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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of the investment in training in education by the European Social Fund (ESF) in four Eastern countries, namely, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Hungary. Those countries have some political, cultural, social and economic similarities and share some common ground in the human resource development (HRD) sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use the human capital theory with some extensions to analyze the context, operations and impacts of the ESF in the Visegrad four (V4) countries between 2007 and 2013. The authors use three levels of methodology to access each one of those problems. Findings: The authors conclude that the ESF helped building the vocational training system in those countries, and to help them get near the equilibrium of high skills of the V4 Western European neighbors, and therefore, this one was a success story. However, quality issues remain to be addressed that may hinder the continuation of the success in the future. Research limitations/implications: The research could be enlarged in time and space and deepened in terms of methodology. This is one a first clarifying step. Theoretical work should become aware of the dichotomy between absorption and scientific logic. Practical implications: Detailed and precise evaluation practices must be implemented to guide and assess the policy. Social implications: Precisely because funds are scarce this paper enlights the dilemma and the tension between quantity and quality in the European HRD policy, this is an important social problem. Originality/value: The study is original because even if the HRD in those countries had already been studied (Sheehan and Buchelt, 2016), no study analyzing specifically the ESF in those countries has been carried out so far. The authors use an innovative methodology and address questions on context, operations and impact, which are also innovative and very relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to identify retail models redistributing suboptimal food and their presence in Czechia. The author aims to give an overview of the status in comparison with other European Union countries and the form of such models in the Czech retail market concerning social super discount stores (SSDSs). Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on data obtained from an empirical study conducted by the study of secondary materials, author store-check observations and interviews with owners of SSDSs. The theoretical part consists of a literature review on social enterprises, food wasting and the definition of certain food distribution formats such as social supermarkets, food banks and SSDSs. The criteria for the selection of the research sample for observation were chosen based on the research conducted in Austria by researchers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Findings: The research sample consists of 40 retail stores belonging to five retailers. The particular variables of the study are the number of stores, store size, range of categories and products, discount rates, location and the number of employees in the selected stores in Czechia. Originality/value: This paper is a case study to identify and explore social retailing in Central Europe. This paper contributes to the emerging set of literature on social entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of retail for suboptimal food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the firm-level drivers of competitiveness of the Czech small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using the complex firm-level competitiveness index. The authors explored the relationship between firm competitiveness and firm characteristics such as size, age, industry affiliation and location. Design/methodology/approach: The complex competitiveness index as a proxy for firm competitiveness was calculated from the survey data. In total, 132 complete questionnaires filled in by representatives of randomly selected Czech SMEs were collected in 2018. Additional firm characteristics (size, age, industry affiliation and location) considered as determinants of competitiveness were obtained from the commercial database Albertina and from the Czech Statistical Office. The determinants of competitiveness were tested econometrically by estimation of multivariate regression models. Findings: The authors mainly found a significant relationship between the firm size and competitiveness of the Czech SMEs. The authors have also confirmed that the least competitive enterprises are those operating in the agricultural sector and that regional location plays an important role in the determination of firm competitiveness. Practical implications: The identification of competitiveness drivers can provide entrepreneurs, managers and policymakers with important implications. It seems beneficial for the Czech SMEs to expand the scope of operations to achieve a larger company size, for example, by focussing on investment activities, direct marketing, improving entrepreneurial skills or by applying an aggressive sales strategy, especially towards markets with lower competition. Politicians may respond to these efforts by setting the appropriate policies that promote SMEs' competitiveness, for example, through the hard and soft public support for financial and human resources. Originality/value: Although many studies on competitiveness have been published, there is still a limited number of firm-level studies looking at competitiveness from multiple angles rather than from the study of profitability and productivity. In contrast, the study uses a complex firm-level competitiveness index based on ten competitiveness pillars (technology, human capital, products, domestic market, networks, international markets, online presence, marketing, decision making and strategy) to capture the contribution of different resources and capabilities to firm competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper aims to make contributions to the debate on "performance measurement in practice" focussing on how organisational participants respond to the "new regime" of key performance indicators (KPIs) and whether KPIs materialise as intended in a transitional economy. Design/methodology/approach: Inspired by the epistemological instruction of Schatzki's practice theory, this paper draws on qualitative data collected through face-to-face interviews, observations and documentary analysis of a single organisation. Findings: KPIs were introduced at PK (a manufacturing concern in Czech Republic) but widely seen as contradictory, inconsequential, top-down and unrealistic. These lead organisational participants to adopt a pragmatic approach towards PM embracing KPIs' subjective assessment and manipulation, common sense or doing the job as given, and superficial compliance (symbolism). Research limitations/implications: The paper would be interesting to researchers because of its explanation of performance measurement practice in a distinct empirical setting, for its application of a practice theory inspired by Schatzki, and for inspiring new research agendas in transitional economies. Practical implications: The paper recommends the mobilisation of artefacts, such as various forms of bottom-up discussions, to encourage interactions between organisational members and influence individual beliefs and practical understandings of the intended managerial projects. Originality/value: The paper has focussed on "organisations of practice" to unravel the "doings" of organisational participants to explore the micro-processes of PM which otherwise would have been ignored. These "doings" and "sayings", linked by pools of understanding, rules or instructions, and a teleoaffective structure, enabled the authors to unmask inherent tensions and contradictions in a new regime of performance measures such as KPIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Effective management of shopping centres requires a good understanding of the consumers' behaviour and preferences as well as meeting the demand-side needs. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the factors affecting the frequency of shopping centres' visits, providing implications for shopping centre managers from the perspective of a Czech consumer. Design/methodology/approach: The study was carried out in one of the Czech shopping centres in Brno due to its potentially standardisable common characteristics derived from the observation in the scatter plot. The standardized questionnaire survey on consumer shopping behaviour was conducted on a sample of more than 1,000 customers. The linear probability model and the logit model were applied to estimate impacts of included sociodemographic variables on the outcome. Findings: The findings on the frequency of visits give an overview of the sociodemographic and spatial determinants increasing the visit regularity. From the managerial point of view, the importance of customers' activities and purposes is highlighted. Practical implications: The implications can be provided to managers challenging to demand management and considering the investment projects. We come up with certain suggestions in terms of market segmentation, based on sociodemographic characteristics and shopping behaviour. Originality/value: The paper provides insights into the preferences of the Czech consumers and extends the previous analysis of shopping behaviour by developing the statistical properties and demonstrating the variables and their influence on the frequency of visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to overcome the problems that skill mismatch cannot be measured directly and that demand side data are lacking. It relates demand and supply side characteristics by aggregating data from jobs ads and jobholders into occupations. For these occupations skill mismatch is investigated by focussing on demand and supply ratios, attained vis-à-vis required skills and vacancies’ skill requirements in relation to the demand-supply ratios.Design/methodology/approach Vacancy data from the EURES job portal and jobholder data from WageIndicator web-survey were aggregated by ISCO 4-digit occupations and merged in a database with 279 occupations for Czech Republic, being the only European country with disaggregated occupational data, coded educational data, and sufficient numbers of observations.Findings One fourth of occupations are in excessive demand and one third in excessive supply. The workforce is overeducated compared to the vacancies’ requirements. A high demand correlates with lower educational requirements. At lower occupational skill levels requirements are more condensed, but attainments less so. At higher skill levels, requirements are less condensed, but attainments more so. Educational requirements are lower for high demand occupations.Research limitations/implications Using educational levels is a limited proxy for multidimensional skills. Higher educated jobholders are overrepresented.Practical implications In Europe labour market mismatches worry policy makers and Public Employment Services alike.Originality/value The authors study is the first for Europe to explore such a granulated approach of skill mismatch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The authors aim to demonstrate the impact of allowing for unequal intra-household distribution of resources on income poverty and income inequality. Design/methodology/approach: The paper applies a collective consumption model to study the intra-household distribution of resources in Visegrád countries (V4). It utilises subjective financial satisfaction as a proxy for indirect utility from individual consumption to estimate the indifference scales within couples instead of the traditional equivalence scale. The European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) 2013 and 2018 data are applied. Findings: This study's results indicate substantial economies of scale from living in a couple that are generally higher than implied by the commonly applied equivalence scale. The sharing rule estimates suggest that at the mean of distribution factors, women receive a consumption share between 0.4 and 0.6; however, some of the results are close to an equal sharing of 0.5. The female consumption share rises with her contribution to household income. Regarding income poverty and inequality, the authors show that both these measures might be underestimated in the traditional approach to equal sharing of resources. Originality/value: The authors add to the empirics by estimating indifference scales for Czechia (CZ), Hungary (HU), Poland (PL) and Slovakia (SK), countries that have not been involved in previous research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this paper, the authors analyse a 2010 legal reform in the Czech Republic, which allowed retirees to simultaneously receive regular pension benefits and to work on a permanent contract for a period longer than one year. Previously, concurrence of employment and receipt of retirement benefits were only allowed in conjunction with a temporary work contract with a maximum duration of one year. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employ the difference-in-differences method. The authors include only males in the analysis because it is not possible to identify the legal retirement age for women from available data. Men in the workforce 1–3 years prior to the statutory retirement age are in a control group, while men 1–3 years older are in a treatment group. Findings: The authors show that the reform significantly increased the share of permanent contracts held by retirees (by 22.5–27.6 percentage points), though we do not find any aggregate short-term change in employment of retirees. Heterogeneity analysis shows a significant increase in the employment of retirees with only elementary school education (by 17.9 percentage points) and a significant decrease in the number of hours worked by retirees (by 2.5 h weekly for low-educated workers). Practical implications: The policy conclusion is that the regulation of employment contract does not affect aggregate employment, but may improve employment of low skilled workers. Originality/value: To the authors' best knowledge, there are no studies directly analysing motivation of retirees by types of employment contracts. The authors, thus, add to the literature that studies dealing with the general fixed-term versus permanent contracts (Engellandt and Riphahn, 2003) and motivation to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines the case of an initial training, called "Dojo", invented and implemented at a production site in the Czech Republic. It clarifies the initial training program implementation process and offers a conceptual framework for cooperative management of subsidiary activities at the site and firm. Design/methodology/approach: This study conducts an in-depth analysis of qualitative data from the Czech production site over a five-year period. The theoretical base is the theorization and labeling phase of management innovation (MI), the