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Purpose: The paper deals with the child benefits system in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Sweden. Design/methodology/approach: The authors describe the systems as the key baseline for subsequent qualitative and quantitative comparison. An essential element is the quantitative comparison of child benefits using their statistically stationarised values. Findings: The Czech and Slovak systems provide a comparable rate of coverage as the Swedish system regarding the payment of both types of benefits, i.e. child benefits and tax allowances, for the first and second child; however, from the third child, the individual differences are considerable. Albeit the concepts of Czech and Slovak systems are framed by the same historical origins and conceptual approach, they differ significantly, with Slovakia providing the lowest aggregate level of child benefits. Originality/value: The paper provides insight into the child benefit systems in the respective countries. These systems are at the centre of attention of policymakers who are attempting to maintain birth rates and reduce child poverty. The Czech Republic has the lowest level of at-risk-of-poverty rates for persons under 16 years of age, while natality rates are comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to define the level of motivation of employees in the enterprises in the forest-based sector in Slovakia in time, namely before the COVID-19 crisis and after the crisis, and subsequently to determine the most important motivation factors. Data were obtained through quantitative research. The research sample consisted of 920 respondents working in forest enterprises and 1,494 working in wood-processing enterprises. Following the multivariate analysis of dispersion, the employees' motivation level in the enterprises in the forest-based sector was defined and compared. The recognition of an insignificant change in group motivation factors is the result of the research. Another result is the realization that even with the essential motivation factors, there were no significant changes due to the impact of COVID-19. At the same time, they were balanced within the sectors. The contribution of the paper is comparing the level of motivation and motivation factors in the forest-based industry over time and the subsequent possibility of designing managerial models of motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union's Structural Funds are a key instrument for reducing the disparities between its regions. The Slovak Republic, as well as other countries of the V4, has been eligible to implement these funds since joining the EU in 2004. This paper focuses on the implementation of the Structural Funds in the V4 countries in the 2007-2013 programming period. We have searched this programming period as it was the first period since the accession of countries to the EU in which they benefited from this support throughout its whole duration. The ability to spend EU funds effectively has a major impact on the economies of countries, as these resources make up the bulk of public investment. In this paper, we were working with secondary data using standard scientific methods of quantitative research as well as descriptive statistics. The results of our research have shown that the level of effectiveness of the implementation of EU allocated funds varies in the V4 countries in 2007 - 2013, while the effectiveness of some key indicators in the Slovak Republic was the worst among the V4 countries. We have also found that in terms of selected key socio-economic indicators in the period under review, such as unemployment rate, the Slovak Republic has improved least within the V4 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper rests on two fundamentals: firstly, the EU's initiative to deepen cooperation with and the prospect of its enlargement to the Western Balkans region; and, secondly, the urgency to address sustainable development issues in the international environment. As the virtual water perspective represents an innovative approach in the field of sustainable development, the aim of our paper is to analyse trade-related characteristics based on the water footprint concept (complementary to the alternative RCA/RTA indexes designed to calculate a country's comparative advantage or disadvantage). In our paper, we analyse and evaluate selected commodities traded by the Slovak Republic and the Western Balkans countries in terms of the absolute/comparative advantage related to the national water footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the specific topic of assessing the negative visual impacts associated with renewable energy infrastructure that may prevent their wider deployment in energy mix. The main objective of the paper is to quantify the perception of the visual impact of renewable energy infrastructure and to estimate potential changes in the visitation of a location after the construction of power plants. The research was conducted using a questionnaire survey in which 449 respondents evaluated edited photographic materials of seven locations with a fictitious power plant. The collected data served as input for the statistical testing of eight defined hypotheses using the U-Mann–Whitney test. The results confirmed trends regarding the influence of age, educational level, and power plant proximity on the overall acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure. Landscape-forming factors affecting the acceptance rate of power plants were also defined at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The main aim of this paper is to provide a united view on the issue of tax instruments supporting science and research in the Slovak republic and to evaluate their impact on state budget revenues. Research Design & Methods: The research question that this paper tries to answer is whether the support of research and development in the Slovak Republic through tax instruments is sustainable and suitable for the business sector. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used in the research. The paper analyzes legislation related to the issue of super deduction in order to identify the factors that affect this tax instrument. At the same time, the authors adopt the descriptive and normative economic approaches. Based on the deduction, procedures are subsequently chosen to quantify selected factors and their impact on state budget revenues in the Slovak Republic. Findings: Apart from the last seven years, the Slovak Republic has been characterized by almost no state support for research and development. However, since 2015, new forms of tax incentives have included the provision of tax relief in the form of a deduction of research and development costs, a patent box, as well as tax breaks for new investments. In 2015, 83 entities claimed a deduction of research and development costs amounting to more than EUR 9 million, while in 2019 the amount of this deduction increased to more than EUR 119 million. The statistics of the Financial Administration of the Slovak Republic also show that small companies with 10 to 49 employees apply the deduction to the highest degree, followed