The underlying factors of the purchase decision process of bottled mineral water have been a less studied area. The typically related attributes of consumer judgement in the case of low involvement can vary widely, ranging from price sensitivity to habits. However, assessing the role of brand reputation and trust from a sensory perception perspective is not a common approach. This paper examines the impact of trust on consumer value judgements for a frequently consumed beverage such as mineral water. Combining trust and sensory attributes with the Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) framework provides insights into the weight of taste, trust and reputation in product evaluation. A tasting experiment was carried out using a representative systematic random sampling method. A mixed method was applied; EDT was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory methodology was performed in the case of qualitative data. Results indicate complete assimilation for the most preferred brand and negative contrast for less well-known brands. It can be stated that the applied methodology is suitable as a certain kind of trust measurement and also can function particularly well as a reinforcement and complement to other methodologies (e.g., neuromarketing methods). This study suggests that brand names positively influence value judgment. Origin bounded brands compared to imported brands can help companies mitigate trust issues in developing countries as they convey a particular reputation, which helps reinforce trust.

Understanding SME’s failure – focus on success factors and gender differences: comparative analysis of SME’s in Czech Republic, Hungary, and Serbia

THE AIMS OF THE PAPER Employers adjust their competence expectations to their employees in relation to the current situation in the goods andlabour market. However, defining personal attributes that contribute to company success on the market is a difficult managerial task. Thus, research into employer competence expectations involves a number of methodological problems. The aim of the present research is to assess the general competency expectations of employers in the current domestic labour market situation. However, our research experience also contributes to the further development of the related measurement methodology. METHODOLOGY In the framework of a corporate questionnaire survey (N = 100), we examined competency expectations about fresh graduates. For our expert questionnaire, the development of the measuring tool was based on the results of previous in-depth interviews (Tóthné Téglás - Hlédik 2018), which revealed the content-related components of employers' expectations about new graduates and their related way of thinking. Through the expert questionnaire we measured employers' (chronological) preferences for competences along a 54-item competency scale in relation to the processes of both recruitment and work commencement. Competence variables were examined using hierarchical clustering. MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS The analyses helped identify ten competency variables in the employers' system of expectations related to the selection and integration of graduates. In the sample under analysis we found that a high level of expectations at the time of entry was clearly expected by employers and this has expanded further than previously explored. Future success factors identified in labour market forecasts, such as self-study ability, the ability to cope with complex problems, creativity, and the use of new information technologies, however, do not appear as components of the entry expectations towards fresh graduates in the sample of employers under analysis, but only later in relation to their becoming experts. RECOMMENDATIONS Identifying competency expectations for new graduates can represent an important starting point for employment and development issues, in particular for labour market players. However, from a research methodological point of view, we believe that this research into expectations about fresh graduates has helped developed a measurement tool that is better tailored to the practices of employers and enables more accurate measurement. A TANULMÁNY CÉLJA A munkáltatók munkavállalókkal szembeni kompetenciaelvárásaikat az aktuális áru- és munkaerő-piaci helyzetben alakítják. A vállalat sikeres piaci jelenlétéhez szükséges személyes munkavállalói jellemzők meghatározása ugyanakkor egy nehéz menedzseri feladat. Így a munkáltatói kompetenciaelvárások kutatása is számos módszertani problémát vet fel. Kutatásunk célja a jelenlegi hazai munkaerő-piaci helyzetben a munkáltatók frissdiplomásokkal szemben támasztott általános kompetenciaelvárásainak felmérése, valamint az ezzel kapcsolatos mérési módszertan továbbfejlesztése. ALKALMAZOTT MÓDSZERTAN Vállalati kérdőíves felmérés keretében (N=100) vizsgáltuk a frissdiplomásokkal szembeni kompetenciaelvárásokat. A szakértői kérdőívünkben a mérési eszköz kidolgozása egy mélyinterjús kutatás (Tóthné Téglás - Hlédik 2018) eredményeire épült, amely feltárta a munkáltatók frissdiplomásokkal szembeni kompetenciaelvárásainak tartalmi összetevőit és a munkáltatók ezzel kapcsolatos gondolkodásának összefüggéseit. A szakértői kérdőívben ennek megfelelően összeállított, 54 elemből álló kompetencia skála mentén mértük a kiválasztás és munkába állás folyamatában a munkáltatók kompetenciákkal kapcsolatos időrendi preferenciát. A kompetenciaváltozók vizsgálatát hierarchikus klaszterezéssel végeztük el. LEGFONTOSABB EREDMÉNYEK Az elemzések eredményeként tíz kompetenciaváltozót azonosítottunk a munkáltatók diplomás pályakezdők kiválasztása és integrálása során támasztott elvárás-rendszerében. A vizsgált mintánkban azt tapasztaltuk, hogy a munkáltatók elvárásaiban a belépéskor egy magas szintű elvárás-csomag egyértelműen körvonalazódik, amely a korábban feltárt elvárásokhoz képest tovább bővült. A munkaerő-piaci prognózisokban meghatározott jövőbeli sikertényezők, mint például az önálló tanulás képessége, a komplex problémák kezelése, a kreativitás és az új információtechnológiák használata, ugyanakkor a frissdiplomásokkal szembeni elvárás-rendszerben a belépéskor még nem, hanem csak később a szakértővé válás során jelentkeznek a vizsgált munkáltatói mintában. GYAKORLATI JAVASLATOK A friss diplomásokkal szembeni kompetenciaelvárások azonosítása elsősorban a munkaerőpiac szereplői számára biztosíthatnak fontos kiindulópontot a...

