The chapter focuses on staff development at the University of Maribor (UM), which is crucial for achieving academic, research, and organizational excellence. Since its establishment in 1975, the University of Maribor has systematically professionalized its employees, including academic, research, and non-pedagogical professional staff. Staff development has been adapted to societal needs, reflected in the introduction of new pedagogical approaches, digital technologies, and the Bologna study system. The analysis of the 2004–2023 period shows fluctuations in the number of employees, peaking in 2023 with 2,093 staff members. There is a noticeable trend of growth in research and teaching staff with higher academic titles and the professionalization of the workforce, especially in higher pay grades within groups H and J. The UM Strategy 2021–2030 (Univerza v Mariboru, 2021b) emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relations, work-life balance, and continuous skills development through programmes such as “Enhance UM.” The paper concludes that UM follows modern trends in digitalization, innovation, and lifelong learning, contributing to the development of its staff and society as a whole.

This study examines how key organizational resources shape work-life balance (WLB), behavioural work-life conflict (BWLC), and work engagement (WE) among employees in the private sector. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we test an integrated framework in which leader support, co-worker support, and family-friendly policies predict WLB and BWLC, which in turn influence work engagement. Data collected from employees in Slovenian private-sector organizations were analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results show that leader support, co-worker support, and family-friendly policies significantly enhance WLB, with leader support demonstrating the strongest effect. BWLC is negatively associated with WLB, confirming that behavioural spillover between domains diminishes employees' perceived balance. Leader support is the only organizational resource that significantly reduces BWLC, while co-worker support and family-friendly policies show no direct effect. Furthermore, WLB is a strong positive predictor of work engagement, whereas BWLC does not directly predict WE. These findings highlight the importance of work-life balance for understanding the relationship between organizational resources and work engagement, and they underscore the crucial role of leader behaviour in shaping boundary management. The findings should be interpreted within the context of Slovenian private-sector organizations and comparable regulated labour-market settings.

Komunikacija v organizaciji pomembno vpliva na organizacijsko klimo in psihofizično počutje zaposlenih, zlasti v delovno obremenjujočih okoljih, kot je javni zdravstveni sektor. Namen prispevka je bil preučiti zaznave zaposlenih o organizacijski komunikaciji, raven izgorelosti ter povezanost med organizacijsko komunikacijo in izgorelostjo v javni zdravstveni ustanovi v Sloveniji. Raziskava temelji na analizi zaznav zaposlenih o ključnih vidikih organizacijske komunikacije ter njihovega psihofizičnega počutja. Ugotovitve nakazujejo relativno stabilnost organizacijske klime, hkrati pa opozarjajo na izzive na področju spoštljive komunikacije in vključevanja zaposlenih v procese odločanja. Pri zaposlenih je zaznana zmerna raven izgorelosti. Prispevek predstavlja izhodišče za nadaljnje raziskave ter poudarja pomen izboljšanja komunikacijskih praks kot pomembnega preventivnega dejavnika v javnem zdravstvenem sektorju.

Purpose This study analyzes the implementation of selected HRM practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across four Slovenian industries and examines their relationship with financial performance.Methods A survey was conducted among 60 SMEs in four industries (motor vehicle trade and repair, construction, food and beverage manufacturing, and ICT) to assess their involvement in productivity, motivation, satisfaction, organizational climate, organizational culture, engagement, and quality management. Statistical analysis in SPSS examined industry differences and links between HRM practices and financial performance, measured by return on assets (ROA).Findings Results indicate significant industry differences in HRM. Car dealerships and ICT companies place greater emphasis on HRM, while construction and food manufacturing companies exhibit lower levels of implementation. A weak but observable relationship was found between HRM implementation and ROA, with the strongest association in organizational culture.Conclusion While statistical significance was not fully established, the findings indicate that HRM implementation is associated with improved financial outcomes, with discernible industry-specific patterns in both adoption and effects. These results underscore the need for tailored HRM strategies that align with industry-specific contexts and operational requirements.

