In a modern global economy, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have inviolable importance and inclusion in the overall social development and economic growth. Regarding the high share of SMEs in the total number of companies, given the number of employees and the share in export orientation, the question of SMEs existence, as well as their market share and competitiveness in the global environment, represents prime relevance to any national economy. Therefore, the issue of quality becomes a critical component of achieving competitiveness in delivering products and services to their consumers (customers.) Due to this extremely delicate issue, each company establishes and implements a systematic process relationship or a quality management system as a part of its general management mechanism. This is a reason for SMEs management to strategically decide on the challenges of introducing a quality management system; thus, to improve their competitiveness on the domestic and foreign markets, which is a very demanding, exhaustive and time absorbing process requiring detailed preparation and collective engagement. The basic reasons for applying a quality management system are apostrophised in any business objectives – improving business processes, product quality and services, increasing spending as a factor of developing higher market share, better reputation (image) and sustainable business results. Due to the measurable quantitative and qualitative attributes and features that can significantly enhance the introduction of quality management systems into practice of SMEs, numerous studies have been carried out, some of which are conducted within the last two decades. For the authors, this was an initiative to conduct a survey, within this paper, in the Primorsko-goranska county (Croatia) during the month of July 2018, in which a number of SMEs were analysed in the crucial areas of quality management systems. The authors’ objective was to assess the viability of SMEs regarding their application of a quality management system. The basic hypothesis was that introducing quality management systems into SMEs contributes to their foreign competitiveness i.e. strengthening their export activity in general. Beside positive outputs of applying quality management, the authors’ research presented in this paper also established some relatively high and negative quantifications in relation to the application of the quality management system. Such outcomes represent justified reasons for future scientific research in this area.
Numerous crises through history have showed different effects on economies, from ones tied to monetary expansion in
Globalization, as a very layered and dynamic world process, has affected all spheres of social life and it is especially causally related to the economic trends of particular national economies. Through its action, globalization provides countless possibilities, while at the same time causes a whole range of problems within the desired functioning of all factors of the social life of an individual countries. The developed countries that have created their own development mechanisms within their boundaries and created economic policies and measures, projected an economic growth and development on real grounds, are successfully confronting the challenges of globalization, that produced many benefits, positively affecting the quality and standard of living of its citizens. The implications of globalization are evident in the Croatian economic environment. Unfortunately, most often very negative, which implies that the institutions of the Croatian state, but also the business entities themselves, did not engage adequately in the preparation, designing of appropriate strategies and implementation of system solutions and thus did not achieve the stated goals of increasing the competitiveness of the Croatian economy. Republic of Croatia is not adequately prepared to respond to the temptations and demands of this complex process and try to keep the distance with a competition by improvisation and "ad hoc" solutions, which is simply not possible. Poor entrepreneurial climate prevails, passivation has become an established business practice, reforms are not implemented, economic migration has become ubiquitous. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of globalization on Republic of Croatia and its consequences on social changes in the country. This paper analyzes the current economic situation and situation in the country, while the special attention is given to entrepreneurship. It also analyzes the factors that have led to a negative entrepreneurial climate. The aim of the research is to point to the economic and social problems within the country and try to suggest a concrete solution for the neutralization and annulment of the mentioned social and economic anomalies.
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