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Studies on Consumer Motivation Among Users Of Fitness Services
442-453Views:468The rate of inactivity experienced world-wide is the cause of numerous health problems. The sedentary lifestyle of the population represents a great burden to a nation’s economy. The health indicators of Hungary are below the European average, not only those concerning physical activity, but also with respect to smoking, nutrition, and alcohol consumption [1]. In 2013, only 38% of the Hungarian population exercised regularly, while 62% rarely or never [2]. The diseases associated with inactivity represent a higher burden to the economy than the costs of raising the level of activity would be [3]. Based on previous studies, the motivating factors for leisure athletes in Hungary are the preservation of health, to increase physical strength, relaxation, recreation, the love of exercising, and stress management [4; 5]. The sports facilities available to a wide range of people, the fitness clubs offer the possibility to join regular sports activities, which is why it is necessary to examine the motivation behind the participation of athletes taking part in the trainings provided by fitness facilities. Many previous studies examined the goals of athletes and the motivational factors behind exercising, and came to the conclusion that trainings held in fitness rooms and at home are related to intrinsic motivational factors, while taking part in other sports activities are related to intrinsic motivational factors [6; 7]. The focus of my study are leisure athletes using the services provided by fitness clubs (753 people), of whom I evaluated the motivational factors behind taking part in trainings. The results show that the motivational factors driving consumers of fitness services show a ranking that is identical to those of other leisure athletes, with most of them taking part in fitness trainings in order to preserve their health, to improve physical strength, and for recreational purposes, while the improvement of physical appearance also plays an important role.
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Adapting Open Innovation Model in Supplier Qualification Programs
155-167Views:482The development of innovative models fundamentally contribute to the changing the way of thinking in business context. Today, in this process, the impact of open innovation model is a kind of paradigm shift. The contents of this change has been mostly clear in the field of context of product-, innovation and technology, but not onm the field of organizational and management innovations. In this study, we sought to answer that in the case of knowledge transfer’s special field –the programs of suppliers - how to apply the principles of open innovation and how this may have positive effects. The motivation behind, was to look for commonly used models for the SME sector, that is fundamentally linked to large enterprises as suppliers, characterized by increasingly rapid technological development ecosystem to collaborate.
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Strategic Role of Environmental Factors in the Operation of a Manufacturing Company: A Synthesis of Three Analytical Models
56-74Views:356Nowadays, the operations of companies are influenced by increasingly complex internal and external factors, the systematic examination of which is essential for conscious strategy-making. The relevance of this study lies in the context of global economic instability, rapid technological advancement, and intensifying market competition, all of which present new challenges for organizations. The aim of the research is to demonstrate how the analysis of environmental factors can support strategic decision-making, with particular emphasis on a specific company case. The analysis was based on three established methods—PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces model, and the SWOT framework—which together enabled an integrated examination of macro- and micro-environmental factors as well as internal resources. The results highlighted several key strengths of the company, such as professional expertise, international presence, and the quality of customer relationships, while also identifying several areas in need of improvement, particularly in terms of pricing strategy, digital information accessibility, and internal communication. The novelty of the study lies in the combined application of the three analytical tools, which revealed interrelated insights and served as the basis for well-founded recommendations aimed at enhancing strategic flexibility and strengthening competitiveness.
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Enhancing Sustainable Production Through Continuous Improvement: Evidence from Nigeria’s Manufacturing Sector
1-20Views:130The manufacturing industry in Nigeria has been the so-called cornerstone of economic development since the sector has continuously played a major role in providing jobs and industrial capital. However, there remain issues that impede its progress, including inefficient resource use, unstable regulatory systems, and the need to comply with international market requirements. Specifically, it examined the effect of employee engagement, process efficiency, and resource allocation on Nigeria’s manufacturing sector. A survey research design was adopted, with a total population of 117 employees across five manufacturing firms. A total of 91 participants were administered a structured questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings revealed that employee engagement has the strongest effect on sustainable production (β = 0.412, t = 6.250, p < 0.000), followed by resource allocation (β = 0.237, t = 3.610, p < 0.000), and process efficiency (β = 0.174, t = 2.877, p = 0.004). It concluded that continuous improvement is significantly vital for sustainable production in the five sugar manufacturing firms studied in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that management of these selected firms focus on developing unique resource allocation strategies, employee engagement, and process efficiency to ensure sustained workforce improvement, thereby achieving sustainable production outcomes.
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Security and Risk management of Intelligent Integrated Institutes
74-84Views:250The intelligent households are getting more and more popular beside the intelligent technologies. With all the advantages that this can provide, it brings the security risk of the information technology as well. We must deal with those dangers. We have to determine the risks so that we can make proper precautions. This article gives an effective guideline to achieve safety.
