Search

This article compares the growth rates of Web of Science indexed research publications in 11 European countries from 2000 to 2015. The growth of publication output in the Czech Republic was very fast: the annual production increased more than threefold. However, the number of articles increased only 2.6-fold, whereas the number of proceedings papers increased eightfold. During 2013-15 almost one-third of the papers published by researchers based in the Czech Republic were proceedings papers, a much higher share than in any other benchmark country. Such a high share is undesirable, because proceedings papers are generally much less often cited than journal articles. The growth of the number of proceedings papers is fastest in 17 fields belonging to the social sciences which usually do not hold proceedings papers in high regard. Our analysis shows that this undesirable development started after the introduction of national performance-based research funding system (PRFS) in the Czech Republic. Hence, the effort made to publish proceedings papers seems to reflect an optimization strategy in the light of the PRFS. In the Czech PRFS, proceedings papers have been rewarded point values similar to articles in refereed journals and a large portion of the institutional funding is allocated according to the evaluation results. As a consequence of very fast growth of proceedings papers in the social sciences, the university institutional funding in these fields has grown faster than in other fields. In conclusion, the fast growth of proceedings papers represents an adaptive behavior to the context of the PRFS.

Abstract writing is a very important since it is the piece of formal writing which should attract the attention of the reader and make him/her read the rest of the paper. Thus, it must be clear, concise, coherent, and powerful enough to attract the reader and provide him/her with the key information about the content of a research paper. All university students have to write an abstract in English in their qualification papers. However, non-native students of English usually have difficulties in writing an abstract in English. For example, the Czech students lack formal writing skills in English since the skill of formal writing is not developed enough in their native language, i.e. Czech. Therefore, the aim of this article is to discuss the use of an off-line scaffolding tool, which can help students develop an abstract in English, as well as to demonstrate how this tool can be incorporated in the whole Course of Practical English taught at the Faculty of Informatics and Management of the University of Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic. The application was developed for students as support to a face-to-face class instruction, which proved to be insufficient in teaching students how to write an abstract in English. The application reflects the structure and sentence functions of the abstract and provides students with a model abstract, as well as with additional formulations. Overall, the application was designed with the purpose to enhance student's skill of writing an abstract in English, as well as to lead students to successfully complete the task by making the application user-friendly - easy-to-use, accessible and transferrable as far as the knowledge is concerned. The application aims to enhance students' autonomous learning by tailoring the content to their specific needs and making it accessible anytime and from anywhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the role of institutional founding conditions and institutional legacy for universities' self-representation in terms of diversity. Based on 374 universities located in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Poland, we can differentiate between a more idealistic understanding (logic of inclusion and equality) and a more market-oriented understanding (market logic) of diversity. Our findings show that the founding phase has no significant effect on the likelihood of a university focusing on a market-oriented understanding of diversity--however, we observe an imprinting effect with respect to the adoption of a diversity statement in general and an equity-oriented statement. Moreover, our findings show that there is a socialistic heritage for universities in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries that is at work and still influences universities' understandings of diversity today.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogenous condition affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. COPD is a major health problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In this review, the authors present the current concept of care for patients with COPD in the Czech Republic, along with a summary of treatment recommendations formulated by the expert group of the Czech Pneumological and Phthisiological Society. A more detailed version of the position paper was published in 2020. The aim of this work was to transform the most recent scientific knowledge into the context of daily practice in the Czech Republic. Our concept of care for patients with COPD uses a complex approach with special emphasis on individual phenotypic features of the disease. Maximal effort has been put into individualization of treatment according to the presence of certain clinical phenotypes/treatable traits with respect to current scientific knowledge.

This position paper has been drafted by experts from the Czech national board of diseases with bronchial obstruction, of the Czech Pneumological and Phthisiological Society. The statements and recommendations are based on both the results of randomized controlled trials and data from cross-sectional and prospective real-life studies to ensure they are as close as possible to the context of daily clinical practice and the current health care system of the Czech Republic. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable heterogeneous syndrome with a number of pulmonary and extrapulmonary clinical features and concomitant chronic diseases. The disease is associated with significant mortality, morbidity and reduced quality of life. The main characteristics include persistent respiratory symptoms and only partially reversible airflow obstruction developing due to an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles and gases. Oxidative stress, protease-antiprotease imbalance and increased numbers of pro-inflammatory cells (mainly neutrophils) are the main drivers of primarily non-infectious inflammation in COPD. Besides smoking, household air pollution, occupational exposure, low birth weight, frequent respiratory infections during childhood and also genetic factors are important risk factors of COPD development. Progressive airflow limitation and airway remodelling leads to air trapping, static and dynamic hyperinflation, gas exchange abnormalities and decreased exercise capacity. Various features of the disease are expressed unequally in individual patients, resulting in various types of disease presentation, emerging as the "clinical phenotypes" (for specific clinical characteristics) and "treatable traits" (for treatable characteristics) concept. The estimated prevalence of COPD in Czechia is around 6.7% with 3,200-3,500 deaths reported annually. The elementary requirements for diagnosis of COPD are spirometric confirmation of post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction (post-BD FEV 1 /VCmax <70%) and respiratory symptoms assessement (dyspnoea, exercise limitation, cough and/or sputum production. In order to establish definite COPD diagnosis, a five-step evaluation should be performed, including: 1/ inhalation risk assessment, 2/ symptoms evaluation, 3/ lung function tests, 4/ laboratory tests and 5/ imaging. At the same time, all alternative diagnoses should be excluded. For disease classification, this position paper uses both GOLD stages (1 to 4), GOLD groups (A to D) and evaluation of clinical phenotype(s). Prognosis assessment should be done in each patient. For this purpose, we recommend the use of the BODE or the CADOT index. Six elementary clinical phenotypes are recognized, including chronic bronchitis, frequent exacerbator, emphysematous, asthma/COPD overlap (ACO), bronchiectases with COPD overlap (BCO) and pulmonary cachexia. In our concept, all of these clinical phenotypes are also considered independent treatable traits. For each treatable trait, specific pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are defined in this document. The coincidence of two or more clinical phenotypes (i.e., treatable traits) may occur in a single individual, giving the opportunity of fully individualized, phenotype-specific treatment. Treatment of COPD should reflect the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease and be tailored to individual patients. Major goals of COPD treatment are symptom reduction and decreased exacerbation risk. Treatment strategy is divided into five strata: risk elimination, basic treatment, phenotype-specific treatment, treatment of respiratory failure and palliative care, and treatment of comorbidities. Risk elimination includes interventions against tobacco smoking and environmental/occupational exposures. Basic treatment is based on bronchodilator therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, vaccination, care for appropriate nutrition, inhalation training, education and psychosocial support. Adequate phenotype-specific treatment varies phenotype by phenotype, including more than ten different pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. If more than one clinical phenotype is present, treatment strategy should follow the expression of each phenotypic label separately. In such patients, multicomponental therapeutic regimens are needed, resulting in fully individualized care. In the future, stronger measures against smoking, improvements in occupational and environmental health, early diagnosis strategies, as well as biomarker identification for patients responsive to specific treatments are warranted. New classes of treatment (inhaled PDE3/4 inhibitors, single molecule dual bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs, gene editing molecules or new bronchoscopic procedures) are expected to enter the clinical practice in a very few years.

