Network and Data Transfer Security Management in Higher Educational Institutions

This chapter explored communications security through the use of an empirical survey to assess the extent of network and data transfer security management in Ghanaian higher educational institutions. Network security management controls consist of monitoring of networks, posture checking, network segmentation, and defense-in-depth. Data transfer security management includes encryption, media access control, and protection of data from public networks. Data were collected from information technology (IT) personnel. The ISO/IEC 21827 maturity model for assessing IT security posture was used to measure the controls. Overall, the result showed that the institutions were at the planned stage of communications security management. In particular, network monitoring, defense-in-depth, and the protection of data from public networks were the most applied controls. Conversely, posture checking was the least applied control. Higher educational institutions need to review their communications security plans and better manage network and data transfer security controls to mitigate data breaches.

INTERNATIONALIZATION OF SLOVAK FAMILY ENTERPRISES - TERRITORIAL APPROACH

Entrepreneurial activity is currently confronted with a large number of different influences, which affect the performance of business units. Businesses face new situations due to the changing market conditions they have to respond to. The small and medium-sized business sector responds dynamically as well as very sensitively to market changes, where many family businesses are also established. Competition between market players forces both the management and the family businesses to think about new opportunities in order to ensure their growth. As a result, small and medium-sized businesses gain increased importance in international markets. This study aims to identify the current trend in the international activity of family businesses in terms of their territorial activity. In addition to the theoretical background, the submitted study also introduces the results of our empirical survey. The questionnaire survey was applied as an appropriate research method. We decided to apply a dual approach: qualitative (mainly for the theoretical part) and quantitative for the empirical part of the study. The obtained results show family businesses' interest in operating in the international business environment.

Institutional Logics and Social Responses to Covid – 19 Outbreak and Lockdown Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

In this paper we explore social responses, attitudes and social practices of everyday life in the midst of a complete social closure at an early stage of corona crisis, based on original empirical survey data collected via online questionnaire (N=352) during the lockdown and state of emergency in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aiming to analyse social implications of the ongoing crisis and directions for future research we have particularly focused on several dimensions: work, free time and everyday activities, attitudes towards the new uncertainty and specific needs of different social groups in the context of crisis. Social responses to novel living circumstances have highlighted problems related to the status of vulnerable groups present from before in a society that is most commonly categorized as a country in transition marked by post-war challenges. Results show that established discrimination practices have resurfaced while vulnerable social groups’ living conditions have significantly aggravated even early at the times of pandemic emergence.

Future Skills of Flight Attendants in Times of COVID-19-Related Job Uncertainty—The Case of Germany

“Future skills” increase employees’ prospects in the labor market, particularly in dynamic times, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. (Not only) in Germany, flight attendants represent an occupational group without state-recognized vocational occupation who are particularly affected by the pandemic due to serious and long-lasting declines in air transport volumes. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the future skills of flight attendants play an important role when applying for jobs in other industries. An empirical survey (n = 273) from April 2021 indicates that German-speaking flight attendants possess some of the future skills most frequently identified in key studies on future competencies, as well as extensive language skills, but have deficits in “working with computer systems” and “programming”. Pro-active training of employees in future skills, especially in crisis-prone professions, could facilitate future transitions into new professional fields.

Mapping the Supply of Colour Tones of Wood and Furniture Products in Slovakian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The purpose of the surface treatment of wood products is not only to protect them, but also to make them attractive in relation to the visual aspect through their colour modification. It is therefore important that manufacturers of wood and furniture products pay particular attention to the supply of colour tones of wood. According to colours, wood is divided into groups: red woods (oak, cherry, pine, alder, etc.), brown woods (elm, ash, walnut, etc.), pale woods (hornbeam, spruce, fir, etc.) and green woods (acacia, etc.). The main objective of this paper is to identify the supply of colour tones of wood and furniture products of Slovak micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. An empirical survey was used to map the researched issue in the form of a questionnaire. The results show that Slovak micro, small and medium-sized woodworking and furniture enterprises prefer the quality of wood raw material to its price. At the same time, they mostly manufacture products made of solid wood. Where it is necessary to modify the colour of the wood, enterprises use a process of staining, which enhances the natural colour and grain of the wood. On the other hand, due to the lack of investment capital, they cannot use hydrothermal treatment of wood steaming, which is considered a modern way of modifying the colour tone of the wood. It is essential that Slovak micro, small and medium-sized woodworking and furniture enterprises constantly adapt their production supply in the changing market environment, where they must respond immediately to current trends. In this way, they can sustain and increase their turnover, which will help them overcome the current crisis.