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Estimation of the Potential Runoff Quality Improvement as a Result of Applied Green Infrastructure Measures in a Hungarian Town
34-41Views:332Green infrastructure measures improves the quality of surface and subsurface waters along with increasing the water balance on the town level. The aim of the study is to estimate the potential runoff quality improvement by applying stormwater BMP-s along traffic roads in the town. This is of high priority in the aquifer protection area where runoff water may infiltrate into the aquifer carrying pollutants from the surface. Estimations are applied: first we determine the surface of traffic roads, then estimate the quantity of different kinds of pollutants accumulated on the surface and thirdly we estimate the expected performance of the applied green infrastructure elements based on findings in the literature. We determine the impervious urban surface area associated with transport-related functions within the protected drinking water recharge area using GIS technic using orthophotos. We estimate the expected reduction of runoff pollution assuming that stormwater BMP-s are applied in the area. The overall goal is to make the significance of diffuse pollution more obvious and enhance drinking water protection through taking diffuse pollution into consideration.
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Indicators of environmental performance evaluation – theory and corporate case study
224-231Views:904In the last decades there was a change in the field of corporate performance evaluation. Performance management systems, indicator-based systems and new, intellectual capital-based evaluation systems have appeared. Finally new, wide range of corporate evaluating methods was born in theory and in practice too. It is also important to mention, that in a life of organizations there is an improvement in the activity in connection with sustainable development, and also in the usage of methods connecting to sustainable development. Therefore the evaluation in the dimensions of sustainability – in a case of environmental performance evaluation, or evaluation of corporate social responsibility – became more and more emphasised. We concentrate on the theory and practice of environmental performance evaluation. Summarize – based on definitions – the concept of environmental performance evaluation. We concentrate on peculiarities of environmental performance indicators – based on international standards and literature review; and also mention the characteristics of indicator systems. Based on theory, the practice is also important. Therefore we present a case study of a multinational company.
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Business Students’ Attitude to Social Responsibility
1-10Views:419The companies’ most important goal is the satisfaction of consumers’ needs and the profitmaking. But nowadays the companies have to deal with the activity of corporate social responsibility, too. Therefore it can be interesting to research about the next questions: can ethics be taught? Do we have to teach ethics in the schools and especially in the business schools? What are the students’ attitudes toward the social responsibility? Are students sensitive and open-minded connection with this issues? The aims of the study were to examine responsible management attitudes among business students at the University of Debrecen (Faculty of Economics and Business). We draw their CSR pyramid (based on Carroll model) and present their opinion in reference to business education’s role in social issues.
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Current Challenges in the Regulation of CO2 Emission of Road Vehicles
738-742Views:372Today, as part of the fight against climate change, regulations on greenhouse gas emissions are gaining significantly higher attention. Our work focuses on the European Union legislation on carbon dioxide emissions from road vehicles, with special emphasis on the target values. Current changes in CO2 measurement methods, as important issues of the regulations, are also reviewed within this article.
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Practical Application of Methods in Strategy-Based Analyzes
59-72Views:724Increasing environmental volatility is a growing challenge for companies and businesses. The speed of economic events is changing, and the risk of uncertainty is increasing, requiring business to take a new approach to strategic planning. In the design and forming of their strategy, both the factors of the external and internal environment and the analysis of their competitors can be based on well-chosen methods. We consider the review of these methods, their application in planning and educational practice. The aim of our work, in which we present the methods that underpin the strategy applied in both domestic and international practice. The analysis of the external environment illustrates the construction and applicability of an external factor analysis matrix based on traditional PEST analysis and the Porter's five-factor model. In the case of internal factor analysis matrix, we focus on the approach of method choice, and on the applicable methods, the importance of the resource-based approach, the analysis of key factors and the Porter value chain analysis matrix. The third pillar of the analysis that underpins the strategy is the matrix-based assessment of competitors. The applicability of the methods depends on the form of the enterprise, the field of activity and the nature of its activities, which is complicated by the emergence of new economic spheres (e.g.: sharing) and transformed power relations.
