Pandemics cause chaotic situations in supply chains around the world, which can lead to survival challenges. The current Covid-19 pandemic is an unforeseen humanitarian crisis that is seriously affecting the global dynamics of all businesses. Also, in the past, the emergence of various epidemics caused great weaknesses for businesses.Due to such phenomena, the introduction of strategies for prevention against organizational disorders should be established to create clear signposts and vigilant conceptualization. In this regard, there is a need to explore supply chain management and operations strategies to overcome the challenges posed by Covid-19-like situations.This research is done in order to understand the strategies created to measure the sustainability of supply chains in companies, the impact of the pandemic crisis on the business environment, in terms of effective allocation of resources, supply and demand disruptions and optimization of the transportаtion network, i.e. the overall operation of all links in a single supply chain.

Gamification represents a relatively new term that has become massively popular in recent years. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the various definitions regarding gamification, to present a unified process of designing a gamified system and to research the use of gamification on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia. Gamification focuses on the internal motivators of employees, which are much more powerful and longer-lasting than the external motivators traditionally used in human resource management. Since this concept relies on video games, data demonstrated makes it clear that they are prevalent in each age group and there is no inclination of one sex over the other. The research done through a questionnaire on SMEs in the IT industry on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia was focused on researching the gamification trends in the country and generally gave positive results regarding the level of use and the readiness of the Macedonian managers for gamification. A high percentage of the companies surveyed are using or are in the process of implementing gamified systems and consider that they could bring a number of benefits. The main disadvantages are the lack of understanding by employees and insufficient technical knowledge. The paper contributes in clarifying the gamification concept and distinguishing it from other similar concepts. From a practical standpoint, the presented process for designing a gamified process can be utilized by companies in the IT industry in the future, regardless of the country of origin.

The focus of the paper are the different channels for implementation of e-recruitment and their respective efficiency. As the “work from home” model became the default in the pandemic, there was a steady rise in the use of e-recruitment platforms and social media channels. However, businesses report that there is a discrepancy between in the e-recruitment process between varying position levels, based on the industry, type of job and required experience. The paper researches the first step (i.e. attracting candidates) in the e-recruitment process for entry-level positions, as defined being with lower than country average salary, no required experience and faculty education. Through the process of primary quantitative and qualitative analysis, the results of the paper determine that certain channels may deliver results several times higher than others, in particular social media as a whole. Variable factors such as creative elements, job description and other are outlined in the paper to place the foundation for further research. The reach and efficiency of social media channels in e-recruitment is determined to be a powerful tool if utilized within a proper framework. The paper finalizes the research with the obstacles created with e-recruitment as a whole in the recruitment process, after the first phase of attracting candidates is completed.

This paper elaborates the issue about the ,,brain drain" phenomenon observing it through the prism of its intensity in the Republic of Macedonia and its positive and negative impacts, but also its effects on the development of the economy in the country. This research, which covered 1400 respondents from the target group of young people, aged between 15 and 29, begins by providing answers to the questions about the extent to which this phenomenon is present in Macedonia, what are the characteristics of the people who tend to leave the country, what are the pull factors that attract them to go abroad and also, what are the push factors that stimulate them to leave their own country, what are their expectations in relation to the development of the country in the future, what are their opinions about the effects of the brain drain on the development of the countrywhether they are positive or negative effects and finally, which measures and policies, according to the respondents are of a great importance and should be taken by the government institutions and authorities, non-governmental organizations and private sector in order to reduce brain drain in the country. Republic of Macedonia is threatened by serious losses from brain drain that could decrease the human capital of the country and its economic growth. Macedonia faces a serious brain drain threat: 77.03% of respondents have firm stances to permanently leave the country, which is equal to loss of intellectual potential, loss of future skilled workers and entrepreneurs. It is a huge number of young people and poses a great danger to the aging of the population in the country, a risk to the economic potential and economic development of the country, especially if the continuity of migration lasts for a long time. Fortunately, the brain drain is a dynamic phenomenon, and its direction and intensity can be significantly changed through honest, serious and selfless efforts of all social stakeholders. In this direction, well-designed measures for the preservation of human capital in the country and their consistent implementation in practice, could turn this trend of brain drain into a successful brain circulation in Macedonia for a period of 5-10 years. Based on the presented results of the research given in the following text, but also on the basis of personal expertise and continuous monitoring of the brain drain process from the country, we propose several most important recommendations for activities at different levels of influence.Апстракт: Овој труд го разработува прашањето за феноменот "одлив на мозоци", набљудувајќи го истиот низ призма на неговиот интензитет во Република Македонија и неговите позитивни и негативни влијанија, но и неговите ефекти врз економскиот развој во земјата. Ова истражување, кое опфати 1400 испитаници од целната група на млади луѓе, на возраст помеѓу 15 и 29 години, дава одговор на прашањата за степенот до кој овој феномен е присутен во Македонија, кои се карактеристиките на луѓето кои имаат тенденција да ја напуштат земјата, кои ...

The paper establishes the central point for researching factors that influence buying decisions in the online purchasing process. The benefits of e-commerce for both buyers and sellers place it as the default method of shopping in the near future. Through empirical research, e-commerce growth is being established as rapidly rising through recent years, which has been accelerated by specific factors introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data shows that e-commerce is dependent on several different factors during normal circumstances, which also include the level of development of the country as one of the main precursors. The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced greatly the importance of these established factors for online purchasing, rendering many of them obsolete. The paper structures the research to outline the most relevant factors influencing online purchasing decisions pre-pandemic and during pandemic times, and to draw relevant conclusions and recommendations for future practical implementations of e-commerce models. Research shows that new factors need to be introduce in these types of abnormal times, as the nature of the pandemic made non-contact interactions the norm in the past year. By introducing the six stages of pandemic behavior, online retailers can better understand the factors influencing online purchasing process in pandemic times. Finally, specific recommendations can be made to improve the e-commerce acceptance both at industry and company levels.