Research purpose. The marketing and sales activity of a company can involve synergy, and coordinated operations can contribute to the success of the enterprise. However, the operations of the former departments often rely on individual successes, which boost conflicts of interest and hinder collaboration. The main aim of the research described in this paper is to explore the areas and focal points of collaboration and conflict in order to highlight the tools that can contribute to enhancing alignment and effectiveness. A further goal is to examine the relationship between marketing and sales and their appraisal of each other. Design/Methodology/Approach. The empirical research applied three qualitative focus group interviews among marketing and sales employees in different positions at multinational enterprises. Results are analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Findings. The research highlights the process interfaces between marketing and sales activities and results in the identification of the competence and attitude gaps in their cooperation. Marketing is an entire corporate function, although without knowledge of customers and markets and experience of sales it is unable to foster the innovation processes which, along with cost and time management, result in “efficient and effective corporate operations” as the core category of grounded theory. The outcomes presented here are novel in relation to how they highlight that collaboration should be grounded on clearly defined corporate targets and the engagement of employees with these, as well as supportive and reinforcing manager–subordinate relationships. However, the prioritization and appraisal of the departments of organizational units appears to be dependent on the position and information coverage of employees. Having more information increases the latter’s ability to better evaluate other fields of business. In addition to these issues, the explored discrepancies refer mainly to the information transfer process, suggesting that the external and internal accessibility and availability of information to departments is crucial. Information that is accompanied by accurate predictions about market demand and local needs adjustment enables successful innovation and helps create marketable, innovative, well-differentiated, high-quality, valuable products, the availability of (and customer responses to) which is required for the successful performance of a company. The former may be delivered through the contribution of both organizational units. Building and reinforcing human relationships can facilitate these processes. Originality/Value/Practical implications. In comparison to other research on this topic, the present study applies focus group interviews as a novel method to create a deeper and more thorough picture of the related processes. The model which emerges from the analysis of results highlights problems with practical management that can contribute to the development of a more efficient management system. Employees can be trained to decrease the identified discrepancies, while rewarding positive attitudes to collaboration contributes to their alignment.

A digitális technológia behálózza életünk, a pandémia pedig tovább növeli és erősíti az elektronikus eszközökkel való kapcsolatunkat. Ezzel együtt a kibertámadások száma is jelentősen megnövekedett, annak ellenére, hogy ezek jelentős része megelőzhető lenne. Jelen tanulmány célja az Y generációs fiatalok információbiztonsággal kapcsolatos attitűdjét, tudatosságát befolyásoló tényezők feltárása, mélyebb megértése kvalitatív jellegű empirikus kutatás, mélyinterjúk alapján. Az interjúk elemzése trianguláció keretében két megközelítésben, tartalomelemzéssel és grounded theory módszertannal történt. Az interjúk rámutatnak, hogy az alanyok jelentős tényezőként tekintenek elméleti síkon az online és digitális biztonságukra, azonban a gyakorlatban a megfelelő védekezési módok hiányossága, az alanyok sebezhetősége derül ki a kutatásból. Az alapozó jellegű kutatás további kvantitatív kutatás alapját képezheti.