Considering the benefits of the organic production system, it is recognized as one of the main drivers of future economic development. However, the imbalance between demand and supply at the local market level represents one of the serious obstacles that prevents its future growth. Therefore, this article examines the key factors related to the main elements of the offer that have the strongest impact on consumer preferences and acceptance of organic food products. In that sense, organic product, price, distribution channel, and promotion are considered the main elements of the offer and are analyzed in this paper from the consumer preferences perspective. Further, this article provides insight into some of the sensory properties of the offer that are important to consumers. Finally, it gives recommendations for optimization of the offer on the organic food market based on the analysis of the influence of each of those elements (product, price, distribution, and promotion) on consumer acceptance of organic products and making purchasing decisions. The data were collected using a questionnaire, and analyzed using the structural equation model (SEM). The results revealed that price and promotion have the strongest impact on consumer acceptance and buying decisions. Further analysis revealed that attitudes towards organic food products, price/quality ratio, distribution barriers, and modern media as a promotion instrument are the factors that have the most significant impact on consumer perception and attitudes towards the available market offer. These findings can help producers and other decision makers to better understand what creates added value of the organic food products in consumers’ mind and therefore make an offer that is in line with their expectations and preferences, which is recognized as one of the main prerequisites for the acceptance and purchase of organic food products.

The aim of this paper was to analyze the main factors that affect green consumers’ choice regarding the purchase of organic agriculture products. The data collected through a survey of 559 green consumers were analyzed using explanatory factor analysis, the Relative Importance Index, and logistic regression. The results point out eleven main factors related to the offerings on the organic agriculture market that predominantly drive green consumers’ purchasing decisions. The Relative Importance Index identified health benefits that stem from a specific way of production as the main purchasing motive. This was also confirmed by the results of logistic regression, which showed that a respondent who buys organic agricultural products on a daily basis is approximately 71.5% less likely to disagree with the claim that organic products are healthier than non-organic, compared to a consumer who purchases organic products several times a week or month. However, as these benefits cannot be empirically confirmed, green consumers look for official labels on the product packaging. In order to assure the product quality, more than half of them find out very important information about producers: whether they have a product quality certificate (69.5%), how many years they are engaged in production (56.2%), and whether they have specific product packaging (54.9%). The Relative Importance Index also revealed that the main purchasing barriers that consumers face are scarce offerings and an insufficient development of the distribution channel, which were ranked in first and second place. The price as a barrier is of less importance. About 30.8% of the respondents are willing to pay up to 20% higher prices for organic food compared to conventional food, while 39.4% of them would pay even up to 40% higher prices. Based on the given results, there are clear suggestions for creating a sustainable marketing strategy for organic agriculture products as the main prerequisite for an increase of healthy food choices and fostering the future development of organic agriculture businesses at the local and global levels.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the level of influence of online media on the parents’ attitudes toward vaccination of children in three countries of the Western Balkans—Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to use the potentials of this form of communication effectively and efficiently. Online media are a critical factor of influence on the formation of attitudes in many areas of modern society, which is why their proper use plays an important role in strengthening vaccine confidence and which may further contribute to improvement of public health. On the other side, having in mind the fact that communication is an integral part of marketing, it is clear that social marketing has an extremely important role regarding the analyzed topic, especially because of the fact that social marketing activities tend to change or maintain people’s behavior for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole. For the purpose of this research, a conceptual model was developed. Quantitative research was conducted online in the first quarter of 2020 using the survey method. Statistical analysis was applied to data collected from 1593 parents in the analyzed countries. The relevance of the hypotheses was tested using standard statistical tests, ANOVA test, eta coefficient, and logistic regression. The research showed that all analyzed variables from the model have a significant impact on the parents’ attitudes toward the vaccination of children and that they correlate with the degree of trust in vaccines. The results also approved that online media have a significant influence on the formation of parents’ attitudes toward the vaccination of children (obtained values of eta coefficient η² = 0.216, η² = 0.18, η² = 0.167, η² = 0.090, reliability Cronbach’s Alpha 0.892), which confirms the importance of the use of social marketing in order to direct communication properly and to strengthen the level of trust in vaccines. Additionally, the results of logistic regression showed that the following groups of parents are particularly vulnerable to the influence of online media on attitudes toward vaccines: women, parents of younger age (“millennials”), and parents who are in common law marriage, as well as parents who have more children. In addition, the results showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the attitudes of parents in the observed countries (η² = 0.000, F = 0.85). Based on the results of the research, the authors suggest that decision makers should pay more attention to modern forms of online communication and social marketing in order to use their potential for improvement of public health, as well as avoid the harmful impact that certain forms of communication may have on the formation of attitudes and loss of confidence in vaccines. The findings provide an important contribution for public health policy makers to identify and understand properly the impact of online media and social marketing and thus to better adapt their initiatives to changes in modern society.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of sponsorship perceptions and attitudes of sport team fans on their purchasing decision, as well as to investigate the significance of sport sponsorship in promoting socially responsible companies and other sustainable practices in society. This paper gives insight in possibilities and effects of promoting sustainable activities and socially responsible companies, through sport sponsorship, by targeting and educating sport team fans as a very important consumer segment. Data were collected from anonymous respondents who are fans of different sport teams. Attitudes were measured by asking the respondents to rank the statements based on a 5-point Likert scale. In order to analyze the data, structural equation modelling was conducted using R package. Results show that the attitudes towards sponsorship, as well as sponsorship perceptions, have a strong positive impact on the purchasing decisions of consumers, regarding products of sponsors, which enables the creation of a loyal base of fans as consumers. Results also reveal that sport sponsorship can be an effective way of promoting socially responsible companies and sustainable practices, giving an opportunity to create an educated and highly dedicated consumer base. In this way the positive effects of sports and sponsorship are spreading beyond the stadiums and arenas. These findings can help companies that are considering investing in this form of marketing, in adequately selecting and managing the campaign, but also can be very useful for official institutions in their efforts to foster sustainable practices in society. Although the fact that the research was conducted only in Montenegro can be stated as a limitation, it should be noted that this type of research has been done for the first time in this area, which gives special value to the research and increases the importance of its contribution to the existing base of scientific papers in this field.