Has Excel Become a "Golden Hammer": The Paradox of Data Analytics in SME Clusters

Demand for data analysis skills in the accounting profession is well documented and necessarily informs accounting curriculum and pedagogy. This empirical survey study focuses on small and medium-sized entities (SMEs), finding SMEs continue to use Excel spreadsheets extensively for data analytics tasks. SME cluster research suggests different adoption rates for technology between this segment and large firms. Investigating SME demands for skills and abilities of new job entrants differs from the large organizations that served as the original drivers of analytic skills and technology recommendations. Findings in this study suggest SMEs continue performing their leading accounting tasks using Excel spreadsheets, and lag in adoption of data analytics technology. SMEs are a significant business sector comprising 95-99 percent of firms in the U.S. economy, creating 65 percent of new jobs from 2000-2018 (USSBA 2019), and competing with large firms but with fewer resources. These findings will guide educators in SME markets.

Organizational aspects of cybersecurity in German family firms – Do opportunities or risks predominate?

PurposeThe starting point for the considerations the authors make in this paper are the special features of family businesses in the area of management discussed in the literature. It has been established here that family businesses sometimes choose different organizational setups than nonfamily businesses. This has not yet been investigated for cybersecurity. In the context of cybersecurity, there has been little theoretical or empirical work addressing the question of whether the qualitative characteristics of family businesses have an impact on the understanding of cybersecurity and the organization of cyber risk defense in the companies. Based on theoretically founded hypotheses, a quantitative empirical study was conducted in German companies.Design/methodology/approachThe article is based on a quantitative-empirical survey of 184 companies, the results of which were analyzed using statistical-empirical methods.FindingsThe article asked – based on the subjective perception of cybersecurity and cyber risks – to what extent family businesses are sensitized to the topic and what conclusions they draw from it. An interesting tension emerges: family businesses see their employees more as a security risk, but do less than nonfamily businesses in terms of both training and organizational establishment. Whether this is due to a lack of technical or managerial expertise, or whether family businesses simply think they can prevent cybersecurity with less formal methods such as trust, is open to conjecture, but cannot be demonstrated with the research approach taken here. Qualitative follow-up studies are needed here.Originality/valueThis paper represents the first quantitative survey on cybersecurity with a specific focus on family businesses. It shows tension between awareness, especially of risks emanating from employees, and organizational routines that have not been implemented or established.

Depicting the Prototype Change in Rural Consumer Behaviour: An Empirical Survey on Online Purchase Intention

E-commerce is an undeniable growth opportunity. The infrastructure of e-commerce has been successful in making their system resilience in this age of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity). Besides during the time of pandemic, e-commerce have accomplished in meeting the demand of the consumers crossing various obstacles and scarcity of resource across the colours of socio-economic stratification of India. A detailed investigation of social, cultural, behavioural norms along with effect of socio-cultural regions has been investigated to strengthen the research. The method of cluster analysis has been used to segment the consumers into homogeneous subsets. The implied findings of this research will help the digital entrepreneurs to know their target consumers. Through cluster analysis, six clusters have been identified and they are named as, (a) Advanced changers; (b) Price sensitive; (c) Enthusiasts; (d) Realistic and logical; (e) Conservatives; (f) Unconcerned. The outcomes of this research can help the strategy managers and intrapreneurs to make informed decisions. This study can be of value addition for startups, digital entrepreneurs to start their own business through online shopping portals. The extracted results can help the marketing managers to know about the specific attributes of the consumers of rural areas which will lead to framing strategy according to market design, market space and marketplace.

Empirical approach to risk management strategies of Mediterranean mussel farmers in Greece

Risk perception and risk responses of Greek mussel farmers are important for understanding their risk behavior and the likely success of different risk mitigation strategies. This allows policy makers and actuarial companies to decide what risk management products to offer to address specific types of risks. Results from an empirical survey showed that ex-farm prices and health/disability status of farmers are perceived as the most important sources of risk. Risk management decisions were strongly influenced by the attitudes of mussel farmers rather than their socioeconomic status or perception of risk sources. Financial reserves and an alternative source of stable income are both preferred by mussel farmers as risk management strategies, while optimizing farm management to produce at the lowest possible cost is commonly practiced to eliminate losses. Farmers recommend that for certain types of risks that lead to total losses, e.g. anoxia, tsunamis, harmful algal blooms (HABs), insurance contracts should be provided by the public sector, as in similar situations in agriculture. For other needs, customized insurance contracts should be provided by the actuarial market.