed, any plan modifications are not welcome. Some of the rare factors that might make plan modification possible are the quality issues. The German work philosophy is: 'Do the right thing from the start and it saves you trouble in the end' (Huang 2016). Middle and North Europeans usually talk about business at official occasions such as meeting. German and Swiss engineers are used to a holistic approach to project and work according to a plan. Europeans need longer time to react in the event of unforeseen situations in comparison to Asians. Correct record keeping is of utmost importance for the Germans and the Swiss (Huang and Chung 2014). Project managers from The Netherlands or Germany who are managing projects in the us, Canada, uk, Australia, or Sweden should be aware that their preferences for detailed analytic assessment at fixed time intervals is not appreciated in their host culture. They should adapt to the continuous verbal update practices via
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telephone to keep their project owner informed (Müller and Turner 2004).
Americans tend to define the central objective first, and then they decide whether to break it down into different steps or treat it as a complex entity. The reaction on an enquiry is quick and flexible. Americans keep the active lead and always follow the principle: 'Don't let it lie' (don't let it go cold). Customer requirements and wishes have high priority. However, uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope is generally considered harmful. 'Scope creep' belongs to business. A well-executed risk management is expected. The American work philosophy is: 'Nothing is ever perfect. If nobody loses, everybody wins (Huang 2016). The situation in South America is quite different than in usa. Studying the process of managing global project teams in Brazilian multinationals, Rodrigues and Sbragia (2013) found that although the project managers recognize, even intuitively, that the cultural characteristics of individuals can affect performance, they are still incipient and rare the activities of planning and development of teams seeking to address the issue. The difficulties are worked in a style of trial and error, with little advance planning and a few actions effectively structured and systemic. Project managers from the us, Canada, or uk should change their communication behaviour when working in Japan or Brazil. The practice of verbal updates from their home culture is not appreciated in their host country. Personal communication at milestone or project end, as well as at fixed intervals is recommended for these countries (Müller and Turner 2004).
Discussion
In total 85 publications were included in this research. By far most of these, 71, are articles, from which 45 were published in last decade. Further 22 were published in first decade of this century, meanwhile 4 are older. We also considered 3 books, 9 conference papers, 1 doctoral thesis and 1 master thesis. The full list of reviewed literature is presented in table 1.
Conclusion
The role of communication in project management is getting more important nowadays due to increasing trend of global projects and their specific requirements. Global projects can usually be described as high complexity projects and managing global projects using traditional project management approaches is difficult, or even impossible. In addition to those shared with traditional projects, global
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table 1 List of Reviewed Literature Aarseth, Rolstadas, and Andersen (2013) Ahuja, Yang, and Shankar (2010) Ainamo et al. (2010) Molena and Rovai (2016) Alami (2016)
Allen, Lee and Tushman (1980)
Alvarenga et al. (2019)
Anantatmula and Thomas (2008)
Anbari et al. (2009)
Binder (2007)
Binder (2009)
Bjorvatn and Wald (2018)
Bredillet, Yatim, and Ruiz (2010)
Bristol and Yeatts (2010)
Browne et al. (2016)
Butt, Naaranoja, and Savolainen (2016)
Caldas and Gupta (2017)
Chiocchio (2007)
Collyer (2016)
Curtin and Jones (2001)
Dube and Katane (2017)
Eriksson et al. (2002)
FitzPatrick (1997)
Fossum et al. (2019)
Fox and Grösser (2015)
Cervone (2014)
Ghemawat (2001)
Gray and Ulbrich (2017)
Harley (2011)
Henrie (2014)
Henrie and Sousa-Poza (2005) Henttonen and Blomqvist (2005) Hofstede (1983) Huang, (2016) Huang and Chung (2014) Jarvenpaa and Leidner (1999) Johansen and Gillard (2005) Kalyvas (2009) Karanges et al. (2015) Kerzner (2009)
Kanagarajoo, Fulford, and Standing (2019) Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008) Li (2009)
Lima and Patah (2016)
Mainga (2017)
Men (2014)
Men and Yue (2019)
Mooz et al. (2004)
Mossolly (2015)
Müller and Turner (2004)
Mohd and Noraini (2012)
Monteiro de Carvalho (2013)
Nishii and Ozbilgin (2007)
Obikunle (2002)
Ochieng, Edward G (2019)
Oertig and Buergi (2006)
Parker, Kunde, and Zeppetella (2017)
Pivec and Macek (2018)
Proctor and Doukakis (2003)
Project Management Institute (2013)
Ramsing (2009)
Ranf (2010)
Rodrigues and Sbragia (2013)
Rolstadás et al. (2014)
Ruck and Welch (2012)
Sarhadi, Yousefi, and Zamani (2018)
Shore and Cross (2005)
Snyder and Lee-Partridge (2013)
S0derberg and Holden (2002)
Stare (2011)
Söderlund (2004)
Thamhain (2012)
Thamhain (2013)
Tkalac Vercic, Vercic,
and Sriramesh (2012)
Wang and Liu (2007)
Welch (2012)
Welch and Jackson (2007)
Winter et al. (2006)
Yazici (2009)
Zajac (2012)
Zajac (2013)
Zein (2012)
Ziek and Anderson (2015)
Zulch (2014)
Lima and Patah (2016)
projects have some unique characteristics, which need to be considered. The classic project management methods might not be the best
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fit for global projects, as there are significant differences between cultures in approach to project work. Moreover, traditional ways of communication don't meet the requirements of global projects, as they cannot fully answer the global project challenges such as distance, cultural diversity and language.
Several attributes distinguish global from traditional projects, among these some unique risks and success factors were observed. Among other political, economic and cultural risks, lack of mutual trust is recognized as one of the most severe risks on global projects. The most important success factors besides effective communication are project management competency, flexible leadership, change management and cultural management. Special requirements for global project manager were identified. Global project manager has to possess special abilities and skills, comparing to the requirements for the traditional project manager. Communication skills are the most important leadership attribute, while there are several additional requirements such as cultural and interpersonal awareness, networking ability and technological literacy, just to name few.
Communication is the function that integrates cost, scope and time to achieve quality. It has a fundamental function and is one of the cores, if not the key activity of every single project. Effective communication ensures effective change management, efficient stakeholder participation and is key condition to meet the project scope in required time, cost and quality. Successful project communication is only possible when the entire project team is communicating effectively. Good communication strategy must be defined, together with techniques, rules and templates to communicate effectively over a distance. Project management authority and distribution of formal power also play important role in effective communication. The most important communication methods to use during the execution of a project are written, oral and electronic communication. With rapid development of technology, global projects are being increasingly managed through internet networks and other modern communication channels, including social networks. Actual use of communication technology lags behind technical development.
Cultural issues can influence both positively and negatively the management of global project teams. Cross-cultural project teams can provide a source of experience and innovative thinking to improve the chances of project success. People issues have the strongest impact on project performance. To mitigate culture risk, foreigners should understand and respect local culture. Multicultural project management can succeed considering success factors such as cul-
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turally aware leadership, effective cross-cultural communication, mutual respect, and reconciliation. Organizational culture has a significant influence on project performance and can overcome the barriers of national culture. Cultural management has to be included in the toolbox of global project management.