The paper focuses on electronic record of sales, a tool enabling continuous monitoring and control of declared sales of business entities. Such systems have been recently gaining popularity in European countries. The objective of the paper is to analyse the possible use of electronic record of sales for a fairer redistribution of shared taxes according to the place where the taxable income was earned. We do not consider the current situation to be entirely fair, as sales may be realized in the whole territory of the country. However municipalities that help businesses achieve their income are not fairly rewarded for doing so. This usually gives larger municipalities an advantage at the expense of smaller ones. Currently, the tax administration has sufficient technical equipment to be able to identify the place where the revenue was received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares the growth rates of Web of Science indexed research publications in 11 European countries from 2000 to 2015. The growth of publication output in the Czech Republic was very fast: the annual production increased more than threefold. However, the number of articles increased only 2.6-fold, whereas the number of proceedings papers increased eightfold. During 2013–15 almost one-third of the papers published by researchers based in the Czech Republic were proceedings papers, a much higher share than in any other benchmark country. Such a high share is undesirable, because proceedings papers are generally much less often cited than journal articles. The growth of the number of proceedings papers is fastest in 17 fields belonging to the social sciences which usually do not hold proceedings papers in high regard. Our analysis shows that this undesirable development started after the introduction of national performance-based research funding system (PRFS) in the Czech Republic. Hence, the effort made to publish proceedings papers seems to reflect an optimization strategy in the light of the PRFS. In the Czech PRFS, proceedings papers have been rewarded point values similar to articles in refereed journals and a large portion of the institutional funding is allocated according to the evaluation results. As a consequence of very fast growth of proceedings papers in the social sciences, the university institutional funding in these fields has grown faster than in other fields. In conclusion, the fast growth of proceedings papers represents an adaptive behavior to the context of the PRFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic studies consistently report a U-shaped curve relationship between the amount of alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease, with consumption of ≥ three alcoholic drinks being associated with an increased risk. However, the cardioprotective effect of light and moderate alcohol consumption has been recently questioned. In the absence of a randomized trial confirming the cardioprotective effect of light or moderate alcohol consumption, an alternative method to prove the causality is Mendelian randomization using a genetic variant serving as a proxy for alcohol consumption. A Mendelian randomization analysis by Holmes et al. suggests that a reduction in alcohol intake is beneficial for cardiovascular health also in light to moderate drinkers. In a recent analysis of 83 prospective studies, alcohol consumption was roughly linearly associated with a higher risk of stroke, coronary heart disease excluding myocardial infarction, heart failure and risk of death from aortic aneurysm dissection. By contrast, increased alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction. "Low-risk" alcohol consumption recommended by the National Institute of Public Health, Czech Republic, should not exceed 16 g of 100% ethanol/day for women and 24 g/day for men; at least two days a week should be alcohol free, and the dose of ethanol during binge drinking should not exceed 40 g. In practice, this means one standard drink daily for five days at most and two standard drinks at most when binge drinking. These amounts should be considered the highest acceptable limits, but alcohol consumption in general should be discouraged.

Entomophagy as an alternative way of eating in the Czech Republic is gaining more and more supporters. For this reason, we have focused on the microbial quality of the insect dry powder made from Tenebrio molitor during storage. In the samples were determined the major groups of microorganisms by standard procedures. It is the total number of microorganisms, aerobic microorganisms thermoresistant, E. coli and other coliform bacteria, micromycetes and bacteria of the genus Enterococcus. The highest increase of total microorganisms occurred after five months storage in the sample stored in a paper bag and cold, where their number reached a value of 2.870 log CFU/g. For the same sample, coliform bacteria at the rate of 1.839 log CFU/g were also detected. The other monitored groups of microorganisms were in the samples at most in the order of tens of CFU/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our reply deals with the investigations of Kropáč et al. (2012) concerning the evolution of Mn-rich garnetites (=coticules) in the Silesian Desná Unit which are closely associated with Fe-rich rocks. Pouba (1970) who described these mineralizations in greater detail, postulated an origin identical with banded iron-formations of the Algoma type. However, Mücke and Losos (2007) excluded a banded iron-formation origin for the magnetite mineralizations and came to the conclusion that these are connected with the Devonian amphibolite of the Sobotín Massif. The older garnetites were inferred to be identical with coticules and, therefore, are comparable with Mn-rich iron-formations of the Algoma type. Concerning the coticules, Kropáč et al. (2012) confirmed the same origin as proposed by us. For the magnetite-rich rocks, on the other hand, Kropáč et al. (2012) strictly followed Pouba (1970) , but did neither present new results or data, nor considered the arguments of Mücke and Losos (2007) . In this reply, the most important results of Mücke and Losos (2007) are discussed in comparison with banded iron-formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are highly important for producing highvalue-added innovative and intermediary goods and play a crucial role in being suppliers of large enterprises, their financial restraints cause them to encounter problems regarding their internationalization process and financial performance. As a dynamic capability of Resourcebased View theory (RBV), the usage of marketing communication tools (MCTs) by SMEs, such as social media (SM), websites, telemarketing, direct mail, SMS campaigns, and Google Adwords, increases the competitiveness of SMEs and might enable them to reduce their financial performance and export concerns. However, the usage of these tools can differ depending on the firm's country of origin since countries have various socio-economic and cultural conditions that affect the competitiveness of firms and their marketing communication approaches to their export and financial performance. In this regard, this paper aims to find international differences in the impact of the usage of MCTs on export and financial performance. This paper examines 1221 SMEs from Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary for this aim. The researchers created an online questionnaire to collect data from randomly selected respondents in the research sample. The researchers also ran Binary Logistic Regression analyses for analysis purposes. Although this paper confirms international differences in the impact of MCTs on the export of SMEs, the effect of SM usage on the financial performance of SMEs does not differ depending on the SMEs' country of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of 132 packaging materials based on paper, commonly used in the Czech Republic for food products packaging, was tested as regards the occurrence of contaminants. A number of 101 extractible substances were identified and the levels of 68 compounds, including residues from paper pulp processing (e.g. processing aids), substances originating from printing inks or adhesives (photoinitiators, plasticizers, solvents), impregnation and coating (solvents, hydrocarbons) in all the tested materials were quantified using gas and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry techniques. The results indicated that phthalate plasticizers, anthraquinone, aromatic hydrocarbons and photoinitiators formed the