Predmet su ovog istraživanja razvoj i primjena prediktivnih modela dobivenih uporabom matematičko statističkih metoda i umjetnom inteligencijom, tj. strojnim učenjem. Cilj je rada razvijanje modela za implementaciju digitalne transformacije u procese operativnog odlučivanja za potrebe kontrolinga i upravljanja. Kontroling je kao disciplina i funkcija u poduzeću zadužen za analizu postojećeg i predviđanje budućeg poslovanja te u tu svrhu i uporabe sofisticiranih metoda i alata. Ovim radom dokazuje se da je poslovno predviđanje temeljeno na povijesnim činjenicama evoluiralo u poslovno predviđanje procijenjeno na temelju strojnog učenja. U radu je prikazan inovativni stohastički model predviđanja na primjeru pružanja usluga u jednoj marini u Hrvatskoj. Rezultati istraživanja su četiri prikazana modela za ugovaranje i pridobivanje klijenata koji se koriste uslugama marine. Dobiveni rezultati potvrđuju visoku razinu pouzdanosti modela predviđanja uporabom digitalnih alata za potrebe kontrolinga u procesu donošenja odluka. Kroz razvijene metode pretvaranja manualnih procesa u izborno automatizirane procese odlučivanja, ovaj rad pridonosi inovativnosti kontrolinga u digitalnom okruženju.
U suvremenom poslovnom okruženju u kojem dominantan utjecaj imaju različite tehnologije poput računalstva u oblaku (engl. Cloud Computing – CC), umjetne inteligencije (engl. Artificial Intelligence – AI), strojnog učenja (engl. Machine Learning – ML) i Interneta stvari (engl. Internet of Things – IoT) podatci postaju ključni resurs za donošenje odluka i optimizaciju poslovnih procesa. ERP sustavi predstavljaju kralježnicu svakog poslovanja te igraju presudnu ulogu u upravljanju tim podatcima. Stoga je pravilan odabir ERP sustava krucijalna odluka budućeg uspjeha u poslovanja. Razvojem tehnologija došlo je i do pomaka s tradicionalnih ERP sustava na lokaciji (engl. on-premise) na ERP sustave u oblaku (engl. cloud-based). Ova tranzicija otvara niz pitanja vezanih za prednosti, izazove i kriterije odabira optimalnog rješenja. Cilj je ovog rada istražiti ključne čimbenike koji utječu na odluku o odabiru ERP sustava u oblaku uzimajući u obzir ekonomske, tehničke, ljudske i poslovne aspekte. Rad pruža sustavan pregled prednosti i izazova ERP sustava u oblaku u usporedbi s tradicionalnim ERP sustavima na lokaciji te istražuje kako identificirani faktori utječu na donošenje odluke o odabiru ERP sustavu u oblaku. Na temelju provedenog istraživanja razvijen je predložak koji organizacijama može poslužiti kao objektivan okvir za evaluaciju i odabir ERP sustava u oblaku, prilagođen njihovim specifičnim poslovnim potrebama. Očekivani doprinos rada ogleda se u pružanju praktičnih smjernica menadžerima i IT stručnjacima koji donose strateške odluke o odabiru ERP sustava i/ili ju provode čime se olakšava proces digitalne transformacije poduzeća.
Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati trenutačni radni status, odnosno zaposlenost u struci za koju su se obrazovali sudionici koji su u razdoblju od 2017. do 2019. godine bili u statusu diplomanata te provjeriti doprinos njihova mrežnoga socijalnog kapitala i ugodnosti pri umrežavanju u objašnjenju zadovoljstva poslom kod onih koji su zaposleni. Istraživanje je provedeno od prosinca 2024. do ožujka 2025. godine kao studija praćenja sudionika koji su sudjelovali u prethodnom istraživanju provedenom 2017. godine, a svoje su kontakte ostavili u bazi podataka istraživačkog tima. Od ukupno 743 poslana upita, oko 30 % elektroničkih adresa pokazalo se nevažećima, a nakon dvaju podsjetnika odazvalo se 78 sudionika (65,4 % žena i 34,6 % muškaraca). Prosječna dob sudionika iznosila je 34 godine (M = 33,69; SD = 1,13), a u trenutku sudjelovanja od završetka studija prošlo je u prosjeku 8 godina (M = 8,54; SD = 0,95). Istraživanje je provedeno online putem Google Docs Survey servisa, a prosječno trajanje sudjelovanja iznosilo je oko 15 minuta. Većina sudionika (92,3 %) navodi da radi u struci za koju se obrazovala, dok manji dio (7,7 %) radi izvan struke. Rezultati regresijskih analiza upućuju na statistički značajan doprinos statusa aktera u socijalnoj mreži (β = 0,131; t(73) = 2,34; p < 0,05) i ugodnosti pri umrežavanju (β = 0,241; t(73) = 2,32; p < 0,05) u objašnjenju varijance zadovoljstva poslom. Originalnost studije očituje se u dugoročnom praćenju iste generacije diplomanata u razdoblju od osam godina te uključivanju više aspekata mrežnoga socijalnog kapitala i umrežavanja u objašnjenje zadovoljstva poslom.
