Serbian System Research Articles

Organizacioni efekti ulaska zdravstvenih ustanova u sistem zdravstvenog turizma

The importance of the effect of the organization of health institutions on the system of health tourism is important not only from the point of view of scientific management theory, but, above all, in order to make strategically important decisions for the further functioning and development of the new, reformed health care system in Serbia. In the new organizational environment, healthcare workers will have a new and more complex role. The organization of health institutions and the role of employees in health care will be directed towards the users of health services with constant work on their own education, as service providers, as well as the education and information of users. Healthcare has characteristics that distinguish it from other fields. Specific characteristics include knowledge of health services and their value. Effective organization of health institutions in the health tourism system is essential for creating a high impact health system.

Učenje engleskog jezika struke putem mudla u vanrednim okolnostima - perspektiva studenata

This paper investigates the experiences and opinions of students who learnt English for specific purposes via Moodle in the period between March and June 2020. The aim was to analyse the extent and forms of their engagement in this type of learning, explore their perceived positive and negative aspects of the course, and obtain suggestions for integration of this educational platform into English language classes in future. In addition, the paper aimed to investigate if there were any statistically significant differences related to the respondents' use of the platform and their participation in the course according to the level of their English language knowledge and digital competences. The sample comprised 107 students who completed an anonymous questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using the descriptive statistics and content analysis. Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to detect the correlation between dependent and independent variables. The obtained results showed general satisfaction with the English language course run on Moodle, but also revealed the students' observation that the platform should accompany face to face classes in order to make learning more effective. The positive and negative aspects of the course identified by respondents were mostly in line with the existing research within the field of emergency remote teaching. Students pointed to the advantages of learning English via Moodle in terms of flexibility, accessibility of teaching materials, functions of tools such as tests, glossaries, forums. They also highlighted drawbacks, such as absence of real-time communication, work overload, and lack of self-discipline. It was interesting to discover that although research participants recognized the benefits of communication and collaboration tools, they did not engage with them to the anticipated extent. The fact that the mentioned issue has been identified in online learning in general suggests that the cause might lie in traditional, teacher-centred approach to teaching, which is still widespread in the educational system in Serbia. The obtained data carry important pedagogical implications for both learners and teachers in terms of incorporating digital tools in classes and devising a strategy for implementation of remote teaching in times of crisis. Students should be acquainted more thoroughly with virtual educational environment, which would, in turn, lead to the increased engagement and development of learner autonomy. In order to achieve this goal, teachers should strive to enhance their technological and pedagogic competences. This would also help them keep pace with technological educational innovations and encounter potential future educational emergencies better prepared.

Statistical analysis of excess water on drainage systems in the northern part of Serbia

Drainage systems in Serbia are mainly designed to evacuate excess water generated in the winter-spring period, which occurs as a result of snow accumulation during the long and wet winter and its sudden melting with the parallel appearance of spring rains. Dimensioning of the drainage system is done in such a way as to satisfy the needs of draining the design excess water, which is usually calculated using the water balance. Applying statistical analysis based on distributions of probability, the results of the future occurrence of excess water can be predicted. The paper tests the distribution that best corresponds to the empirical distribution of excess water obtained by applying the water balance. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Anderson-Darling, and χ2 tests were used to test a number of theoretical distributions, and basis on those tests Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution was selected, which is often used in hydrological analyzes. The probabilities of excess water on drainage systems for the return period of 5, 10, 50, and 100 years were obtained. The results of the calculations can be used in the reconstruction of existing drainage systems, since most of them were designed more than 50 years ago, or in the planning and design of new drainage systems.

EFFECTS OF THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN TRAFFIC IN THE WORK OF THE MISDEMEANOR COURT (VALJEVO CASE STUDY)

The judicial system in Serbia in the 21st century is increasingly following the achievements in the field of science and technology. In various areas of social life, a wide range of technologies is applied to support the judicial system and the work of the police, including integrated information systems for the management of court cases as well as video surveillance systems in traffic. The development of technologies, their adoption and application directly affects the work of the police, as well as the efficiency and quality of functioning of all parts of the judicial system. The subject of this paper is the analysis of the application of modern information and communication technologies in the field of road traffic safety with the aim of improving the functioning of that system or its individual parts. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of the application of modern technologies in the field of supervision of traffic participants as well as their influence on proving traffic violations in the work of misdemeanor courts through the example of the Misdemeanor Court in Valjevo. The paper also deals with the positive financial effects of the collection of fines for convictions on the example of the city of Valjevo.