final phase of which legitimizes a new management practice. Interview data, archival data, pictures and financial data are used for the analysis. Findings: To legitimize the Dojo in the operational flow controlled by the site and firm, the Czech production site acquires validation of the Dojo from employees and board members of the Japanese and European headquarters, helping the site build trustful relationships with them. Training programs, process standardization and skills standardization of the workers offer benefits to the trainees, production site and firm. Originality/value: The authors offer theoretical insights into MI at the subsidiary-level, which past studies have not differentiated at the firm-level. The authors also provide details of the implementation and management of initial training for newly hired blue-collar workers at the production site. The findings complement related literature on human resource management and operational management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to elicit young economists' job preferences through the use of a choice experiment (CE). Design/methodology/approach: A CE conducted at a total of five universities in Spain, the Czech Republic and Germany. After estimating a random parameter logit model, the monetary value of the willingness to accept a specific job attribute is simulated. Findings: The most important job characteristic, consistent across countries and universities, is a long-term career prospect at the company. Originality/value: This is the first CE conducted on business and economics students' job preferences in three European countries. Using the same survey instrument allows for the comparison of students' job preferences across countries and also between private and public universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the context and nature of marketing used by nonprofit organizations in the Czech Republic.
Design/methodology/approach - A number of senior self-designated marketing managers in a wide range of non-profit organizations in Prague were interviewed to generate a descriptive narrative of what these key persons understood marketing to be and how they devised and implemented marketing within organizational strategy.
Findings - The findings paralleled that of other research (1995-2005) on the understanding and role of marketing within the profit sector of the Czech Republic. While marketing was identified as an interesting and powerful concept, non-profit policy makers generally had a limited understanding of a marketing theory or of the context in which exchange transactions occurred.
Research limitations/implications - This project was designed as an initial survey. The limited number of representatives interviewed and their purposeful selection from a small number of high-profile non-profit organizations limit the reliability of the findings and reduce the extent to which they can be generalized.
Practical implications - This paper provides a useful entry point for those interested in the use of marketing in the Czech Republic, a very significant transformative economy in the centre of Europe. Since one of the authors is a native Czech speaker, the paper reviews relevant marketing and non-profit literature in Czech as well as English.
Originality/value - While there has been some interest in the understanding and practice of marketing in the profit sector, it is believed that this is the first paper to address the non-profit sector - a sector that plays a very significant role within transformative economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to determine how much company participation in a type of cluster affects its economic performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study includes companies operating in seven industries (automotive, engineering, textiles, information technology (IT) services, furniture, packaging and nanotechnology) in the Czech Republic. The companies are divided into three groups: members of institutionalized cluster, operating in the same region (natural clusters) and operating in other regions. Data envelopment window analysis is used to measure their performance for 2009–2019. Findings: Results show that the effect of clustering differs among industries. Companies in three industries (automotive, engineering, nanotechnology) reveal a positive impact of the cluster initiative on performance growth. Two industries (textile, packaging) with companies operating in a natural cluster show better performance than those in an institutionalized cluster. Moreover, the IT services and the furniture industries show no positive effect of clustering on corporate performance. Research limitations/implications: This research includes 686 companies from seven industries and monitored for 11 years. On the one hand, the sample includes a relatively high number of companies overall; but on the other hand, the sample is relatively small, especially for nonclustered companies. The reason is the lack of available financial statements for small companies. Practical implications: From the perspective of practical cluster policy, the authors can recommend that monitoring the performance of member companies in clusters must be one of the criteria for evaluating the success of a cluster, such as cluster initiatives. Originality/value: This study distinguishes between long-standing natural clusters in a given industry and institutionalized ones that have emerged because of a top-down initiative. An original database is created for clustered and nonclustered companies in seven industries, covering the entire Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show how relatively little is known about the consumer perceptions of own brands in the newly emerging markets of central and eastern Europe. The paper attempts to fill a gap in knowledge by investigating various aspects of consumer perceptions of Tesco own brands in the Czech Republic. Design/methodology/approach - The key data for this research were collected by structured questionnaires from Tesco supermarket customers in the Czech Republic and the UK, Non-probability quota sampling was used and the sample was stratified according to gender, age and income. Findings - The results of the research indicate that the general view of Tesco own brands is slightly less positive among Czech than among British customers. However, significant differences emerge when these are examined in terms of income. Increases in income lead to a decrease in the favourability with which own brands are viewed in the Czech Republic - the opposite to the position in the UK. The age of consumers was also found to be significant, although there is no linear trend. No strong correlation was found to exist between gender and any of the characteristics under investigation. Research limitations/implications - The sample was limited in size (n = 100 in each country}. In-depth interviewing would be necessary to assess consumer attitudes further. Practical implications - The results of the research may help Tesco in relation to its general expansion in central and eastern Europe and its brand building in particular. Originality/value - The originality of the paper relates to its study of consumer behaviour in one of the emerging markets of central and eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To provide an analysis of the privatisation of the Czech Republic's former state-owned telecommunications monopoly, Český Telecom, in relation to governance, organisational restructuring and strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices.
