Three CoDiDA Research Papers Presented at the ERAZ 2026 International Scientific Conference

The Role of Intelligent Recruitment Systems in Knowledge-Based Sustainable Development: An Exploratory Case Study

The paper, authored by Tanja Štokovac, a postgraduate specialist student in the Human Resources and Knowledge Society programme, and Professor Vanja Bevanda, PhD, examines whether an intelligent employee recruitment system (the Ruth Careers platform) contributes to the development of knowledge-based organisations.

The study was conducted on a sample of 115 candidates from a multinational corporation using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The findings confirmed both research hypotheses: the platform significantly reduced the duration of the recruitment process (from 10 days to 0.22 hours of evaluation time), while the algorithm-generated matching scores were statistically significant predictors of recruitment decisions.

The study demonstrates that AI-supported recruitment directly contributes to the development of human capital as a key pillar of sustainable development, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Digital Ecosystem Alignment in Europe: Household ICT Skills, Enterprise Digital Adoption, and E-Commerce Performance

The paper, authored by Assistant Professor Mieta Bobanović Dasko, PhD, and Assistant Professor Katarina Kostelić, PhD, examines whether digital transformation in Europe develops in an aligned way across citizens and enterprises, and whether household digital skills, enterprise digital intensity, and e-commerce performance are connected.

The analysis covers 33 European countries observed in 2021, 2023, and 2025. The findings show a strong positive association between citizen digital skills and enterprise digital adoption, while also revealing substantial cross-country asymmetries. A key contribution of the paper is a typology of digital ecosystems that distinguishes digital leaders, firm-led digitalizers, citizen-led digitalizers, and countries lagging in both dimensions. The results further indicate that enterprise digital intensity is a stronger predictor of e-commerce performance than household digital skills considered on their own.

The paper is closely aligned with the objectives of the CoDiDA project, as it contributes to understanding digital transformation as an aligned ecosystem in which decision-making, competences, and organizational capabilities develop interdependently. It is particularly relevant to the project's research themes related to the digital divide, digital skills, organizational digital maturity, the use of digital technologies in business, and the development of evidence-based recommendations for effective decision-making under digital transformation.

Mapping Digital Ecosystem Profiles in Europe

The paper, authored by Assistant Professor Mieta Bobanović Dasko, PhD, Assistant Professor Katarina Kostelić, PhD, and Assistant Professor Sandi Baressi Šegota, PhD, examines how household digital skills, business digital intensity, and e-commerce performance combine across European countries.

Using harmonized 2025 data for 32 European countries, the study applies hierarchical cluster analysis and identifies four digital ecosystem profiles: advanced digitally mature systems, moderate-to-high digitalization systems with weaker e-commerce performance, transitional intermediate systems, and low-capability digital ecosystems.

The findings show that digital development should not be understood simply as a linear movement from "less digital" to "more digital" countries, but as a configuration of citizen capabilities, enterprise digital adoption, and market conversion. A particularly important result is that stronger digital skills and higher business digital intensity do not automatically translate into stronger e-commerce performance.

The paper contributes to the objectives of the CoDiDA project by advancing the understanding of digital transformation as a multidimensional process in which digital competences, organizational capabilities, and business outcomes do not necessarily develop at the same pace. The findings provide valuable insights into the diverse digital development profiles of European countries and support the design of targeted public policies, managerial decision-making, and interventions aimed at sustainable and inclusive digital development.

Acknowledgement

Participation in the conference was supported by the EU NextGeneration initiative through the institutional research project Challenges of Decision-Making in the Digital Age (CoDiDA) (IIP_UNIPU_010133) at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula.