20 ^th INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

September 11-13, 2025

Belgrade, Serbia

Conference Venue: The Institute of Economic Sciences (IES)
Institute of Economic Sciences, Zmaj Jovina 12, Belgrade, Serbia
For Online Sessions Time Zone: Belgrade Time Zone

Thursday, September 11, 2025 (First Day)

08:30-09:30	Registration
09:30-11:30	Opening Ceremony & Plenary Session
11:30-13:00	Special Session on Neuro-marketing
13:00-13:30	Coffee Break
13:30-15:00	Session I
15:00-16:00	Lunch
16:00-17:30	Session II
20:00-23:00	Gala Dinner (Venue: Mama Shelter Belgrade)

Friday, September 12, 2025 (Second Day)

09:30-11:00	Session III
11:00-11:30	Coffee Break
11:30-13:00	Session IV
13:00-14:00	Lunch
14:00-15:30	Session V
15:30-16:00	Coffee Break
16:00-17:30	Special Session on Projects
17:30-18:30	Evaluation Session

Saturday, September 13, 2025 (Third Day)

Post Conference Tour

FIRST DAY (11.09.2025)

(09:30-11:30) : Opening Ceremony and Plenary Session – Hall 1 and Online (MS Teams Link)

Conference Program Presenter: Professor Tanses Yasemin Gülsoy, Ph.D. (Istanbul Beykent University & Supervisory Board Member of International Strategic Management and Managers Association )

Opening Speech: Mehtap Özşahin, Ph.D. (Chair of the 20th International Strategic Management Conference-ISMC)

Opening Speech: Oya Erdil, Ph.D. (President of the International Strategic Management and Managers Association-ISMMA)

Welcoming Note: Vladimir Simovic, Ph.D. (Institute of Economic Sciences, Serbia – and Co-Chair of the 20th International Strategic Management Conference)

(10:10-10:50): Keynote Speaker: Erhan Artuc Ph.D. (Senior Economist-World Bank, Development Research Group)

Automation, AI and International Trade

(10:50-11:30): Keynote Speaker: Cornelius Bothma, Ph.D. (University of South Africa-UNISA, South Africa)

Using neuroscience to strategically engage the hearts and minds of consumers for a sustainable digital economy.

Special Session on Neuro-marketing – Hall 1 and Online (11:30-13:00) (MS Teams Link)

Demonstration by company mBrainTrain
Advancing Consumer Insights with Neurotechnology: Live Demo and Research Evidence

(13:00-13:30) Coffee Break

Session I (13:30-15:00)

Shaping the Future of the Digital Economy: Innovation, Sustainability, and Industry 5.0 – Hall 1 and Online (13:30-15:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: ZBIGNIEW BENTYN

The Impact of Digital Equity in Healthcare Sector on the Sustainable Digital Economy (DARIJANA ANTONIĆ, IMRAN ASLAN, SLOBODAN STANIC- In-person)

Framing Digital Innovation and Sustainability Narratives Within the Digital Economy: Lessons from Top Technology Companies (IRGE SENER, YAVUZ SELIM BALCIOGLU, AHMET ANIL KARAPOLATGIL-In-person)

The Digitalized Economy and the Transformation of E-Commerce: Drivers and Research Trends (FULYA TASEL, EBRU BEYZA BAYARCELIK- In-person)

Industry 5.0 Approach to Optimizing Toughness in Additively Manufactured 316l Stainless Steel (JAHID HASAN, KHALIL KHANAFER- Online)

Digital Marketing Strategies and Consumer Insights Across Sectors – Hall 2 and Online (13:30-15:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: ANTONIO MINGUEZ-VERA

Exploring Digital Marketing Readiness for Platform Work among Persons with Physical Disabilities in Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro (MILENA LAZIĆ- In-person)

User Interface Evaluation of Sales Applications in the Telecommunication Sector (HUSEYIN SELCUK KILIC, ZEYNEP TUGCE KALENDER, NUR BESER, SEVAN KATRANCIOGLU- Online)

Perceptions of Instagram Posts in Kuwait's Banking Sector: Insights From Bank Marketing Managers and Consumers (MARCELLE DE LA ROCHE, FAIDON THEOFANIDIS, FATIMA ALLOUGMAN, ALEKSANDRA JOVANOVIC, VLADIMIR SIMOVIC- In-person)

The Effects of Digital Marketing Strategies on Purchase Intention: Mediating Role of Brand Awareness in the Aviation Industry (MELIKE ZEHIR, MUSTAFA KEMAL YILMAZ, HADDY FAAL- Online)

Leadership for Transformation: Digital, Strategic, and Societal Perspectives – Hall 3 and Online (13:30-15:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: YAMEN NISSI