by medium-sized companies with 50 to 249 employees, micro-enterprises with up to 9 employees, and large companies with over 250 employees. The highest rate of deduction of research and development cost in terms of regional distribution was recorded in the Bratislava, Trenčín and Trnava regions. Implications / Recommendations: Tax incentives for research and development encourage investment and are therefore considered an appropriate form of support for the business environment. However, the biggest positive is the duplication of the possibility of claiming costs with respect to the reported corporate tax base. The question arises here: how often should the percentage rate for duplicate costs be changed? The analysis of applicants for a deduction of research and development costs in the Slovak Republic also showed that the number of new applicants for the tax benefit is constantly growing. This may encourage the re-use of such a tax credit in future years. The decrease in the volume of the deduction of research and development costs in 2019, with a 1.5-times increase in its rate, can be assessed negatively. It is clear that the success of this instrument of tax stimulation of private investment in research and development in Slovakia may encounter a barrier such as the inability to claim the costs incurred in the form of a deduction of research and development costs against a sufficient tax base. Contribution: The question arises here: how often should the percentage rate for duplicate costs be changed? The success of this instrument of tax stimulation of private investment in research and development in Slovakia may also run into the barrier of not being able to claim the costs incurred in the form of a deduction of research and development costs against a sufficiently high tax base, especially in the current period, when there has been a significant decline in Slovak companies' profits. What, then, is the perspective for deducting research and development costs in the pandemic period and in the post-pandemic period, respectively? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to find out about the current situation in the use of financial analysis at the level of territorial self-governments of the Slovak Republic, namely in the Trenčín self-governing region. Two key research questions were formulated in the context of the main objective. Do municipalities of the Trenčín selfgoverning region use the methods of financial analysis? What are the main reasons for not using the methods of financial analysis in the municipalities of the Trenčín selfgoverning region? In order to fulfil the aim of the paper, an empirical survey based on a questionnaire survey was carried out with the aim of answering three research questions. The whole basic set of municipalities in the Trenčín self-governing region was addressed with a return of 35.14%. The results of the survey showed that the methods of financial analysis are not applied by Slovak municipalities. The main reason is the size of municipalities. Other important factors include the absence of qualified staff or expertise. Interesting is the main reason that led territorial self-governments to use these methods, which was the simplicity of the methods and their not being timeconsuming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Lotteries are probably the most geographically widespread and one of the most profitable types of gambling in terms of revenue in the selected country. Players in Slovakia can place a bet in 9 lotteries, including additional games. AIMS: The main goal of this paper is to present potential conditions for the development of lottery business in the Slovak Republic, including legal definitions of lottery types, legislative restrictions and state regulation. A separate part of the paper is dedicated to analysing the results of a questionnaire research aimed at finding out the preferences of selected types of gambling. METHODS: The study was carried out in Slovakia and focused on lotteries. Data collection took place from 1st March 2020 to 1st April 2020. Chi-square test and Z-score were used to assess selected hypotheses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Interesting findings have emerged from the research. The questionnaire's possible reach was 7,537 people during the one-month data collection, with the return of 129 (1.71%) responses. In total, 33.3% of respondents take part in gambling, 20% of respondents place bets in lotteries (60.5% of gamblers) and the most common form of placing a bet is through a terminal (80.8% of players) - in a facility. There are no significant statistical differences in terms of the respondents' geographical domicile on the frequency of gambling, participation in any types of games or the average amount of the deposit, invested in gambling. In addition to the specific form of the corporation specified by the legislation - the national lottery company - it is possible to operate only a bingo-type lottery to other business entities. For this reason, business in the lottery segment in Slovakia is minimal for other companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the article was to describe selected factors of hotel business in the Slovak Republic in the years 2001 to 2020 and identify the economic impacts of measures related to the pandemic crisis COVID-19 in 2020. At the same time through selected marketing tools. Paper is also focused on innovative marketing tools used in the hotel business during a pandemic time and their impact on business effectiveness. To analyze the situation in the hotel business in the Slovak Republic, we used a statistical method of comparison within the period under study. To obtain qualified answers to the stated research goals and subsequent research questions, we statistically processed available data on the number of domestic and foreign visitors, as well as the capacity of accommodation facilities in the monitored period. Subsequently, we carried out research in the hotel sector using the method of controlled structured interviews. The results were processed through exploratory factor analysis, based on which we were able to evaluate marketing tools with the most significant impact on efficiency in the hotel business in the Slovak Republic. The measures taken in connection with the coronavirus COVID-19 caused significant economic impacts on the hotel business in the Slovak Republic, as in 2020 the number of foreign visitors dropped to 20-year lows. The analysis of the environment in the hotel business for the period under study showed that the impact of measures within the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the number of visitors, the amount of revenues and the number of accommodation facilities. The research of structured interviews with accommodation facility managers showed that the use or non-use of marketing activities (websites, PPC advertising, social media) had a significant effect on the reduction of revenues. The findings of the analysis of the environment clearly show that the relaxation of the economic measures in the summer of 2020 increased the number of domestic visitors to a higher level than in the same period in 2019, but there was no increase in