The trend of project management research is on the rise, although the available literature continues to be limited. Findings and knowledge from other disciplines need to be woven into project management research to fill in the gaps and help build project management-specific theories and research methods. Project manager must still look outside project management literature for information communication and culture topics and the implications these have toward project team success. The path towards multidisciplinary project management should be followed.
Limitations
Our literature review covered 87 quantitative and qualitative studies, each of them with its own specific limitations. Despite the best efforts to consider all of these within our research, this was not fully possible, thus the generalization of the findings is limited.
We mainly focused on internal communication between project core team members; communication with other project stakeholders was not investigated. This limitation includes both stakeholders outside and inside the organization, such as higher management and other company departments.
Only cultural impacts to internal communication were investigated, neglecting other impacts, such as political and economic impacts.
Communication is a complex research topic and our research only touched it from the perspective of global project management. Principles of communication which are mainly researched from other fields of science but might have an important impact on area under research were not considered.
Despite thorough investigation we allow the possibility that some contemporary study was not considered within our research and its findings were excluded.
Future Research
Internal communication in global project management is definitely an emerging topic and there are lots of gaps to be filled with further research on this field. Internal communication assessment is mostly
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focused on channels used, or volume of information generated. Process explanations are being investigated rather than the content of the communication itself, how well it is provided, or understanding. A changing communication environment calls for new approaches to assessment with an emphasis on communities, content and dialogue rather than volume and channels (Ruck and Welch 2012). Despite the acknowledged need to focus on communication as a whole in projects there is no indication in the literature that any collaboration exists between the field of corporate communication and the field of project management - creating a gap at the intersection of the two fields of research (Ramsing, 2009). Interdisciplinary research on multicultural and multilingual communication should be focused on both external and internal communication carried out in the international environment (Zajac 2012). The research on communication in global projects should be always linked to global virtual team, as people are the key ingredient of every single project team. Research needs to be combined with other relevant scientific disciplines, such as sociology, psychology and philosophy, and findings from these areas should be applied to project management.
National culture and its influence on the project management process have received little emphasis in the literature (Shore and Cross 2005). While research in project management has given adequate attention to improving efficiency of instrumental arrangements, the treatment or leveraging of cultural and institutional ingredients in projects has received less attention (Ainamo et al. 2010). Empirical-based project management research continues to be limited. Researchers will need to incorporate theories and concepts, developed in other disciplines, to build project management-specific culture-based theories and research methods. Literature reviews show a consistently low level of culture-specific literature within the leading project management journal publications. Project managers must look outside project management literature for information and guidance on culture and the implications it has toward project team success. To overcome the lack of available culture information within the areas surveyed, the project manager must expand his or her reading and learning to other culture-based discipline areas (Henrie and Sousa-Poza 2005). In global environments, it is necessary to have a more holistic view of the problems, since the sum of the parts is not necessarily equal to the whole. This raises the importance of engaging scholars, theorists and practitioners responsible for project management and their teams in a broader discussion that relates various disciplines of business administration and
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organizational theories, management and even people from other areas. Rodrigues and Sbragia (2013) suggest moving in multidisci-plinary project management. Cultural impacts and their influence on project management should receive more emphasis in the literature, also merging the research with other scientific disciplines, such as ethnography, history and anthropology. Findings from these areas should be applied to project management research.
Nishii and Ozbilgin (2007) urge researchers to carefully describe the potential cultural boundedness of their research findings, and avoid (implicitly or explicitly) assuming that research findings from one culture will generalize to other cultural contexts. Since each culture has its own specifics, this brings a lot of challenge to generalize the findings of any research done on some specific case. Limitations have to be always emphasized and considered both in further research and in practice. The research on internal communication in global project teams fits better to qualitative paradigm, with case studies as suggested research method.
Project management research is in general still lacking the knowledge from other scientific disciplines and there are significant gaps in project management-specific theories and research methods observed. The aim should be to fill in these gaps, combining and merging project management with other relevant scientific disciplines.
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126	management • volume 15
Characterizing Safety Leadership Based on the Seven Skills of Effective People Model
paula nicoleta neag
Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania nicoleta.neag@student.upt.ro
alin gaureanu
Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania alin.gaureanu@student.upt.ro
anca draghici
Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania anca. draghici@upt. ro
A preventive approach in the field of Occupational Health and Safety (ohs) can be successful if it is strongly supported by the safety leadership that is asserted to positively influence safety compliance amongst employees. Studies of safety leadership have focused on the style or behaviour (often transactional or transformational) of the leader rather than on the activities and practices that constitute leadership. Development of safety leadership could not be limited to training programs but rather to coaching and mentoring activities. Started from these considerations, the article proposes an approach based on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People of Stephen R. Covey (1989) which have been created the research framework for: (1) assessing the actual profile of managers (using the Seven Habits® Profile Self-Scoring) and (2) to structure focus group debates for providing concrete actions, responsibilities and competences associated to each habit in the case of safety leaders. Covey's seven habits framework have been used in a complex study with a sample group of 419 managers from different companies and the results have identified behaviour patterns for highly effective safety leaders.
Key words: Stephen Covey, seven habits, occupational health and safety, safety, leadership
[MEH^M https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.15.207-219
Introduction
A preventive approach in the field of ohs can be successful if it is supported by the organization's management. Strong and visible
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leadership skills and the involvement of managers from all hierarchy levels, can impose the right direction of the implementations and can contribute to a real preventive approach aligned with the safety culture strategy. The variety of leadership styles can be applied in a concrete context of the needed organizational behaviour to support safety leaders (Gaureanu et al. 2016; Gaureanu et al. 2018).
A safety leader not only exhibits personal safety behaviours but inspires others to do the same. These are people who not only follow safety procedures in a constructive manner by acting in a proactive and responsible manner for ohs. Safety leaders demonstrate the following behaviours habits (Gaureanu et al. 2018):
•	Understanding and following safety procedures and regulations.
•	Reporting safety issues when they arise.
•	Proactively preventing safety issues.
•	Implementing new processes to improve safety.
•	Encouraging others to take safety seriously.
Safety leaders don't necessarily have to be managers or supervisors; anybody who has positive social influence over their peers and an interest in improving safety across the organization could be considered a safety leader. From the practical perspective, a safety leader should be less like a hall monitor and more like a cultural influencer. The best safety leaders are the people who help their peers improve without them even realizing it's happening. They are the people on the team who others come to for advice about best practices because they know they will get a response that is both correct and useful (Gaureanu, Draghici, and Weinschrott 2019). The main question that arise from these considerations is: How can safety leaders be educated to train more and more potential employees having such behaviour and to better act in their organizations to support safety culture?
The present research will try to answer this complex question by proposing an approach based on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People of Stephen R. Covey (1989) which have been adapted to the continue creation process of the safety culture in organizations. The develop framework have been tested with a sample group of managers from different companies and results underlined how leadership teaching and coaching programs could be tailored to better perform leadership in ohs. The paper structure consists of the following chapters: (1) research background; (2) presentation of the research methodology; (3) research results and debates; (4) conclusions.
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Research Background
a brief presentation of the seven habits of highly
effective people
Stephen Covey, renowned expert in organizational behaviour and management and author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989), spent over 25 years researching and interacting with people to develop a clear understanding of human effectiveness. In his book, Covey (1989) described fundamentals of human effectiveness as internalized principles and patterns of behaviour that express one's character and produce his/her effectiveness or ineffectiveness. The described approach and the proposed behaviour dimensions are considered when teaching and educating personal management, learning how individuals could have developed their life in an effective and efficient manner to get success.
