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Competitiveness of rail transport compared to road transport has been reducing, especially on regional railway lines. To improve this situation, the EU adopted various directives and regulations to increase efficiency of railway undertakings. In this paper we present an organizational and economic model based on European policies for local railway system. The organizational model is based on multi-criteria decision analysis. For the economic model we used an econometric approach to estimate the cost function and marginal costs in regional lines, which constitute the basis for railway charges. By implementing such an organizational model, the functioning of the railway network will improve. The research found that a change in the existing model of calculating costs of infrastructure use would bring economic effects for the railway infrastructure manager and the providers of transport. Using the proposed model we also found that it is reasonable to increase the flow of goods on unused regional railway lines because the railway infrastructure maintenance costs are inelastic with regard to transported gross tons. ; Konkurentnost željezničkog prijevoza u usporedbi s cestovnim se smanjuje, naročito na regionalnim željezničkim prugama. Kako bi se poboljšala ta situacija, EU je donijela razne direktive i pravila u svrhu povećanja učinkovitosti željezničkih poduzeća. U ovom radu predstavljamo organizacijski i ekonomski model koji se zasniva na europskoj politici vođenja lokalnog željezničkog sustava. Organizacijski model se temelji na analizi odluke o više kriterija. Za ekonomski smo model primijenili ekonometrijski pristup u procjeni funkcije troškova i marginalnih troškova na regionalnim prugama, koji predstavljaju osnovu troškova na željeznici. Primjenom takvog organizacijskog modela, poboljšat će se funkcioniranje željezničke mreže. Istraživanjem se ustanovilo da bi promjena postojećeg modela izračuna troškova korištenja infrastrukture donijela ekonomske koristi rukovodiocu željezničke infrastrukture i onima koji su zaduženi za promet. Primjenom predloženog modela također smo ustanovili da ima smisla povećati protok robe na nekorištenim željezničkim linijama jer su troškovi održavanja željezničke infrastrukture neelastični u odnosu na prevezene bruto tone.

The article presents an analytical model of evaluating costs of vehicle use in military logistics adapted to specific construction demands and characteristics of military vehicles, profile (conditions and manner) of use and technological procedures of preventive and remedial maintenance of military vehicles. The proposed model of evaluation enables an equivalent comparison of total costs in advance of use of similar vehicles made by different manufacturers throughout the entire operating period (their service life). Initial (entry) and boundary conditions are clearly defined within the proposed model. The implementation of the analytical model ensures the evaluation and planning of maintenance costs and costs of direct vehicle use in military logistics already at the point of purchasing new vehicles, as well as evaluation of optimal operating period (service life) of vehicles, which leads to increased reliability and availability, and, consequently, to more effective use of military vehicles. ; U radu je prikazan analitički model procjene troškova održavanja i uporabe vozila u vojnoj logistici, prilagođen specifičnim konstrukcijskim zahtjevima i karakteristikama vojnih vozila, profilu (uvjetima i načinu) uporabe, kao i tehnološkim postupcima preventivnog i korektivnog održavanje vojnih vozila. Predloženi model ocjenjivanja omogućuje unaprijedno ekvivalentnu usporedbu ukupnih troškova uporabe sličnih vozila različitih proizvođača tijekom cijelog vijeka trajanja (to jest kroz cijeli životni vijek ili životni ciklus). U okviru predloženog modela jasno su definirani početni (ulazni) i rubni uvjeti. Implementacija analitičkog modela pruža procjenu i planiranje troškova održavanja i izravnih troškova uporabe vozila u vojnoj logistici već kod kupnje novih vozila, a također i procjenu optimalnoga vijeka trajanja (životnog vijeka) vozila, što vodi do povećanja pouzdanosti i raspoloživosti, a s time i do veće učinkovitost uporabe vojnih vozila.

Konkurentnost željezničkog prijevoza u usporedbi s cestovnim se smanjuje, naročito na regionalnim željezničkim prugama. Kako bi se poboljšala ta situacija, EU je donijela razne direktive i pravila u svrhu povećanja učinkovitosti željezničkih poduzeća. U ovom radu predstavljamo organizacijski i ekonomski model koji se zasniva na europskoj politici vođenja lokalnog željezničkog sustava. Organizacijski model se temelji na analizi odluke o više kriterija. Za ekonomski smo model primijenili ekonometrijski pristup u procjeni funkcije troškova i marginalnih troškova na regionalnim prugama, koji predstavljaju osnovu troškova na željeznici. Primjenom takvog organizacijskog modela, poboljšat će se funkcioniranje željezničke mreže. Istraživanjem se ustanovilo da bi promjena postojećeg modela izračuna troškova korištenja infrastrukture donijela ekonomske koristi rukovodiocu željezničke infrastrukture i onima koji su zaduženi za promet. Primjenom predloženog modela također smo ustanovili da ima smisla povećati protok robe na nekorištenim željezničkim linijama jer su troškovi održavanja željezničke infrastrukture neelastični u odnosu na prevezene bruto tone. ; Competitiveness of rail transport compared to road transport has been reducing, especially on regional railway lines. To improve this situation, the EU adopted various directives and regulations to increase efficiency of railway undertakings. In this paper we present an organizational and economic model based on European policies for local railway system. The organizational model is based on multi-criteria decision analysis. For the economic model we used an econometric approach to estimate the cost function and marginal costs in regional lines, which constitute the basis for railway charges. By implementing such an organizational model, the functioning of the railway network will improve. The research found that a change in the existing model of calculating costs of infrastructure use would bring economic effects for the railway infrastructure manager and the providers of transport. Using the proposed model we also found that it is reasonable to increase the flow of goods on unused regional railway lines because the railway infrastructure maintenance costs are inelastic with regard to transported gross tons.