Važnost menadžmenta nabave i motivacija članova tima su međusobno isprepleteni i u srži nerazdvojni pojmovi, oba pojma ne mogu odvojeno funkcionirati u praksi. Cilj rada je istražiti važnost menadžmenta nabave u poduzećima, a zatim i motiviranost članova nabavnog tima, odnosno što utječe na njihovu motivaciju koja u konačnici rezultira boljim rezultatima. Za potrebe istraživanja su se provele direktne ankete sa zaposlenicima nabavnog sektora, menadžerima, direktorima trgovačkih društava na području Republike Hrvatske. Direktnom komunikacijom i ciljanim anketiranjem su dobiveni precizni i unikatni rezultati koji su omogućili konkretne zaključke. Pristupom generalizacije zasnovao se s prelaskom s pojedinačnih specifičnosti na opće pojmove, ujedno se koristila i opisna metoda za interpretaciju rezultata. Rad doprinosi razvoju menadžmenta nabave, sa svojim ciljanim i specifičnim istraživanjem obuhvaća sektor koji je u modernom gospodarstvu postao ključna i strateška funkcija. Svjesnost važnosti sektora nabave i važnosti ulaganja u zaposlenike nabavnog sektora direktno utječu na konkurentnost cjelokupnog poduzeća, utječe na povećanje dobiti i povećanje konkurentske prednosti.
Plaće profesionalnih igrača nogometa predmet su velikog javnog interesa. Većina dostupnih nalaza o plaćama vrhunskih nogometaša potječe iz elitnih liga koje odudaraju po isplaćenim iznosima od prvih liga u ostalim zemljama kao što je Hrvatska. Cilj je ovog rada obuhvatiti nekoliko ključnih aspekata nagrađivanja „prosječnih“ igrača u prvoj Hrvatskoj nogometnoj ligi. U radu se analiziraju izvori motivacije, postojeći i poželjni načini plaćanja profesionalnih nogometaša kao i učinci načina plaćanja na performanse igrača i međuljudske odnose unutar timova. Kako bi se dobio uvid u načine plaćanja nogometaša u prvoj Hrvatskoj nogometnoj ligi, provedeni su polustrukturirani intervjui s četirima profesionalnim nogometašima, bez statusa „superzvijezda“, a koji su igrali u klubovima s vrha i dna ljestvice. Nalazi istraživanja ukazuju da igrači odabiru karijeru profesionalnih nogometaša uslijed intrinzičnih motiva. Načini plaćanja nogometaša variraju ovisno o financijskoj situaciji klubova. Igrači vrlo pozitivno percipiraju varijabilne elemente plaće i ukazuju na važnost timskih bonusa za motivaciju i jačanje timske kohezije. Nogometni klubovi moraju pažljivo uskladiti individualne i timske bonuse profesionalnih igrača kako bi postigli maksimalne rezultate na terenu.
