Slovenian economist and philosopher Prof. Vlado Dimovski teaches at the Ljubljana School of Economics and Business (Slovenia) and at universities worldwide. During his scientific career, he has led many research projects and published numerous articles. His main areas of expertise are organisational learning, knowledge management and leadership.
At the 19th International Prof. Vladas Gronskas Scientific Conference on November 29th, Prof. Vlado Dimovski will be speaking about the role of academia in shaping contemporary management practice, continuous learning in organisations and the challenges of the future for organisations.
Constant searching for synergy
The main goal of the Professor's academic activities is to continuously seek synergies between academic research and commercial practice. From the academic point of view, academic research provides a theoretical foundation that informs and shapes practical applications in the business world.
“A few areas where the influence was significant are theoretical frameworks in the form of management theories, evidence-based management based on empirical data, leadership development, and training programs, and help with strategic management. We can say that there is still room for improvement, especially to enhance academic research in a way that it actually addresses and solves real-world problems. This can be enhanced through closer collaboration between researchers and practitioners,” says Prof. Vlado Dimovski.
He sees the knowledge transfer component, where knowledge transfer from academia to the business world and vice versa can be improved, as another area for improvement. Moreover, Professor believes that a multidisciplinary approach can strengthen mutual collaboration and enable constant feedback loops between the academic and business worlds.
Prioritising learning-oriented culture
In today's dynamic business environment, organisational learning can help organisations thrive in the contemporary business environment by enhancing their capabilities that are in line with the well-established key benefits of organisational learning, such as enhanced adaptability which enables organisations to respond to changes occurring in the market better and more quickly.
Professor believes that a learning-oriented culture will foster innovation and creativity within an organisation and result in improved decision making. Learning organisations are also known as more resilient in the face of disruptions and typically achieve better results when it comes to employee engagement, satisfaction and retention.
“Knowledge management can help modern organizations with the effective learning process that is associated with exploration, exploitation and sharing of human tacit and explicit knowledge with the use of appropriate technology and cultural environments with the end goal of improving an organization’s intellectual capital and performance (Jashapara, 2011). Within the scope of knowledge management, I would especially recommend for organizations to focus on their critical knowledge,” presumes Prof. Vlado Dimovski.
Increasing prevalence of teleworking and an aging workforce
When it comes to technology, the Professor advises for organisations to leverage the benefits of technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. This can be done by enabling employees of all age groups access to training. Furthermore, it is important to encourage employees to embrace new technologies and support their learning from mistakes.
“In spite of the significant benefits of technology, when we talk about people, process, and technology, I would still emphasize that the role of people is essential. In recent years, there is a lot of talk when it comes to teleworking in the contemporary business environment, especially after the pandemic of Covid-19. I would say that the role of leadership is critical to harness the full potential of your employees who are engaged in teleworking, while you still have to foster collaboration in a virtual environment and maintain high performance standards, while at the same time also taking care of employee physical and mental wellbeing (Hincapie & Costa, 2024),” says Prof. Vlado Dimovski.
He draws attention to the current organisational setting, where we can see that five different generations are now working together, which also means they might have diverse expectations and working attitudes (Pauget & Chauvel, 2018), which also can be related to their view on ongoing learning.
Ever-evolving environment requires self-aware leadership
Professor emphasizes the role of authentic leadership due to its positive impact on individual and collective psychological capital resources, mental health, well-being and long-term sustainability. He defines authentic leadership as motivating their followers to be self-aware and transparent while aligning their core values and beliefs with pursuing the right course of action. He considers self-awareness, relational transparency, the leader being open to gathering data from competing perspectives, and internalized moral/ethical perspective as the key leadership traits of authentic leaders (Avolio, 2024).
“I would say that some of the most common challenges of modern management include diversity and inclusion management, demographic changes, age management, ethics and (corporate) social responsibility, lifelong learning, advances in technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. In order to be successful in dealing with such challenges, I would argue that flexible management practices will be necessary. Similarly important will be the emotional intelligence of managers and the ability to walk the talk when it comes to inclusivity and diversity. It will also be necessary for contemporary managers to encourage continuous learning, with a particular emphasis on the field of technology, and to focus on a holistic approach to employee wellbeing, which might be particularly important for younger generations of employees that will enter the labor market in the near future. In line with these trends, similarly, the academic world will have to adapt to these changes to better equip the next generation of employees for the business world,” presumes Prof. Vlado Dimovski.
Future managers: emotionaly intelligent and able to walk the talk
Prof. Vlado Dimovski draws attention to the fact that to comprehend the disparities between Slovenia and other nations it is essential to consider the economic, legal-political, and socio-cultural environments, as well as the historical context. Hofstede’s six dimensions of values—power distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence versus restraint—provide a valuable framework for this analysis.
“Specifically, Slovenia exhibits a relatively high power distance, indicating an acceptance of hierarchical structures and unequal power distribution within society. Authority is respected, and power differences are expected. Slovenia’s collectivist orientation suggests that group harmony and loyalty are prioritized over individual achievements. The country scores low on masculinity, reflecting a more feminine culture that values the quality of life, nurturing, and cooperation over competition and achievement,” says Prof. Vlado Dimovski.
He also adds that Slovenia’s high uncertainty avoidance score indicates a preference for clear rules and structures to mitigate ambiguity, underscoring a strong need for security and stability. According to Professor, modern managerial trends emphasize the importance of global thinking, international experience, and the development of international networks. He also emphasizes that understanding the unique characteristics of national cultures and geopolitical tensions is also crucial for contemporary managers.