Multinational teams increasingly popular in global companies, only differences are a problem in BiH

BANJA LUKA, (Patria) - The war in Europe ended in 1945, and 22 years after the war, in 1967, Europe was completely rebuilt. It shone with brilliance. Workers from Yugoslavia were even going to Germany for temporary work, reminded the director of the International Institute for Middle Eastern and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana, dr. Zijad Bećirović, during the International Business Forum "Where and how to proceed in BiH business" held on Thursday in Banja Luka, as part of the ceremony for proclaiming the most successful managers and personalities of the year in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The proclamation was organized by the European Independent Agency, reports NAP.

Bećirović further reminded that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region is much worse even compared to that time, because 22 years after the tragic conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, the economic situation in those countries is weaker than almost 30 years ago. And the world, he compared, is disproportionately more developed and globalized than it was 70 years ago.

"The Republic of Croatia had a higher GDP in 1979 than in 2015. Therefore, the key question that arises is how to ensure the economic prosperity of all these countries of ours", said Bećirović, adding that there is no doubt that the future of the region lies in association and a common market.

Bećirović reminded that historical experiences have shown that all these states (former Yugoslavia) functioned best when they were part of larger entities, "whether it was the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, Yugoslavia, the EU, and therefore the issue of European integration arises as a necessity and an urgent need".

"Businessmen understand this best; if nothing else, they know what the entity market means, the state market, what the space of the former common state of Yugoslavia means, and what the EU market of 500 million people can bring us, of course, if we know how to use it. When considering that between 70 and 80 percent of all trade is conducted in the region, this further emphasizes the importance of regional cooperation", stated Bećirović, adding that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country with strong, but untapped potential. According to him, a country cannot develop without energy, it cannot develop without telecommunications, a country without roads cannot progress, and therefore it is necessary to invest in infrastructure.

"Water resources with which BiH is rich and the production of healthy food can be comparative advantages of BiH. There is strong potential in the IT sector, we have top IT professionals", said Bećirović.

"Untapped potentials exist in the energy sector, service sector, know-how, ecological projects or pollution reduction (ecology), special-purpose production and logistics", he added.

He said that if Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to reach the economic level of the European Union, it is necessary to bring the infrastructure of the countries to that level. If BiH wants true progress, GDP growth rates must be at least 5 percent, as this allows for debt servicing and enables development; anything below that does not allow for development.

"The role of the state is important in all of this, as it creates the environment and legal regulations for business development. The establishment of the rule of law also ensures the security of the business itself. The role of the regulator is extremely important, but it must be correct", stated Bećirović. He particularly emphasized the role of politics in creating the business environment of a country. He said that "we all know well what every spoken word means in this region", meaning how much damage it can cause to the economy itself.

"We know very well how stock markets react globally to the rhetoric of leaders of key countries. Sometimes politicians would do much more for the economy if they just kept quiet", added Bećirović, noting that it is equally important to stop the emigration of young people, as no country can develop without quality staff.

Speaking about the differences in BiH, Bećirović said that these differences should not be emphasized, "because if you look at it that way, you will see that everyone is a minority". Germans, he said, although the most numerous in the EU, are still a minority compared to 500 million EU citizens. Bosnia and Herzegovina, he says, has open doors in all directions if it knows how to use them. Therefore, in his opinion, it is important to know how to manage differences in BiH.

"In modern global companies, multinational teams that manage companies are increasingly present; they are a great advantage if one knows how to manage all these differences", concluded Bećirović, reports the Patria agency.