In the following there will be presented, in a synthetic manner, the seven proposed habits of Covey together with their practical implication. This description will create the basis for defining the safety leaders' characteristics and habits for effectiveness.
Habit #1: Be Proactive
A clear distinction exists between being proactive and being reactive as indicated by Covey (1989) via the following statement: 'It's not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us' (p. 73). Reactive individuals are victims of their surroundings in the sense that they preoccupy themselves with situations over which they have limited control. On the contrary, proactive individuals accept situations they cannot control, while adhering to their values in response to situations they can control. As such, they are willing and eager to assume the responsibility of initiating change during adversity (Covey 1989). From the practical perspective, being proactive means that a person must control the environment rather than allowing it to control her/him.
Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind
Covey (1989) referred to the value of being cognizant of one's destination, while simultaneously gleaning a greater understanding of one's current. According to Covey (1989), effectiveness 'does not depend solely on how much effort we expend, but on whether or not the effort we expend is in the right jungle' (p. 101). On the path to effectiveness, individuals must learn to adopt and maintain a paradigm through which they view and act on important decisions. According
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to Covey (1989), mission statements represent invaluable tools for providing purpose and direction in pursuit of one's destination. To practice this habit, a person will need to begin every activity or a plan with a vision in her/his mind. This is the only way a person can determine that she/he is on the right way or in the right direction towards you're the desire and plan destination.
Habit #3: Put First Things First
As indicated by Covey (1989), managing priorities is essential for personal and collective growth. Establishing and fulfilling priorities requires individuals to 'see through the lens of importance rather than urgency' (Covey 1989, 179). The distinction between 'important' and 'urgent' manifests through the acknowledgement of people. As Covey (1989) aptly articulated, 'People are more important than things' (p. 170). From the practical perspective, first, a person needs to keep her/his focus on end results and relationships and second, to focus on time dimension.
Habit #4: Think Win/Win
To illustrate the habit of win/win, Covey (1989) referred to a 'frame of mind' through which an 'abundance mentality' is cultivated (p. 219). In accordance with the latter principle, individuals can optimize their performance and satisfy their wants and needs by striving toward interdependence, collectively developing solutions, and enjoying shared successes. The win-win paradigm supports the idea that instead of seeing life as a competitive arena, rather see it as a cooperative one.
Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
Perhaps one of the most valuable skills highly effective people possess is the ability to communicate with individuals from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Highly effective people clearly articulate their thoughts and ideas in a relevant and meaningful manner. Moreover, they continually strive to master the art of listening. Listening is an invaluable skill that supersedes humans' capacity for hearing, a basic physiological response. Listening involves hearing with the intent of understanding and empathizing (Covey 1989).
Covey (1989) described the principle of 'diagnosing before prescribing' as a foundation for understanding and addressing individuals' needs and concerns. Highly effective people acknowledge the
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unique characteristics of communities prior to coordinating interventions. Through needs assessments and community profiles, they establish frameworks for mobilizing communities toward shared initiatives.
From the practical perspective and consequences, the successful and healthy interactions with others always demand to understand the other person well that what she/he is trying to say. A person can practice this habit by focusing on what others are trying to say, interpret them well and then give opinion or suggestion. Good listening skills are always necessary to develop and maintain the healthy and positive relationships in every aspect of your life.
Habit #6: Synergize
According to Covey (1989), synergy 'catalyses, unifies, and unleashes the greatest powers within people' (p. 262). In other words, synergy is based on the underlying assumption that collaboration between two or more individuals generates effectiveness. At the heart of synergy lies individuals' capacities and willingness to value differences. The differences that make individuals unique enrich the synergistic process and allow learning and creativity to flourish (Covey 1989). The word, 'synergize' is synonymous with the word, 'collaborate.'
From the practical perspective, basically, this habit is about open-mindedness and value of teamwork. The reason is that the interaction with others, listening to their opinions and working in a team always give to an individual new insight. All she/he needs to do is understand and value the differences amongst people and strive to construct creative solutions via interactions. Summarizing all the above things, synergize let the person discover the amazing things altogether which are otherwise much less likely to discover by an individual working out on something alone.
Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw
According to Covey (1989), 'Renewal is the principle - and the process - that empowers us to move on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement' (p. 304). Sharpening the saw represents the mechanism through which all the other habits connect. The process of renewal to which Covey (1989) alluded implies a continual effort to maintain balance and harmony among one's physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional well-being and development.
Considering the organizations practice, this habit is about person self-renewing in the following four dimensions: (1) the phys-
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ical dimension (exercising on a regular basis so that the physical body could have the capacity to work and enjoy life); (2) the mental dimension (renewing mental health or sharpening the intellectual abilities to continue expanding her/his mind); (3) the social dimension (empathy development and development of healthy and strong relationships with others); (4) the spiritual dimension (renewing her/his spiritual self to reinforce commitment to individual value system or to proffer leadership to her/his life).
Safety Leadership
Understanding the importance of safety leadership is critical for any organization that wants to create a real safety culture in the organization with respect to ohs principles, regulations and laws. The approach of development and nurture safety leaders in an organization is associated with the top management commitment to safety culture. According to the literature, some earliest works on leadership style and workplace safety focused on the role of relationship-oriented leadership, such as supervisory consideration (Fleishman, Burtt, and Harris 1955) and managerial concern for subordinates' well-being (Dunbar 1975).
More recent, the behaviour sciences have supported the development of new valences of leadership as transformational and trans-actional styles are and that have been considered, also in the ohs field as antecedents of safety behaviours (Mullen and Kelloway 2009; Clarke 2013). Furthermore, safety leadership has been considered a valuable way to achieve a safety climate and organization's performance (Pilbeam et al. 2016; Fernández-Muñiz, Montes-Peón, and Vázquez-Ordás 2017; Schwatka et al. 2019).
The research in the literature support the idea that safety leadership training should teach tactical skills that supervisors can use to prevent injuries. Managers and supervisors should learn how to approach others, deliver a safety topic, train people, mentor new hires, pre-plan work, benefit from lessons learned, identify hazards, evaluate events and hold people accountable. That may sound like a fairy-tale list of skills, but it is possible if we deliver safety leadership training that cultivates these critical skills (Lynn 2020; Mearns 2020). Empirical researches and practical studies related to safety leadership have proofed a dominant of women acting in the field and being active and real promoters of ohs in their organizations (Fernández-Muñiz, Montes-Peón, and Vázquez-Ordás 2017; Schwatka et al. 2019; Ferri 2019).
Overall, studies of safety leadership have focused on the style
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or behaviour (often transactional or transformational) of the leader rather than on the activities and practices that constitute leadership. Moreover, they fail also to account for the influence of context on these practices, following the pattern of the wider leadership literature (Pilbeam et al. 2016). In addition, empirical studies have less discovered the extent to which the reported practices of individuals ascribed as safety leaders ensure organizational compliance with the wider range of safety requirements voluntarily demanded of organizations through adherence to ohsas 18001.
These brief overview on safety leadership approaches in the literature have provided a gap on still understanding the competences and skills needed by safety leaders, or by safety managers to become leaders in the field of ohs. Further, there will be described the research methodology on applying the seven habits theory of Covey (1989) in the case of safety leadership development.