Učinkovito komuniciranje znotraj organizacijske kulture je ključno za uspešno usklajevanje poklicnega in zasebnega življenja zaposlenih. Vodstveni kader igra pri tem osrednjo vlogo, saj s spodbujanjem odprte komunikacije in vzpostavljanjem zaupanja prispeva k pozitivnemu delovnemu okolju. Organizacije, ki aktivno spodbujajo takšno kulturo, ne le izboljšujejo dobrobit svojih zaposlenih, temveč tudi krepijo svojo konkurenčnost in trajnostni razvoj. S pomočjo raziskave, izvedene v zdravstveni ustanovi v Sloveniji, smo ugotavljali, ali obstajajo razlike v dojemanju komuniciranja kot dela organizacijskega vedenja ter ali obstajajo razlike v zadovoljstvu z usklajevanjem poklicnega in zasebnega življenja glede na spol, starost in izobrazbo in kako komuniciranje kot del organizacijske kulture vpliva na usklajevanje poklicnega in zasebnega življenja. Prispevek ponuja poglobljeno razumevanje vloge organizacijskega komuniciranja pri usklajevanju poklicnega in zasebnega življenja ter ponuja nova empirična spoznanja o vplivu demografskih dejavnikov na zaznavanje delovnega okolja.

V prispevku obravnavamo fenomen digitalnega razkoraka pri študentih. Digitalni razkorak se nanaša na neenakost v dostopu in zmožnosti za uporabo digitalne tehnologije, kar je povezano tudi s socialnim statusom posameznika. Ker se raven digitalnih kompetenc med študenti razlikuje, nas je v raziskavi zanimalo, kateri dejavniki so tisti, ki povzročajo digitalni razkorak med študenti. V ta namen je bila izvedena raziskava med 298 študenti. Kot merilo za raven digitalnih kompetenc smo uporabili dokument Evropski okvir digitalnih kompetenc za državljane: DigComp 2.1. Kot merilo za družbeni razred smo uporabili Goldthorpovo shemo družbenih razredov. Na podlagi vzorčne analize smo ugotovili, da (1) za 15 od 21 vsebin digitalnih kompetenc obstajajo statistično pomembne razlike aritmetičnih sredin v stopnji digitalnih kompetenc med moškimi in ženskami, (2) med izobrazbo staršev in stopnjo digitalnih kompetenc študentov ni korelacije in (3) med družbenim razredom očeta (oziroma njegovim delom) in stopnjo digitalnih kompetenc študentov obstaja (zelo šibka) korelacija za sedem od 21 vsebin digitalnih kompetenc.

Prispevek obravnava razvoj kadrov na Univerzi v Mariboru, ki je ključen za akademsko, raziskovalno in organizacijsko odličnost. Od ustanovitve leta 1975 Univerza v Mariboru sistematično profesionalizira zaposlene, vključno z akademskim, raziskovalnim in nepedagoškim strokovnim osebjem. Razvoj kadrov je prilagojen potrebam družbe, kar se odraža v uvedbi novih pedagoških pristopov, digitalnih tehnologij in bolonjskega sistema študija. Analiza obdobja od leta 2004 do leta 2023 prikazuje nihanja v številu zaposlenih, z vrhuncem leta 2023, ko je imela univerza 2093 zaposlenih. Opazen je trend rasti raziskovalnega in pedagoškega kadra z višjimi akademskimi nazivi ter profesionalizacija delovne sile, zlasti v višjih tarifnih razredih skupin H in J. Strategija razvoja Univerze v Mariboru 2021–2030 (Univerza v Mariboru, 2021b) poudarja pomen medsebojnih odnosov, uravnoteženja dela in življenja ter kontinuiranega razvoja kompetenc preko programov, kot je Izpopolni UM. Ugotovljeno je, da Univerza v Mariboru sledi sodobnim trendom digitalizacije, inovativnosti in vseživljenjskega učenja ter prispeva k razvoju zaposlenih in širše družbe.