the number of foreign visitors. We can state that if the epidemic comes under control, there will be a massive increase in the number of visitors and thus an increase in revenues. In case, that Slovak hotel managers would use innovative marketing tools more in the future when communicating with potential customers, it is highly probable that their potential losses would be lower in the next crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-innovation and green technologies are key to Europe's future and they are at the heart of the European Union (EU) policies. The EU's economic prosperity and well being are linked to its natural environment and the global demand for renewable energy and resource-efficient solutions will be a source of new jobs and economic growth in the years to come. As the numerous practical examples from industry demonstrate, eco-innovation is a powerful instrument that combines reduced negative impact on the environment with a positive impact on the economy and society. Eco-innovation call attention to the positive contribution that the small and medium enterprises can make to sustainable development and a competitive economy. To step towards sustainable economic growth, there is a need for much more eco-innovations to appear in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The aim of the paper is to present the results of empirical research aimed at SME's involvement in eco-innovation activities in Slovakia and to compare them with the EU 28 average. Our analysis is aimed at five eco-innovation activities contributing deeply to the circular economy. That is a) waste recycling and minimizing waste generation; b) re-planned energy usage to minimize consumption; c) redesigning products and services to minimize the use of materials or using recycled materials; d) changes to the use of water to minimize consumption and to maximize water re-usage; e) usage of renewable energy sources. Identified will be the actual and perceived issues (problems, difficulties) encountered by Slovak SMEs with regard to undertaking eco-innovations. Based on the research results formulated are the implications for SMEs managers and policymakers in Slovakia concerned with the SME's involvement in ecoinnovation. Our study is qualitative and descriptive in nature and most of the data is based on secondary sources. The data used to assess the SME's involvement in eco-innovation activities come from the survey commissioned by the EC in the year 2016 with the aim to explore SME's activities in relation to the circular economy (including the ecoinnovation activities) in the period of years 2014-2016. As to the Slovakia 383 SMEs operating in manufacturing, services and in the industry sector has been interviewed. The methods used in the paper are the methods of causal analysis, deduction, abstraction, comparison as well as synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Universities are an important component of regional innovation systems. There have been a number of studies during recent years in developed countries which analysed activities of universities aiming to increase their contribution in regional innovation. The aim of this article is to explore the evolution of third mission activities of universities in Slovakia and explore the role of public policy in this process. Methodology/Approach: We used a document analysis of annual reports of all public universities in Slovakia to see which third mission activities universities claim to perform and how the situation has changed over the years. We also compared universities according to their focus and location. Several personal and telephone interviews were conducted to verify or supplement the information. Findings: We found that among all third mission activities, the greatest change was observed in research and cooperation activities with businesses. This mainly resulted from a change in government policy but mostly due to very strong support from EU structural funds. Research Limitation/implication: The study is based on annual reports of universities which do not necessarily cover all activities that universities actually perform. Originality/Value of paper: The paper provides the first complete overview of the third mission activities performed by universities in Slovakia with a focus on their development over time. Also, it identifies the role which governmental policy plays in these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most developed countries have had to deal with demographic change in recent decades, which has an impact on the functioning of society as a whole. The aim of this paper is to analyze se-lected demographic indicators such as the struc-ture of the population according to productivity, birth rate, mortality or educational level of the population and to define the impacts of their development on the functioning of society. In order to achieve this goal, we became acquaint-ed with our theoretical publications, while ad-hering to this theoretical knowledge and then supplementing with statistical data. In the pro-cessing of the work were used mainly general scientific methods such as description, induc-tion, deduction, method of analysis or synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to test the hypothesis of positive correlation between the innovative work behavior (IWB) support on the part of agricultural managers and the production performance of agricultural companies, mediated through information sharing in the companies. The research was performed on a sample of 175 companies of primary agricultural production in Slovakia. All data was analysed using the SPSS version 22.0 software package. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess the internal consistency of scales reliability. The Baron and Kenny mediator model was also used. The hypothesis was confirmed by the research. Complete mediation was identified where up to 91.6% of the overall effect is mediated through the sharing of the information variable. The practical implications of the research point out that the transparency of communication and support of innovations introduce positive effects in relation to the performance of agricultural companies. The IWB support is a predictor of production performance of agricultural companies. However, it does not have a clear effect; the effects of other factors are important. The IWB support positively affects the production performance of companies through the sharing of information between the managers and the employees, which becomes an important tool of innovative management. Agricultural cooperatives and joint stock companies can profit less significantly from the IWB support through the sharing of information than limited liability companies. The effect of IWB support on the production performance of cooperatives in natural expression shows statistically less significant impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unpredictability of the migration movements; efforts to protect the state's territory from irregular and illegal activities; as well as tendency to fill in the gaps on the labour market in the receiving countries are only few out of many pre-conditions which stimulate attempts of the nation