Process innovation: a precondition for business excellence

Environmental Waste Management in Constructions

“…Everybody speaks of technological development only, although it is causing increasing unemployment around the world and other problems such as motivation and environmental degradation, including a dangerous climate change. There is also an unchallenged supposition that in transitional economies owners and managers are equally fond of continuous innovation as are the ones in the most advanced corporations of the world (Markič, 2003). The term "innovation" is usually associated only with technology, in the strictest meaning of the word (new)products and new methods for making them.…”

“…Therefore, innovations in management methods and organizational practices constitute a wide range of opportunities for "corporate entrepreneurs" (Moss Kanter 1983: 20-21) as well as for other types of activating employees" ability and motivation (eg. 20 keys method, environmental standards ISO 14001, social accountability standards-SA 8000, safety and health standards OHSAS 18001, TQMtotal quality (as well as self-regulation and business excellence) management and other innovation management methods) (Markič, 2003). In efforts for the improvement of position on the purchaser's market the companies must also consider accordance of operation with valid environment protected prescriptions in field of process consumer.…”

“…It was conceived in the frame and interdependence of both objective and subjective starting points of initial change agents as well as from process knowledge of process managers. New dimensions like business excellence, production processes innovation, companies" capacities and opportunities for continuous innovation, as well as values, knowledge, skills and feelings of change agents, will be added to the basic model (Markič, 2003). Organizational systems or models need lean organization.…”

“…Only innovative lean flexible organization could be the answer. Lean organization is market-driven; a buyer's market and innovation society prevail and acts as change generators in a company or other organization (Markič, 2003). Figure 1 presents an approach to environmental management system integrated with other management requirements.…”

Managers and Leaders in Organizations of a Post-transition Economy

“…Efficient and competitive firms continued to replace less efficient firms through 2000 (Bojnec and Xavier, 2004), and business cycles appeared to be following a relatively stable business cycle with a frequency of three to four years (Jagric, 2003). Slovenia has also conformed to ISO 9000, as the role of these standards is raising levels of quality in business (Marki~, 2006). Since Slovenia signed the accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004, the period referred to as "the decade of transition" can now be deemed over.…”