Research Methodology
The research aims to define and characterize which are the managers habits (related to their skills and competencies into action) to support ohs by following the suggested Covey's seven habits (1989). The preliminary objective was to characterize managers' ohs habits and to define a feasible way to develop safety leadership skill. The research scenario establishment has been supported by the studies and results published by Pettit and Fetro (2006) and Pahl (2011). They have exploit Covey define framework of seven habits in different organizational context showing two different approaches in the case of health educators (Pettit and Fetro 2006) and for investigating college student levels of autonomy (Pahl 2011), but no other study has been identified in the literature for managers and the ohs context or problematics.
Based on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People of Stephen R. Covey (1989) there have been defined a protocol for structural interviews and discussions in the context of twenty focus group sessions (each with approximately 20 persons). The protocol includes the following steps (and the related methods and tools included):
1.	The presentation of Covey's seven habits (1989), as have been already presented in the previous chapter (20 min). Moderators (authors of these paper) have done the brief presentation, theoretical presentation being combined with examples;
2.	Survey based on the questionnaire of Seven Habits® Profile Self-Scoring for the managers' behaviour habits self-assessment (as
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previous used by Pahl 2011) (20 min). The fill-up questionnaires have been collected during each of the three focus group sessions and then they were statistically processed;
3. Discussions and emerging ideas to record the actions, responsibilities and competences in the context of ohs management to each habit (20 min). Moderators have followed the list of Covey's seven habits and ask, animate participants in expressing their opinions for actions, responsibilities and competences related to each habit. Responses were collected and then process by a refining process (text analysis) developed with the researchers (authors of the present article).
The present research approach has been developed in September 2019 and applied from November 2019 to February 2020 and it will continue to be developed in implemented with different groups of managers (from all hieratical levels) from different type of companies located in West Region of Romania (Arad and Timisoara, cities). The study target managers because they are (employers) persons that according to ohs regulations have explicit responsibilities for occupational safety.
Research Results and Debates
seven habits profile for the managers' behaviour
Data for the present study were analysed using Predictive Analytics Software (pasw update version of spss). The raw data were downloaded, coded, and reverse scored in an Excel spreadsheet and then downloaded into pasw. Descriptive statistics were created per item related to Covey's seven habits. Each provided the mean, range, variance, and standard deviation. Following descriptive statistics, a test of differences between means was created using a 2-tailed i-test (significance set at p < 0.05) for each Covey habit to study potential differences between respondents' gender. Data were reported in the aggregate, based on the subscales of the Covey Self Profile (Covey) habits.
The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's Alpha) of the seven habits, as measured by The Seven Habits Self Profile (Covey 1989) was determined for all participants. The Cronbach-Alpha reliabilities of seven habits category reliabilities demonstrated managers from the investigated groups responded to the factors with comparable consistency and at a high enough level of reliability to analyse group data with dependable outcomes.
The research sample population consists of a total number of 42
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table 1 Internal Consistency Reliability of Covey's Seven Habit Scoring Survey					
Variable	a	Variable			a
Be Proactive	0.71	Seek to Understand			0.79
Begin with End in Mind	0.70	Synergy			0.74
First things First	0.79	Sharpen the Saw			0.71
Win/Win	0.73				
table 2 Descriptive Statistics					
Measures (n = 419)		m	Range Variance		sd
Be proactive		13.58	15	6.94	2.63
Begin with end in mind		12.86	15	9.60	3.10
First things first		12.21	15	8.48	2.91
Win/win		14.37	14	6.49	2.54
Seek to understand		14.34	13	7.08	2.66
Synergy		13.64	12	6.36	2.52
Sharpen the saw		13.72	15	7.21	2.69
Total		94.72	90	205.42	14.33
participants (N = 419) and according to participant gender they were: 100 male managers (24%) and 319 female managers (76%). Table 2 displays descriptive statistics from the Seven Habits Self profile. As can be seen from the research results, the mean and standard deviation for each seven habits were calculated and the following observations were made: 'Be Proactive' (m = 13.58, sd = 2.63), 'Begin with the End in Mind' (m = 12.86, sd = 3.10), 'First Things First' (m = 12.21, sd = 2.91), 'Win/Win' (m = 14.37, sd = 2.54), 'Seek to Understand' (m = 14.34, sd = 2.66), 'Synergy' (m = 13.64, sd = 2.52), 'Sharpen the Saw' (m = 13.72, sd = 2.69); the total score is (m = 94.72, sd = 14.33).
Table 3 shows the results of differences between means using a two-tailed t-test (significance set at p < 0.05) of gender sample structure, from the Covey Self Profile. The research has underlined the following conclusions:
•	Female managers (n = 319, m = 13.21, sd = 3.01) measured significantly higher on 'Begin with End in Mind' then males (n = 100, m = 11.79, sd = 3.07) (t = -4.18,p < 0.05).
•	Female managers (n = 319, m = 14.55, sd = 2.53) measured significantly higher on 'Seek to Understand' than males (n = 100, m = 13.69, sd = 2.94) (t = -2.92, p < 0.05).
•	Female managers (n = 319, m = 12.38, sd = 2.81) also measured significantly higher on 'First Things First' than males (n = 100, m = 11.71, sd = 3.15) (t = -2.08, p < 0.05).
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table 3 Differences between Respondents' Gender:
Results of the Covey Self Profile
Description	Male (n	= 100)	Female (n	= 319)	t
	m	sd	m	sd	
Be proactive	13.46	3.07	13.62	2.47	-0.56
Begin with end in mind	11.79	3.07	13.21	3.01	-4.18**
First things first	11.71	3.15	12.38	2.81	-2.08*
Win/win	14.07	2.98	14.48	2.38	-1.45
Seek to understand	13.69	2.94	14.55	2.53	-2.92*
Synergy	13.24	2.58	13.77	2.49	-1.87
Sharpen the saw	13.32	2.99	13.86	5-57	-1.80
Total	91.28	15.52	95.87	13.74	-2.89*
notes * p = 0.05,*** p = 0.001.
•	'Be Proactive' showed no significant difference between male managers (n = 100, m = 13.46, sd = 3.07) and female managers (n = 319, m = 13.62, sd = 2.47).
•	'Win/Win' produced no significant difference between male managers (n = 100, m = 14.07, sd = 2.98) and female managers (n = 319, m = 14.48, sd = 2.38).
•	There was no significant difference in 'Synergy' between male (n = 100, m = 13.24, sd = 2.58) and female (n = 319, m = 13.77, sd = 2.49) managers.
•	There was no significant difference in 'Sharpen the Saw' between male managers (n = 100, m = 13.32, sd = 2.99) and female managers (n = 319, m = 13.86, sd = 5.57).
As can be seen from the descriptive statistics results, Covey's Self Scoring Profile showed females scoring higher in three habits while there were no significant differences in four habits.
The Behaviour Patterns of Safety Leaderships
In the final part of each focus group there have been conducted animated discussions with manager participants in the study. They were asked to express their opinions for actions, responsibilities and competences related to each habit and then responses were collected and then process by a refining process (text analysis) developed with the researchers. Table 4 presents the synthesis of this research stage.
