Serbian 
                                           Serbian Journal of Management 1 (2) (2006) 87 - 93           Journal
                                                                                                           of 
                                                                                                     Management
                  www.sjm.tf.bor.ac.yu
                   BALKANIC TYPE OFLEADERSHIPAND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
                                           @. @ivkovi}*, I. Mihajlovi} and S. Prvulovi}
                               University in Belgrade, Technical faculty at Bor, VJ 12, 19210 Bor, Serbia
                                           (Received 5 September 2006; accepted 20 October 2006)
                  Abstract
                     In the Balkan Peninsula region post communistic countries are in the period of transition on their
                  way to EU integrations. This process is long and with many problems comprehended. In these
                  conditions specific type of leadership is developed. The authors of this paper refer to the leaders of
                  this type by naming them: "Balkanic type of leaders-Balkanians", with their particular
                  characteristics. Having in mind wide market region, where almost 100 millions of customers live,
                  this type of leadership cold have its global importance. Especially important is the fact that the
                  elements of this type of leadership will remain in this region for a very long time.
                  Keywords: Leadership, Characteristics, Balkanic type of leader, Balkan.
                  1. INTRODUCTION                                       of modern management and provide results
                                                                        to the organizations he leads [3].
                     Leadership is the phenomenon which                    Numerous investigations indicate the fact
                  begins to be seriously investigated in the first      that organizations are even more
                  half of 20th century in the studies conducted         approaching to the organizational leadership
                  by K.Lewin and R. Lippitt [1] and later R.            development as their comparative advances.
                  Kohn and D. Katz [2]. By the end of Mc Call et al [4] considered that team work
                  twentieth and beginning of twenty first               is the base for developing the leader qualities
                  century this phenomena attract number of              and improving business performances,
                  investigators because of the fact that leader         which are often regarded as team
                  knows how to lead people, knows many arts             performances [5]. 
                  * Corresponding author: zzivkovic@tf.bor.ac.yu
                   88                               @.@ivkovi} / SJM 1 (2) (2006) 87 - 93
                     Modern business results are often 2. BALKAN CONCEPT
                  considered as learning new management
                  skills and team work, impelling has                  Balkan Peninsula is in Southeast Europe
                  synergetic effect on the results of creative      and during past years, the countries of this
                  work according to Kim et al [6].                  region all had storming history. For the
                     Authors of [5] debated on individual           period of 500 years most of this region was
                  differences and organized forms of under Turkish occupation and small part was
                  leadership process where complexity of            under protectorate of Austro-Hungarian
                  leadership process, as the result of individual   monarchy (e.g. Croatia). Wars for liberation
                  differences of people involved, was clearly       were long and continued during nineteenth
                  indicated.                                        century, resulting with destructive changes
                     Studying behavior and operational mode         on every 40 years average, which led to slow
                  of the leader some prototypes were defined:       development of the region.
                  charismatic, authentic, transformational             Serbia presents a curiosity which
                  (transitional), unconventional, participate all the wars and, as a rule, had
                  transformational-transactional and other [5].     strongest opponent: during nineteenth
                  Mumford [7] specially studied development         century Turkey; Beginning of 20th century
                  of creativity dependent on the process of idea    Austro-Hungarian monarchy; 1941-1945
                  evolution until implementation, where             Germany and in 1998 NATO alliance.
                  leadership process has special importance.        Customary, all defeats in those wars local
                     Leadership process complexity, which is        politicians declared victories.
                  result of every man complexity and his               It is not perchance that this region was
                  interaction with the environment, determine       named Balkan, according to good of war in
                  many of leaders subtypes characteristic for       Hellenic mythology. In modern English,
                  certain specific parts of the world.              word Balkan means: "Partition of larger
                     In this paper an attempt is made to            territory on small regions, with resulting
                  indicate one typical region in Southeast          regions staying in antagonistic relations
                  Europe - Balkan region (Romania, Bulgaria,        during the long period of time". 
                  Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and              In the period after world war two (after
                  Croatia) ,which presents the market with          1945), SSSR had strong influence on Balkan
                  approximately 100 millions of customers,          countries resulting with dictatorial
                  and new type of leaders which appeared            communist regimes: Romania (H.
                  during the last ten years, after beginning of     Chausesky), Bulgaria (T. Zivkov), Albania
                  transitions resulting from overthrowing           (E. Hodza), Former Yugoslavia (J.Broz). In
                  communist autocratic regimes in this region.      those mono partial communist regimes there
                  The authors of this paper believe that it is      were no changes allowed. Centralistic
                  appropriate to name this type of leaders          management of public economy, according
                  "Balkanic type of leader", according to the       to determined rules in the conditions of
                  region where it was developed during the          closed market, developed class of managers,
                  years.                                            recruited from the communist party staff, and
                                                                    trained for this system of managing. Many
                                                                    performances of those managers were
                                                                    positive because they had been trained and
                                                        @.@ivkovi} / SJM 1 (2) (2006) 87 - 93                               89
                  closely controlled by the party agencies.               collapse of public companies and institutions
                      After the fall of the Berlin wall (1989),           with "democratic" managers who obtained
                  unification of Germany and collapse of                  leaders positions having atypical behavior
                  SSSR, democratic changes started in all                 and, as a rule, bad business results in the
                  Southeast Europe countries including companies they manage.