Digital Leadership as a Catalyst for Digital Transformation and Sustainable Digital Economies: a Mixed-Methods Research (ZEYNEP KAPTAN, BORA YILDIZ- In-person)

Sparking Leadership's Role in Enhancing Gen Z Employees' Innovation and Self-Efficacy (ELIF BILGINOGLU, UGUR YOZGAT- In-person)

Comparison of Leadership Styles and Organizational Commitment Perceptions of Teachers Working in Giresun, Ordu and Trabzon Provinces in Terms of State and Private Schools (SELIM KOCA, KURTULUS YILMAZ GENC- Online)

Collaboration Between Engineers and Managers: a Study in the Palestinian Manufacturing Sector (AYSAR EL NJOUM, PELIN VARDARLIER- Online)

(15:00-16:00) Lunch Break

Session II (16:00-17:30)

Finance in the Digital Era: Fintech, Governance, and Sustainability – Hall 1 and Online (16:00-17:30) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: UGUR YOZGAT

Gender Diversity as a Risk Buffer: Corporate Governance and Financial Stability in Spanish SMEs (ANTONIO MINGUEZ-VERA, JOANNA HERNIK, LUIS A. PALMA-MARTOS, MARIA SAFITRI- In-person)

Comparison of Countries with Socio-Economic Indicators According to Their Development Level (ASLI ORGERIM, MEHMET TEPELI, ADNAN KALKAN- In-person)

Financial Sustainability: Importance and Functioning of Fintech Applications (YUSUF BAHADIR KAVAS, BATUHAN MEDETOGLU, ARIF SALDANLI- Online)

Uncovering Digital Maturity and Financial Performance Relationship in the Service Sectors (MUSTAFA K. YILMAZ, MINE AKSOY, ESRA CENGIZ TIRPAN, MEHTAP OZSAHIN, ERMAN COSKUN, OZGUR UYSAL- Online)

From Digitalization to Delivery: Enhancing Supply Chain Sustainability and Performance – Hall 2 and Online (16:00-17:30) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: MARCELLE DE LA ROCHE

Integrating Digital Technologies for Enhanced Sustainability and Performance in Supply Chains (YAMEN NISSI, FAIDON THEOFANIDIS, FARID ABDALLAH-In-person)

Logistics Performance as a Logistics Barrier for a Country (ZBIGNIEW BENTYN, SYLWIA KONECKA, A. ZAFER ACAR- In-person)

Cyberattacks as a Logistical Barrier in the Context of LPI Analysis (SYLWIA KONECKA, ZBIGNIEW BENTYN A. ZAFER ACAR- In-person)

Evaluation of Automotive After Sales Services in Türkiye (ADNAN CORUM, SINEM ARPACI YIGIT- In-person)

Human Capital in the Digital Era: Recruitment, Leadership, and Organizational Behavior – Hall 3 and Online (16:00-17:30) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: IRGE SENER

Eye Movements to Strategic Talent Decisions: A Sustainability-Oriented Approach to Digital Recruitment Using Eye-Tracking Technology (PELIN VARDARLIER- In-person)

Strategic Performance Management in the Digital Era: Data-Driven HR & Leadership (MIRNA SAFI, YAMEN NISSI, OUALID ABIDI- Online)

Digital Competence Mapping of Local Government Employees in Heraklion Prefecture Based on the Digcomp 2.2 Framework (KOUNOUPAS NIKOS, YIANNIS DIMOTIKALIS, CHRISTOS H. SKIADAS- Online)

Industry 5.0 – the Impact of Robots and Cyborgs on Organizations From the Perspectives of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management (SEDA DEMIR, KADIR ALPASLAN DEMIR, MERAL ELCI-Online)

20:00-23:00 GALA DINNER

Venue: Mama Shelter Belgrade, Kneza Mihaila 54A, Belgrade 11000, Serbia

SECOND DAY (12.09.2025)

Session III (09:30-11:00)

From Green Innovation to Smart Cities: Pathways to Sustainable Development – Hall 1 and Online (09:30-11:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: OUALID ABIDI

Strategic Governance for Sustainable Performance: ESG Impacts of Board and Financial Structures in International Logistics (MERT DEMIR, BAHAUDIN G. MUJTABA, PELIN VARDARLIER- In-person)

Organizational Resilience in Micro-Enterprises: A Case Study of a Family Business (HANDAN GUNYAKTI AKDENIZ, HATICE ZUMRUT TONUS- In-person)

A Bibliometric Review of Green Innovation and Environmental Performance (LAZGEEN MOHAMMED HALO, ESIN CAN- Online)