In the third phase of the research there have been highlighted that highly effective safety leaders must be innovative, personable, hard-working, and resourceful. If they do not know the answer to a question, they know how to locate valid and reliable sources of
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Begin with the end in mind
Put first things first
table 4 The Synthetic Results of the Third Step of the Research (Effective Results of the Focus Groups)
Habit/chapter Actions/responsibility (competency) of safety leaders Be proactive Gather the needs for ohs based on obtained data
Predict the impact of societal value systems on ohs programs Select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing ohs information
Distinguish between behaviours that foster and those that hinder occupational well-being
Formulate appropriate and measurable program objectives Gather needs for ohs knowledge based on obtained data Recruit providers, resource people, and potential participants for support and assistance in program planning Develop a logical scope and sequence plan for ohs program Design ohs educational programs consistent with specified program objectives
Exhibit competence in carrying out planned ohs programs Carry out evaluation plans
Design ohs educational programs consistent with specified program objectives
Develop plans to assess achievement of ohs program objectives Develop a plan for coordinating ohs education services Predict the impact of societal value systems on ohs education programs
Select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing ohs information
Recruit providers, resource people, and potential participants for support and assistance in program planning Develop a plan for coordinating ohs education services Facilitate cooperation between and among levels of program personnel
Formulate practical modes of collaboration among ohs actors (internal-external) Establish effective consultative relationships with those requesting assistance in solving ohs-related problems Foster communication between ohs providers and employees Sharpen the Gather ohs related data and information about social and cultural saw	environments, growth and development factors, needs, and interests
Interpret results of the ohs program evaluation Infer implications from findings for future program planning Utilize computerized ohs information retrieval systems effectively Interpret and respond to requests for ohs information Interpret concepts, purposes, and theories of ohs
Think win/win
Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Synergize
information in response to the inquiry. Above all, highly effective safety leaders are passionate, caring, and committed to contributing to the betterment of safety culture in organizations. Safety leader is a promising field of research (from the perspective of behaviour sci-
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ences) that continues to prosper and develop. As ohs costs continue to escalate, the role of safety leaders in the prevention of occupational injuries and disease increasingly will become evident. Current and future safety leaders must learn to appreciate the contributions of key leaders who worked diligently to establish credibility for the profession.
Conclusions
The study underlined that Covey (1989) described the principle of 'diagnosing before prescribing' as a foundation for understanding and addressing individuals' needs and concerns. There have been no studies found in the literature that connect Covey's seven habits with leadership in generally, and with safety leadership, special.
The study has proofed that highly effective safety leaders acknowledge the unique characteristics of organization's communities prior to coordinating interventions. Furthermore, through needs assessments and community profiles, safety leaders establish frameworks for mobilizing other employees toward shared ohs initiatives. The identifies actions, responsibility (competency) of safety leaders (table 1) could be considered as behaviour pattern for this category of employees and they also could be continuous assess and trained for supporting the safety leadership development at the organizational level.
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Covey, S. R. 1989. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Simon and Schuster.
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The Factors Influencing the Buying Decision of Customers Behaviour
aleš lukman
gvo d.o.o., Slovenia ales.lukman@siol.net
tina vukasovic
University of Primorska, Slovenia tina.vukasovic@upr.si
The topic of the paper is the analysis of the factors influencing the buying decision of consumer behaviour when buying fixed telecommunications connections. Telecommunications is an area that deals with the transmission of information between distant locations. Its development has been exponential in recent decades and today it represents one of the key factors in the formation of society. The objective of this research is to better understand consumers' behaviour toward fixed telecommunications connections in selected European country. The method used for data collection was a structured online questionnaire. Results indicated that 90% of respondents are satisfied with the provider of fixed telecommunications connections. The most important factor in a customer's purchasing decision is the characteristics of the telecommunication connector. The second one is brand. The results of the research could be used for planning further marketing activities and marketing strategies in the telecommunications companies and related industries.
Key words: consumer behaviour, purchase decision, factors,
service marketing, telecommunications
[MES^H https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.15.221-233
Introduction
The evaluation of marketing concept from mere selling concept to consumer oriented marketing has resulted in buyer behaviour becoming an independent discipline. Consumer Behaviour is the study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources (time, money and effort) on consumption related aspects. It is the study of when, why, how, where and what people do or do not buy products. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology & economics. It attempts to understand the influencing factors of a customer purchase decision making process, both individually and in groups by understanding his demographics
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and behavioural variables, influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general (Sethi 2018).
During the process of purchase decision-making, consumer behaviour is affected by various factors. These can be divided into several factor (influence) groups: psychological (motivation, attitude, learning and memory), social (reference groups, family, individual's role and position, status), personal (age and level of a family's life cycle, occupation and financial situation, lifestyle, personality and self-image, values and beliefs), cultural (culture, social class), economic (price - monetary and non-monetary aspect, income, quality), situational factors related to time and place of purchase (physical environment such as store, location, equipment; social environment as salesperson's influence, time associated with seasonal influences, days of the week and previous consumer mood), individual differences and environmental impacts (Habjanic and Usaj 2003; Blackwell, Miniard, and Engel 2006; Azevedo et al. 2008; Bennett 2011; Prodnik 2011; Kotler and Armstrong 2018; Vukasovic 2020). These factors cause consumers to develop product and brand preferences. Although many of these factors cannot be directly controlled by marketers, understanding of their impact is essential as marketing mix strategies can be developed to appeal to the preferences of the target market (Rani 2014).
In telecommunication business, there are several variable there are used in order to attract customer to buy service. The variable are how brand image (Srinuan, Srinuan, and Bohlin 2014; Ashaduzza-man, Ahmed, and Khan 2011), how tariff and promotion from service provider (Karacuka, Catik, and Haucap 2012; Ashaduzzaman, Ahmed, and Khan 2011; Confraria, Ribeiro, and Vasconcelos 2017; Srinuan, Srinuan, and Bohlin 2014). Network is also influence customer behavior while choose service provider. The previous studies define that network also effect customer choice. From the study of Kotler (1997), relation can affect buying behavior. Several service providers have special offering for similarity provider. Qi et al. (2015) and Confraria, Ribeiro, and Vasconcelos (2017) define that relation has influence for buying behavior. Distribution is an activity to facilitate the consumer to get the services delivered. Choosing the right path will make it easier for consumers to obtain existing services (Hidayati, Ginting, and Nasution 2018). The characteristics of the salesperson and the telecommunication company also play a very important part in the buying decision of consumers in the sale of fixed telecommunications connections. Companies should,
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therefore, have better knowledge of consumers than in the past.
For the successful realization of a sales transaction it is necessary for the sales person to know a number of different factors that influence the purchase decisions of users or customers. The salespeople are required to possess knowledge of the market environment where the interaction takes place. The knowledge of buyers' buying habits and influencers in the purchasing decisions is also required. In the context of cultural factors, salespeople have to be aware of or be able to identify and respect the customer's core values and norms. In the context of social factors, the salespeople have to primarily recognize the influence of traditional values, reference groups and family in the purchase behaviour. The salesperson has to identify, in the context of the buyer's personal factors, the need based on the buyer's life cycle, the financial situation and the characteristics of the products the buyer is purchasing. Within the psychological factor, however, it is important to identify a motive that encourages the buyer to make a purchasing decision. Price is certainly a factor that shapes the customer's perception of the quality of the service, and the individual needs of the customers also have to be taken into account.