most frequent group of xenobiotics in paper. The highest content in tested papers was determined for dibutyl phthalate (628 mg·kg-1), benzophenone (369 mg·kg-1) and diisobutyl phthalate (108 mg·kg-1). Most of the contaminants in paper packaging materials originated from materials used for modification of functional properties (water-proof or fat-proof adjustment, coating, lamination with polymer films, etc.) and/or residues from recycled pulp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article proposes and analyses the potential use of IoT solutions for detecting water consumption not only from technical, but also from the business and financial points of view. This topic is important because by solving this problem, companies may save a lot of money and this paper provides financial analysis, which answers question, if the implementation is or is not meaningful. Methodology/Approach: Source data used in this paper come from an extensive survey among fifty experts from the energy supply industry in the Czech Republic during two-round workshops. One of the most attractive application has been appointed "monitoring of utility consumption" - for this article the water metering. Findings: We have reached the conclusion that an isolated implementation of IoT technologies is much more expensive than the current solution that are based on human labour, periodical inspections of meters by people. This is caused mainly by high prices of the sonic/mechanical metering devices supporting IoT functionality. Research Limitation/implication: Workshops and research work were realised in conditions in the Czech Republic. Principles of application opportunities and of its implementation are general, but the final decisions about their importance can be influenced by the specifics and situation in the Czech Republic. Originality/Value of paper: The value of the paper comes from the workshops where were defined important application opportunities for definition of the priority for each of defined application opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of modern technology is becoming part of both industry and agriculture. These technologies can also be used in beekeeping, where they can help to monitor the operation of the hive remotely. Beekeepers can remotely monitor the weight of their hives, their temperature, humidity, and other parameters. The aim of this paper is to map the beekeepers in the use of products with monitoring system for remote bee detection in beekeeping in Czechia. To map the issue, qualitative research using semi-structured interviews was conducted with beekeepers, manufacturers/providers of smart devices in beekeeping, and other entities involved in beekeeping. The findings showed that the interest of manufacturers and sellers to offer these smart devices is significant, but the interest of beekeepers is rather less, due to e.g., the purchase price, weaker IT knowledge, traditional beekeeping practices, higher age of beekeepers and the joy of being personally with bees. The novelty of the paper is not to look at the provision of ICT in beekeeping from a technical perspective, but from the perspective of users (beekeepers) and manufacturers of these technologies. Through interviews with beekeepers as well as others in the apiculture sphere, a comprehensive view of the issue is developed. Moreover, this is the first piece of research on this area in Czechia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the smart city concept implementation in the Czech Republic during 2007-2013. The aim is to deliver a closer look at the implementation of the concept in the conditions of the selected Czech municipalities by means of decoding the investments from the EU Cohesion policy. The municipalities represent small sized cities that have so far been on the periphery of interest in smart city debate as they are neither metropolises nor do they fit the newer concept of smart village. The analysed projects are divided into six smart city dimensions, the authors then explore investment intensity in relation to city size and its future commitment to become a smart city by means of having a formalized strategy. The results show that Czech municipalities invested into all smart city dimensions and infrastructure related projects prevailed. The larger the city the more intensive investment activity confirming the relation between size and absorption capacity. The divisive dimension that sets apart future smart cities is the investment into smart economy measures which were implemented in cities that later officially undertake the commitment of smartness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Czech Republic has been a promising destination for foreign investors due to its locational advantages and tax-incentive policy. However, the profit-repatriation rate in the country is extremely high, which results in less capital being available for development. This paper studies the differences in profit-repatriation rates among FDI (foreign direct investment) firms in the Czech Republic after the appearance of tax-holiday incentives from 2008 to 2019. The precondition is to find the determinants of the repatriation rate of FDI firms, and the results show that the profit repatriation rate of FDI firms is positively affected by firm size and the liquidity of firms and negatively affected by investment opportunities and leverage. The paper divides FDI firms into several groups and examines the differences in repatriation rates between them before revealing the determinants of these differences. Firstly, there is no difference in profit repatriation between FDI firms with tax incentives and those without tax incentives. Next, we divide the FDI firms with tax incentives into two groups: those who still enjoy the tax incentives and those who no longer enjoy the tax incentives. The FDI firms with tax incentives that are in the tax-incentive period repatriate less than FDI firms with tax incentives that are not in the tax period any longer. The difference stems from the endowment effect, and three determinants that can reduce the repatriation rate of FDI firms that are no longer in the tax period are investment opportunities, leverage, and firm size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because there is a lack of wood resources in many countries, this work focused on pulp and paper production from the waste and agricultural residues of non-wood plants. The work aimed to pulp the nitrate-alkaline of black mustard (Brassica Nigra L.) and camelina (Camelina Sativa L.). The black mustard and the camelina were selected due to the expanding planted areas of these crops in the Czech Republic. To characterize the chemical composition of black mustard and camelina, cellulose, lignin, ash, and extractives were determined. Raw alpha-cellulose, beta-cellulose, and gamma-cellulose were also measured. The results showed that the content of lignin in non-wood plants is lower than that in softwoods. The cooked pulp was characterized by the delignification degree–Kappa number. Additionally, handsheet papers were made for selected samples of pulp. The handsheet papers were characterized by tensile index, breaking length, and smoothness and compared with commonly available papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we compare the development and possibilities for improvement of waste management in three countries: Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Waste management is part of the circular economy. The circular economy is the basis for waste management today. This applies to municipal waste management, too. In this paper, we work with data available in the Eurostat database. We mainly deal with municipal waste in the three chosen countries. The output of this paper is an assessment of indicators such as recycling rates and waste production. The outputs are documented graphically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: SMEs' concern for the digital literacy of their workforce, their interest in increasing digital literacy among employees, and securing their digital platforms, have been major issues in their digital transformation process. To reduce those obstacles, the dynamic capabilities of SMEs included in the Resource-based View (RBV) might be an effective solution since they help companies be more competitive and proactive against the threats they face in the digitalization process. Purpose of the article: This research aims to investigate whether SMEs' dynamic capabilities positively contribute to their digital transformation