Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences 

About: Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences is an academic journal published by Periodica Polytechnica, Budapest University of Technology and Economics. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Computer science & Higher education. It has an ISSN identifier of 1416-3837. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 357 publications have been published receiving 1944 citations. The journal is also known as: PP. Periodica polytechnica. Social and management sciences (Online).

Environmental evaluation of biofuels

Abstract: One of today´s most important environmental issues is the pollution caused by traffic and transport. There is no doubt that engine emissions, particularly from cars and trucks, have been linked with severe damages to the environment and human health. The substitution of conventional fuels (gasoline, diesel) by biofuels is considered to be a potential way to reduce pollution and support sustainable agriculture. The two most common biofuels are biodiesel and ethanol. The use of biofuels is considered to be environmentally friendly. The production of biofuels, however, might cause pollution. Life-cycle assessment is the scientific evaluation method to investigate the net environmental impacts of biofuels. By means of this method it is possible to determine whether the use of biofuels or the use of conventional fuels trigger more pollution to the environment. Biofuel policy might capitalize on the production of biofuels supporting rural economic development and sustainable agriculture.

Talent Retention and Organizational Performance: A Competitive Positioning in Nigerian Banking Sector

Abstract: The study examined how best an organization can retain and manage talented employees to ensure survival and growth in the banking industry. The descriptive research design was adopted. The survey sample size was one hundred and eighty five (185) and was analysed as a whole. Self-administered questionnaire was adopted in order to obtain adequate and valid data for the study and the responses obtained were subjected to some analyses with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) AMOS 21, with the adoption of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to obtain correlation between observed variables and also regression between the dependent and independent constructs of the study. However, the results from the survey indicate that pay has positive significant implications on employees’ commitment and involvement. This suggests that decision makers should incorporate these variables (salary, bonus, incentives, reward, and profit sharing) into their employment relation strategies and policies which ultimately lead to increase the level of commitment and involvement among the employees.

Industry 4.0 as a key enabler toward successful implementation of total quality management practices

Abstract: Industry 4.0 refers to the new technological development occurred at the industrial production systems. It evolved as a result of integrating Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical Systems, Big-Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud Computing in the industrial systems. This integration aided new capabilities to achieve a higher level of business excellence, efficiency, and effectiveness. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a managerial approach to achieve an outstanding business excellence. There are several approaches to apply TQM principles at any organization. Industry 4.0 could be utilized as a key enabler for TQM especially by integrating its techniques with the TQM best practices. This paper suggests a theoretical framework for integrating Industry 4.0 features with the TQM principles (according to ISO 9000:2015 standards family) in order to open the door for further research to address the real impact of utilizing Industry 4.0 for serving the TQM implementation approaches.

Factors Influencing Innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises in the Czech Republic

Abstract: Our paper is focused on the factors that influence innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic The country that went through long economic transformation that resulted in the set-up of the new improved standards for entrepreneurship activities is currently dealing with the aftermath of world’s economic and financial crisis With regard to all that, Czech SMEs are facing tough competition on domestic and EU markets This is when innovations might become one of the key factors of success that can help to differentiate the product, beat the competition and attract more customers Our study is based on the empirical model that employs the data from the survey questionnaire with 1144 Czech SMEs We find several forms of innovations (eg own R&D, investment into technology, improvement of quality of a product or service, or presence on foreign (EU and world) markets) can become very significant in enhancing the growth and success of Czech SMEs, while the bureaucratic barriers for innovations and external factors with negative impact did not come through as obstacles Based on our results, one can state thatthe most important policy implications are for the relevant stakeholders would be the support of investment activities of SMEs, creation of SMEs clusters within business parks, education of employees, expansions of Czech exports to the new markets, and intensive support of R&D It would also make sense to increase the number of small SMEs (sole-traders and micro-enterprises) by making the registration process easier, or by offering subsidies or government support to the new companies and start-ups

The Effect of the Kahoot Quiz on the Student's Results in the Exam

Abstract: Students taking low-stake quizzes in a gamified environment shows improvement on their studies, thus has the potential to be an effective part in an improved learning experience. Previous researches show that implementing gamification into the educational system has positive outcome on the student's engagement, motivation and the overall experience of learning. In this study is a field experiment, where quizzes were created with the Kahoot application, to bring action and visual triggers into the classroom. The aim of this paper to measure the long-term learning effect of the Kahoot quiz in the exams. Several of the quiz questions during the class were purposefully blended into the exam's question bank as a multiple choice or a true or false question. In this research 200 bachelor students participated in a 14-week long elective course. The data was collected weekly from the Kahoot quizzes and from the two mandatory exams. All the results from the Kahoot quiz and the exams provided the base of the analysis. Furthermore, the exam results were analyzed based on number of Kahoot quizzes they took part, a comparison of the results of each question based. The results show that students who took part in more Kahoot quizzes tend to reach higher exam mark. Moreover, they marked more correct answers and less incorrect ones. As a conclusion, using some level of game-based learning has a positive effect on the student's results and perception of learning.