RESEARCH OF STATISTICAL METHODS AND APPLICATION OF STATISTICAL THINKING IN THE CROATIAN BUSINESS PRACTICE

Statističko mišljenje i primjena statističkih metoda u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća zauzimaju sve važniju ulogu u upravljanju poslovanjem poduzeća. Da bi se utvrdilo koliko menadžeri u hrvatskim velikim poduzećima primjenjuju statističke metode i prihvaćaju ideju statističkog mišljenja, provedeno je izvorno istraživanje na slučajnom uzorku velikih poduzeća. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da menadžeri primjenjuju uglavnom osnovne statističke metode, a manje napredne metode. Smatraju da je poznavanje statistike važno, ali ne i presudno za uspješnost poduzeća. Razina prihvaćanja statističkog mišljenja mjerena je odabranim pitanjima, na osnovi kojih je formirana skala statističkog mišljenja. Istraženo je koliko karakteristike ispitanika i poduzeća utječu na razinu prihvaćenosti koncepta statističkog mišljenja.Statistical thinking and application of statistical methods have an increasingly important role in the process of business management during the last few decades. In order to estimate to what extent managers in Croatian large fi rms use statistical methods and accept the idea of statistical thinking the original survey research was conducted at the random sample of large fi rms. Results of the research indicate that managers in most cases use only basic statistical methods, while more advanced methods are used to the smaller extent. Managers think that knowledge of statistics is important. However, they also think that level of statistical knowledge is not at the most importance for the success of the firm. The level of acceptance of statistical thinking is measured by Likert scale questions, and scale of statistical thinking is based on these questions. It is researched to what extent characteristics of the managers and the fi rms infl uence the level of acceptance of the statistical thinking concept