U radu je prikazan analitički model procjene troškova održavanja i uporabe vozila u vojnoj logistici, prilagođen specifičnim konstrukcijskim zahtjevima i karakteristikama vojnih vozila, profilu (uvjetima i načinu) uporabe, kao i tehnološkim postupcima preventivnog i korektivnog održavanje vojnih vozila. Predloženi model ocjenjivanja omogućuje unaprijedno ekvivalentnu usporedbu ukupnih troškova uporabe sličnih vozila različitih proizvođača tijekom cijelog vijeka trajanja (to jest kroz cijeli životni vijek ili životni ciklus). U okviru predloženog modela jasno su definirani početni (ulazni) i rubni uvjeti. Implementacija analitičkog modela pruža procjenu i planiranje troškova održavanja i izravnih troškova uporabe vozila u vojnoj logistici već kod kupnje novih vozila, a također i procjenu optimalnoga vijeka trajanja (životnog vijeka) vozila, što vodi do povećanja pouzdanosti i raspoloživosti, a s time i do veće učinkovitost uporabe vojnih vozila. ; The article presents an analytical model of evaluating costs of vehicle use in military logistics adapted to specific construction demands and characteristics of military vehicles, profile (conditions and manner) of use and technological procedures of preventive and remedial maintenance of military vehicles. The proposed model of evaluation enables an equivalent comparison of total costs in advance of use of similar vehicles made by different manufacturers throughout the entire operating period (their service life). Initial (entry) and boundary conditions are clearly defined within the proposed model. The implementation of the analytical model ensures the evaluation and planning of maintenance costs and costs of direct vehicle use in military logistics already at the point of purchasing new vehicles, as well as evaluation of optimal operating period (service life) of vehicles, which leads to increased reliability and availability, and, consequently, to more effective use of military vehicles.

Social responsibility includes government's role modelling in responsibility for one's impacts over society. European Union suggests application of ISO 26000, which includes interdependence and holistic approach linking all contents; thus, European Union requires systemic behavior. This may include the societal care for population's safety. We discuss how much more success one could yield in the governmental action for safety, if one applied more systemic thinking. Case: the Critical Infrastructures (CI) are crucial safety issues, but CI's official international concept is not holistic enough to cover all potential threats with the traditionally foreseen safety measures, if a natural or intentional outbreak of the highly contagious diseases happens. CI needs redefinition; we suggest one which is closer to social responsibility as a new socio‐economic order. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

Background and Purpose
Quality within a healthcare system does not comprise only actions defined through certificates or required by law, standards and protocols; it is also defined by the well-being of healthcare workers on the one hand and patients on the other. The purpose paper is to analyse the link between the engagement of nurses and factors related to enhancing patient quality and safety.


Methods
The research involved 206 nursing employees from Slovenia's general hospitals. The questionnaire consists of four sections: employee engagement, the measure of self-efficacy, statements referring to various tools and methods that are used in nursing in daily work and that contribute to the quality of work, interpersonal relationships in the workplace between different professional groups within medical treatment, and attitude towards changes.


Results
Compared to other professions, nursing employees showed an above-average level of engagement. Younger respondents were more engaged in their work, and their self-efficacy level was higher. The frequency of using tools intended to enhance the quality of nursing correlates statistically typically and positively with self-efficacy, engagement and willingness to accept change. The analysed factors are interdependent. Engagement results from workplace interactions; employees who feel better in their workplace will be more oriented towards the future, be more open to innovation, and use various tools and approaches to enhance the work's quality.


Conclusion
Analysed concepts are closely connected and interdependent. The findings are essential for the successful and efficient management of hospitals and for ensuring patient quality and safety.

Traditional sciences are narrowly specialized into selected viewpoints and parts of reality. This causes important insights and oversights that are supposed to be resolved by cybernetics and systems theory. The General Systems Theory fights over‐specialization; cybernetics grew from interdisciplinary cooperation practicing this fight. More holism and wholeness result. The Dialectical Systems Theory adds methodology to support attainment of requisite holism and wholeness by influencing human attributes and methods. This makes it universally applicable. Its applied method USOMID and De Bono's Six Thinking Hats are very close and can be combined. The new concepts of social responsibility exposing 'interdependence and holistic approach' apply a very comparable concept and are found helpful against the current crisis as a consequence of over‐specialization. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.