The Role of Professional Education and Networking in the Development of Tax Professionals: The Case of DIZI

Authors

Črtomir Raspor Josipovič
University of Maribor, Faculty of Organizational Sciences
Miha Marič
University of Maribor, Faculty of Organizational Sciences
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6689-7944
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18690/um.fov.6.2026.7

Synopsis

Continuing professional education (CPE) in regulated professions often functions as a formal compliance requirement with minimal actual developmental impact. This chapter examines the role of the Tax Education Institute (DIZI), a specialized provider of professional training within the Simič & Partners Group, serving tax professionals in Slovenia. Using a mixed-methods approach we examined five dimensions of DIZI's operation: practical competence development, professional identity formation, sense of community belonging, formation of lasting professional connections, and the value of educational support services. The findings indicate that participants perceive DIZI not only as a content-rich and up-to-date provider, but also as a professional community that addresses the needs of practitioners working in micro and small organizations. The decision to return to DIZI is not primarily driven by regulatory requirements, which received the lowest scores among all measured factors, but by the quality of instructors, relevance of content, and sense of belonging. In total, 96.3% of survey respondents would recommend DIZI to others in the field. The results suggest that CPE providers generate the greatest developmental value when education, community building, and professional identity formation operate as a unified rather than purely content-driven process.

Author Biographies

Črtomir Raspor Josipovič, University of Maribor, Faculty of Organizational Sciences

Črtomir Raspor Josipovič is a student at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, where he is completing his undergraduate studies in Organization and Management of Human Resources and Educational Systems. Alongside his academic work, he is active in film production, video marketing, and marketing communications, with a focus on business storytelling and video production. His research interests include entrepreneurship, project management, marketing, and the development of educational systems in organizations. He is a co-author of a scientific paper on the role of entrepreneurial support mechanisms in the Ljubljana Urban Region (PONI LUR).

Kranj, Slovenia. E-mail: crtomir.raspor@student.um.si

Miha Marič, University of Maribor, Faculty of Organizational Sciences

Miha Marič, Ph.D., is a researcher in the field of leadership, management and organizational sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana. He is currently employed as an associate professor at the University of Maribor’s Faculty of Organizational Sciences. His research interests are power, leadership, organizational behavior, human resource management, organization and management. He is the author of numerous original scientific articles, professional articles, papers at scientific conferences, scientific monographs, and was an editor and reviewer. He also participates in research projects and consulting work.

Kranj, Slovenia. E-mail: miha.maric@um.si

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Volume

Celovita pot izobraževanja: Od ideje do mreženja

Pages

325-382

Published

July 20, 2026

Categories

Copyright (c) 2026 University of Maribor, University of Maribor Press

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Raspor Josipovič, Č., & Marič, M. (2026). The Role of Professional Education and Networking in the Development of Tax Professionals: The Case of DIZI . In M. Marič & I. Simič (Eds.), Celovita pot izobraževanja: Od ideje do mreženja (pp. 325-382). University of Maribor Press. https://doi.org/10.18690/um.fov.6.2026.7