Retail trade in Croatia plays an important role in the economy, as the share of trade in GDP at market prices amounted to 20.0% and the share of trade in employment (legal entities) amounted to 15.2% in 2022. Its importance is highlighted by its vulnerability to external shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic disruptions, including high inflation. In this study, Window Data Envelopment Analysis (WDEA) is used to assess the efficiency of 23 large and very large retail companies in Croatia between 2013 and 2022, focusing on the impact of economic fluctuations on the companies’ operational performance. The results show that Croatian retailers operate close to the efficiency frontier, with scale efficiency consistently performing better than pure technical efficiency, highlighting management and technological challenges as primary inefficiency factors. A detailed analysis of the top five retailers in terms of operating revenue shows their resilience, with some of them achieving full efficiency during the observed period. In particular, Tommy d.o.o. showed consistent efficiency in the Adriatic region due to its strategic focus on small stores in tourist areas, while Schwarz Group members Lidl Hrvatska d.o.o. and Kaufland Hrvatska k.d. showed robust revenue growth and improved efficiency after 2020. The results emphasize the adaptability and resilience of the sector, especially in response to the disruption caused by the pandemic. They also highlight the urgent need for strategies to improve operational efficiency, address labor shortages and leverage digital transformation to meet increasing competition and economic challenges. This study fills a gap in the Croatian retail literature by applying the WDEA to assess the impact of global disruption on the efficiency of large retailers.
Digitalizacija usluga organizacija u sektoru društvene ekonomije i brige o ljudima puno je složenija nego u drugim sektorima koji usluge pružaju dionicima koji nisu u značajnijoj mjeri u neposrednom fizičkom kontaktu s pružateljima usluga. U ovom radu analizirano je stanje u području društvene ekonomije u Europi i Hrvatskoj te su predstavljeni rezultati istraživanja o digitalizaciji u sektoru društvene ekonomije na području Varaždinske županije. Istraživanje je provedeno u 13 organizacija iz područja društvene ekonomije, i to putem anketnog upitnika i preko intervjua, što je provedeno u sklopu EU projekta pod nazivom DIMCARE. Istraživanje je provedeno tijekom 2022. i 2023. godine, a rezultati istraživanja upućuju na nisku razinu digitalizacije u ovom sektoru kod većine analiziranih organizacija. Unutar projekta DIMCARE kreirane su moguće razine digitalne zrelosti organizacija u sektoru društvene ekonomije, u koje su temeljem odgovarajućih kriterija svrstane organizacije koje su sudjelovale u istraživanju. Većina organizacija svrstana je u kategoriju početne razine digitalne zrelosti (10 organizacija), tri su na srednjoj te tri na naprednoj razini, dok nijedna organizacija nije u kategoriji seniorske razine digitalne zrelosti.
Tijekom posljednjeg desetljeća, računalne simulacije postale su neizostavan alat za proučavanje i predviđanje fizikalnih i kemijskih procesa. Posebice, simulacije molekulske dinamike koje igraju važnu ulogu u istraživanju bioloških sustava poput proteina, membrana i nukleinskih kiselina. Rastuća složenost ovih simulacija zahtijeva veliku količinu računalnih resursa i razvoj novih naprednijih metoda. Danas možemo proučavati složene sustave koji uključuju milijune atoma i rješavati probleme u mnogim znanstvenim područjima. Uz to, postoji nada za bolje razumijevanje i otkrivanje novih lijekova za mnoge bolesti kao što su virusne infekcije ili autoimunost.U ovom radu analizirana je primjena brze višepolne metode na simulacije molekulske dinamike u nekockastim simulacijskim kutijama. Rezultati pokazuju da je ta metoda učinkovita za kockaste i blago nekockaste kutije s malim brojem čestica, dok veća odstupanja u izračunatim energijama od referentnih nastaju kod većeg broja čestica i kod izraženijih nekockastih kutija. Kako bi se smanjila pogreška kod izračuna energije, uveden je korekcijski faktor ovisno o volumenu kutije i broju čestica, čime je postignuto zamjetno poboljšanje preciznosti metode u terminima izračunate energije.
This paper aims to analyze how the Slovenian stock market responded to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the lockdown situation in the country. The study employed a descriptive research design using qualitative and quantitative secondary data. The pandemic-imposed restrictions and the collapse in international trade abruptly halted several years of expansion in Slovenia. Following trends in global markets, the Ljubljana Stock Exchange in March 2020 stumbled due to fears of the new virus and a severe drop in economic activity. The existing literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontier and less-developed stock markets is very limited. This paper contributes to the existing literature by identifying how less-established stock markets respond to the pandemic crisis. Investors and policymakers can benefit from the results, as understanding how a certain stock market reacts to a sudden global crisis improves decision-making under crisis circumstances.