states to coordinate and influence migration on their territories using the instruments of the migration policy. However, the instruments as proposed in the strategic documents do not always meet the practical demands emerging from the migration profile of the particular state, or they are not applied properly - from different reasons. Our paper analyses the cited discrepancy in the Slovak Republic. The main aim is to identify instruments of the Slovak migration policy as presented in the latest strategic documents and compare the theoretical framework with the practical reality. The paper concludes by analysing reasons of existing gaps between the theory and practice in the Slovak settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Border protection and the right to decide about entry and residence of foreign nationals on the state’s territory are regarded as the most important manifestations of the state’s sovereignty and usually fall under the control of the police forces and ministries of interior of individual states. Yet, in some cases, the migration flows heading to or by-passing the state’s territory can transform from the issue of domestic policy to the foreign policy realm. The paper will outline conditions which have to be met for such transformation, as well as the consequences of this process on the example of a particular state – the Slovak Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquidity is one of the main characteristics of the financial situation of a company. A lack of liquidity may seriously affect the continuity of a firm's activities. A thorough analysis and knowledge of the factors affecting the liquidity of a company are an essential requirement of the informed adoption of measures aimed at ensuring company liquidity. This issue is the subject of the presented paper. The main purpose of the article is to analyse the development of liquidity in the mechanical engineering industry in the Slovak Republic (SK NACA rev. 2 28xx - Manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified) during the period of 2015-2018, and to identify the key internal and external factors determining liquidity in the industry. The survey was carried out in 2019 on a sample of 398 companies in the specified industry. Sample representativeness was tested on the basis of the non-parametric chi-square goodness of fit test (distribution test). The obtained data were processed by means of statistical methods. To perform the statistical analysis, we applied the methods of descriptive statistics, frequency tables and non-parametric tests (the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests). To verify the validity of the formulated hypotheses, we used the right-tailed test of the hypothesis on the relative frequency. The main finding of the research is the identification of the key internal and external factors determining the liquidity of engineering companies in Slovakia. The results of the research allow companies to take effective measures in managing liquidity and supporting their favourable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2002, the Slovak government have been using the system of investment aid for enterprises. However, the economy of the Slovak Republic characterized by differences among regions. Therefore, in March 2018, the Slovak government modified the system of investment aid to mitigate the differences among the regions. The main aim of the paper is to examine whether investment aid in Slovakia has served its purpose and was channelled to disadvantaged Slovak areas. The objects of the research are particular investment projects supported by the state investment aid in the observed period. The subjects of study are the selected forms of investment aid provided in the Slovak republic. The paper analyses the amount and structure of the provided investment aid in the Slovak Republic during the period 2002-2018. The secondary data on business entities, which received investment aid was obtained from the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic. An additional source of information is data from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic about the rate of unemployment and GDP per capita in the Slovak regions. Descriptive statistics and comparison analyse the obtained data to evaluate the total provided investment aid. The authors work with three research questions. The first concerned the uniformity of investment aid provision during the years 2002-2018. The second focused on verifying the proportionality of the covered costs to the newly created jobs. Finally, the authors test the primary mission of investment aid, reducing regional disparities (based on the allocation of investment aid to regions of the Slovak Republic). There were identified evident differences in the total amount of provided investment aid in particular years. The analysis confirms that the costs for one newly created job in particular Slovak regions were quite different. There were regions where the subsidies for one new job were three times higher than in others. During the analysed period, the majority (56%) of investments were realised in regions with a lower rate of unemployment compared to the average price in Slovakia. The aid in these regions was achieved, with 75 % of the total amount of investment aid. The results of the analysis confirm that investment aid in Slovakia is still not focused on the support of less developed regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the political influence of NGOs and civil society on political development. Non-governmental organizations have no direct impact on government actions, but they have an opinion-forming function, by which they can influence citizens and voters. In this respect, it is important that NGOs act in the interest of citizens, which is a sensitive and difficult to prove topic in the case of foreign funding. Just as civil society needs to organize itself in NGOs for its development, these organizations need funding for their activities. The interest of government should be to ensure sufficient funding for this area, which will to some extent prevent the influence of foreign donors on the political situation in the given country. The article is addressing a current issue, as NGOs are an integral part of any democratic society. Their influence on the political situation was noticeable in Slovakia before the 1998 parliamentary elections, when they influenced the electoral behavior of citizens, thus influencing the overall result of the elections. Contemporary literary sources, opinions of Slovak experts, but also the theoretical definitions of NGOs and civil society were used to better understand the position of NGOs in the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of the present paper is to identify and defines the important factors of strategic management in SMEs with a specific focus on the service sector and to compare its current situation in the Czech Republic and Slovak republic firms. To shape the study, survey-based research planned and conducted in the Czech Republic and Slovak republic over SMEs in the service sector. The data were collected from the owners or top-level managers, the total sample used in the