THE IDEOLOGICAL INCONGRUENCE OF NEW POLITICAL PARTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS: CASE STUDY “MOVEMENT OF FREE CITIZENS” AND “DO NOT LET BELGRADE D(R)OWN”

The main subjects of this article are new political parties and organizations and their ideological incongruence as setbacks for root in society and institutionalization. The party system in Serbia has changed in aspects of stability and relevance of political parties. New instability was produced by tendencies of the predominance of one party (Serbian Progressive Party) and losing position of old political parties through splitting, losing of resources and capacities, intraparty instability, etc. Challenges for old political parties are coming from new political parties and organizations based on new and alternative politics. New political parties have many problems with institutionalization in the party system. Some of the problems are in the impossibility to construct distinctive ideological frames which would be recognized by citizens and voters. The problem of the ideological incongruence of new parties is identified also in the relationship between leadership and membership of parties. In this paper, we deal with “Movement of Free Citizens” (MFC) and “Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own” (DLBD) as new political actors. The main goal of the research is to identify and explain ideological incongruence in the above-mentioned political organizations.

Risk factors and the overall characterization of Yersinia enterocolitica as an initial model of pathogen surveillance in the pig production system in Serbia

A survey was undertaken to determine the overall prevalence of Yersinia enterocolitica in pigs of slaughter age and to characterize the isolates in relation to bio-serotype, the presence of virulence genes, genetic diversity, and antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, possible risk factors associated with Y. enterocolitica infection during the pre-harvested and harvested phase of pig production were studied. The overall Y. enterocolitica prevalence in the pigs was 10.4% (95% confidence interval, CI = 8.5–12.3%). The most common Y. enterocolitica bio-serotype was 4/O:3, accounting for 81.6% of investigated isolates. The pathogenicity of 63 Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 isolates, originating from all infected farms, was confirmed by the presence of both the ail and ystA virulence-associated genes and the absence of ystB gene (100%). Characterization with PFGE of 63 confirmed Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 isolates identified five different genotypes with shared identical genetic profiles (100% similarity) within each genotype. Isolates originating from farrow-to-finish farms were only resistant to ampicillin, while resistance to nalidixic acid, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol at fattening farms was also observed. Risk factors related to Y. enterocolitica pig infection include fattening farms (odds ratio, OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.4–3.8, P < 0.001), a 3–6 h lairage period (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.0–2.6, P = 0.035) and winter season (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 2.0–7.4, P < 0.001). In addition to the overall characterization of Y. enterocolitica isolates, identification of the main risks associated with infection allows better application of preventive measures to reduce the occurrence and distribution of Y. enterocolitica infection.

Assessment of Environmental Impacts from Different Perspectives-Case Study of Egg Value Chain System in Serbia.

The environmental performance of various aspects of animal origin food supply chains has been the focus of research in recent years, and has provided useful information. However, there were no studies that covered the entire egg supply chain from different perspectives. The aim of this study was to analyze the majority of environmental impacts in the table egg supply chain comprising of three subsystems: farms, retail outlets and households, with quantification of each individual subsystem and the entire supply chain. All data were gathered from 30 farms, 50 retail stores and 300 households in Serbia. In parallel, the perception and ranking of environmental impacts along the supply chain were also evaluated. Finally, the quality function deployment for the environment was used to determine the degree of correlation between the set of environmental requirements and the identified environmental impacts. Results revealed that the greatest environmental impacts come from the production of feed for laying hens and the use of natural resources, and they contribute the most to the pollution of each individual environmental indicator. Additionally, the results show the differences in the environmental impacts of each individual subsystem and identify opportunities to mitigate them through the optimization of animal feed, energy consumption and household food waste management. The overall perspective of the egg supply chain points to climate change effects as the most important. The differences in the perceptions of environmental impacts along the entire egg supply chain suggest the need for promotion of mitigation strategies to all stakeholders that would encourage them to achieve sustainable development goals.

Artificial Intelligence Potential in Higher Education Institutions Enhanced Learning Environment in Romania and Serbia