Željeznički promet je rastući i fundamentalno siguran način prijevoza u cijelom svijetu. Sa značajkama kao što su sigurnost, pouzdanost i sposobnost da primi veliki broj putnika, ima veliki potencijal da se uspostavi kao snažan i konkurentan način prijevoza. Važno je prepoznati da korisnici željezničkog putničkog prijevoza imaju različite potrebe i ciljeve što dovodi do višestrukih tumačenja kvalitete usluge. Ovo je istraživanje provedeno u kontekstu temeljnih komponenti zadovoljstva uslugom, uključujući aspekte kao što su fizičko kruženje, ponašanje osoblja, percipirana cijena usluge, sveukupna kvaliteta i samo zadovoljstvo. Cilj istraživanja je ispitati koje aspekte korisnici smatraju najvažnijima za svoje zadovoljstvo prilikom korištenja željezničkih usluga, te tako identificirati ključne čimbenike zadovoljstva. Instrument istraživanja bio je anketni upitnik. U analizi rezultata korištena je deskriptivna statistika, faktorska analiza i korelacijska analiza. Rezultati provedenog istraživanja otkrivaju rasprostranjeno nezadovoljstvo željezničkim uslugama među korisnicima željezničkog putničkog prijevoza u Republici Hrvatskoj. Među utvrđenim nedostacima najzastupljeniji su nedostaci u čistoći objekata, nepouzdanje prema zaposlenicima, odstupanje od voznog rasporeda, te znatno smanjenje korištenja usluge potaknuto poskupljenjem. Faktorskom analizom identificirana su tri ključna čimbenika zadovoljstva korisnika: (1) fizičko okruženje, (2) ponašanje osoblja i (3) percepcija cijene. Analizirajući ključne čimbenike zadovoljstva ispitanika, ovo istraživanje omogućuje pružateljima željezničkih usluga da porade na ključnim problematičnim područjima i tako povećaju zadovoljstvo korisnika. Rezultati istraživanja nude vrijedne društvene i gospodarske implikacije s obzirom da se u uvjetima održivog razvoja sve veći naglasak stavlja na upotrebu javnog prijevoza.
Industrija videoigara jedna je od najdinamičnijih sektora globalne ekonomije, ne samo u zabavnom već i u tehnološkom smislu s obzirom na brz razvoj umjetne inteligencije, virtualne i proširene stvarnosti, kao i blockchain tehnologije. Te inovacije omogućuju nove načine interakcije s digitalnim svijetom, čineći iskustvo igranja sve sofisticiranijim i privlačnijim. Uz to, industrija videoigara značajno pridonosi globalnoj ekonomiji, s procjenama da će njezin tržišni udio dosegnuti stotine milijardi dolara u idućim godinama. Jedan od ključnih čimbenika njezina rasta je razvoj mobilnih igara koje su videoigre učinile dostupnima širokom krugu korisnika. Jedan od fenomena koji je posljednjih godina u iznimnom porastu unutar industrije videoigara je esport, tj. elektronički sport. Postavlja se pitanje je li esport novi oblik sporta u budućnosti ili samo jedan od načina igranja videoigara. Svrha rada je analizirati razvoj videoigara i njihov utjecaj na esport s posebnim naglaskom na percepciju i stavove generacija X, Y i Z. Ciljevi istraživanja obuhvaćaju ispitivanje razlika u percepciji videoigara i esporta među generacijama te utvrđivanje njihovih pozitivnih i negativnih aspekata. Metodologija se temelji na empirijskom istraživanju provedenom anketnim upitnikom na uzorku od 747 ispitanika, uz analizu podataka primjenom statističkih metoda, uključujući Cronbachov alfa koeficijent pouzdanosti i Pearsonov koeficijent korelacije. Navedeno sugerira kako videoigre, osim zabavnog aspekta, imaju dalekosežne ekonomske, društvene i kulturne implikacije, što ih čini važnim segmentom suvremenog društva.
This study was carried out in Mashhad to analyze the effect of deficit irrigation on landscape plants and determine accurate evapotranspiration values. The study was done using statistical factorial analysis in completely randomized blocks with three repetitions. Rose and Treven were irrigated in different amounts corresponding to the four levels of potential evapotranspiration: 50, 60, 80, and 100%, and the parameters of plant height, stem diameter, and the number of leaves and flowers were evaluated. The result showed that different irrigation levels had a meaningful effect on plant parameters, and the best growth was obtained at an irrigation rate of 80% of potential evapotranspiration.