process. Methods: In line with the proposed relationships, this paper analyzes SMEs from Czechia by running Ordinal Logistic Regression analyses. The research sample is created by stratified random sampling and purposive sampling methods. The research data is collected via telephone surveys. Findings & value added: This research does not find a positive relationship between the dynamic capabilities of SMEs and the digital transformation process. While the results related to digital literacy are negatively associated with digital transformation, no significant relationship exists between security actions and the digital transformation of SMEs. This paper extends the scope of RBV on the digital transformation of SMEs by analyzing various dynamic capabilities of SMEs that have not been included in a sole study. Moreover, the perceptions of SME executives are considered by this research to provide effective solutions for the problems they face in digital transformation. Having a joint venture agreement with well-experienced IT companies, having a network with partner firms, looking for funding opportunities in the EU, participating in some practical training, and providing internships for bachelor students might enable SMEs to hit their targets in digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: The lack of financial resources of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make them face high financial risk. Their entrepreneurial abilities that belong to Resource-based View (RBV), such as innovativeness and competitiveness, might reduce SMEs’ financial risk because those entrepreneurial abilities increase the financial performance of businesses. Purpose of the article: This paper aims to investigate the effects of the innovativeness and competitiveness of SMEs on their financial concerns based on financial risk, including bankruptcy, financial performance, and financial risk management. Methods: The authors use a method of data analysis and synthesis, including advanced knowledge and digital processing of background studies. This paper examines 1221 SMEs from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Those firms are chosen by random sampling method from Cribis and the Budapest Chamber of Commerce databases. Then the researchers directed an online questionnaire to collect the research data from the randomly selected firms. The researchers use Ordinal Logistic Regression Test for analysis purposes. Findings & value added: This paper's results indicate that SMEs' competitiveness does not impact SMEs’ bankruptcy prediction, financial performance, or financial risk management. On the other hand, while more innovative SMEs are less likely to face bankruptcy issues than less innovative SMEs, less innovative SMEs indicate better financial performance than their more innovative counterparts. Since this paper focuses on the influences of intangible assets of SMEs (such as characteristics based on RBV and Entrepreneurial Orientation) on their tangible assets (financial performance etc.) and puts emphasis on this fact from an International perspective, this paper makes a significant contribution to the literature. Furthermore, analyzing multiple relationships between SMEs’ different entrepreneurial characteristics and various financial risk concerns is another important fact that might draw prospective readers’ attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to seek the perceptions of potential future corporate managers and directors on the issues raised in the literature, especially recent articles in the corporate communications literature, concerning corporate board gender quotas. It focusses on the Czech Republic, where research on board gender diversity is sparse. Design/methodology/approach: The study is part of much more comprehensive research into board gender diversity. It adopts a questionnaire approach, with this paper focussing on 13 research statements. A Likert Scale of 1–4 (Strongly Agree; Agree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree) was applied to the perceived views expressed. The questionnaires were completed by university students at a public university in the Czech Republic during March–April 2023. A pilot questionnaire was conducted in February 2023, resulting in minor changes being made. The data is analysed using SPSS and MedCalc® statistical software. Findings: There is overwhelming opposition to quotas, even from women. The opinions expressed by the respondents to this research, in many respects, support the literature, but there is unmistakable evidence of gender bias. Regarding the positive female benefits of quotas, male respondents disagreed; regarding the negative issues of quotas, male respondents agreed more than their female counterparts. Practical implications: The research findings have important implications for how women recruited through quotas may be received onto corporate boards – what challenges will they likely face? Some current female candidates for directorship, who would have been selected on merit and perceived as such by their male counterparts, may now be hesitant to apply for such positions if they are seen as being appointed due to quotas. Therefore, the selection procedure must continue to be based on merit and seen as such. Originality/value: One of the important aspects of the paper is that it focusses on a country that has, until recently, resisted pressures to implement mandatory corporate board gender quotas; in this respect, it has a corpus of originality and value. The Czech Republic and other European countries will also be affected by the recent EU law on gender balance or corporate boards. The paper also highlights the perceptions of potential future directors on various issues of board gender quotas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigration became an especially thorny and publicly discussed issue with the so-called Refugee Crisis beginning in 2015. The stance of the Czech and Polish governments was dominated by strong anti-Muslim and anti-immigration rhetoric. Still, both countries have witnessed a steady increase in mainly short-term immigration from various Asian countries such as Bangladesh or Pakistan ever since. This paper analyses Czech and Polish migration policies against the backdrop of a historically constructed notion of anti-illegal immigration policy, and category of temporary migration, coupled with the problematic nature of debt-financed migration in Asia. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Czechia and Poland (2018-2021), in-depth and semi-structured interviews with migration experts, academic and grey literature, official documents, and the method of Accidental ethnography, this paper argues that silencing of actual labor immigration in political communication while employing anti-migration rhetoric represents a discursive gap typical for liberal democracies. It further concludes that rendering migrant labor as a temporary commodity and turning a blind eye on recruitment of international migrants represents a continuity practice of migrant labor subordination within the nation-state, originating during colonialism and the advent of capitalism in the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the drivers of public sector wage setting (PSWS) within the broader political and economic conditions in Central and Eastern Europe are scarce. To fill this gap, the paper questions to what extent the export-led growth model, based on foreign direct investment as driver of economic growth, influenced PSWS in Czechia and Slovakia after the 2008–2009 crisis. The paper provides new evidence of the appropriateness of the growth model literature, integrated by consideration of global production chains integration, for understanding PSWS in CEE conditions. The analysis shows that PSWS followed institutional traditions and established practices that only indirectly related to the countries' export orientation and integration into global production chains. The indirect growth model impact on PSWS in CEE conditions is channeled through a strong role of the statutory minimum wage, which serves as a wage benchmark both for the export sector and PSWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses operations research (OR) history and achievements in Czechia and Slovakia in 2010–2021 including the most significant OR professional events in the region. The history of Central European Journal of Operations Research from its beginnings to the present is shortly mentioned. The paper presents and analyzes main bibliometric and