study was 822, 454 respondents from the Czech firms and 368 firms from the Slovak republic. The study employs basic statistics tools, percentages and mean values, used Z-score to compare the respondents in the Czech Republic and Slovak republic. The major findings of the study reveal that majority of the firms in both the countries use strategic management as an integral part of corporate governance and believe that strategic management usage improves the competitiveness of the firms and its stability in domestic and foreign markets. Another interesting finding reveals that the business sector is not a statistically significant factor in evaluating the sources of strategic risk, found from the firms of both countries. The paper adds to the existing literature of SMEs, investigated the use of strategic management tools for their sustainability and competitiveness. As the key aspects of strategic management are much used in large size organization but less explored in the smaller segment. The outcome of the study can help to understand the SMEs' attitude towards strategic management usage. It is very useful for long term survival, stability, and expansion, as both countries' economy is heavily depending on the SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper is focused on the competitive market map as the key tool for classifying enterprises (or countries) in terms of their shares and market positions, as well as on the competitiveness of the Slovak Republic at the international level through the GCI index. This article has three main sections, with first concentrating on a literature review of the issue of competitiveness as the crucial term in this paper. The second main part deals with the competitive market map, in which numerous equations can be found to aid in understanding the problem of competition as a whole. This part also contains a section on the matrix compilation of the competitive market map. The third main section of the article deals with competitiveness measurement in the global world with the emphasis on the Slovak Republic. Here an evaluation of countries through the Global competitiveness index as well as a SWOT analysis of enterprise competitiveness in the Slovak Republic is presented. The Slovak position competitiveness ranking of 41st shows an improvement over previous years, although several challenging issues remain to be resolved by the national government in the near future. The main goal of this article is to evaluate the competitiveness of Slovak Republic on the international scale based on the competitive market map, a tool which is used as the basis for an evaluation of the competitive position of a particular firm as well as that of a particular nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - The global surge in internet purchases drives economic growth and contributes significantly to developed countries' improved living standards. Methodology/Technique - This unprecedented e-commerce boom, facilitated by the convenience of round-the-clock online shopping, has reshaped consumer behavior. Within this landscape, educational level emerges as a prominent demographic determinant influencing online purchasing patterns. The Slovak Republic has experienced an upward trajectory in internet purchases across various educational segments, highlighting a growing preference for online shopping experiences. Findings – However, it is important to note that a discernible gap in online shopping behavior persists between these educational strata. Moreover, Slovakia's achievement of its convergence goal, aligning with the European Union's admission average, underscores its commitment to growth and development. This accomplishment highlights the nation's progress and reflects the pivotal role of e-commerce in shaping economic trajectories. Novelty - We analyze the trend of online shopping in Slovakia compared to the EU 27 average and top-performing countries, finding that Slovakia exhibits a steeper trend, especially among highly educated individuals. In an era where online interactions and transactions have become integral to daily life, the nexus between educational attainment, online purchasing behavior, and economic advancement demands continued research and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of dual quality of products provided by the same manufacturers is not a novel one, however, the awareness of its existence and implications has only recently been noticed in Europe by the general public. The response of the media was immediate and massive. The reality of what dual quality represents for consumers was largely exaggerated and companies applying such strategies were criticised by public opinions. However, there is a lack of knowledge of how this phenomenon affects changes in buyers' behaviour and therefore, companies are unable to develop their strategies in accordance with current and believable data. This paper provides information on the relationship between the dual quality of goods and changes in buyers' behaviour, resulting in developed guidelines and recommendations for international producers on the issue of dual quality and how to incorporate it into their marketing strategies in order to gain competitive advantage. The findings based on research conducted in Slovak Republic include a detailed structure of customer segments and their response to dual quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented paper deals with the evaluation of hydropower potential in a selected section of the Torysa river in the eastern part of the Slovak Republic. This part of the country was chosen based on the existence of a significant risk of increasing energy poverty in local marginalized communities. Small hydropower plants in the form of mini and micro installations are an ecological and economical way to secure electricity and suppress indicators of energy poverty. The essential part of work focuses on the quantification of the gross (theoretical), technical, and economic hydropower potential of the Torysa river using elevation data obtained by GIS tools and hydrological data provided by The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. The next step identified concrete locations with a suitable head and volumetric flow rate. In the last part, the assessed section of the Torysa river was analyzed in terms of geographical collisions with NATURA 2000 areas, historical heritage elements in the country, and natural water bodies without hydropower potential (i.e., lakes, ponds, etc.). The resulting technical hydropower potential of selected part of Torysa river is 5425 kW and the economic potential is 1533 kW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative regions contribute to a higher standard of living, are attractive to start-ups, create new jobs, reduce brain drain and attract applicants for university education. The paper aims to compare selected indicators of implementation of start-ups and creative potential in the regions of Slovakia at NUTS 3 level and to quantify their mutual relationship. Benchmarking of 8 Slovak NUTS 3 level regions is based on 2 comparisons, namely: 6 indicators of start-ups implementation (frequency of start-ups, creation of radical innovations, employment