Vasil Popovski

It has always been an issue in the human resource management selecting the right rewards for the employees especially in the public institutions. Many public institutions are unable to identify the types of rewards which are best used to foster employees’ work satisfaction. The study aims are to evaluate how reward systems in public institutions influence employee perception and to analyze their impact on job satisfaction, quality of work, and employee retention in the public sector of North Macedonia. Data were collected via self-administered questionnaire of 153 employees in public institutions in North Macedonia. Reliability and validity of the measurement instrument are confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha (0.777) and factor analysis. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis are applied to test the proposed hypotheses. The results indicate that the re-ward system has a positive but weak effect on job satisfaction (β = 0.142, p = 0.079), quality of work (β = 0.146, p = 0.071), and employee retention (β = 0.144, p = 0.075), with none of the effects reaching statistical significance. Additional hierarchical regression analysis suggests that demographic characteristics partially influence these relationships, while the contribution of re-ward systems remains limited. The findings imply that reward systems in public institutions play a secondary role in shaping employee outcomes, while other factors such as job security, intrinsic motivation, and institutional stability may be more influential. The study contributes to the limited empirical literature on public sector reward systems in North Macedonia and offers practical insights for policymakers and managers seeking to improve human resource management practices.

Human resource management represents a key factor in achieving effective and high quality performance in public institutions. Ensuring continuous employee motivation through welldesigned reward systems is essential for enhancing productivity. This study examines the role of reward systems within performance management policies and assesses their impact on employee productivity in public institutions in North Macedonia. The research focuses on the relationship between employee evaluation, salary increases, and career advancement. A quantitative research approach was applied using primary data collected from public sector employees. The findings indicate that reward systems are insufficiently implemented in public institutions, resulting in employee dis satisfaction and demotivation, which negatively affect productivity. The study highlights the need for more transparent, fair, and strategically aligned reward mechanisms.

Businesses face increasing pressure to adopt innovative and sustainable practices in response to growing environmental and economic challenges. This paper examines the relationship between green business models (GBMs), which integrate environmental and social objectives into value creation, and business model innovation (BMI), which focuses on competitiveness and growth by reconfiguring value creation and capture mechanisms. The central question is whether these approaches conflict or conditionally converge. The study builds on sustainable business model archetypes and established frameworks such as the Business Model Canvas and the Business Model Navigator. Using a conceptual and comparative research design, it systematically analyzes how value is defined, how sustainability is positioned within the business model, and the depth of transformation involved. The findings indicate that while traditional innovation logic has often prioritized short term economic performance, there is a growing change toward hybrid and sustainable business model innovation approaches that combine economic competitiveness with environmental and social value creation. Convergence emerges when sustainability is embedded within innovation processes rather than treated as an external constraint. The paper concludes by proposing a conceptual typology distinguishing innovation-focused, sustainability focused, and integrated business models, offering guidance for firms and policymakers navigating sustainability transitions.

Generalized trust is a form of social capital that fosters cooperation among groups of people, thereby contributing to economic development. But is the level of generalized trust influenced by the place of residence? This paper explores the distribution of generalized trust between individuals with residence in the big city of Skopje and smaller towns and rural areas in North Macedonia. A multiple regression model is used to analyse the difference in generalized trust from a sample of 1.453 individuals based on cross-sectional data from the author’s research conducted from December 2023 to January 2024 in North Macedonia. Furthermore, the model includes control demographic variables and proxy measures for people’s social networks, personality traits, positive experiences, and quality of local government. Results support the paper’s thesis that generalized trust is higher among individuals living in the city of Skopje than among individuals living in smaller towns and rural areas. Furthermore, additional tests suggest that the difference in generalized trust is associated with the place of residence among people with similar education and income levels. These findings provide evidence for the exception to the thesis that in developing countries, generalized trust is lower in big urban areas in comparison with smaller places.