publishing trends in academic OR research relevant for the region. The final part of this paper contains an introduction to the current issue that contains results of the latest OR research in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transformations in Business & Economics is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: Sport in the 21st century represents a multidisciplinary field its an indispensable role in the lives of individuals and society. Sport is associated inter alia with winning, victory, defeat; teamwork and individualism, professionalism and amateurism, feelings of joy and happiness, as well as with feelings of tension, uncertainty, excitement, and taking risks. Risk also appears within the context of sports betting and gambling, being a characteristic phenomenon there. This kind of risk brings both positives and negatives for the participants. University students represent a specific demographic group for whom this risk holds a certain appeal and interest. AIM: The primary aim of this paper was to determine whether there is a correlation between the experience of the survey sample of respondents in sports betting, as a category of gambling, and their biological age, gender, and the type of faculty they study. The secondary objective was to identify the preferred sports concerning sports betting among respondents in the Czech Republic. METHODS: In this research paper, various scientific research and mathematical-statistical methods were applied. Furthermore, citation and reference databases Scopus, and the bibliographic and citation database Web of Science were used. SAMPLE: The research sample consisted of two categories of respondents. Those with a prior experience in sports betting (N = 391) and those without any prior experience in sports betting (N = 679). The respondents were university students in the Czech Republic. RESULTS: The results suggested that biological age does not significantly impact the experience of the survey sample of respondents regarding sports betting, as a category of gambling. Additionally, it was discovered that gender, as well as the type of faculty the respondents study influenced the experience of the respondents in sports betting, as a category of gambling. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequently preferred sports activity for sports betting among university students in the Czech Republic is football. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potentially, technology transfer offices (TTOs) can play a significant role in facilitating the successful transfer of technologies and knowledge between universities and industry. Many developing countries are currently developing technology transfer practices within their universities. However, many developing country TTOs operate inefficiently or are ineffective. The sharing of experiences can lead to improvements in this endeavour. Advanced nations can serve as a frame of reference and a basis of policy recommendations for developing countries due to the longevity of their technology transfer activities. The authors issued 234 questionnaires to European university TTOs, of which 54 usable questionnaires were returned. They combine the data from these questionnaires with 19 interviews conducted with university TTO staff from 9 countries in an attempt to create a typology of practices that developing nations could emulate to improve technology transfer in their own contexts. While ultimately a clear typology was not forthcoming, the authors found some relationship between the dominant focus in the mission statement of developed country TTOs, the activities they undertake, their position in the university governance structure and their level of maturity which may usefully inform the development of TTO practices in developing countries.

Over the last decade, the dependence on fossil fuels and their prices has been increasingly discussed. This paper aimed to assess the development of fossil fuel prices and their relationship to GDP in the Czech Republic. To achieve this objective, a VAR model and Granger causality test were used. All fossil fuel prices peaked in 2022. The causal relationship with GDP in the Czech Republic was confirmed for natural gas and coal prices. On the other hand, the causal relationship between oil and GDP in the Czech Republic was not confirmed during the period under study. Weak correlations were found with the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation, and unemployment in the EU. The only exception is the correlation between coal and inflation in the EU, which was moderately strong. A limitation of the paper is the length of the period studied, with data collection taking place only once a month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on mortgage interest deduction (MID) as an indirect tax support for acquiring one's housing. This form of support is the most widely used in the Czech Republic compared to other tax reliefs and causes the highest losses for the government budget. This paper provides quantitative evidence on how the MID was distributed among taxpayers in the Czech Republic in the period 2008–2019 in relation to taxable income and revenue losses for the government budget. Furthermore, it assesses the effectiveness of these tax measures in reducing socioeconomic inequalities among taxpayers. Research based on the application of the MID in tax returns has shown the effective distribution of the MID until 2017. Tax support for housing was used mainly by taxpayers with low taxable income, which is also the largest group. The essence of vertical equity has been fulfilled, which contributed to reducing the level of social inequality. This positive distributional effect has diminished over time. As of 2019, the highest share of public expenditure was redistributed to taxpayers with higher taxable income, indicating the existence of inequalities in the tax system. The different developments over time have shown that the use of the mortgage interest deduction cannot be assessed statically, as it evolves dynamically over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer price index has been in the centre of interest for many years, since being published in 1990s in the Czech Republic but recent price growth raised more questions on methodology and data sources used in price statistics. Users are interested not only in the figures itself but also in statistical issue influencing interpretation and the quality of consumer price index that is often used as an approximation of inflation rate. The paper introduces price statistics compiled by the Czech Statistical Office and it specifically focuses on data sources and in particular scanner data. The paper explains how advanced statistical methods such as machine learning are implemented in official statistical production. We think that the official statistics is being on the historical junction where modern methods are going to be implemented. Our paper shows the usage of machine learning procedures applied on scanner data within consumer price index. Used method is based on logistic regression and powerful Python solution and that provides fast and high quality results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a time-dependent reliability analysis created for a critical energy infrastructure use case, which consists of an interconnected urban power grid and a communication network. By utilizing expert knowledge from the energy and communication sectors and integrating the renewal theory of multi-component systems, a representative reliability model of this interconnected energy infrastructure, based on real network located in the Czech Republic, is established. This model assumes reparable and non-reparable components and captures the topology of the interconnected infrastructure and reliability characteristics of both the power grid and the communication network. Moreover, a time-dependent reliability assessment of the interconnected system is provided. One of the significant outputs of this research is the identification of the critical components of the interconnected network and their interdependencies by the directed acyclic graph. Numerical results indicate that the original design has an unacceptable large unavailability. Thus, to improve the reliability of the interconnected system, a slightly modified design, in which only a limited number of components in the system are modified to keep the additional costs of the improved design limited, is proposed. Consequently, numerical results indicate reducing the