in fast-growing companies, venture capital awareness, crowdfunding awareness and possibilities of counselling in the implementation of start-ups) and 6 indicators of creative potential (openness and diversity, human capital, cultural environment, technologies, institutional environment and creative outputs). Numerical values of these indicators are obtained from secondary research studies – e. g. modified Slovak Creative Index, Regional Innovation Scoreboard, Slovak Start-up Report and websites of innovation incubators and crowdfunding platforms. To obtain the true values of these criteria, the analysis of secondary data – desk research and the method of pairwise comparison with 91 respondents (students of Slovak universities of economic orientation with Slovak or Ukrainian nationality) was used to determine the real significance (weights) of the criteria. According to pairwise comparison, the most important indicator of start-up implementation is possibilities of counselling and the most important indicator of creative potential is creative outputs. Consequently, the relationship between the two comparisons is quantified. The global benchmark based on the implementation of start-ups is the Bratislava region, as well as in the case with creative potential. There is a strong correlation (85.5 %) between the scores of the compared regions. The final ranking of the 5 regions out of 8 in both comparisons is also the same. The theoretical contribution is extending of the issue of benchmarking from traditional understanding (products, services, processes) to spatial understanding (region). The main practical contribution of the paper is to identify the weaknesses of each of the compared regions through benchmarking. Its implementation can be the basis for the development of regional strategies and the introduction of new study programs at universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the paper is to analyze the constitutional backgrounds of the local taxes´ legal regulation, assessment, and collection in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. The paper starts with the general constitutional regulation of taxes and continues with the critical analyses of local taxes´ regulation and application in both countries. It follows the legal power of legal norms, starting with the international aspects -- the European Charter of Local Self-Government, continuing with the constitutional issues and finishing with the statutory regulation of local taxes. The first part of the hypothesis that even if the constitutional regulation in these countries is very different and gives different opportunities for the local taxes adoptions both in national Parliaments and in local councils, the practice in both countries is very similar, was (with a small difference in the actual use of given possibilities to adjust the real property tax revenues by the municipalities, which speaks in favour of the Slovak ones compared to the Czech) confirmed. However, the second part of the hypothesis that in both countries local self-government units do have adequate powers to impose and collect local taxes was rejected. In the conclusion, the comparison between the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic is made and possible changes de lege ferenda are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a report on migration within the Slovak Republic prepared for the annual OECD Expert Group on Migration conference which took place at the beginning of October 2019 in Paris. This report's structure conforms to the OECD requirements. OECD recommends publication of particular national reports in their home countries. In this paper we introduce an overview of current development in the area of migration and migration policies in Slovak Republic in 2018 and the first half of 2019 with a focus on the context of the past 5 - 10 years. This paper is also updated with the trends for the period until the end of October 2019. In the introductory chapter we describe the main parameters of the macroeconomic development for the period of the past years and we bring it to context with the development on the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies / Sodobna Pedagogika is the property of Association of Slovenian Educationalists 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.)

In this paper, I will argue that the Slovak constitutional system consists not only of the written sources of law but also of constitutional conventions understood as a specific legal custom. Most Slovak constitutional lawyers believe that this kind of unwritten legal rule regulates the process of forming a new government after the announcement of the parliamentary election results. Namely, according to the generally shared constitutional convention, the President is obliged to entrust the assignment to form a new government to the representative of a political party with the highest number of votes obtained. I subsequently explore whether it is tenable given the conditions of the Slovak Republic to enforce such conventions by the judiciary. The analysis of the relevant case-law shows that the Slovak Constitutional Court refers to constitutional conventions in its legal argumentation only rarely. And even when it does, usually it is not particularly convincing. Especially, the Court's reasoning by constitutional conventions related to the President's appointing powers is loaded with misconceptions and contradictions, so one could wonder whether constitutional conventions serve only as a façade for the Court's arbitrariness. Despite this harsh assessment, I conclude that there are good institutional reasons for entrusting the Constitutional Court with enforcing constitutional conventions, including particularly the one regulating the assignment to form a new government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A current issue is the evaluation of the efficiency of various types of education service providers. This paper aims to evaluate the efficiency of the services of secondary education provided by a variety of types of providers. The evaluation of secondary education is performed on a sample of 26 grammar schools in the Prešov region of the Slovak Republic. The method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used. The results of the efficiency of 26 grammar schools in the period 2012-2013 to 2016-2017 showed that grammar schools from the sample established by all providers (public, private, church entity) reached the full efficiency score. By contrast, six grammar schools were evaluated as the least efficient. The evaluation of the set of grammar schools based on the average efficiency score also showed that, from the viewpoint of the types of providers, public grammar schools reach higher efficiency scores, in comparison with church and private grammar schools. These findings expand on the theory of public goods with respect to their production and render valuable information for not only education providers but also creators of regional strategic plans in education policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hygiena is the property of Statni Zdravotni Ustav 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.)