V globalnem tržnem okolju je ocenjevanje in nagrajevanje zaposlenih postalo eno izmed najpomembnejših managerskih orodij. V prispevku je podrobneje predstavljeno ocenjevanje učinkovitosti in uspešnosti zaposlenih, ki sodita v sklop sistema ocenjevanja zaposlenih. Nadgradnja tega je v nadaljevanju predstavljen sistem nagrajevanja zaposlenih, ki se navezuje na finančni vidik in je kot tak del strategije poslovanja organizacij. Ta spoznanja so v nadaljevanju prispevka podprta s primerom sistema ocenjevanja in nagrajevanja zaposlenih znotraj slovenskega podjetja. Prikazani so posamezni koraki izgradnje sistema ocenjevanja in nagrajevanja zaposlenih, vključno s končno obliko ocenjevalnega lista in njegovo izvedbo.

Background purpose Research on digital competence has been one of the most important policy goals in the area of education in the European Union for almost two decades. In 2017, two essential documents were published: DigComp 2.1 - The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens with eight proficiency levels (Carretero et al., 2017) and examples of use and the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators - DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017). Despite these documents and all the research in the field of digital competencies, there is still no unified instrument for measuring the digital competencies of citizens. The problem is that digital competencies encompass a wide range of skills, from basic digital literacy to advanced technical proficiency, and they evolve with technological advancements. Researchers and policymakers face several obstacles in creating a one-size-fits-all tool for assessing these competencies. This paper expands existing research in the field of digital competence in formal education in Slovenia. Our research aimed to explore curricular aspects of acquiring digital competencies within the three levels of formal education and the level of achieving digital competencies among citizens (students) in Slovenia. The purpose of our study was to gain a broader understanding of how participants in formal education obtain digital competencies to obtain a publicly recognized qualification within the education system in Slovenia.Design/Methodology/Approach To examine the field of digital competence in formal and hidden curricula, we first survey students (citizens) to assess their self-perception regarding digital competencies. Then, we interviewed teachers from various faculties to identify elements of the hidden curriculum. Finally, we reviewed publicly available educational content regarding acquiring digital competencies in primary and secondary schools and universities.Results The extent of formal teaching of content related to digital competencies within the public education system in Slovenia is small. During the average duration of formal education, a Slovenian citizen listens to approximately 2,000 hours of mathematics lessons, around 1,000 hours of art lessons, and 200 hours of computer science and informatics lessons. The research results have shown that, even in subjects unrelated to computer science, informatics, and digital competencies, students acquire digital competencies as part of the hidden curriculum at universities. The arithmetic mean among students' (citizens') research of other competencies indicates that respondents can operate independently. The results of the level of digital competencies according to DigiComp 2.1. show that, except for two competencies; all are within are within level 5. This means that the self-assessed level of digital competencies among students (citizens) has mostly stopped at tasks they perform for their own needs.Conclusion In the future, EU countries will need to standardize the assessment system for digital competencies to determine the level of individuals' digital competencies. The school system in Slovenia will have to introduce a significant amount of computer science knowledge into the curricula of subjects, with particular attention given to upgrading digital competencies within hidden curricula.

V zadnjih letih se je kadrovska funkcija srečala s spremenjeno obliko dela na področju kadrovskih in izobraževalnih sistemov, in sicer z delom na daljavo. Preučevanje kadrovskega managementa, managementa kadrovskih virov in kadrovske administracije je doživelo spremembe zaradi spremenjenih načinov dela in komuniciranja pri delu na daljavo. Prispevek obravnava pregled kadrovske funkcije od njenega začetka do danes in njen spremenjen način pogleda na delovanje zaposlenih zaradi razvoja informacijsko-komunikacijske tehnologije, ki je omogočila delo zaposlenih na daljavo. Predstavljeni so ključni tehnološki trendi, ki se uporabljajo znotraj kadrovske funkcije, in posamezna programska orodja, ki omogočajo učinkovito upravljanje zaposlenih pri njihovem delu na daljavo.

Zaradi hitrega tempa življenja v današnjih časih se pri športnikih pojavlja potreba po usklajevanju športa in drugih dejavnostih v življenju. Prispevek predstavlja različne vloge, ki jih imajo športniki v vsakdanjem življenju in težave, s katerimi se soočajo pri njihovem usklajevanju. Analizirani so rezultati raziskave, izvedene med športniki v Sloveniji, ki večino svojega življenja namenjajo športu. Na osnovi rezultatov raziskave so podani predlogi za lažje usklajevanje športa in drugih vlog v življenju športnika.

Young athletes often encounter difficulties in finding a balance between sports and other activities in their lives. They devote most of their time to training, which means that they run out of time for other activities, often even putting sports obligations before education. The Law on Sports in Slovenia enables young athletes to acquire the status of an athlete, which means that it is easier to strike a balance between sport and education. Despite this, they often run out of time to socialize with peers and family obligations. The paper presents the results of a survey conducted among young athletes in Slovenia, the aim of which was to determine whether young athletes in Slovenia, who are not yet categorized as athletes, have a balance between sports and other activities.

Cilj raziskave je bil ugotoviti, ali obstaja povezava med življenjskim slogom in zavzetostjo pri delu. V raziskavi sta bila uporabljena dva vprašalnika. Prvi je standardizirani vprašalnik UWES – 9, verificiran vprašalnik za merjenje zavzetosti pri delu. Drugi vprašalnik je bil oblikovan za merjenje življenjskega sloga posameznikov, analizirana pa je bila njihova fizično aktivnost, prehranjevalne navade ter navade, povezane s spanjem. V vzorec sta bili vključeni dve skupini, in sicer »Športniki«, natančneje pri olimpijskem komiteju registrirani člani Powerlifting zveze Slovenije ter kontrolna skupina, ki so jo predstavljali naključni posamezniki. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da se zavzetost pri delu med »Športniki« in »Nešportniki ne razlikuje, da se fizična aktivnost, prehranjevalne navade in spalne navade med »Športniki« in »Nešportniki« razlikujejo ter da obstaja povezava med življenjskim slogom in zavzetostjo pri delu. Povezava med življenjskim slogom in zavzetostjo pri delu kaže pomen posvečanja pozornosti življenjskemu slogu zaposlenih za organizacije.

Prispevek predstavlja povezavo organizacije in delovnega mesta s ključnimi cilji. Glede na to, da so v zadnjih letih dejavniki v okolju močno vplivali na delovanje organizacij, so morale organizacije prilagoditi ključne cilje, kar je povzročilo tudi spremembe v organizacijskih strukturah organizacij in analizi delovnih mest. Vsaka organizacija ima za svoje delovanje definirano organizacijsko strukturo. Organizacijska struktura temelji na definiranju delovnih mest in pristojnosti in odgovornosti zaposlenih. V prispevku je predstavljen primer oblikovanja organizacijske sheme na osnovi strukture in delovanja izbrane organizacije. Prikazan je vpliv spremenjenih ključnih ciljev na zahteve in pogoje delovnih mest, s tem pa tudi na spremembe v opisu konkretnega delovnega mesta izbrane organizacije.

The successful operation of a company requires constant supervision and cost control, which includes the absence of employees for reasons. The role is played by the human resources department, whose task is, among other things, to solve how to reduce and optimize the costs associated with the absence of employees. One of the approaches to reducing employees' absence due to health reasons is corporate wellness. This can be an effective way as entrepreneurial preventive care for the health and well-being of employees. Based on the studied literature and research, the paper presents the state of use of Corporate Wellness Programs in Slovenian companies. The results of a survey of 115 employees in Slovenian companies showed that there is a positive link between employee well-being and well-being programs. The results also showed that the company in Slovenia took care of the well-being of its employees at work, and that management does not need the wishes of employees in the implementation of well-being programs. The paper presents the main findings and possible improvements both at the level of the organization and the country.

The handbook “Remote working management skills for HR professionals-HANDBOOK FOR TRAINERS” is related to online training for HR professionals. In the handbook, we present the curricular aspects of the training. The emphasis is on the following: list of skills for mangers; list of learning outcomes; list of learning contents; learning strategies and methods; learning materials; instructions for examination and grading; instructions for implementation. There are six learning modules in the list of learning contents: Communicational skills, Digital skills, Work-life balance, skills, Organizational skills, Leadership skills and HRM skills. For each learning module, we prepared the learning material: Case studies; Practical exercises; Questions and answeres; Multiple choice questions. The trainer also has available for each learning module: Power point presentations (5 files for each learning module); Lecture notes (10-15 pages for each learning module). Presentations and lecture notes are not included in this handbook. They are published separately.