By designing its marketing strategy, the company shapes the characteristics of the company that play an important role in consumer buying decisions. In today's competitive environment, markets are increasingly saturated with brands and the battle for (possibly loyal) consumers is increasingly fierce. This is particularly noticeable in the telecommunications industry, as its elements are changing even faster than in other industries, which means that the battle for the consumer is even fiercer and, therefore, the processes of developing and adapting to competitors and the market situation need to take place even faster. In this day and age of increasing pressure of information and marketing on consumers, brands are the cornerstones of quality, consistency and trust (Kapferer 2008). The brand is the transmitter of information about the quality, tradition, style, status, manufacturer and origin of the product. According to Konecnik Ruzzier (2011, 159), the function of a company's brand has the following characteristics from the user's point of view: facilitates product recognition from competing products, enables better transparency and access to information on the market, facilitates price comparisons, ensures product quality, ensures better sales services, makes it easier to buy, reduces the sense of risk. In this paper, an important feature of the company is represented also by the characteristics of telecommunication connection as the central entity of the service and its after-sales activities.
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During the process of selling and buying, loyalty (among other things) represents an important part. The process of generating loyalty in the sale of fixed telecommunications connections plays the largest role. When making a purchase decision, the buyer concludes a subscription contract for an indefinite period of time, with a very short deadline and consequences for terminating the subscription. User loyalty has been defined by Lovelock and Wirtz (2007, 125) as a conscious decision by the user. But it does continue for a longer period until its benefit is greater than its cost. The users a company most wants are loyal users. As Vida (2010, 235) states, the feeling of belonging and loyalty are important factors. A relationship that keeps together mutual connections is divided into three types of connections - economic or financial connections based on direct benefits arising from the transactions, structural connections based on shared resources, shared infrastructure and coordinated processes, and sociological and psychological connections, which create interpersonal bonds based on satisfaction of social needs and security. To gain a comprehensive knowledge of loyalty-maintaining bonds, we also have to acquire knowledge of the opposing forces that loosen loyalty bonds and create infidelity.
Telecommunication services are changing at an extraordinary rate. Service providers offer their new, renewed, modified and innovative services at every step of the way. A digital agenda is currently in place in the eu as well as in Slovenia. With the rapid modernization of the network, the digital agenda forces contracting entities to change contractual relationships, thereby creating a great dynamic in the sales activities for telecommunication service providers.
The described trends that we are witnessing in the telecommunications sector, analysis of the secondary data from the literature review and the so far published research of the area in question, will serve as a starting point for the survey, by which we will design a conceptual model for determining the correlations between selected factors and their influence on the buying decision of consumers of fixed telecommunications services at personal sale. Izdelek preučevanja je fiksni telekomunikacijski prikljucek, ki zajema internet, televizijo, telefonijo in mobilni telefon v vec kot 15 razlicnih kombinacijah.
Literature Review
The buying behavior of consumers is the set of actions to get involvement in obtaining some things, its usage, disposing of products and services, including decision practices and handling these
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actions (Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard 1986). 'Consumer behavior is a process when people select, purchase, use or dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires' (Spacil and Teichmannova 2016). Consumer behavior'includes mental, physical and emotional activities which people do when they want to select, purchase, use or throw away the product or the service that fulfils their needs and demands' (Eshra and Beshir 2017). However, mental, physical and emotional activities are some critical features of consumer's behavior that may involve them in the selection, purchasing and usage of products to fulfil their needs and wants (Wilkie 1994; Priest, Carter, and Stat 2013), as these features may influence their decision like what to buy, why to buy, when to buy, where to buy and how to use a product may be some critical views in their mind. Further, Furaiji Latuszynska, and Wawrzyniak (2012) have submitted their views that consumer buying behavior is a series of steps in which consumers initially recognize their needs, seeking sources to solve these needs, making decision to purchase something to satisfy these needs, analyze available information, set plan and finally try to implement this plan (Rehman et al. 2017).
Firms need to understand the factors influencing consumers' behaviour not only to retain existing customers but to attract new ones, as well as to gain a competitive advantage in the market place. Understanding consumers' needs and wants enables firms to determine what to produce and how to serve their customers better than competitors. The modern marketing concept expects firms to place customers at the centre of their organisation and to create value for customers to satisfy their expectations. By doing so these firms increase the likelihood that they will become market leaders. Therefore, the success of firms is associated with understanding and developing insights into the factors influencing consumers' behavior (Gunay and Baker 2011).
By identifying and understanding the factors that influence their customers, brands have the opportunity to develop a strategy, a marketing message (Unique Value Proposition) and advertising campaigns more efficient and more in line with the needs and ways of thinking of their target consumers, a real asset to better meet the needs of its customers and increase sales (Rani 2014).
Consumer behavior refers to the selection, purchase and consumption of goods and services for the satisfaction of their wants. There are different processes involved in the consumer behavior. Initially the consumer tries to find what commodities he would like to consume, then he selects only those commodities that promise
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greater utility. After selecting the commodities, the consumer makes an estimate of the available money which he can spend. Lastly, the consumer analyzes the prevailing prices of commodities and takes the decision about the commodities he should consume (Rani 2014).
Jegan and Sudalaiyandi (2012) conducted a research study on Consumer Behaviour towards mobile phone services in Kovilpatti, Thoothukudi district on 100 mobile users and concluded that the factors that influence the consumers to buy a particular mobile phone operator is called Call tariffs followed by network coverage and brand image (Sethi 2018).
Nair (2013) in a study conducted across over 15000 mobile users in 14 markets worldwide and found that over 50% of the average mobile web user now uses the mobile as means of going online. The study also reveals that the users get updates from their mobile devices, it had provided them with better options and even they made their purchases using their mobile devices (Sethi 2018).
Wu and Ye (2013) opined that mobile technology services have gradually influenced consumer shopping behavior and e-commerce pattern. For this he conducted a study to understand the impulsive purchase intent of consumers on mobile commerce platforms on 322 customers of iTunes. The result indicates that a high level of im-pulsivity reduces the effect of enjoyment on irresistible urge to buy. The data also shows that emotional conflict, positive buying emotion, mood management, cognitive deliberation, disregard the future and unplanned buying are important to impulsivity formation and thus relevant within the context of impulse buying intention (Sethi 2018).
Agyeman (2013) conducted a research on 375 customers that conclude the staff and students of the institution to find out whether the social class, gender, and sub cultural factors influence the purchase of a mobile phone. The study revealed that the maximum respondents use the mobile phones with multi functions. The residential area has the minimum influence on the purchase decision of the consumers where as income is an important factor as higher the income higher will be the spending level. In respect to sub cultural factors, religion and language are not an important factor to effect the purchase decision where as work side colleagues, peers and friends have influence on the purchase decision of the consumer (Sethi 2018).