Invasive alien species threaten ecosystems but can offer medicinal benefits. This study explores the therapeutic potential of the invasive plant species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, Helianthus tuberosus L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., and Solidago canadensis L. by analysing the effects of their ethanolic leaf and flower extracts (0.1, 0.5, 1 mg/mL) on glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in HEPG2 cells and culture media. The catalytic activity of the enzyme was measured spectrophotometrically after 24 hours of cell treatment with extracts by monitoring the change in absorbance at 340 nm during the conjugation of L-glutathione with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), a universal substrate for GST. The extracts modulated GST activity in both cellular lysates and extracellular media. GST activity in cell lysates decreased with increasing concentrations of A. altissima flower and R. pseudoacacia leaf extracts. Similarly, media samples exposed to all tested extracts showed reduced GST activity at higher concentrations, indicating a potential inhibitory effect. Conversely, R. pseudoacacia flower and S. canadensis leaf extracts increased GST activity in lysates at 0.5 and 1 mg/mL. These concentration-dependent fluctuations suggest complex interactions between plant compounds and GST, likely influenced by phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid and quercetin, known non-competitive GST inhibitors. Such inhibition may enhance the accumulation of toxic metabolites in cancer cells, increasing their vulnerability. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of invasive plant species and their specialised metabolites, opening avenues for further exploration of their role in regulating GST activity and their application in cancer treatment strategies.
Over the past decade, computer simulations have become an indispensable tool for studying and predicting physical and chemical processes. In particular, molecular dynamics simulations play an important role in the study of biological systems such as proteins, membranes, and nucleic acids. The increasing complexity of these simulations requires a large amount of computing resources and the development of new, more advanced methods. Today, we can study complex systems involving millions of atoms and solve problems in many scientific fields. In addition, there is hope for a better understanding and discovery of new drugs for many diseases such as viral infections or autoimmunity. In this paper, the application of the fast multipole method to molecular dynamics simulations in non-cubic simulation boxes is analyzed. The results show that this method is effective for cubic and slightly non-cubic boxes with a small number of particles, while larger deviations in the calculated energies from the reference ones occur for a larger number of particles and for more pronounced non-cubic boxes. In order to reduce the error in energy calculation, a correction factor was introduced depending on the volume of the box and the number of particles, which achieved a noticeable improvement in the precision of the method in terms of calculated energy.
Rail transport is a growing and fundamentally safe mode of transport throughout the world. With features such as safety, reliability and the ability to accommodate a large number of passengers, it has great potential to establish itself as a strong and competitive mode of transport. It is important to interpretations of service quality. This research was conducted in the context of the core components cost, overall quality, and satisfaction itself. The goal of the research is to examine which aspects to identify the key factors of satisfaction. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and correlation analysis were used in the analysis of the results. The results of are deficiencies in the cleanliness of the facilities, unreliability towards employees, noncompliance with the timetable, and a significant decrease in the use of the service due to a price increase. Factor analysis the research offer valuable social and economic implications, considering that in the conditions of sustainable development, an increasing emphasis is placed on the use of public transport.
The genus Helichrysum Mill., specifically Helichrysum italicum (Roth.) G. Don, commonly known as immortelle, is renowned for its aromatic and ornamental qualities. The plant, which thrives in the dry, sandy and stony areas of the Mediterranean, holds significant economic value, primarily for the extraction of essential oil and its by-product hydrosol. This study explored the phenolic content variations in dried immortelle flowers from eleven wild populations along the Adriatic coast of Croatia in order to evaluate the potential for obtaining the highest concentration of phenolic compounds in hydrosol by examining the total phenolic content of dried inflorescence before distillation. The results revealed substantial differences in phenolic content among researched locations. Immortelle from wild populations on the Peljesac peninsula and the island of Brac exhibited the highest levels of total phenolic compounds in dried flowers. The sample from the island of Hvar had the lowest content of phenolic compounds, making it the least suitable for obtaining highly concentrated hydrosol. Further investigation is needed to identify the impact of location, genotype and orthogenesis on the phenolic content of immortelle from wild populations.