Strategies and Perspectives of Big Data in Smart City Monitoring for the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) (CATERINA AURA- Online)

Human-Centric Digital Transformation: AI, Competence, and Work-Life Balance – Hall 2 and Online (09:30-11:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: ALPER ERTURK

Work-Life Balance in the Age of AI: Opportunities and Challenges for Women (JELENA KRSTIĆ, IVANA DOMAZET- In-person)

Strategic Implications of Digital Competence, Self-Directed Learning, and Digital Engagement among University Students: Insights for Adapting to Future Digital Work Environment (SEHNAZ OKKIRAN, CAN DEMIRAL- Online)

The Level of Artificial Intelligence Usage among the Students of Management Information Systems Department (KAAN HASAN KALKAN, MEHMET NACI EFE, SIMGE COSKUN, BAHADIR HAMZA GUL- Online)

Navigating the Digital Trustscape: A Systematic Review of Online Reviews and Review Authenticity (FATMA PELIN EREL, YASEMIN ORAMAN- Online)

Strategic Performance and Innovation: Insights from Organizations and Industries – Hall 3 and Online (09:30-11:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: EBRU BEYZA BAYARCELIK

Effects of Business Models on Bank Performance (KAMELIA ASSENOVA- In-person)

Innovation Starts Inside: the Impact of Organizational Structure on Innovation Performance (GONCA LAZOGLU GUR, KURTULUS YILMAZ GENC-Online)

Strategic Analysis of the Impact of Global Sea Level Events on Coastal Airports (DIDEM RODOPLU SAHIN, NALAN AKYURT- Online)

The Relationship Between Absorptive Capacity, Product Innovation, Firm Performance and Market Turbulence (CEMAL ZEHIR , YASIN SEHITOGLU, SUMEYYE CICEK VURAL - Online)

(11:00-11:30) Coffee Break

Session IV (11:30-13:00)

From Metrics to Digital Innovation: Evolving Higher Education Performance – Hall 1 and Online (11:30-13:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: IVANA DOMAZET

The Interplay Between University Characteristics, Sustainability Performance, and Industry Outcomes in the GCC Region (OUALID ABIDI, VLADIMIR DZENOPOLJAC, ALEKSANDRA DZENOPOLJAC- In-person)

From Unipolar to Multipolar: Global University Rankings (2003–2024) a Comparative Analysis of Global University Rankings (2003–2024) (MEHMET BARCA, SEMIH CEYHAN, MUSAB TALHA AKPINAR, MUHAMMED FATIH OZER, EMIRHAN YAGCI- Online)

From Utility to Dependency: Gendered Patterns of Technology Addiction and Their Impact on Learning Engagement in Higher Education (SEHNAZ OKKIRAN, CAN DEMIREL- Online)

Market Driven Rise of Digital University in the 21st Century (ALI ESKINAT, SUAT TEKER- Online)

Organizational Behavior and Technology in the Sustainable Digital Economy – Hall 2 and Online (11:30-13:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: SYLWIA KONECKA

Strategic Collaboration as Dynamic Capability: A Mechanism-Based Framework for Hybrid Organizations (CIHAN TINAZTEPE CAGLAR - In-person)

The Situation of Artificial Intelligence Usage among Management Information Systems Students According to Demographic Indicators (ADNAN KALKAN, SIMGE COSKUN, KAAN HASAN KALKAN- In-person)

A Bibliometric Perspective on Technostress Research: Trends, Themes, and Collaboration Networks (MERT TEMUR, ESIN CAN- Online)

Is Individual Adapting Effective in the Technology Acceptance Model? (CEREN OZKAN, SONGUL YILDIZ- Online)

Digital Transformation in Education, Entrepreneurship, and Business Management – Hall 3 and Online (11:30-13:00) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: PELIN VARDARLIER

Examining Digital Methods in Health Sciences Education: A Meta-Analysis Study (YIGIT KEREM YILDIZ, FADIME CINAR, UGUR YOZGAT- In-person)

Which Socio-Demographic Factors Drive Digital Merchant Payments? Evidence from Serbia and Türkiye (MARIJA ANTONIJEVIĆ, IVANA DOMAZET- In-person)

Bridging the Gap Digital Literacy in Entrepreneurial Contexts (ECE NUR POLAT, DILAN KIZILTEPE, SENANUR SELDA CETINKAYA, DILAN DERYA DURAK, SEVVAL NISA KULLU- In-person)

A Study on the Ability of Digital Twin Technologies to Fulfill Managerial Tasks in Businesses (IZZET KILINC, ASEL DEMIRDAG, ASLIHAN UNAL- Online)

(13:00-14:00) Lunch Break

Session V (14:00-15:30)

