The aim of this paper is to determine the relationship between students' expectations at time of enrollment at higher education institution and their perception of different aspects of educational service quality received. Three Business Schools (Osijek, Croatia -EFO, Ljubljana, Slovenia -FELU and Szeged, Hungary -GTK) took part in this research which was based on SERVQUAL model. The higher education market in Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary was analyzed, the competitive ability of individual faculty was determined and the possible marketing strategies in order to improve their educational service quality. JEL Classification: A23, M31, P2

ABSTRACT. Students' career preferences are an important issue to various stakeholders: to university administration, career counselors, higher education policy makers as well as to human resource managers in companies. Students, whose career preferences and goals are fulfilled, are better and more highly motivated employees. By a questionnaire survey carried out in 2016 in two institutions of higher education the present study compares career preferences and attitudes of 478 German and Croatian students. Factor analyses identify latent variables behind students' preferences. The identified significant differences between the Germans and Croatians are related to differences in socio-economic environment and cultural differences derived through the Hofstede model. German students value safe jobs, trust and a high income significantly more, whereas for Croatian students stimulating tasks, career opportunities, a recognized profession and social responsibility are more important. Our results indicate that Hofstede's findings for the uncertainty avoidance index and the individualism/collectivism index might be questioned for the subsample of a young student population who show different value criteria in their career preferences. JEL Classification: J24

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to analyze the changes in Croatian Generation Z buying behavior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, all governments have imposed different measures that directly and indirectly impact consumer behavior. Recent studies have mostly recorded a dynamic increase in online shopping, stockpiling, and change in priorities from luxury to basic goods. This study will specifically look into the relation between Generation Z buying behavior change and their exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its impact on their perception of the quality of life. Methodology: A sample of 442 Generation Z respondents from Croatia was analyzed using ANOVA to identify buying behavior changes concerning the level of their exposure to COVID-19. The analysis also included a potential correlation between buyer behavior change and their perception of the quality of life. Results: The statistical analysis has confirmed the increase of online shopping and stockpiling in the group of respondents who were exposed to self-isolation and those who have not been exposed to COVID-19, but there was no correlation with their perception of the quality of life change as a result of forced buying behavior change. Conclusion: Generation Z is identified as an e-generation, born and brought up in a digital environment. Although the pandemic has forced them to switch even more to online shopping, they do not perceive the exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic to impact their quality of life.

No abstract

The aim of this paper was to identify key elements that create satisfaction of classic theatre audiences with respect to age (young (<35) vs. senior (35+) and theatre visiting frequency. It was measured as discrepancies between the level of theatre attendants' expectations from certain dimensions of theatre service and their experience evaluation with the same. METHODOLOGYThe research was conducted on a convenient sample using an in-person method in two different intervals: in the first interval research was conducted on young respondents (18-34) and in second interval research was conducted on senior respondents (age 35+). MOST IMPORTANT RESULTSThe study has identified that the general major source of dissatisfaction with Croatian National Theatre in Osijek (HNK Osijek) are repertoire and the different experience offered. These are the dimensions HNK Osijek should focus its efforts on. Also, this study confirms that HNK Osijek customers' perception of importance of different elements that create its marketing profile and their satisfaction with those differ with respect to age and theatre attendance frequency. The most critical segment in terms of satisfaction are the senior occasional visitors, where the discrepancies between the expectations and experiences are highest in general.