The video game industry is one of the most dynamic sectors, not only in entertainment but also in technological terms, given the rapid development of artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and blockchain technology. These innovations enable new ways of interacting with the digital world, making the gaming experience increasingly sophisticated and engaging. In addition, the video game industry contributes significantly to the global economy, with estimates that its market share will reach hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years. One of the key growth factors is the development of mobile games, which have made video games accessible to a wide range of users. One of the phenomena that have been on the rise within the video game industry in recent years is esports or electronic sports, and the question arises whether esports will be a new form of sport in the future or just one way of playing video games. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the development of video games and their impact on esports, with a special emphasis on the perceptions and attitudes of generations X, Y, and Z. The research objectives include examining differences in the perceptions of video games and esports across generations and identifying their positive and negative aspects. The methodology is based on empirical research conducted through a questionnaire on a sample of 747 respondents, with data analysis using statistical methods, including Pearson's correlation coefficient and Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient. All of the above suggests that video games, apart from entertainment, have far-reaching economic, social, and cultural implications, thus becoming a significant segment of modern society.
As a complex management function, leadership significantly affects employee engagement and job satisfaction. For decades, successful enterprises have been analyzed through the prism of leadership abilities to achieve profit, authority, control and a competitive atmosphere. However, in order to be competitive in the digital economy, the aforementioned leadership qualities must evolve. In this sense, this paper provides an overview of the literature on leadership styles and factors that influence job satisfaction. Job satisfaction represents the level of fulfillment of employee expectations of the workplace and the organizational environment. The research problem is the lack of empirical research in Croatia on the correlation between employeejob satisfaction and multifactor leadership according to the "Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire" instrument. The aim of the paper is to explain the connection between multi-factor leadership and job satisfaction. Multi-factor leadership is a combination of individual factors that influence the leader's style of behavior and, consequently, the behavior of employees. In order to collect primary data, an empirical study was conducted on a sample of89 respondents. The scientific contribution of this work is reflected in a deeper understanding of the interplay of transformational, transactional and laissez-faire style factors and employee job satisfaction in Croatian conditions. This paper shows that the greatest influence on job satisfaction has the transformational and transactional style of leadership, which Croatian managers apply approximately equally. They apply the "contingent reward" least often, and the "management by exception"factor the most.
The digitalization of services provided by organizations in the social economy and human care sector is much more complex than in other sectors where services are delivered to stakeholders who are not significantly in direct physical contact with service providers. This paper analyzes the state of the social economy in Europe and Croatia and presents the results of research on digitalization in the social economy sector in Vara & zcaron;din County. The research was conducted in 13 organizations within the social economy sector through a survey questionnaire and interviews, as part of the EU project called DIMCARE. The research was conducted during 2022 and 2023, and the results indicate a low level of digitalization in this sector for most of the analyzed organizations. Within the DIMCARE project, potential levels of digital maturity for organizations in the social economy sector were created, into which the organizations that participated in the research were categorized based on appropriate criteria. The majority of organizations were classified into the initial level of digital maturity (10 organizations), three were at the intermediate level, and three at the advanced level, while none were in the senior level of digital maturity.
In the last decade, the sharing economy has experienced significant growth due to the development of various digital platforms. The sharing economy business model, which is based on digital platforms, has improved the way individuals access and use products and services. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relations among social and technological factors and the behavioural intentions of users of sharing economy platforms. A structured questionnaire was developed based on scales validated in previous research and used to investigate the relationship between the different dimensions of the aforementioned factors. To achieve the research objective, an empirical study was conducted using the structured questionnaire on a sample of 618 users of sharing economy platforms. The research results suggest that a higher level of subjective norms and trust in sharing economy platforms leads to a higher level of perceived usefulness and ease of use. Furthermore, a positive influence of WOM referrals on perceived ease of use was found, while the influence of WOM referrals on perceived usefulness was found to be insignificant. In addition, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use had a statistically significant influence on behavioural intentions reflected in future use of this technology. A more detailed understanding of the relationship between the aforementioned factors will enable service providers to better understand and target different consumer segments and optimize marketing strategies to encourage participation in sharing economy activities. The research findings in this paper contribute to marketing theory, especially in the context of consumer behaviour theory and socio-technical theory.