The aim of the Article is to clarify, if the Slovak constitutional system contains constitution based on material core. Were there any important changes dealing with this constitutional concept? The purpose of this paper is to offer an answer to the questions by outlining a short overview of constitutional development especially in the field of discovering the material core of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and its turbulent development. One of the used perspectives is a COVID 19 crisis perspective and its influence upon material core of constitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour market developments have been on a positive trend in recent years. Employment and unemployment were not projected to change significantly. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic halted this trend. The labour market, the economies of countries and their governments have been exposed to new challenges. In our paper, we focus on the evolution of employment and unemployment in the first to third waves of the pandemic in the Slovak Republic. We focus on a time series analysis of labour market developments by education, last occupation and sectors of industry. The above analysis may serve to further investigate this issue in the future and to track developments over a larger time period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education, training and knowledge have always been a basic prerequisite for social and economic development. Society - economic crises, shocks in the global economy, environmental problems constantly create greater pressure on public budgets. The limited range of available resources of the public sector, the increasing financial requirements of individual sectors such as health care, social affairs, the environment, internal and external security and, on the other hand, the insufficient ability of institutions and departments to objectively formulate their financial needs require a rational and, above all, qualified approach in meeting financial needs and distribution of limited resources. In the crisis conditions of uncertainty, risk, economic imbalance, education, permanent education, practical experience and the resulting knowledge play a major role in the management of not only a private but also a public sector. In addition to being an effective tool, they are also an important external communication tool. The aim of the scientific state is to point out the importance and influence of education and knowledge in managing and achieving economic, social and social effects. The research sample consisted of a basic set of 2922 municipalities, which represents 99.83% of the total number of municipalities in the Slovak Republic. This file was divided into 10 size categories, in which 4 categories of achieved education of local government representatives were determined. Correlational regression analysis was used to analyze the influence of the achieved education of local government management and the economic results of the municipality. In the analysis of dependency in local self-government, the qualification structures of management, the size of the self-government were taken into account as independent variables, and individual performance parameters as dependent variables, namely the economic result per inhabitant as a key parameter. Chi-square test, Fisher's test, Spearman's coefficient were also used in the work. The research results refuted the published knowledge presented in foreign as well as domestic studies, which confirm the positive impact of education on economies. This relationship was not confirmed in the 2922 examined municipalities of the Slovak Republic. The output of the scientific report was to summarize the mutual influences of the pillars of social responsibility, where qualification prerequisites and required competences could contribute or influence the efficiency and responsible management of self-government. Many countries are faced with solving the question of what can and cannot be financed from public budgets and how to effectively use available public resources within individual levels and departments of the public sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to find out differences in the perception of selected factors that determine the business environment among selected groups of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), divided according to the sector of the national economy they belong to. The first group included SMEs from the sector of transport and services. The second group included SMEs from the construction, manufacturing and agriculture sectors. The questionnaire was completed by 459 SMEs in the Czech and the Slovak Republics. To evaluate the formulated hypotheses, the Chi-square test and the Z-score were used. The case study showed interesting findings. The SMEs in transport and services perceive the competitive environment as more acceptable than the SMEs in construction, manufacturing and agriculture. In addition, the SMEs in transport and services are of the opinion that customers accept prices of their products and services to a greater extent than the SMEs in construction, manufacturing and agriculture. There are also significant differences between selected groups of SMEs in assessing the quality of the judicial system in commercial law and the view that the current level of macroeconomic indicators supports entrepreneurship and creates interesting business opportunities. The national economy sector is not an important criterion in assessing financing, the family environment, R&D infrastructure, the quality of the business environment or the quality of education. The paper brings interesting findings and new incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises; for organizations supporting the business environment; for further research and discussion on the cross-sectoral assessment of the business environment quality and its important factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polish Journal of Management Studies is the property of Czestochowa University of Technology, Faculty of Management 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.)

The scientific work was performed on the topic «Information and analytical support of the foreign policy of the Slovak Republic in 2004-2019». The aim of the work is to study the course of foreign policy of the Slovak Republic and the role of its information and analytical support in the period from 2004 to 2019. When writing the article, such methods were used as: dialectical, which will determine the ways of scientific research and explore the phenomenon of information security; – hypothetical-deductive – a method designed to familiarize with the factual material that requires theoretical explanation; – assumptions – this method helps to establish the causes and patterns of phenomena using many logical techniques; – content analysis – is a method of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the array of information to obtain objective, structured and generalized information about the course of events in the period specified in the study; – the method of SWOT-analysis allows to process the whole layer of information and structure it by categories (strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities). The paper analyzes foreign and domestic sources on the theory of information and analytical support of foreign policy, identifies areas of this activity, considers the course of foreign policy of Slovakia in 2004- 2019, and explores the institutions and services of its information and analytical support of foreign policy. The study also presents a SWOT analysis of Slovakia’s information and analytical support services and their impact on the country’s foreign policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Slovak Republic has undergone a turbulent development from the establishment of independent statehood to the present time. The independent state was established on January 1st, 1993 following the