Design/methodology/approach - This research project used a qualitative approach that supported an in-depth case study analysis. This included semi-structured interviews that were conducted across a broad range of stakeholders associated with the Czech telecommunications sector. SHRM and downsizing theories were used to assist in the analysis of this data.
Findings - The paper finds that management strategies at Český Telecom exhibited some similarities with those of Western TelCos facing similar deregulation issues. However, these processes were tempered by country-specific historical and institutional factors, including the relatively weak institutional structures and mechanisms found in Eastern Europe.
Research limitations/implications - A qualitative analysis concentrating on one case study lessens the universal applicability of the findings.
Practical implications - A useful source of information for academic researchers and HRM practitioners who wish to conduct research and/or manage workers in the Czech Republic.
Originality/value - Provides an original case study analysis within an important strategic sector that has undergone large-scale change: the telecommunications sector of Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of university atmosphere, macroeconomic environment and business support on students' entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, it explores whether country moderates these relationships or not. Design/methodology/approach: This research is administered on individual-level data collection through survey distribution. The impact of contextual factors on entrepreneurial intention, along with moderating effect, was examined by using multi-group analysis (MGA) in partial least squares (PLS) in an original data set of 1,352 respondents from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. Findings: The results indicate that university environment and business support can influence entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, country did not moderate the proposed relationships. Research limitations/implications: This study's contribution enriches literature by providing insights on the determinants of entrepreneurial intentions in the Central Europe context. Limitations may be overcome with further research. Practical implications: Identifying factors that influence entrepreneurial intention can inform the design of effective policies to boost entrepreneurship and combat youth unemployment. Originality/value: Understanding the contextual factors that motivate students towards entrepreneurship may inform the design of more effective policies. The findings of this study, particularly concerning moderating effects, are useful to scholars as entrepreneurial behaviour is proved similar across all three countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A notion of auditor independence, envisaged as crucial to the credibility of the audit function, resides in professional Codes of Ethics in much of the western world. Since the beginning of the 1990's, the auditor independence construct has been imported eastwards and incorporated into legislation and Code of Practices amongst central and eastern European economies (CEE), together with other requirements, as the countries prepare for their accession to the European Union. This study is aimed at ascertaining the meanings conveyed by the auditor independence construct and its state of realisation in one of the transition economies of the CEE region, the Czech Republic. Also, the study seeks to understand how local culture impacts upon a particular understanding of auditor independence. In order to examine the auditor independence in this part of the world, a framework for analysis incorporating structural conditions, local traditions and culture is proposed. The analysis is conducted first de jure, and is based upon a review of the Czech law and professional regulation. This is complemented with a de facto analysis based upon interviews with audit practitioners, regulators and financial statement users in the Czech Republic and on a review of Czech media coverage. What emerges from the study is a particular local understanding of the auditor independence construct, perceived primarily as an economic concept in the context of market instability and the immature legal framework. It appears that there is a tendency to follow the form of audit procedures without substantial rationalisation. We conclude that socio-economic and cultural pressures appear to far outweigh any formal safeguards implemented to maintain professional integrity and competence in the CEE region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the philosophies and paradigms concerning human resource management (HRM) within enterprises in the Czech Republic. Formulation of predications concerning the emerging nature of HRM in the Republic; Reference to the universalist prescriptive approach; Methodology of the study; Information on the Czech Republic's history and culture; Findings of the study.