This paper assesses the ways in which the characteristics of entrepreneurs from transition economies, and the extent to which they participate in making business decisions, affect their propensity to make rational/risky decisions in a work environment. A multicontextual analysis of entrepreneurial decision-making is provided, facilitating a better understanding and the further advancement of entrepreneurship in the transition countries of Montenegro and Serbia. Logistic regression and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) were used to assess data collected from a stratified random sample of 260 entrepreneurs. The results reveal that the demographic characteristics of entrepreneurs have a significant impact on their propensity to make rational/risky decisions. Elderly entrepreneurs with more years of service are more prone to make rational decisions in comparison to younger entrepreneurs, who lack business experience and thus rely on intuition, leading to risky decision-making. Additionally, the results show that the more involved entrepreneurs are in the decision-making process, the more risky decisions will be made; while more employee inclusion leads to business decisions based on rational thinking. The results also reveal that entrepreneurs in transition economies have formed attitudes towards the nature of entrepreneurial activity. Finally, these results reveal that entrepreneurs who consider levels of economic development, national culture, and intuition to be important when making business decisions are more prone to implement risky decisions. Considering the obtained results, this paper provides guidelines for the future research of this issue in transition countries and other developing economies.

Purpose: This paper seeks to identify the factors that influence the perceptions and attitudes of young people in Montenegro toward organic products. Design/methodology/approach: The results of the research, obtained using the multivariate factor analysis, showed that the vast majority of young consumers identify organic food as healthy and natural and that its higher price is a significant barrier inhibiting their likelihood of purchasing it, along with inaccessibility and the limited options offered. Findings: The data obtained provides valuable information for managers and decision-makers working in organic food production and sales in Montenegro – a country with the potential to develop in this field. Research limitations/implications: The study was carried out in the CEE transition country of Montenegro, with 300 young consumers. Further research is needed to validate the results through longitudinal study. Practical implications: The data obtained represents a meaningful contribution to the field of organic food production and sale in Montenegro (which is a country with a lot of potential in this area) and will assist managers and decision-makers in the field. Social implication: Unlike most research that has previously examined issues concerning organic production – such as its standardization, financing, environmental impact, and even its promotion – this paper provides a better understanding of the behavior of young consumers toward organic products in Montenegro by outlining their perceptions and attitudes toward this product category. Originality/value: This research represents the first academic study of customers' attitudes and perceptions in this area, alongside the main factors affecting the young consumer's choice to purchase organic food in Montenegro.