                  countries of Balkan region.  Unfortunately,                 Having in mind very similar behavior of
                  disintegration of former Yugoslavia wasn't              this "new wave" leaders of Balkan region,
                  peaceful. It began with merciless war among             which are specific compared to modern
                  recent neighbors and finished after NATO                definition of leaders prototypes, authors of
                  bombing of Serbia.                                      this paper named this category "Balkanic
                      In the Balkan countries today, after multi          type of leader" not only after region in which
                  partial political system is formed (around ten          they act but with consideration of the habits
                  parties participate in government and on                typical for this part of the world and essential
                  political scene averagely twenty parties are            meaning of the word Balkan.
                  active) during period of transition, public                 The authors of this paper have proposed
                  property remained and all the managers were             seven hypotheses, which they will try to
                  replaced since executive position are now               prove as the seven characteristic features of
                  occupied by members of ascendant political              Balkanic type of leaders. 
                  parties which become prominent in the
                  actions of communist regimes overthrowing                   Hypothesis 1: Desire for total power.
                  (dominant criteria).                                    Considering that in their past (most of them
                      Main attributes of new managers in older then 50 years) they couldn't reach any
                  Balkan countries, which are in transition               managerial position, since the selection was
                  process with their main goal to become                  rigorous during communist party regime,
                  members of EU (all except Slovenia, which               presently fulfilled wish should speed up
                  is the member of EU) are following:                     accomplishing all new wishes. They don't
                      1)   Those are the people with their low            have time to be managers, momentarily
                  level of knowledge, competences and skills,             impose their leadership position since desire
                  which during communist regimes couldn't                 for ascendancy and subordination of others is
                  become managers on any position.                        the fluid characteristic for all of them. They
                      2)   They didn't have any training or               want absolute power, and this desire is rather
                  education for any form of management,                   big since, for them, it brings even more
                  especially not for working in market satisfaction then sex. Most of the managers
                  economy condition and the free market.                  (more then 98% in Balkan region are male)
                      3)   Those people are mostly older then             are experiencing total power, same as in
                  50 years (some over 60) with limited psycho             sexual intercourse when female completely
                  physical capacity.                                      gives her self and male (if he is a potent) in
                                                                          those moments is experiencing absolutely
                                                                          domination. 
                  3. BALKANIC TYPE OFLEADER                                   At the same time they want to take all that
                                                                          the remaining of their life can offer. Desiring
                      In the transition process in all Balkan             more power, Balkanic type of leader, as a
                  countries same phenomena appears, fast                  rule, has more then one lover also proving in
                   90                                 @.@ivkovi} / SJM 1 (2) (2006) 87 - 93
                  this manner his absolute power. Moreover,          disgruntled, official business results don't
                  Balkanic type of leader doesn't retain             concern them. Stealing from company
                  employees who bring him the bad news, only         (without any consequences since laws in the
                  those who flatter him are eligible. In his         Balkan region are rarely appreciated) they
                  essence, Balkanic type of leader is narcisoid      insure their future without questioning the
                  type who wishes admiration of all future of the company which they leave
                  subordinates concerning his: irresistible          when retire. Principle "after me doomsday"
                  look, ingenious ideas and amazing business         is often crucial in substance of their
                  results. Subordinates who accept yes-man           consideration. 
                  role are well positioned; however it is often
                  for very short time since problems in the             Hypothesis 3: Doesn't want new
                  company quickly become visible. In the             knowledge 
                  context of developed characteristics, in this         In the past periods of time, in Balkan
                  case, leader isn't the owner since assets of the   countries, there weren't practice of
                  company are public (everyone's, hence              continuous education, and new managers
                  nobody's) meaning that functioning of              with obscure knowledge obtained in school
                  Balkanic type of leader is only possible in        aren't ready to gain new skills. Most of them
                  those conditions.                                  were bad students so in conscience they
                                                                     share resistance to any form of education. At
                      Hypothesis 2: The principle: "to be            the same time, they believe they know
                  therefore I am" is fundamental trigger             everything so it is impossible for them to
                      Concerning that overall power of learn anything new. Self education is also
                  Balkanic leader is de facto presenting his         impossible since they don't have capacity for
                  positional power, it is rare that it could be      this kind of effort. 
                  improved by his personal power (knowledge,            Z. Zivkovic et al. [8] pointed up that over
                  charisma, skills, ….. ). Autocratic style of       800 top managers in Serbia were recruited
                  administration is therefore dominant.              from the "bad student" squad, with average
                      Balkanic leaders do not tolerate criticism,    degree under 8 (marks in rang 6-10) and
                  dealing with critics brutally whenever they        average time spent on studies 8-10 years
                  can. They usually brake institutional law in       (optimal period is 4 years). For their
                  daily practice, when warn, they publicly state     associates they chose even worst students
                  they didn't know. When criticism become            with average under 7 and around same
                  serious, Balkanic leader is ready to shrug or      period of time spent in school. They chose
                  even crouch a little saying: "tolerate me little   harmless associates which can not put them
                  more until the end of my mandate", and then        in danger. 
                  continue as usual. Often he state: "My
                  company - it is me", at the same time having          Hypothesis 4: Keeping monopoly on the
                  none proprietary share in the company.             informations
                      It's a paradox that this kind of practice         Information concerning work indicators
                  subsists, since employees don't sue to avoid       and company relations with environment are
                  scandal in public with company name directed to top manager. Most of those
                  mentioned. Balkanic type of leader knows           informations he hides from employees and
                  that and doesn't care if employees are             accordingly increases his power in company.