unavailability of the improved interconnected system in comparison with the initial reliability design. The proposed unavailability exploration strategy is general and can bring a valuable reliability improvement in the power and communication sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the paper is to present the results of a qualitative research that mapped the situation in the field of institutional education in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. In the paper we will introduce the system of institutional education in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic and describe the most important legislation. At the end of the paper, we will discuss the findings that we have observed during our research. We will point out the common areas and the most significant differences. Our paper will offer an opportunity to better understand the specifics of each system of institutional education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with a new method of innovative assessment of the supported effects and ecosystem services of forests using the actual amount of their increased costs. Among the most important research findings and signifi- cance of the new method is that it contributes to the body of knowledge on valuation and payment for ecosystem services. The focus of the research task is to help address the current difficult economic situation of forest owners resulting from the impacts of climate change. The study aims to determine what work quantifies the amount of compensation for the provision of supported ecosystem services that is sufficient for owners by using hypothesis testing. The evaluation of the supported effects was carried out in a case study in the area of the Chrudim-Podhůra Recreational Forests in the Czech Republic. The results of the evaluation were quantified in two experimental spreadsheets of the results, a comparative analysis of the evaluation results was performed, and hypothesis testing was conducted. The innovative methodological approach to the assessment of supported effects can be easily modified and used to assess the actual amount of increased costs of other ecosystem services of the forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing taxation is considered the most obvious tax system inequity. Therefore, this type of taxation should be in line with the benefit principle. This article examines the attitudes of citizens towards residential building taxation in the Czech Republic. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the perception of residential building tax burden by taxpayers who own a house or apartment for housing based on primary research. The research was conducted in the Czech Republic using a questionnaire in 2021 and 2022. Differences in the tax burden perception in relation to improvements in quality of life in a municipality and use of compensation by providing financial benefit in favor of resident citizens are investigated in the context of municipality size. It was found that the majority of respondents in all municipality size categories perceived the tax burden as reasonable. Citizens' positive attitudes towards the taxation of their residential buildings were influenced not only by the quality-of-life improvement in the municipality, but also by the transparency of the municipality's financial management. By compensating for the tax on residential buildings through providing a financial benefit, some municipalities reduced the tax burden for their resident citizens and shifted the tax burden, within the limits of the law, to buildings for business and recreation. The most common forms of financial benefits included reducing or eliminating municipal waste fees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to present the research results concerning the pragmatic dimension of the participation of young people in selected organisations working in Poland and Ukraine. The research was comparative. Data collection involved a search of secondary data sources. All the available documents posted on the websites of the investigated organisations, including their statutes, rules and regulations, reports and accounts covering activities and operations, and social media (Facebook) posts, were analysed. An analysis of the data's content for the "pragmatic dimension of participation" category led us to three oppositions: public vs private, physical vs virtual and cyclical vs one-time, which the actions of chosen organisations can define. The results show that despite the differences in the three oppositions of the pragmatic dimension of participation in Polish and Ukrainian organisations, their mission is similar and boils down to taking all actions aimed at involving young people in developing a more democratic civil society in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also implemented in agriculture, where larger agricultural holdings have a higher influence. We focused on them and situated our study to a country with a large average farm acreage -- the Czech Republic. The aim of the paper is to assess to what extent large agricultural holdings perceive socially responsible behaviour as being important and how it is manifested in their relationship to the stakeholders and the behaviour in economic, social and environmental areas using Carroll's pyramid and concept of 3 'P'. It is also examined if the higher perception of CSR influences the assets. Firms were grouped according to the perceived CSR by a cluster analysis. The highest economic responsibility in cluster 1 corresponded to the relatively high value of the assets, but the highest was in cluster 2 and 3 with important legal and ethical responsibilities. Cluster 4 had the lowest CSR, the same as the value of the assets, but further investigation is needed. The most important stakeholders were the owners and employees, but also the range of activities was provided for the locals. CSR and the importance of the stakeholders in large Czech agricultural holdings were highly perceived, especially on an economic level and in the social area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After appearing only in medical law for a long time, advance directives and other forms of voluntary measures are increasingly also being recognised as an effective protector of the right to self-determination in family law. The aim of the paper is to consider the Croatian model of advance decision making in family law, observing it in the context of European, international and comparative law. In this sense, the paper first provides an overview of relevant international and European documents, then briefly analyses different solutions to the discussion in question that exist in the national legislations of the selected European countries, namely, Germany, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and finally a detailed analysis of Croatian law. The paper aims to point out certain doubts and ambiguities that exist in Croatian law, give suggestions for improving the legislation, and encourage the continuation of scientific research in this legal field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to contribute to the literature on board gender diversity by soliciting university students' views on several perceptions raised by academics concerning the suitability of women to serve on corporate boards. In particular, if the opinions of male students differ from those of female students, this showing any gender bias. Design/methodology/approach: The study is part of a much more comprehensive investigation into board gender diversity. It adopts a questionnaire approach, with this paper focussing on twelve research statements. Two hundred and ninety-six university students completed the questionnaires at a public university in the Czech Republic during March–April 2023. A pilot questionnaire was conducted in February 2023, resulting in minor changes being made. The data is analysed using SPSS and MedCalc® statistical software. Findings: Whilst, in some respects, it supports the literature in relation to the observations highlighted in the research statements concerning female traits/characteristics, there is unmistakable evidence of gender bias in the respondents' opinions regarding the qualities women can bring to corporate boards. Overall, this research shows a negative bias by male respondents towards the positive attributes females can bring to the boardroom. This bias may influence the selection of female directors in the future. This research suggests that the apparent discrimination against women is not