peaceful dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. We can classify it among the states with a relatively young democracy. In this respect it is similar to several states in the Balkan peninsula. This article deals with the issue of divison of powers in the Slovak Republic (Slovakia) in the context of actual constitutional development in the area relating to the Constitutional Court. The main focus of the paper is an evaluation of the practical application of the constitutional powers of the president and parliament in Slovakia in relation to Constitutional Court appointments. The authors offer a critical analysis of recent constitutional developments in this area, pointing out specific constitutional issues relating to this topic. The second part article focuses on a critical analysis of the draft of a Constitutional Act directly amending the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, which was introduced and submitted to parliament in 2020, though, at the time of this writing, the fate of this amendment and its final wording is unknown. The aim of the constitutional amendment is to make changes in the judicial system, especially concerning election of judges for the Constitutional Court and criteria for candidates for this court. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture has a significant economic position in each country, either historically or in terms of importance. Without the products of agriculture, there could be no life. That's the reason to analyze this industry. This industry is now, in the current global world, affected by new trends and new competition on the market. New management, innovations, and other challenges that occurred in this sector. It must face new threats. Primarily, significant changes in the global world environment significantly affect this sector. Firstly, through the volume of crop production, respectively, non-production due to substantial climate changes. Secondly, due to stricter market conditions and its current regulation. Changes in these areas have a significant impact not only on the development in the agricultural sector itself but also on the development of the economy as a whole. Today, competitiveness plays a significant role in the world, as well as in agriculture. This paper summarizes the findings from the area of agriculture, nowadays trends in this sector, innovations. It analyses the competitiveness in this sector, which is characterized by its specific features. Then it summarizes the findings and central thesis about Common Agricultural Policy and its instruments. Another part of this article is dedicated to an important topic - innovation in agriculture. Agricultural innovation is seen as a co-evolutionary process because it combined technological, social, economic, and institutional changes. The main aim of the article is to identify the impact of agriculture on the economic development of the Slovak Republic economy and to show the possibilities for innovation implementing into this sector. The selected indicators will analyze the description of the position of this sector in the past and today. The typical indicators for the agricultural sector were set. Methodological tools of the research methods were analyzing statistical purposes as a regression model, and p-value. Through a regression model, we would like to know what is the dependence of crop and livestock productions on the GDP of agriculture. Finally, improvements to the current state will be suggested. To gain the representative data, more than 20 years of research were set. The object of study is the Slovak republic. The position of agriculture within this country was identified. The article shows the results of the verification of dependencies between indicators in the agricultural sector, which showed that statistical significance is assumed, which, of course, is confirmed both in crop and livestock production. The systematization of domestic and foreign scientific studies and approaches to answering problems in the management of agricultural innovations and the low share of agriculture on GDP makes it possible to create suggestions for the innovative solutions in agriculture in Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to present significant factors of strategic management in the sector of small and medium-sized companies. Within the set goal, we quantify the weight of selected strategic management factors and compare trends in the Czech and Slovak Republics. An empirical research was carried out in 2020. In the Czech Republic, we obtained data from 454 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and in Slovakia from 368 enterprises belonging to the segment of small and medium-sized enterprises. We used chi-square and Z-score to process the data. The basic conclusion of the research is that even though SMEs perceive the importance of strategic management in the enterprise very strongly, strategic management is not adequately implemented in the everyday life of the enterprise. Entrepreneurs in both countries are not too convinced that quality strategic management enhances the competitive ability of the enterprise. About half of the companies are involved in regular strategic management. There are statistically significant differences according to the size and age of the enterprise, or according to the education of entrepreneurs. Larger companies and more educated entrepreneurs better understand the importance of strategic aspects and the need for their application in corporate governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper on the case of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic examines the effect of information nudging on changing the behavior of medicine users with unused medicines. We introduce a new concept of nudge into the theory as an explanatory tool used in the form of subsumption. In our explanatory model, explanans represents the initial conditions of research (C). The explanatory theory of ET is nudge theory. Explanandum E is the explained phenomena. The initial conditions consist of two classes of conditions - namely, C0 and C1. The C0 conditions are those conditions that characterize the state where drug users (respondents) act without the information provided by us. C1 conditions are those states where we provide boring information to the medicine users in the form of a leaflet on how to dispose of unused medicines. We examine how the conditions change the behavior of users (respondents) based on the change in the behavior of users (respondents). Empirical analysis shows that nudging in the form of additional information has a positive effect on behavior. Respondents who received additional information in the information campaign about the proper handling of medicines showed a 23.4% increase in the declared return of unused medicines (condition Cl) compared to condition C0 when no nudging was done. We find that respondents who check the expiry date are more likely to hand in medicines at the pharmacy. The more information people have about how to manage unused and expired medicines, the more medicines are returned to the pharmacy. Similarly, people who have enough information return unused and expired medicines to the pharmacy. Therefore, nudging in the form of additional information can be seen as an appropriate public policy tool to increase the effective management of unused medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Internal Security is the property of Police Academy in Szczytno 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.)

The article focuses on the economic impacts of the energy crisis (2022-2023) on local governments in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, specifically analyzing the budgets of the Trenčín and Zlín self-governing regions. Topics include the extent of budget limitations faced by local governments, the suspension of development activities due to high energy prices, and the effectiveness of governmental support in mitigating these impacts.