Student DAMIR ZIDAR, enrolled in the study programme Innovation and Sustainable Business in a Digital Society, successfully defended his doctoral dissertation on Wednesday, 17 June 2026. Dissertation entitled Evaluating the role of the technology-organisation-environment framework in adopting cybersecurity maturity in SMEs was prepared under the supervision of Prof. Dr Mirjana Pejić Bach.
The doctoral dissertation examines the role of the technology–organisation–environment (TOE) framework in understanding and promoting cybersecurity maturity in small and medium-sized enterprises. The research focuses on Croatian SMEs, which are particularly vulnerable due to limited resources and increasing exposure to cyber risks, and develops a model of the factors that influence their level of cybersecurity. Based on the controls of the ISO/IEC 27002:2022 standard, the dissertation develops a multidimensional measurement of cybersecurity maturity, covering organisational, human resources, physical and technological aspects of information security. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the importance of information systems compatibility, maintenance of security solutions, management support, risk awareness, organisational adaptability, and external pressures and provider support. The work offers both a scientific contribution in the form of a replicable research model and practical guidance for company management, technology providers and policymakers in improving the cyber resilience of SMEs.
Sincere congratulations to the new Doctor of Philosophy!
In the first photo, from left to right: Assist. Prof. Dr Tomaž Klobučar (committee member), Prof. Dr Mirjana Pejić Bach (supervisor), Dr Damir Zidar (doctoral graduate), Assoc. Prof. Dr Marina Letonja (committee chair).