In their struggle to offer a sustainable educational system and transversal competencies for market requests, significant transformations characterise the higher education system in Serbia and Romania. According to EU policy, these transformations are related to educational reforms and the introduction of new technology and methodologies in teaching and learning. They are expected to answer to the PISA requirements and to increase the DESI (Digital Economy and Society Index). They are also likely to mitigate the inequity of HEIs (higher education institutions), empowered by a structured, goal-oriented strategy towards agile management in HEIs that is also appropriate for new market demands. Our study is based on an exploratory survey applied to 139 Romanian and Serbian teachers from the Information Technology School—ITS, Belgrade, and Spiru Haret University, Romania. The survey let them provide their knowledge of AI or their perceptions of the difficulties and opportunities of these technologies in HEIs. Our study discovered how difficulties and opportunities associated with AI impact HEIs. This study aims to see how AI might assist higher education in Romania and Serbia. We also considered how they might be integrated with the educational system, and if instructors would utilise them. Developing creative and transversal skills is required to anticipate future breakthroughs and technological possibilitiesThe new methods of education focuses on ethics, values, problem-solving, and daily activities. Students’ learning material, how they might achieve critical abilities, and their educational changes must be addressed in the future. In this environment, colleges must create new digital skills in IA, machine learning, IoT, 5G, the cloud, big data, blockchain, data analysis, using MS Office and other applications, MOOCs, simulation applications, VR/AR, and gamification. They must also develop cross-disciplinary skills and a long-term mindset.

Using the UTAUT model to analyze user intention to accept electronic payment systems in Serbia

This study applies The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explain the acceptance of electronic payment systems in Serbia. We used extended model that incorporates several external variables, such as perceived security, trust, privacy, convertibility and financial costs, along with basic UTAUT predictors. The sample comprised of 457 respondents. We applied structural equation modelling to develop the model and draw conclusions. The results showed that performance expectancy, perceived security, trust and social influence had strong positive effects on behavioral intention. Conversely, we found behavioral intention, convertibility and financial costs to be significant drivers of user behavior. We consider the inclusion of convertibility in the model and proving its significance to be the main practical implications of our research, and also suggest to be considered as a factor in models designed for countries with low purchasing power of national currency.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10258-022-00210-5.

MACROECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCING OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Knowledge is one of the key factors of economic growth, as well as of sources of competitiveness in the global marketplace. Educational policy directly shapes and creates human capital that is the backbone of the future development of each country. Therefore, there is a need for planning, good design and comprehensive financing this important social field. The purpose of this article is to determine the trends of public expenditures on education in the Republic of Serbia (RS), as well as their impact on the development of Serbian society. The article first provides a detailed analysis of the higher education system in Serbia, monitoring the trends in the share of education expenditures in gross domestic product (GDP) and total public expenditures in the country. The paper applies the desk research methodology as it analysis the professional literature, articles, relevant reports and databases of leading international institutions such as the European Union, OECD, Statistical Office of RS, UNESCO, World Bank, UNDP and Eurostat. The article studies the evolution, values and Human Development Index (HDI) ranks of Serbia, Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) in the Serbian higher education sector, as well as their correlations with Serbian public expenditures for education, in the period from 2009 to 2019. The article also applies linear regression analysis between the observed variables. Finally, it concludes that public expenditures on education could not contribute to social development in Serbia due to the small regression coefficients and weak correlations among these indicators. Therefore, Serbia should invest continuously and more intensively in its higher education if it wants to prosper. This article is useful for policy makers, but also for a wider readership who want to be acquainted with the education and social development trends in Serbia.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONWIDE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM IN SERBIA: CHALLENGES, LESSONS LEARNED, AND EARLY OUTCOMES.

Many countries around the world have recognized the need for using an electronic health record (EHR) system. However, there is limited literature that could serve as a guide during a lengthy and challenging process of planning, development, and implementation of the e-Health system. Since the EHR system was recently introduced in Serbia, the purpose of this communication is to describe our experience and lessons learned along the way. The key personnel involved in the implementation of the EHR system in Serbia that began in 2015 conducted in 2019 a retrospective narrative review of the process and early outcomes. An incremental approach in the planning, development, and implementation of the nationwide EHR system was taken. The process was split into phases with the gradual introduction of different regions of the country. The gradual shift from the existing to a new workflow for the prospective users was also implemented. The significant milestones were the achievement of quick legislative changes, the hiring of a professional team of experts in the field, the provision of timely and appropriate information and training to prospective users, the close collaboration between the implementation team and the Ministry of Health and mutual understanding of the aims and expectations, and the flexibility in accepting the evolving nature of the process, goals, and the system model. A successful implementation of the nationwide EHR system is feasible providing careful planning, the assembly of a multi-disciplinary team, the use of a stepwise approach, the early and continued involvement of the intended users, and the willingness to make adjustments along the way. The end-result sets the stage for the reform of the health care system itself.