Telecom operators use a lot of media space to advertise services and current benefits. They consolidate their visibility and strengthen the brand at various social events. They have a large number of sale points, both permanent and occasional, to bring them closer to the
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end users. Telephone sales and door-to-door personal sales are also important sales channels. The key elements of a sales transaction are the seller and the buyer. The largest and decisive share of sales interaction is therefore based on the seller and the buyer. An important argument on the seller's performance side is the coordinated marketing communication of the company with the services and the relevant competencies of the sellers. Within the framework of a successful seller who will realize the sales interaction with the buyer, it is necessary to develop various skills. These skills can be identified as communication skills, analytical skills, ability to use modern technology, interpersonal skills, decision-making ability, technological knowledge and creativity (Vukasovic and Junc 2014). Regarding the guidelines for dealing with successful salespeople and their development, it should be pointed out that it is important to start with the selection of staff for salespeople, where it is necessary to pursue an appropriate profile according to the goal of sales development and sales content. Salesman development and training is a time consuming and expensive process. Because of this, it is also very important to plan behaviours and guide salespeople by motivating and rewarding them.
Materials and Methods
methodology, data collection and sample
For the purpose of quantitative research, we were collected primary data employing a structured questionnaire. Using the deductive method, we were, on the basis of theoretical definitions by different authors and previous research, created a questionnaire, which was included demographic factors and the perception of awareness of the factors influencing the buying decision of customers of fixed telecommunications connections. The questionnaire was pre-tested on a smaller sample of customers through a pilot survey.
The survey was carried out by distributing questionnaires via email. The distribution of the questionnaires was initiated according to the snowball principle in all Slovenian regions. The questionnaires have been distributed via electronic mail (personal contacts) and social media (Facebook- a public profile, Instagram, etc.). It took place over a period of 22 February to 1 March 2020. The target population of the survey were the population of Slovenian citizens over 18 years of age who already use fixed telecommunication links, want to use them or want to change their provider. Analyses were conducted with statistical program ika.
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Female Male
45%
55%
figure 1 Structure of Respondents by Gender
Up to 25
26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65
35%
Over 65 1%
figure 2 Structure of Respondents by Age
In carrying out the research we were take into account the ethical criteria listed in the esomar codes (icc/esomar 2016). The ethical behaviour of practitioners is summarized according to Kavcic (2011), whereas the responsibility and ethical behaviour of researchers has been studied by Malnar (2011). The questionnaire was viewed by 134 people, and 82 people proceeded to answer. Of the latter, 77 were only partially completed and were thus excluded from the survey. 75 respondents completed it accordingly. The total sample of the analysed surveys, hence, consisted of 75 respondents.
45% of respondents included in the survey represented the female population. The male population was 55% (figure 1).
Respondents were placed in several age groups. In the first age group up to 25 years the survey was adequately filled by 23% of respondents, in the second age group from 26-35 years the survey was adequately filled by 19% of respondents, in the third age group 3645 years the survey was adequately filled by 35% of respondents, in the fourth age group 17% of respondents answered the survey appropriately in the group of 46-55 years, 5% of respondents answered the questionnaire in the fifth age group of 56-65 years and 1% of respondents in the sixth age group over 65 years (figure 2).
In order to cover the Slovenian territory, we also asked the respondents about the statistical region of their fixed telecommunications connection. The starting point of the statistical regions was formulated in the context of the directory of the Republic of Slovenia. In the survey of adequately filled questionnaires, 32% of respondents from the statistical region 1 Ljubljana 32% from the statistical region 2 Maribor-Murska Sobota 12% of respondents from the statistical region 3 Celje-Trbovlje 32% of respondents from the statistical region 4 Kranj 3% of respondents from the statistical region regions 5 Nova
228
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Ljubljana Celje-Trbovlje Maribor-Murska Sobota Nova Gorica-Koper Novo mesto Kranj
figure 3 Region Fixed Telecommunications Connection
Gorica-Koper 11% of respondents and from the statistical region 1 Novo mesto 11% of respondents (figure 3).
Results and Discussion
The results of the consumer habits of fixed telecommunications connections in a purchase-decision-making process follow.
The survey included the representation of telecommunications service providers (table 1) and the services they use within the fixed telecommunication connection (table 2) in the Republic of Slovenia.
The results of the survey show that the envisaged options that were given to the respondents are appropriate and show a high level of representation in the Slovenian territory both by telecommunication service providers and by the structure of services within the fixed telecommunication connection.
Within the framework of the research, we also set up 2 hypotheses, which we have tested in the empirical part:
hi Over 60% respondents are satisfied with the services of the fixed line provider.
H2 The brand of telecommunication company is the most important factor in the purchase decision of telecommunication connections.
For verification hypothesis 1, we checked whether they were sat-
table 1 Telecommunications Provider
Answer	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Telekom Slovenije	31	41	45	45
ai	8	11	12	57
t2	17	23	25	81
Telemach	12	16	17	99
Another provider	1	1	1	100
Total	69	92	100	
notes Column headings are as follows: (1) frequency (2) percent, (3) valid percent, (4) cumulative percent. Average 2.2, standard deviation 1.2.
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table 2 Services on a Fixed Telecommunications Connection
Answer	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Package of servis (Internet + tv + phone +	22	29	sl	sl
mobile phone)				
Triple play (Internet + tv + phone)	2l	28	s0	6l
Triple play (Internet + tv + mobile phone)	9	l2	ls	74
Duo (Internet + phone)	l	l	l	76
Duo (Internet + tv)	l2	l6	l7	9s
Internet	2	s	s	96
tv	2	s	s	99
Other	l	l	l	l00
Total	70	9s	l00	
notes Column headings are as follows: (1) frequency, (2) percent, (3) valid percent, (4) cumulative percent. Average 2.7, standard deviation 1.8.
table 3 Satisfaction with the Fixed Telecommunication Service Provider
Answer	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
I'm satisfied	6l	8l	90	90
I am not satisfied	7	9	l0	l00
Total	68	9l	l00	
notes Column headings are as follows: (1) frequency (2) percent, (3) valid percent, (4) cumulative percent. Average 1.1, standard deviation 0.3.
isfied with the telecommunications service provider (table 3). 90% of respondents are satisfied with the telecommunications service provider. However, 10% of providers are not satisfied with the service provider. The hypothesis 1 was confirmed.
A very important segment of our research was the one, where we tried to determine the key factors influencing the buying decision of consumer behaviour when buying fixed telecommunications connections. Based on the acquired evaluation the average evaluation of the individual factor were calculated and then sorted out the evaluations from the most to the least important factor of the decision-making purchasing process of fixed telecommunications connections (table 4).
The most important factor in the purchase decision or replacement of a telecommunications provider is the characteristics of the telecommunication connection. 63% of the respondents identified themselves as a factor in the characteristics of the telecommunication connection. The factor for the telecommunications company brand was second with 14%. Based on the presented results the hypothesis 2 was rejected.
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table 4 Factors of Purchase Decision
Answer	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Personal characteristics of the salesperson	3	4	4	4
Salesperson's sales skills	1	1	1	6
Salesperson's technological knowledge	6	8	9	14
Brand of the telecommunications company	10	13	14	29
Features of the telecommunic. connection	44	59	63	91
After-sales activities of a telecommunic. company	6	8	9	100
Total	70	93	100	
notes Column headings are as follows: (1) frequency, (2) percent, (3) valid percent, (4) cumulative percent. Average 4.6, standard deviation 1.1.
