Paper short abstract:

Post-socialist societies are becoming societies of increasing consumerism. Decision-makers in business are becoming more aware of the importance of »human factor«. The role of business anthropology is being not only in service of capital, but also in service of society and people.

Paper long abstract:

The anthropology being also an applied science is becoming a relevant tool for decision-makers in business. Post socialist societies have found themselves in a new era that is governed by capital. The market is open and expanding, the competition is growing and consumerism is increasing. Consumers are more and more informed and want to get the most for their money's worth.

Decision makers in business are starting to realize that without taking "human factor" into consideration they can't effectively communicate with consumers. And consumers will rarely buy things that will not bring them the expected value, satisfaction and fulfill their needs. The gap among producers/sellers and buyers/users occurs. That is the point where anthropologists can help crossing this gap with applying anthropological knowledge, theory and practice into the world of business and consumerism.

The role of business anthropologists is not only to fulfill the clients' needs but also to bring anthropology and its use closer to everyday life. In countries like Slovenia, where anthropology is a relatively young science and business anthropology is only ten years old, being a business anthropologist means also doing advocacy for anthropology. The role of business anthropologist is not only to bring anthropology closer to business world but also to everyday life; to show that anthropology is a science that is useful in all of the layers of everyday life and can significantly contribute to the quality of it.