By musealizing the camouflage suit to a new clothing narrative

The primary function of introducing the so-called ?camouflage suit? or camo suit into the military and police formations in the late 1980s also had the consequence of transferring its functions to a secondary level, by the sheer proliferation ofsuch sets used in war activities during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. For the ethnographic heritage, the challenge of the liminal status of the camouflage suit within the framework of men?s work pattern in the redefined folk economy is reflected in the short period of its establishment and use. On the other hand, its widespread use and an ongoing cultural phenomenon support the musealization of samples of such a clothing pattern, as well as the need to set up research on the impact of folk economy on clothing culture and vice versa. As camouflage suits were obtained and used in the process of integration into the everyday work pattern of members of rural communities, retired men and ?weekend farmers? engaged in agricultural activities, they became a mirror image of the dissolution of late socialism as a social system in Serbia. This new status has contributed to the redefinition of the function and content of new men?s clothing patterns, in line with the broader changes in the value system and redistribution of state and social authority. Consequently, anthropologization of museological discourse creates suitable conditions for discussing the existence of the tertiary communicative role and significance of all types of military apparel, including camouflage suits.

Crop receipts as alternative financial instruments

The aim of the paper is to provide insights into the lending against crop receipts mechanism. Crop receipts emerged as promising financial instruments creating an additional type of collateral for agricultural producers that pledge their future agricultural production in order to finance ongoing production activities. At the same time, they offer an alternative investment opportunity to banks through the creation of a new asset class. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development supported Serbia in establishing a crop receipt system with the aim to serve as a pilot project for Europe. This is the first analysis of the crop receipts system in Serbia. The methodology applied consists of interviews with bank representatives, extensive literature research, descriptive statistics and comparative analyses. Results are indicating that the main shortcomings in the crop receipts system include the lack of specialised shareholders' knowledge, the absence of subsidization of interest rates on loans against crop receipts followed by the lack of appropriate Central bank policy, standardization and securitization.

Inovacije, produktivnost i rast - reformski i ekonomsko-politički izazovi Srbije

The economic annihilation caused by the wars, sanctions and hyperinflation has elevated the issue of restoring previous income and welfare levels to the very top of political and social agenda. Consequently, all efforts during the past two decades were focused on reviving economic growth. Initially the main source of growth was consumer demand financed by external grants and privatization proceeds, followed by industrial revival and new jobs financed by external borrowing and strong FDI flows. In recent years it is becoming increasingly clear that higher sustainable rates of growth needed for income convergence with Europe and improved standards of living can only be achieved with production, organizational and process innovations. This paper reviews the elaborate structure of the present national innovation system in Serbia and concludes that more than 120 academic and almost 80 R&amp;D institutions are competing for very limited resources of around 0.9% of GDP, produce declining innovation output and do not collaborate with the enterprise sector to increase productivity and growth. To have a better impact on productivity, long-run growth and well-being of all citizens, innovation funding must be doubled, innovation priorities must be identified based on empirical evidence and R&amp;D and innovation performance must be evaluated based on results.

Determining the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the financial system of Serbia

The coronavirus disease has induced financial stress by destabilizing national economies, financial capital markets, financial management, financial markets, and commodity prices. The aim of the authors is to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the financial system of Serbia. For the purposes of this exploratory study, the authors developed a research scale "Impact of COVID-19 on Financial System" and conducted a quantitative survey () to understand and explain the problems and perspectives of the finance industry during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall result of the success of the measures taken during the pandemic leads us to the conclusion that the financial sector in Serbia managed to survive during the pandemic with great efforts. The financial industry preserved its position mainly due to the successful digitalization and online banking transition. The authors concluded that the financial system in Serbia was efficient and sustainable during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the Serbian financial system could maintain its strong position even after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE ALTERNATIVE SANCTIONS SYSTEMS IN SERBIA AND THE NETHERLANDS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH EXAMPLES FROM CASE LAW

Alternative sanctions are a deviation from the traditional system of imprisonment and their advantage certainly lies in a more humane and less repressive treatment of convicted persons. Alternative sanctions need to be present in the criminal sanctions system of every country in order to make this system more effective, primarily having in mind the goals of special prevention. This paper aims to present the alternative sanctions systems in Serbia and the Netherlands, respectively, with reference to case law examples, as well as to perform a comparative analysis of the two systems and indicate their advantages and disadvantages, as well as methods of their improvement.

