Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj

Management : Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 2023

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role of competitive strategies (CS) in the... more The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role of competitive strategies (CS) in the relationship between HRM practices and company performance (CP). Although the existing literature adequately addresses HRM practices and CS, there is limited empirical evidence linking internal resources and strategies with CP. Therefore, using the contingency approach, this study uncovers the role of CS in realizing the potential impact of HRM practices on CP. The data used to test, explore, and develop the moderating role of CS were collected from 157 manufacturing companies and analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. The results show a positive effect of HRM practices and CS on CP. The results also show that cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy moderate the relationship between HRM practices and CP. The theoretical and managerial implications of these results are discussed.

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences

INTRODUCTION: Sex and gender "matters" in terms of the health status as well as a resul... more INTRODUCTION: Sex and gender "matters" in terms of the health status as well as a result of both biological and gender-related differences. AIM: To analyze sex and gender-based differences in North Macedonia through analysis of some aspects of mortality, the knowledge and attitudes related to women’s health. METHODS: Analysis of the general and age-standardized mortality patterns and CAPI (Computer-assisted personal interview) composed on different topics including women's health for the period 2017-2020 were used. RESULTS: Age-standardized mortality rates (all-causes of death, circulatory and respiratory diseases and neoplasms) are prevalent and higher in the male population in North Macedonia. A significantly higher all-cause mortality trend for both sexes was found in 2020 making this year hardly comparable with the previous years. A decreasing trend of malignant neoplasms rate of female genital organs and an increasing trend of breast cancer mortality is observed. ...

nstitute for Sociological, Political and Juridical Research – University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” Skopje, Macedonia, Nov 1, 2017

Archives of Public Health

The association between industrial pollution and human health is of high importance for public he... more The association between industrial pollution and human health is of high importance for public health. Living near industrially contaminated sites (ICSs) and being exposed to increasing concentrations of environmental pollutants along with disadvantaged social and economic conditions result in an increased occurrence of diseases. There are 16 identified industrially contaminated sites in the Republic of North Macedonia, and of all of them, chemical industry AD OHIS - Skopje and lindane dump located near the plant, according to almost all categorizations,has been evaluated to pose the highest level of ecological and health risk, although there has been no recent evidence about these issues. The main aim of this study was to obtain general information about risk perception of resident population living around and near AD OHIS in the Skopje region. Methods: A standardized and modified questionnaire was sent to the participants in an electronic form by e-mail and was published on social...

Knowledge International Journal, Dec 9, 2016

KNOWLEDGE – International Journal, Vol. 18.1, Aug 1, 2017

This research paper investigates the work locus of control and the level of selfesteem of the une... more This research paper investigates the work locus of control and the level of selfesteem of the unemployed Macedonian young people. The research findings are result of a research study about the Macedonian Youth Unemployment financed by Friedrich Ebert Foundation-Office in Skopje and conducted by the authors in 2016 on a representative national sample (N=1009) consisted from unemployed young people aged 15-29, citizens of Republic of Macedonia, from all eight statistical regions. The youth unemployment is a serious problem in the country as its rate for the last several years is almost double (approximately 50%) than the general unemployment rate (23,7% in this moment). It was assumed that the (external) work locus of control and the (low) self-esteem are related to the unemployment and of course to certain demographic characteristics (age, educational level, place of living…). There are no previous research data on this topic in a national context, that's why the research approach and the findings can be considered as novelty for the Macedonian scientific literature. For this particular part of the research study, the applied methodology used research instruments developed by

This paper presents the barriers for growth and development of small and medium enterprises in th... more This paper presents the barriers for growth and development of small and medium enterprises in the Republic of North Macedonia. The internal, external, institutional and financial barriers faced by managers/owners of small and medium enterprises are analyzed. Barriers from the market and competitive environment are analyzed in the sector in which the company carries out economic activity; the degree of competition and strategic behavior of competing enterprises; range of growth support networks and alliances. The financial environment was analyzed by assessing the capability of the local financial system; methods of financing the business; availability and cost of capital and finance. Internal organizational barriers are explored by analyzing internal resources and capacities; growth barriers related to the whole problem of human resource management and conditions for employment and dismissal of workers; lack of qualified managers; absence of business skills. Social barriers were an...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Exposure to different chemicals is an inevitable part of our everyday lives. Within HBM4EU, focus... more Exposure to different chemicals is an inevitable part of our everyday lives. Within HBM4EU, focus group discussions were conducted to gather data on citizens’ perceptions of chemical exposure and human biomonitoring. These discussions were hosted in Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, the Netherlands, and North Macedonia following a protocol developed in the first round of discussions. Results indicate the very high concern of European citizens regarding food safety and the environment. Focus group participants were well aware of potential uptake of chemicals through food consumption (e.g., preservatives, flavor enhancers, coloring agents, pesticides, fertilizers, metals), drinking water, or from polluted air and water. One of the positive aspects identified here, is the high interest of citizens in awareness and education on personal measures to control exposure. The promotion of personal behavioral changes requires active involvement of society (e.g., commuting habits, energ...

STPIS, 2020

Today's youth population is consisted from two generations: Millennials and Generation Z. It is e... more Today's youth population is consisted from two generations: Millennials and Generation Z. It is expected that these two generation cohorts will dominate workplace environments by 2025. Companies will need to have a workplace they would like to work in. Digital technology, changing lifestyles and an emphasis on company culture have had a significant influence across every industry. The evolution of technology and the Internet, in particular, are transforming the workplaces and the world of work in general. The entrance of these younger generations into the workforce is further impacting the way companies organize themselves, communicate, and conduct business. In terms of workplace design, there is a responsibility to respond to these evolving needs with spaces that empower both, people and businesses. A debate and interest regarding this issue, especially from the socio-technical theory/perspective, human resource management and strategic management are highly required and expected in academic and business communities.

International Workshop on Socio-Technical Perspective in IS Development, 2020

Cogent Business & Management, 2021

A perusal of the literature shows that a broad frame of references for organizational success is ... more A perusal of the literature shows that a broad frame of references for organizational success is not adequately developed. Therefore, by taking an interdisciplinary approach with a relational perspective, this study takes an integrative and fresh approach toward illuminating the moderate role of competitive strategy in realizing the potential influence of supply chain management (SCM) practices on organizational performance of the manufacture organizations. Using the gathered data of 157 manufacturing organizations that operate in Kosovo, this study boosts the margins of the existing literature. The findings indicate a positive influence of SCM practices and competitive strategy on organizational performance. In addition, the findings also show that competitive strategy moderate the relationship between SCM practices and organizational performance. It highlights that differentiation strategy is necessary to increase the actual value of SCM practices and makes the organization flourish.

Business: Theory and Practice, 2020

Considering pursuing the differentiation strategy makes enable the organization to earn its succe... more Considering pursuing the differentiation strategy makes enable the organization to earn its success and to create, capture and sustain economic value. Despite this importance, it is relatively absentminded in empirical studies at the conceptual level. In response to this gap, the purpose of this paper is conceptualizing differentiation strategy model, developing the instruments of differentiation strategy, and testing the relationship between dimensions of the value chain, differentiation in the supply, competitive advantages, and organizational performance, using data from a sample of 123 manufacturing organizations. On this study, quantitative methods were applied to measure the proposed relationships, and questionnaires were used as a tool in gathering primary data. Relationships proposed in the framework were tested using structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicated that pursuing the differentiation strategy leads on increasing competitive advantage and impr...

Future Business Journal, 2020

In this study, the significance of using Porter’s generic strategies in firms that operate in com... more In this study, the significance of using Porter’s generic strategies in firms that operate in competitive environments is investigated. The aim is to indicate the effects of Porter’s generic strategies (low-cost strategy, differentiation strategy, and focus strategy) on firm performance. The questionnaires of the study have been prepared, the responses have been obtained, and the econometric model is constructed to measure these relationships. Findings stemmed by data that were taken from 113 firms that operate in the Republic of Kosovo. t test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and multivariate regression analysis were used to provide testing of hypotheses. Econometric results suggest that pursuing differentiation strategy provides higher firm performance compared to two other Porter’s generic strategies (low-cost strategy or focus strategy) that have a positive impact as well.

Management, 2019

Recently, entering new firms into a competitive market is getting harder due to different industr... more Recently, entering new firms into a competitive market is getting harder due to different industry barriers. Addressing this concern, the aim of this paper is to measure the relationship between industry barriers that prevent the entry of new rivals and increase the profitability of incumbent firms. The study was based on the data of one hundred and seven executives of firms that operate in the Republic of Kosovo, and it attempts to assert and order the market entry barriers. The responses were collected by questionnaires and the econometric model was constructed, to test this relationship. The findings were obtained using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multivariate regression. Econometric results indicated that seven dimensions of industry barriers have a direct and positive impact on the profitability of incumbents and serve as barriers for new firms to enter the market, and showed that business executives in Kosovo perceive capital requirements of non-incumbents...

Journal of Advanced Management Science, 2016

A new generation of employees is entering the workforce with new values and preferences toward wo... more A new generation of employees is entering the workforce with new values and preferences toward work. The ways in which these expectations will affect the processes and methods that organizations attract and retain these employees, is an increasingly popular discussion among (HR) managers as they try to understand generational differences among new, younger employees. It is believed that today's young people belong to the Millennial Generation (born 1981-2000), and many studies have confirmed the existence of their most important common characteristics, preferences and expectations toward work and life in general. But the question that arises is: Do all the young people sharing this birth age belong to this generation, no matter of the specifics of the national socio-political and historical background and individual socio-demographics? Therefore, the aim of this research paper is to investigate the work values and preferences of the Macedonian young generation in comparison to the available findings describing the Millennial Generation. For this study a combined approach of quantitative and qualitative research techniques is used. The research results can contribute to the human resource management practice and scientific literature. 

The relevance of the topic, from a scientific, business and social perspective, stems from the ob... more The relevance of the topic, from a scientific, business and social perspective, stems from the obvious changes in the paradigms that affect work life in dynamic domestic and global business environment. The quality of work life is as important for improving organizational performance, as well for general welfare of employees; it presents an important aspect of work ethics and working conditions. Managers, more than ever, invest enormous effort to achieve balance between the demands, responsibilities, expectations and challenges, in both, work and private life, while at the same time the ability of organizations to attract and retain managers at all levels of management structure, is a key aspect for achieving competitive advantage.

In this study, based on a representative sample of 1000 respondents, we analyzed the atti-tude of... more In this study, based on a representative sample of 1000 respondents, we analyzed the atti-tude of active population in the Republic of Macedonia toward continuous learning and new communication technologies. Starting from the definition that learning is a process of cre-ation of a relatively permanent change in attitude towards the future, for the promotion of the way of thinking and as a special importance, the attitude of the active population to-ward continuous learning occurs. A positive attitude toward learning is the basic premise for the introduction of lifelong learning in entrepreneurship development. Attitude toward new communication technologies is also important as for the continuous learning as well for start up, sustainability and gaining a competitive advantage in the entrepreneurial busi-nesses. First, we analyzed the correlation between the preferences of autonomous work, technology and continuous learning, then, the differences derived from age, ethnicity, edu-cati...