Manufacturing Management Practices in the Western Balkans

In this report, we investigate the quality of management practices in manufacturing plants in the Western Balkans. In particular, we focus on modern operations, quality of monitoring, target setting and talent management. Drawing on 385 survey responses from plant managers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia and Serbia, we find that management practices scores are similar in all four countries. Our results also show significant variation in management scores across industries and ownership types of the plants. Furthermore, the plants owned by foreign MNCs were found to be better run than domestic plants in all types of management practices in all four countries. Trying to answer the question which MNC HQ resources significantly affect the level of management practices in their subsidiary plants, we find that the average HQ country level of management practices is positively associated with the level of management practices in their subsidiary plants. This effect is even stronger when the HQ provides written procedures and trainings to subsidiary plants to help them implement the best practices from the HQ. Finally, based on the personal interviews with managers in 28 plants, we highlight external conditions that prevent the plants from improving their management practices

Conscientious Objection (General Aspects and the Slovenian Regulation of Conscientious Objection to Abortion)

This article discusses the theoretical aspects of conscientious objection. It is primarily a moral category. In relation to law, it is the disobedience of an individual to certain legal norms (principles and rules) that conflict with the individual\u27s moral conscience. Conscientious objection differs in several respects from other forms of disobedience to authority, such as civil disobedience. As a moral phenomenon, conscientious objection is first and foremost the inner moral obligation of an individual to resist a particular political, legal or other norm of authority or behaviour. Conscientious objection may also be permitted by law, but to a very limited extent. Conscientious objection can only be defined as a right in a rationalized reflection of morality and, above all, in the sphere of law which is based on the dualism of rights and duties (attributive-imperative character of law). In the article, some important factors for the legal assessment of the (right to) conscientious objection and some fundamental aspects of the Slovenian constitutional and legal regulation of the right to conscientious objection to abortion by a physician are presented in more detail

Ethical Perspective of the Future Development of Law

Law, by its very nature, is human and humane. The humanity of law means that law is a product of man and is intended for man. The humaneness of law, however, means that human dignity and well-being must be the fundamental basis of law. Law, therefore, does not exist without a sufficient ethical foundation. The establishment of a state governed by the rule of law, and a legal culture based on it requires a particularly strong anchoring of law in ethical values. The greatest threats to ethics and law are (1) ethical deficits in areas of society on which law (co-)depends, (2) extreme authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and (3) autonomous artificial intelligence capable of turning away from humans or even turning against and overcoming humans. In the first two cases, the humaneness of law is critically reduced or even extinguished; in the last case, both the humaneness and the humanity of law are extinguished, which is the worst possible scenario. All these dangers must be recognized in time and adequately averted, and regular efforts must be made to preserve the ethical values and the values of the rule of law

How Much Law Does the School System Need?

In its ideal form, the law is a guardian of the freedom and autonomy of the school system. On the other hand, the school system must, as part of its responsibility, establish a respectful and responsible attitude toward the rule of law. In Slovenia, practice deviates from such ideal to too great an extent. Excessive and inappropriate legal regulation reduces the freedom and autonomy of the school system. The consequences within this system are: partly ignored legal regulations, and the resulting ineffectiveness; excessive legal administration in schools; increased teachers’ opposition to the law; a lack of teachers’ motivation; and, as a consequence, worsened quality of the educational process. The law, however, is only a part of the problem. The latter has its roots mainly in a general disorientation of society with regard to its values. In order to establish the right measure and manner of the legal regulation of the school system, the moral and common sense basis of society must first be healed and strengthened

The Relationship Between Law and Politics

This article examines some basic characteristics of the relationship between national and international law and politics. The law functions in relation to politics in three basic aspects, namely as a goal, a means, or an obstacle. First, politics can define certain predominantly legal values or institutions as its goal. In this case the political understanding of these values or institutions becomes almost identical to an authentic legal understanding of the same values or institutions. Second, politics can comprehend the law merely as a means for the fulfillment of certain political interests. In this case politics is neutral in its attitude toward the law. Finally, politics can interpret law as an obstacle on the way toward the realization of certain political goals. In this situation either politics prevails over law, or vice versa. In the first case politics effectuates its solutions at the expense of the rule of law, while in the second case the autonomy of law is preserved through the decisions of the highest courts or by other actions taken by lawyers, intellectuals, associations, organizations, and the public in order to stop illicit acts of political actors. Law and politics create their own particular pictures of reality. Sometimes those pictures overlap, sometimes they differ. Yet, there is something that the law should never include in its sphere; namely, the differentiation of adversaries according to a purely political criterion. This leads to a strict separation between ours and yours , or, in its most radical expression, to a strict separation between friend and enemy. When the latter occurs, politics inevitably prevails over the law, and reduces or damages the autonomy of the rule of law

Z dimetilhidrazinom inducirani tumorji debelega črevesa in danke pri podgani

Animal models of colorectal carcinogenesis represent invaluable research tool for investigating colorectal cancer (CRC). Experimentally induced tumours in laboratory animals provide opportunity for studying certain aspects of tumoursthat cannot be effectively studied in humans. Significant information on human CRC aetiology or factors influencing it has derived from studies using dimethylhydrazine (DMH) model that is one of the experimental models appreciated for its morphological similarity to human CRC. Today, DMH model represents useful research tool for the studies of colon carcinogens and chemopreventive agents. The review offers insight into morphogenesis and genetic alterations of DMH induced colorectal epithelial tumours in rats.Živalski modeli so pri raziskavah raka na debelem črevesju in danki nepogrešljivi, saj omogočajo raziskovanje in testiranje številnih dejavnikov, ki jih ni mogoče neposredno ugotavljati pri ljudeh. Edinega izmed živalskih modelov raka na debelem črevesju in danki predstavljajo z dimetilhidrazinom (DMH) inducirane podgane, ki razvijejo tumorje debelega črevesa in danke zelo podobne humanim. S člankom želimo predstaviti morfološke in genetske spremembetega modela, ki je veliko prispeval k današnjemu poznavanju etioloških in drugih dejavnikov, ki vplivajo na nastanek in razvoj raka. Danespa je nepogrešljiv pri raziskavah črevesnih karcinogenov in kemopreventivnih substanc