just because they are female but from a perceived mismatch between inferred female characteristics and male stereotype leadership requirements. There is, however, no gender bias with respect to students' leadership aspirations. Practical implications: The findings of this research should help with policy-making decisions concerning the selection of future corporate board directors and help break down any negative gender selection bias. The paper adds to the discussion and debate about ethical issues related to business and broader society concerning gender diversity in senior management roles. It also adds to the political debate on the issue of legislative gender initiatives. Originality/value: The research respondents' perceptions may well influence the decision-making process for the selection of future corporate directors. Whilst these current perceptions may, and invariably will, change over time, it is important to identify them at an early stage in the respondents' careers. This research gives a better understanding of the perceived qualities that women bring to corporate boards from an inexperienced perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with a simulation assessment of the impact of the introduction of ETCS L2 and L3 on the capacity of railway lines. The simulation itself is carried out in the OpenTrack simulation software, especially in the tool headway calculator. For this research, an infrastructure model has been built, which represents a typical layout of lines and stations in the Czech Republic. By successive modifications of the model, the significance of the impact of the implementation of ATP systems on the capacity of lines can be simulated. In the paper, the influence of the implementation of different application levels of ATP systems on the capacity of railway lines is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the history of two-axle rail vehicles (rail buses) used for operation on regional lines in Czechoslovakia. It also shows trends in the development of modern light autonomous rolling stocks usable for passenger transport on unprofitable regional lines in Western Europe. The measures adopted in the transport policy of the Czech Republic for the period 2021-2027 for regional railway vehicles in the Czech Republic are presented. The final part of the paper presents the results of study of the concepts of a two-axle hybrid and electric rail buses and a conceptual design of a modular solution of a partially low-floor vehicle BEMU and HEMU for passenger regional rail transport. This paper shows that it is very problematic to create a light rail vehicle (LVR) that will be economical and environmentally friendly for regional transport and at the same time will meet the requirements of standards ČSN EN 12 663, category P2 and ČSN EN 15 227, category C I and will be friendly to road users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the sleeper substructure design for a speed of 200 kph according to the Czech SŽ S4 standard. The paper includes the design of sub-ballast and capping layers. The second part of the paper is focused on transition area design. The conclusion brings recommendations of alterations which would be appropriate to incorporate into the standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Czech National Repository of Grey Literature (NUŠL) has been bringing GL to science and society over 10 years. It is based on Lisbon definition from 1997, updated in 2004, and on its own document typology that was created in 2008 as one of the outputs of the same name project. Since then there have been several papers and articles calling for new definition and new typology, asking what should be still considered GL and what not anymore. (Savić, 2018; Baxter and Hilbrecht, 2020) Savić (2019) pointed out that if everything can be marked as GL then probably nothing is GL. The NUŠL already had to change its typology few times to provide still good service and to reflect research institutions' needs. However, it is not only the document typology that influences the repository and the service, there are other circumstances which affect further development of the NUŠL such as partner institutions' needs, the National Research, Development and Innovation Policy, European Commission's guidelines on research outputs, current quantity and quality of other repositories and systems for grey literature and research results in the Czech Republic etc. The contribution/paper will bring a brief overview on NUŠL's experience over 10 years of providing the service. Then it will be focused on a current situation in research area of the Czech Republic in detail. Finally, out of these points will conclude to the necessary changes that has to be taken by NUŠL and his provider - National Library of Technology in Prague, in order to keep the service meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines Covid-19-related policies as a showcase for priorities in migration governance, the role of the state and employers' associations, as well as gaps in social security and social protection. Design/methodology/approach: This paper looks at how immigration interacts with the labour market in the Czech Republic through the prism of the varieties of capitalism framework and its relation to the concepts of labour market segmentation and flexibility. Findings: The findings show that pandemic-related measures focused on continuously adjusting a legislative framework granting access to third-country workers. However, protective measures that would guarantee migrant workers and their families access to social rights, such as healthcare, were lacking. In this context, several lines of segmentation are observed: between migrant workers in standard employment and those in non-standard employment, when looking at their access to healthcare; between migrants hired directly by employers and those working through temporary agencies in terms of their wages, stability and protection; and, at a sectoral level, between the skilled workforce and migrants that are pushed to low-qualified poorly paid, and routinised jobs. Originality/value: This paper expands the existing literature on the preferences and influence of governments, employers and trade unions regarding the demand for foreign labour in varieties of capitalism by adding the perspective of a Central European economic model. At the same time, its findings contribute to the understanding that labour market inequalities are not fostered on the supply side of migrant labour, through exogenous societal or cultural characteristics specific to countries of origin, but rather through institutionalised measures, practices and policies in countries of destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Comparing to larger businesses, SMEs encounter more problems in their operations. Since innovativeness enables SMEs to be more competitive against their rivals, having more innovative activities might make SMEs overcome these issues. Nevertheless, depending on businesses-founders/owners' characteristics, SMEs' innovativeness in organizational, local, and global extents might differ. Purpose of the article: This research explores differences in family-owned SMEs' innovativeness regarding the age of their founders/entrepreneurs, legal form, and succession of these businesses. Methods: The researchers used a questionnaire survey. Data collection process was completed in 2020. The research sample includes 343 family-owned SMEs that operate in Czechia. The normality test result directs the authors to perform an Independent sample T-test to find differences between selected variables. Findings & value added: According to the obtained results, global innovativeness does not differ depending on firms-owners/entrepreneurs' characteristics. However, limited liability firms perform better in local innovativeness than other firms structured in different legal forms. Moreover, the organizational innovativeness of SMEs with successors is greater than firms without successors. While organizational innovativeness does not differ depending on entrepreneurs/founders' age and legal structure of businesses, local innovativeness does not differ depending on entrepreneurs/founders' age and successors' existence in these businesses. The educational level of entrepreneurs/founders, sector, and SMEs' location might be reasons for similarities and differences between SMEs' innovativeness. From the policy perspective, based on the obtained results, the authors suggest creating industrial zones. Furthermore, policymakers' collaborations