Innovative and Sustainable Marketing: Strategies for Consumer Engagement and Loyalty – Hall 1 and Online (14:00-15:30) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: TANSES YASEMIN GULSOY

Big Five Personality, Tourism Image and Experiential Marketing Affecting Tourist's Re-Visiting Phatthalung Province (CHETSADA NOKNOI- In-person)

Exploring Innovative Marketing Approaches for Competitive Advantage in Saturated Markets (DHRUV KISHORE BOLE-Online)

The Impact of Sustainable Marketing on Purchase Behavior: The Moderating Role of Perceived Consumer Effectiveness (FARIZ HASANOV, HATICE ANIL DEGERMEN- Online)

Saving Time or Saving Money? Exploring the Effect of Opportunity Cost of Time on Store Deal Proneness and Value Consciousness (AYSUN SAHIN- Online)

Proactive Customer Loyalty Initiatives in the Telecommunications Services Industry – Evidence from Montenegro (SABAHUDIN KUJOVIĆ, IVANA DOMAZET- Online)

Psychological and Organizational Drivers of Career Engagement and Job Crafting – Hall 2 and Online (14:00-15:30) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: CEMAL ZEHIR

The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment in the Effect of General Self-Efficacy on Job Crafting: a Study on Aviation Industry Employees (SEMIH SORAN, PINAR HORASANLI GÖKALP- In-person)

Wishful Thinking or Worthwhile Inspiration? The Role of Celebrity Role Models Influences on Undergraduates' Career Engagement (BERIVAN TATAR, ZEYNEP KARADENIZ CISDIK, OYA ERDIL- In-person)

Understanding Intention to Continue among International Students: A Parallel and Serial Mediation Model of Socio-Cultural Influences (ALPEREN SAHIN, T. SABRI ERDIL, BAHADIR AYAR- Online)

The Role of Job Insecurity on Person-Organization Fit (MESUT YURTCU, ADNAN CEYLAN- Online)

Entrepreneurship, Inclusion, and Digital Empowerment for Women in Business – Hall 3 and Online (14:00-15:30) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: BORA YILDIZ

Promoting Female Entrepreneurship in Non-Urban Areas of the Republic of Serbia (JELENA VUJADINOVIĆ, DARKO MARJANOVIĆ- In-person)

Entrepreneurial Intention among Female Students: the Role of Personality, Orientation, Digital Skills, and Social Support (VEHAP KOLA, GENTJAN ULAJ, ELVISA DRISHTI, IRISI KASAPI, DORIAN ALIU- Online)

Innovative Social Enterprise – Change Towards a Fulfilling Life and Social Inclusion (Good Practices in Bulgaria) (MARIYA IVANOVA-Online)

Global Value Chains: From Multinational Dominance to SME Empowerment in A Regionalized and Digitalized World (IRMAK ORMAN, SUAT TEKER, DILEK TEKER- Online)

(15:30-16:00) Coffee Break

Special Session on International Projects (16:00-17:30)

Bridging Research and Practice: Highlights from International Projects – Hall 1 and Online (16:00-17:30) (MS Teams Link)

Chair: VLADIMIR SIMOVIC

Evaluating the Impact of Game-Based Learning on University Student's Skill Development – a Cross-Cultural Analysis (STEPHEN COLBRAN - Online)

Digital Marketing Capacity Building - Empowering Persons with Physical Disabilities for Remote Work (VLADIMIR SIMOVIC - In-Person)

Serious Games in Action: Educational Insights with Simbound (LOUIS HAVRILUC, Simbound CEO - In-Person)

Industrial Symbiosis as a Transformational Strategy for Sustainable Digital and Industrial Practices (ALMUDENA MUÑOZ PUCHE, VASILIKI SKOULOU, ALEKSANDAR ERCERG, HASAN VOLKAN ORAL, MERIM KASUMOVIC, JIRI STROUHAL- Online)

Evaluation Session and Best paper Announcement – Hall 1 and Online (17:30-18:30)

(MS Teams Link)

Closing Speech: Alper Ertürk, Ph.D. (Co-Chair of the 20th International Strategic Management Conference)

THIRD DAY (13.09.2025)

(11:00-14:00) Post Conference Tour

DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR

Sightseeing: Republic Square, the National Theater, and the National Museum; the Bohemian Quarter (Skadarlija); the oldest part of Belgrade with Ottoman heritage; the oldest residential house and the Museum of the Serbian Language; the only mosque in the city (Bajrakli Mosque); Belgrade Zoo; Kalemegdan Park and Belgrade Fortress; "Victor," the most famous symbol of Belgrade; the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers; the Cathedral Church; Café "?"; and Knez Mihailova Street.