Care Triangle or Care Diamond? The Case of Childcare and Eldercare in Serbia

Overall changes in political, social and economic spheres in Serbia, along with ongoing demographic processes, have affected various policies and all aspects of people’s lives, including system(s) of care. While care became an important analytical concept and category of social policy analysis internationally, it has not been systematically applied in the analysis of the Serbian welfare state. Incorporation of care in welfare state analysis is much needed as its organisation in the national context reveals a lot about the nature of the welfare state, changes in its socio-institutional arrangements and, most importantly, the effects of provision. This article thus aims to outline the evolution of childcare and eldercare policies in Serbia over the last decade, employing the concept of the care diamond developed by Shahra Razavi, which allows examining the “architecture” through which the care is provided: families/ households, markets, the state and the voluntary sector. By analysing the prevalent care policy “architecture” for children and the elderly in Serbia and the roles of different sectors in that respect, as well as by identifying similarities and differences in the provision of childcare and eldercare in the national context, the article exposes developments and current state in childcare and eldercare provision in Serbia. The analysis indicates the profound role of the informal sphere in both care systems in Serbia, childcare and eldercare. Some differences between the two care domains could also be noted. These relate to the configuration of welfare sectors involved in care provision, revealing the modified shape of the care diamond in the case of childcare. That is, while all four sectors are involved in providing care in the case of eldercare forming an eldercare diamond, this is not the case with childcare. In the latter case, the voluntary, nonprofit sector does not exist as a care provider in Serbia, with childcare “architecture” having a shape of a care triangle. In light of this evidence, the role of families and the voluntary, nonprofit sector should be taken into account in future planning and funding of policies as well as in their implementation. Key words: care, childcare, eldercare, care diamond, policy, provision, Serbia

Designing and implementing a LADM-based cadastral information system in Serbia, Montenegro and Republic of Srpska

A reliable and efficient land administration plays a vital role in the country's development. For that purpose, records that ensure data management about real properties, rights, and legal or natural persons that are right holders should be well organized. Maintenance of cadastral records in Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Srpska (one of the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina) have encountered many issues in recent years. There was a need for modernization to provide more efficient cadastral information systems. Following the recommendations to implement all international standards related to the field of interest to achieve interoperability and incorporate best practices, it was natural to consider the development of the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) country profiles and LADM based cadastral information systems in these case countries and the region. The domain models had to comply with the national laws, so the regulations also had to be analyzed in detail. Once the domain models were established and verified on the conceptual level, they were implemented as part of the technical solution for the cadastral information systems in the case countries and the region. The goal of the paper is to share the experience gained during the process of design and implementation of LADM based cadastral information systems in Serbia, Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska. This experience is summarized into methodological steps grouped into four design and implementation phases. These phases include conceptual modelling and development of LADM based country profiles in these regions, the definition of real estate cadastre business processes, database implementation and data migration, and finally, country profile's implementation in the form of a technical solution that is in use in cadastral offices and on the Web. The outcomes that resulted from the activities conducted in each of these steps are presented. The goal is also to present challenges we met during conducting activities in these phases and findings we reached in the process so they can be used as a basis for some other work and a more general methodology that will cover larger areas and countries outside Europe.

On Laws and Their Spirit

Abstract The Orthodox Christianity had in some respects divergent development from that of the West, which also resulted in several conceptions that might have had an impact on the contemporary legal situations in the predominantly Orthodox countries. In this contribution we aim at examining the impact of two major points of divergence. One is the cooperative Church–state separation, that is sometimes dubbed as the symphonia of the two. Another set of concepts that arguably marked Orthodox church’s understanding of the rule of law, at least in its internal procedures, is the principle of leniency (oikonomia). It allows for an interpretation of the laws in the interest of the person to which those are to be applied. We want to investigate which pieces of legislation might have been affected by these considerations and whether contemporary challenges of the legal system in Serbia can be traced to some of the Orthodox doctrines. We conclude that while the contemporary Church–state relationship, as envisioned in the corresponding law of the country, demonstrates many traits that can be traced to the symphonia tradition, there is hardly any evidence that would support the claim that the decision-making processes in Serbian courts were marked by conscious application of the principle of oikonomia.

Modelling Development of Voluntary Pension Fund Using Mathematical Model of Approximation with Lagrange Interpolation Polynomials

Abstract Corporate social responsibility (CSR), as a concept that tackles economic, The introduction of private pension funds is the essence of the reform of the pension system in Serbia. Private pension funds in Serbia are based on voluntary benefits. Thus, the functioning of the pension system takes place in three interconnected processes: payments to a voluntary pension fund, investment of free funds, and ultimately programmed payments – pensions. The stability in the voluntary pension funds and the predictability of payments allow the quality of investment portfolio to be formed and achieve a long-term yield of investment. In this paper, we implement a well-known approximation method of Lagrange polynomial interpolation. We use it in order to find appropriate mathematical model for prediction of the number of fund members and the average salary in Serbia. This calculation is based on data (average salaries and fund member) from the last five years, i.e. from the period 2015-2019. We calculated the exact mathematical formula, then we compared the results and predictions obtained with that formula and with the formula from one of our previous works. In keeping with that, the appropriate conclusions were given..