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Displacement: Translation and Rotation. Differences and Similarities in the Discrete and Continuous Models
104-124Views:296The motion (displacement) of the Euclidean space can be decomposed into translation and rotation. The two kinds of motion of the Euclidean space based on two structures of the Euclidean space: The first one is the topological structure, the second one is the idea of distance. The motion is such a (topological) map, that the distance of any two points remains the same. The bounded and closed domain of the Euclidean space is taken as a model of the rigid body. The bounded and closed domain of the Euclidean space is also taken as a model of the deformable solid body. The map – i.e. the displacement field – of the deformable solid body is continuous, but is not (necessarily) motion; the size and the shape of body can change. The material has atomic-molecular structure. In compliance with it, the material can be comprehended as a discrete system. In this case the elements of the material, as an atom, molecule, grain, can be comprehended as either material point, or rigid body. In the first case the kinematical freedom is the translation, in the latter case the translation and the rotation. In the paper we analyse how the kinematical behaviour of the discrete and continuous mechanical system can be characterise by translation and rotation. In the discrete system the two motions are independent variable. At the same time they characterise the movement of the body different way. For instance homogeneous local translation gives the global translation, but the homogeneous local rotation does not give the global rotation. To realise global rotation in a discrete system on one hand global rotation of the position of the discrete elements, on the other hand homogeneous local rotations of the discrete elements in harmony with global rotation are required. In the continuous system the two kinds of movement cannot be interpreted: a point cannot rotate, a rotation of surrounding of a point or direction can be interpreted. The kinematical characteristics, as the displacement (practically this is equal to translation) of (neighbourhood of) point, the rotation of surrounding of that point and the rotation of a direction went through that point are not independent variables: the translation of a point determines the rotation of the surrounding of that point as well as the rotation of a direction went through that point. With accordance this statement the displacement (practically translation) (field) as the only kinematical variable can be interpreted in the continuous medium.
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Industrialization of knowledge in the University of Miskolc
61-73Views:331Life of universities has transformed thanks to “massification”. The costs of education have increased and universities had to manage a higher number of people. The economic management has moved towards business-like operation. The university has been transformed into an entrepreneurial university, while science has become knowledge production. The scientific policy has started to serve the needs of industrial corporations. The article titled (Industrialization of knowledge) introduces the research, developments, and innovations of the University of Miskolc. The university participate in national and international projects and they use the benefits of the research in developments. As the participants of innovations, they help in the introduction of new technical developments and the preparation of new products. Their operational experience is important for everybody.
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Management Practices from Christian Point of View
14-30Views:367Globalisation is a complex and worldwide process overarching historical times and continents. However the phenomenon brought efficiency and new opportunities to companies, providing practically free access to raw materials, labour and knowledge, it also caused negative effects like the degradation of the biosphere, greater social and economic inequality especially in the developing countries. There are some companies operating worldwide which have acquired great economic power and influence. and governments have only limited possibilities (if any) to regulate their operation. The expenses of profit maximisation are high, which are often ‘paid’ by the socialnatural environment (as externalities) and/or by humans. The aim of our study is to overview how current business relations could be formed to be more „human friendly”. The research is done from a Christian philosophy point of view, focusing on the employees as the major stakeholder group of the comanies. As part of the study some practical examples and Hungarian organisations related to this topic are introduced in order to highlight the relevance of the topic.
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Possibilities of Improving Salt-Related Water Quality on a Hungarian River
13-22Views:261The purpose of the study was the assessment of the salt related quality of river Kösely and its tributaries and to determine with calculations whether it is feasible to achieve improvement of the demonstrated water quality by the means of dilution in the frame of a PhD study. Besides data collection a series of twenty-eight Electrical Conductivity (EC) measurement was carried out at eleven sites along the river system. The resulting EC values all year long on every reach of the river exceeded even the tolerable values specified as irrigation water quality criteria and water quality standards in the Water Framework Directive. In the paper, we introduce the results of the survey along with authority surveillance data series from earlier years. Investigations in the water using anthropogenic activities causing this special water quality problem were also carried out and the results – quantitative and qualitative aspects as well – are introduced here. Since the pollutant is a conservative material, the calculations were performed using the simple dilution equation which is based on the law of conservation of mass. The findings of the calculations were the identification of those reaches of the river system where adequate water quality can be achieved by dilution considering the limiting factor of water delivery capacity. Our conclusion is that under current conditions of water management and water using activities there is no way to meet quality requirements with dilution. This can be achieved only by prevention or reduction of salt load.
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The Landscape of Civil Society Organizations in the Economy of Kosovo
334-343Views:471Civil society organizations (CSOs) in the scientific literature have been studied broadly from various aspects such as cultural, political, social and economic. But as far as the last one is concerned, there is still a research gap because there is a lack of study about their contribution to economies under development, such as Kosovo, and which must be filled because of its importance. This paper tends to analyze the present situation of CSOs in Kosovo and their potential contribution to economic activity. Highlighting the activities, the structure and the place of these organizations in the economy will be the approach, in the beginning, to pave the way for further study of specific areas related to them. The methodology established contains analyses of secondary sources that are done by using data from the Ministry of Public Administration of Kosovo, Kosovar Index of Civil Society which is a regular report of the Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), and other supplementary data. However, this will proceed after the scientific conceptual issues of CSOs and their place within the economy. Finally, the results show that civil society in Kosovo is very diverse with organizations in different sectors, and the economic activity sector consists of mostly agricultural NGOs. In transition countries, CSOs are seen as an alternative that improves a particular sector. Thus far, there are over 10,000 organizations established in Kosovo, but relative studies suggest only 1000 to be active. Furthermore, their activity and contribution to economic development is little known so far, while the main problem of the economy remains unemployment.