Recent events (COVID -19 pandemic, the Ukrainian war) not only have an impact on the business operations of organizations, but have also a broader impact on individual work processes in organizations. One of these is strategic human resource management, which includes the connection of personnel management with the policy of the organization. The article represents an scientific explanatory study, developed on the information collected from the literature from journals and books related to strategic human resources management. It tries to discover connections and relations between strategic HR management and employee performance, engagement, and communication. The conclusion of the literature review is, that employee performance, as the key element of strategic human resources management, cannot be analyzed without a thorough knowledge of communication and employee engagement.

Lack of staff in the police has been a topical issue lately. There are several reasons for this situation, one of the main ones being the termination of schooling between 2010 and 2015 and the reduction of the number of employees between 2007 and 2017. The lack of police staff affects the work of police officers, especially uniformed police officers. working in the field. The article analyzes the shortage of staff in the police in terms of staffing. The aim of the reasearch was to investigate the impact of the lack of staff on the work of uniformed police officers employed at the Celje Police Department who work in the field. The results of the research showed that uniformed police officers working in the field are well aware of the reasons that led to the shortage of staff as well as the consequences. Uniformed police officers working in the field feel all the listed consequences of the lack of staff or they meet with them every six months. Most of all, the lack of staff, which affects their work and causes other consequences, affects the private or. family life of police officers. In the conclusion, the paper discuss possible forms of eliminating the shortage and relief of uniformed police officers in the field at the Celje Police Department, highlighting the good practice of a permanent work schedule and acquaintance with the indicative work schedule 30 days in advance.

The fast paced lifestyle in the technologically advanced era, brings many challenges in the field of work-family balance. For a good business performance, customer satisfaction and a positive impact on the environment, it is important for a company to have satisfied employees. Many successful companies are aware that the key to having productive and satisfied employees is also to understand and promote workfamily balance. This awareness is slowly growing in Slovenian companies and therefore the acquisition of the Family-Friendly Company certificate has been actively pursued since 2006. With the help of the Family-Friendly Company certificate, companies are able to retain the best talents and gain the moral loyalty of employees. Based on the study of literature and previous research, the article presents the situation in the field of work-life balance in Slovenia. The results of a survey conducted in a selected company are presented in the following article. The results of the analysis showed that the employees of the studied company are on average satisfied with the familyfriendly measures and that there is a difference in the success of work-life balance according to gender. Based on the results, possible improvements in the studied area are also suggested.

Background and purpose Organizations strive to increase the work engagement of their employees, as engaged employees are more productive employees, but often neglect the significant effects of work-family balance on work engagement. Numerous studies confirm the importance of work-family balance and work engagement, but there is lack of research that explores the relationship between the concepts. Our research fills a research gap in investigating the impact of work-family balance on work engagement, both directly and through individual perceptions of organizational support for work-family balance. The main aim of our research is to empirically test the relationships between the policies and practices of organizations regarding work-family balance, work-life balance and work engagement. Methods Using validated questionnaires, we collected data on organizational support for work-family balance (family-friendly policies and practices, support by leader, support by co-workers, working hours and complexity of work), work-family balance and work engagement. The quantitative data for our analysis was collected through a survey of 343 online participants who were employees in various positions in companies in Slovenia. The results Our results show that the organization's work-family balance policies and practices, such as support by leader, co-workers, and family-friendly policies and practices, have a positive impact on the individual's work-family balance, that work-family balance leads to an increase in work engagement, and that the individual's perception of the organization's work-family balance support leads to an increase in work engagement. Conclusion Knowledge of important work-family balance implications with an understanding of organizational support for work-family balance and the relationships between the constructs of work-family balance and work engagement can be beneficial to business leaders. This understanding can help them to strengthen employee work engagement through family-friendly policies and practices, and thereby contributing to the area of employee behavior and improving employee productivity.