Conclusion
In the times of congested market, the companies are increasingly more aware of the importance of familiarity with the characteristics of consumers, their motives for the purchase of certain product and their standpoints on traded objects. Companies pay more attention to market and consumer researches, which are one of the more important factors that determine the success on the market. Paper presents the key factors influencing the buying decision of consumer behaviour when buying fixed telecommunications connections in selected European country. Based on the presented results the most important factor in the purchase decision or replacement of a telecommunications provider is the characteristics of the telecommunication connection. However, it is advisable to apply the findings regarding the very dominant factor to other factors. The results will help the developers of marketing strategies working in telecommunications companies and related industries to implement the new findings. About future research, It would make sense to explore the characteristics within the key factors of purchasing decisions of buyers of fixed telecommunications connections both in Slovenia and possibly more widely, in comparable European Union countries and on a larger sample of the population.
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Abstracts in Slovene
Tuji jeziki - ključni dejavnik zaposljivosti
Fitnete Martinaj
Globalizacija znanja in samega visokega šolstva prispeva k vse večji uporabi tujih jezikov. Dandanes trgi dela po vsem svetu zahtevajo zaposlene in diplomante, ki obvladajo tuje jezike in imajo dobre komunikacijske sposobnosti. Cilj pričujočega prispevka je pokazati, da znanje tujih jezikov diplomantom in zaposlenim ponuja priložnost za boljšo službo, karierni uspeh in napredovanje. Ta študija raziskuje vlogo znanja tujih jezikov pri zaposljivosti in uspehu kosovskih državljanov. Poleg tega je na voljo mednarodni pregled učinkov jezikovnih spretnosti na učinkovito komunikacijo, s pomočjo katerega se opravi nacionalno in mednarodno primerjavo. Naše ugotovitve podpirajo hipotezo, da tuji jeziki predstavljajo dober obseg upravljanja znanja, ki ustvarja uspeh, tako za diplomante kot tudi za zaposlene. To hipotezo skušamo dokazati z ustreznim pregledom literature in že opravljenimi raziskavami na tem področju. Cilj prispevka je raziskati prednosti učenja tujih jezikov. Rezultati kažejo, da je uporaba tujih jezikov ključnega pomena za zaposlitev, karierni uspeh, izmenjavo znanja in medkulturno komuni-
Ključne besede: znanje tujega jezika, zaposljivost, komunikacija, karierni uspeh Management 15 (3): 161-178
Notranja komunikacija v globalnih projektnih skupinah
Martin Bizjak in Armand Faganel
Komunikacija v globalnih projektnih skupinah je deležna vse vec raziskovalne pozornosti, saj pri delu na globalnih projektih geografsko razpršene ekipe komunicirajo po različnih komunikacijskih kanalih. V primerjavi s komunikacijo, ki poteka znotraj tradicionalnih projektnih skupin, je pri tem potrebno upoštevati številne posebnosti, vkljucno s specificnimi tveganji in dejavniki uspeha. Prispevek ponuja sistematicen pregled literature o notranji komunikaciji znotraj globalnih projektnih skupin ter poroca o rezultatih preucitve kulturnih vidikov tovrstnega sodelovanja. Študija temelji na bibliometricni analizi, pri cemer je bil uporabljen metodološki pristop prejšnjih študij. Tradicionalne metode upravljanja projektov in komunikacije pri globalnih projektih ne predstavljajo najboljše rešitve, saj ne zmorejo premagovati dodatnih izzivov, s katerimi se tovrstni projekti soocajo v primerjavi s tradicionalnimi. V sklopu študije smo identificirali kljucna tveganja in dejavnike uspeha znotraj globalnih projektov, izlušcili predloge glede nacina vzpostavljanja interne komunikacije ter opisali kompe-tence uspešnega vodje globalnih projektov. Študija izpostavlja vrzeli v
kacijo.
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Abstracts in Slovene
razpoložljivi literaturi, kar kaže na potrebo po nadaljnjem preučevanju tematike in služi kot podlaga za prihodnje raziskave.
Ključne besede: komunikacija pri upravljanju projektov, globalno upravljanje projektov, notranja komunikacija, kulturni vpliv, uspešnost projekta, pregled literature Management 15 (3): 179-206
Karakterizacija veščin vodenja na področju varnosti skozi model sedmih spretnosti učinkovitih ljudi
Paula Nicoleta Neag, Alin Gaureanu in Anca Draghiči
Preventivni pristop na področju zdravja in varnosti pri delu se lahko izkaže kot uspešen, v kolikor zajema učinkovito podporo vodstva na področju varnosti, ki mora biti predano spoštovanju ukrepov za zagotavljanje varnosti med zaposlenimi. Študije veščin vodenja na področju varnosti se osredotočajo na slog ali vedenje vodje (pogosto transak-čijsko ali transformačijsko), ne pa tudi na dejavnosti in prakse, ki tvorijo veščine vodenja. Razvoj veščin vodenja na področju varnosti ne bi smel biti omejen na programe usposabljanja, temveč bi moral obsegati tudi dejavnosti čoačhinga in mentorstva. Na podlagi teh premislekov prispevek predlaga pristop, ki temelji na knjigi Seven Habits ofHighly Effective People Stephena R. Coveyja (1989), ki se je uporabil kot raziskovalni okvir za: (1) očeno dejanskega profila vodstvenih delavčev (z uporabo točkovalne lestviče Seven Habits® Profile Self-Sčoring) ter (2) za strukturiranje razprav v fokusnih skupinah, posvečenih zagotavljanju konkretnih ukrepov, odgovornosti in kompetenč, povezanih s posamezno navado na primeru vodij na področju varnosti. Coveyje-vih sedem navad je bilo uporabljenih v kompleksni študiji z vzorčno skupino, ki jo je sestavljalo 419 menedžerjev iz različnih podjetij, na podlagi katere smo opredelili vzorče vedenja zelo učinkovitih vodij na področju varnosti.
Ključne besede: Stephen Covey, sedem navad, varnost in zdravje pri delu, varnost, vodenje Management 15 (3): 207-219
Dejavniki, ki vplivajo na potrošniško vedenje pri odločanju za nakup
Aleš Lukman in Tina Vukasovič
Tema prispevka je analiza dejavnikov, ki vplivajo na potrošniško vedenje pri odločanju za nakup fiksnih telekomunikačijskih storitev. Te-lekomunikačije so področje, ki se ukvarja s prenosom informačij med oddaljenimi lokačijami. V zadnjih desetletjih je področje doživelo eksponentno rast in danes predstavlja enega ključnih dejavnikov oblikovanja družbe. Cilj študije je poglobiti razumevanje potrošniškega vedenja na področju fiksnih telekomunikačijskih storitev v izbrani evropski
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Abstracts in Slovene
državi. Za zbiranje podatkov je bila uporabljena metoda strukturira-nega spletnega vprašalnika. Rezultati kažejo, da je 90 % vprašanih zadovoljnih s ponudnikom fiksnih telekomunikacijskih storitev. Najpomembnejši dejavnik pri odlocitvi kupca za nakup so znacilnosti telekomunikacijskega prikljucka. Drugi najpomembnejši dejavnik je blagovna znamka. Rezultati raziskave se lahko uporabijo pri nacrtovanju nadaljnjih tržnih dejavnosti in tržnih strategij znotraj telekomunikacijskih podjetij in sorodnih panog.
Ključne besede: vedenje potrošnikov, odlocanje za nakup, dejavniki, trženje storitev, telekomunikacije Management 15 (3): 221-233
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