with other essential players in the market might stimulate innovative attitudes among businesses. This paper's main contribution to the existing literature is to fill the gap regarding organizational, local, and global innovativeness of family-owned SMEs by providing detailed and empirical results about entrepreneurs' and firms' characteristics. Thus, this paper might draw businesses, policymakers, academicians, and international readers' attention concerning family-owned SMEs' innovativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farms generally produce products with low differentiation. To reach an increase in the profit and sales, product differentiation is one of the potential strategies that could be successfully applied. This paper identifies "Intermediate Consumption/Total Output" as a simple and user-friendly indicator for farm product differentiation performance and comparison assessment in the Czech Republic, based on a two-step cluster analysis performed on 1 225 farms with different operating conditions and reproduction process characteristics in the Czech Republic. The data are sourced from Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN CZ). Four farm clusters based on product differentiation levels are identified and described from the point of view of the production process and conditions. The resulting cluster profiles, in general, indicate the production conditions and process affecting the resulting product differentiation. Nevertheless, farms deliver extraordinary product differentiation values in fields with less favourable conditions and production processes. Those have the potential to be an inspiration for farms with lower product differentiation values. The result of this paper provides hope, less favourable conditions are not a limit for formidable performance. This paper result can be practically applied by anyone aiming to easily identify, evaluate, and compare farm product differentiation levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The over-representation of Roma children in segregated schools is well documented as a prevalent form of institutional racism in the Czech Republic. In the paper, we examine the inclination of parents to support school segregation. Objective: The paper looks at parents' preference for school segregation and explores its association to social dominance orientation, intergroup contacts, belief in traditional schooling and the absence of Roma children in school as proof of the school's good quality. The first hypothesis examines an association between parents' preference to withdraw their children from ethnically diverse schools and social dominance orientation (one's degree of preference for inequality among social groups). The second one tests the belief in traditional schooling as a factor contributing to a preference for ethnically motivated withdrawal. The third one studies the extent to which parents' preference to withdraw their children from ethnically diverse schools is affected by contact with Roma in their everyday life. The final hypothesis tests if parents who view Roma students as an indicator of poor education in a given school are more likely to oppose the presence of Roma students among their children's peers. Methods: Quantitative data collection was carried out on a sample of 1,803 respondents. The target group were families with at least one child of primary school age (6-14 years). A binary logistic regression analysis was implemented to assess these relationships. Results: The study confirmed that ethnically motivated school withdrawal is associated with social dominance orientation, belief in traditional school culture and education. On the other hand, the role of inter-group contact in a school environment was not proved. However, the final statistical model was rather weak explaining approximately 9% of variance in segregation endorsement. The model fit improved significantly when an additional variable -- absence of Roma as a sign of a good school -- was added. Approximately 15% of the variance in segregation endorsement was explained by the modified set of predictors. Conclusion: The study argues that ethnically motivated school withdrawal is a result of individual attitudes and situational factors. This means that researchers interested in informal school segregation will need to consider both groups of factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliable supply of quality drinking water is a fundamental prerequisite for a healthy society and its economic development. Public ownership of water infrastructure is prevalent in most European countries. In the Czech Republic, however, water infrastructure is highly fragmented, which entails multiple risks. The fragmentation of the sector leads to a low economic efficiency of operations, the unstable quality of service provision, and significant price differences. The aim of the paper is to use the IFE matrix to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of different ways of operating water supply systems in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, through the FMEA method (failure mode and effects analysis), this paper tries to identify the risks and threats to drinking water supplies for selected operators (representing the most frequently used operating models) and, subsequently, it proposes measures to mitigate the identified risks. The topic was addressed in the form of a case study of selected water system operators in the Czech Republic, and the findings indicate the compartmentalized model to be the most appropriate operating model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to analyse and compare the consequences of the coronacrisis on the entrepreneurship of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Slovakia and the Czech Republic with the aim of identifying the determinants of changes in entrepreneurship. The secondary empirical research was carried out based on the analysis of secondary and primary data. The analysis used economic indicators of SMEs, governmental measures and surveys of the views of entrepreneurs. The analysis used data from statistical databases and official reports from government institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as data from primary surveys conducted by NGOs. Descriptive statistics, financial analysis and cross-comparison methods were used to process the data. The results revealed changes in the business of SMEs in the Czech Republic and Slovakia during the crisis, such as the adaptation of business strategies, improvement of flexibility and acceleration of digitalisation processes. These changes highlighted the importance of building business agility. The summary of the main changes in SME business based on both secondary data and primary surveys and the perception of state anti-pandemic aid by managers as feedback to governments represent the main contributions of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present paper evaluated the connections between the degree of fulfilment of the EFQM model's requirements and the organisation's size, key results, social responsibility, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Methodology/Approach: The dataset was acquired via an internet-based survey hosted on Google Forms. The survey targeted managerial personnel within manufacturing entities situated within the geographical boundaries of the Czech Republic. Findings: Research on the relationship between the degree of fulfilment of the EFQM model requirements and the organisation's size, critical organisational results, social responsibility, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and overall organisational results demonstrated a moderately significant to strong correlation for all monitored indicators. Research Limitation/implication: The data is collected only in one specific country, but the production organisations in which the research was carried out are mainly foreign-owned. Originality/Value of paper: The current research results offer practical and theoretical implications. Theoretically, the research expands the literature on the EFQM model and its connection with current trends, which are the higher innovative activity of organisations and correlation with Industry 4. Practically, the research results will benefit managers, directors, and leaders of companies by allowing them to maintain an optimal level of quality management and estimate future requirements for complex enterprise integration. Category: Research paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]