Women’s managerial power ‘worth’ 32 billion euros

Women are less prone to corruption. They are more loyal to their employers. They navigate crises better. They are often responsible for finances in companies. And most of them sit in middle management. This is also the lesson from this year’s Lider list of the 300 most powerful women in Croatian business and the daily encounters with a series of scandals in the economy.

IN THE NEW ISSUE OF THE BUSINESS WEEKLY LIDER, TAKE A STEP FURTHER AND LEARN MUCH MORE ABOUT CURRENT ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

The government would prefer to spend foreign exchange reserves – two-thirds of the budget – to secure another term. However, if the foreign exchange reserves fall, Croatia will fall too. Perhaps under someone’s protectorate. Read more in Gordana Gelenčer’s story ‘Foreign Exchange Reserves: The Last Line of Defense of Apparent Stability’.

Three hundred chairwomen and members of boards, as well as chairwomen of supervisory boards, have a managerial power of 32 billion euros this year, which is an impressive increase of as much as 35 percent compared to last year’s list. However, in the most responsible positions, the situation is diametrically opposed – the 100 most powerful chairwomen today manage companies whose revenues are 12.5 percent lower than last year. More is revealed by Bojana Božanić in the weekly topic ‘300 Most Powerful Women in Croatian Business’.

The regulation on the return of capital investments is in force, there is no money for this and next year, farmers are still waiting for payments from 2008, and during the terrain check, three fraudsters were discovered. More is revealed by Edis Felić in the text ‘Who Took It, Took at Least 300 Million Kuna in Returns’.

In recent years, everyone thinks that Croatia must be more competitive in order to grow economically. Competitiveness has become a ‘conditio sine qua non’. Among the 58 countries that the IMD World Competitiveness Center evaluates each year, Croatia has fallen again, currently ranking second to last. Why this should concern domestic entrepreneurs is best known by Stéphane Garelli, a professor at the IMD Business School and the University of Lausanne, and director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center, with whom we spoke last Tuesday during the Presidential Forum organized by the IEDC Business School in Bled.

In recent years, new faces have constantly appeared among winemakers in Croatia. Most of them try to attract public attention with awards won, but some gain publicity even before being adorned with any wine recognition, simply because they are influential people from the business world. Whether influential people from the business world indeed find it easier to start a wine business is revealed by Tatjana Brebrić.

Our advisor, Mr. sc. Marija Zuber writes about corporate income tax. Taxpayers of corporate income tax since November 2010 are required to keep special records of expenses for private needs of company members and other persons closely related to them. The second new mandatory record relates to profit advance.

The World section deals with Ireland. Ireland’s consent to European aid has not reassured investors and financial markets, now frightened that the debt crisis could spread across Europe. However, markets are most concerned about Spain, whose exit, if it were to happen, would seriously stretch the EU’s capabilities. More from the pen of Vanja Figenwald.

If innovation is a machine, the company should design it, lubricate it, and manage it. If innovation is a magical garden, the company should create conditions in which the garden can flourish, cultivate it, and let the magic happen – market success and defeated competition. About innovations in Business Knowledge writes Vedran Antoljak from Sense Consulting.

Chinese President Hu Jintao is the main character of this week’s feuilleton. Although he has been at the helm of China since 2003, the world has only recently recognized President Hu Jintao as a kind of Chinese brand, a man who represents China at all major world events. He is the true product of today’s China. (G. J.)

The new Lider gifts its readers two special supplements ‘Premium Products and Services’ and ‘303 Most Desirable Partners’