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The human factor is still an irreplaceable element bearing a competitive advantage in the changed conditions of the wood-processing industry created by Industrial Revolution 4.0. Their sophisticated use and motivation result in the company's higher performance potential, and satisfaction is reflected in higher employee loyalty. The study aims to evaluate the level of motivation of employees working in the wood-processing industry in selected Central European countries (Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine) from the point of view of groups of motivation factors and then to compare them between countries in terms of gender and age. Differences in the mean values of the compared groups were tested, taking into account the confidence interval. The research was conducted at the beginning of 2021 when Ukraine has not been in a military conflict yet. The result of our findings is the knowledge that the most important motivation factors for Slovak employees in the wood-processing industry are those related to finance and employer-employee relationships. Czech employees also prefer the same motivation factors but place less emphasis on them. Employees of the wood-processing industry in Ukraine prefer motivation factors related to finance and career aspiration. From the point of view of motivation, the input qualitative parameters of rawwood material and its assessment in forest stands are also important. In globalization, the findings of our study can serve as insights for managers within the wood-processing industry. These insights can be particularly beneficial in enhancing the quality of human resource management, with a particular emphasis on bolstering employee motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture 4.0 creates a challenge for agricultural and forest enterprises in the form of changes in the processes and strategies set up to now. The ability for flexibility, personal development, and further education will be critical in transforming agriculture and forestry organisations. The transition to Agriculture 4.0 will also affect the need for human resource management in terms of their need and competence structure. This work aims to identify a group of employees in the environment of the Slovak Republic’s agricultural and forest enterprises with the prerequisites to acquire additional work competencies and the interest to develop flexibly. The mentioned group of employees, understood as progressive, will be examined from the point of view of motivational preferences and the level of satisfaction with them. The presented outputs follow searching the sample unit of 2 193 employees in agriculture and forestry organisations. Based on inferential statistics, it was confirmed that the progressive group of employees is identifiable in terms of their education and, compared to other groups, has a significantly higher perception of the importance of motivation factors with the highest difference in the case of factors related to career aspiration and social needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current approaches to human resource management are focused on the sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Career strategies of employees are its integral part. The aim of this paper is to determine the changes in professional priorities of employees in small and medium-sized wood-processing enterprises in the area of motivation relating to career aspiration throughout the course of life. The research outcomes show significant correlation between age, gender, and motivation factors relating to career aspiration. Slovak women working in SMEs prefer motivation factors relating to finances, mutual relationships, work, and career aspiration. Motivation factors selected by men are almost the same. In terms of age, motivation factors relating to career aspiration are preferred mainly by women aged 30 to 40 years old. Mentioned factors become less important for respondents of older age groups. Men working in SMEs prefer the motivation factors relating to career aspiration at the age of 30 and subsequently they become less important as well. Following the outcomes of this research, managers of SMEs should motivate careeroriented employees especially according to their needs. In the long-term perspectives, managers can encourage employees to stay focused on their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify the differences in the perception of the preferred level of corporate culture in Europe (Czech Republic and Slovak Republic), Asia (the People's Republic of China (Beijing Municipality), and the Russian Federation (Sverdlovsk region). The research methodology was based on the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument, which is a well-known and widely used measurement tool developed by Cameron and Quinn (1999). Based on statistical verification through an analysis of variance and Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD) test, similarities in corporate cultures were seen for employees working in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, and People's Republic of China, and there was a demand for a clan corporate culture. In the Russian Federation, employees preferred market and hierarchy corporate cultures. Furthermore, the corporate culture within the Baby Boomer, X, and Y generations was analysed. Within generations, major inter-regional differences were not confirmed. A positive corporate culture can contribute to further strategic development of companies and successful operation in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]