CSR activities in the Czech SME segment

The aim of the study is to find out the perception of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by the segment of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic. In connection with the objectives of the study, a questionnaire survey was carried out on a sample of 419 respondents – business owners and managers. The data were collected from September 2019 to January 2020. χ2 and Z-score were used to assess the hypotheses. It was found that there were statistical differences in the perception of some aspects of the positive impact of the introduction of the CSR concept in case of monitoring responses based on the geographic scope of the business. The results showed that although the manager should take into account the ethical and moral implications of his decisions, less than half of the respondents are familiar with the concept of CSR and enforce it in their management practice and ultimately managers cannot identify positive benefits from CSR implementation – it declares positive answers whose values oscillate around 30%. The findings show that there are no statistically significant differences in the answers of managers depending on the size of the company - this proves that micro, small and medium enterprises, respectively their managers do not differ in their attitudes to the topic of CSR. The final effect of the paper is to show the perception of the concept of CSR of entrepreneurs - respondents in the Czech Republic

Perception of selected strategic management factors of SME in V4 countries

The objective of the paper was to present current theoretical findings in the area of strategic management of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Visegrad Four (V4) countries. Within the stated objective, the weight of individual strategic management factors was quantified and trends in the Czech Republic were compared with other V4 countries. Empirical research was conducted between October 2019 and March 2020 in V4 countries by means of an online questionnaire. The overall number of accepted questionnaires was as follows: Czech Republic (CR): 454, Slovak Republic (SR): 368, Poland (PL): 364, and Hungary (HU): 399. Questionnaires were completed by company owners and top managers. The empirical research provided several interesting findings. On the one hand, SMEs confirmed that strategic management is an important part of corporate management; on the other hand, strategic management is not implemented in the everyday life of SMEs and is not implemented through action plans and programmes. The level of agreement with the statement that quality strategic management improves the competitiveness of enterprises and their stability in domestic and foreign markets was not very high. Not surprisingly, SMEs have significant weaknesses in monitoring and personal risk management. The research results point to the need for increasing the level of strategic risk management in the segment of SMEs, which is an important factor in improving their competitiveness in a globalizing economic environment

Antecedents of sustainable SMEs in the social media space: A Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach

Social media has become explosive, permeating every sphere of the socio-cultural lives of individuals and businesses, and causing nations to technologically evolve. The dramatic growth in the adoption and use of social media has become beneficial to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), significantly contributing to resolving a nagging challenge of effectively advertising their goods and services. Consequently, SMEs can achieve business growth and sustainability through increased adoption and harnessing the opportunities provided through the use of social media. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an impetus for both consumers and SME businesses to leverage interaction through social media, which may lead to business growth. This research thus sets out to identify how social media contributes to the growth of SMEs within a developing country context. To accomplish this objective, primary data was collected from SMEs in the hospitality industry across the sixteen administrative regions of Ghana using survey and simple random sampling techniques. Questionnaires were distributed to the managerial staff of each randomly selected survey participant. Out of the 900 questionnaires distributed, 718 were filled correctly for the data analysis. The researchers quantitatively analyzed the responses using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling(PLSSEM) statistical software ADANCO 2.0 version. The results indicated that Small and Medium Enterprises are capable of using social media for customer attraction, business marketing strategy, communication channel and increased financial performance. © 2021 John Amoah et al., published by Sciendo 2021.Tomas Bata University in Zlin [IGA/FaME/2021/005

Business recovery and institutional constraints: evidence from Visegrad countries and Serbia

The current study investigates how institutional constraints and firms’ and entrepreneurs’ characteristics affect business recovery. Some elements have not yet been rigorously examined in the existing literature, especially not concerning the post-communist countries’ business recovery component and the same is the research gap current study intended to address. To evaluate the study model, ordinal logistic regression was used. More than 300 valid questionnaires are collected from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Serbia. The findings show that factors such as firm tenure and size, location, sector, entrepreneurial motivation, product change, etc., have conflicting effects on business recovery. Some of the outcomes of the present study is supported by the existing studies and some requires further research. The study focuses on the less explored independent variables and their association with business recovery, specifically on SMEs, which highlights the paper’s originality. The output of the current study adds to the existing literature of business recovery and institutional constraints. Policymakers interested in removing institutional limitations and promoting a quicker business recovery for SMEs are drawn to the research. The study findings are also helpful from a managerial standpoint because business owners and managers significantly impact decisions about entrepreneur motivation, product change, and other issues

Employee Attitude to Organisational Change in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic affects the daily operation of organisations, which also brings changes in the life of their workforce. Managing organisational change has been a significant challenge for organisations for several decades. The aim of the research is to assess the behaviour of affected employees toward organisational change. It is examined how different groups of employee’s experience change in general and what they think about organisational change. Furthermore, it is explored whether employees understand the motivation behind the change and how does the change impact their organisation. To answer the research questions, a comprehensive questionnaire survey of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hungary was conducted in autumn 2021. The suitability of the application of factor analysis evaluating the dependence of selected areas of the questionnaire was supported by Barlett test a Cronbach’s alfa coefficient. For individual hypotheses two-sample t-test, contingency table analysis, and Pearson’s Chi-squared test, were applied. The evaluation of the 215 questionnaires shows that the behaviour of employees toward organisational changes is different. The difference in attitudes to the benefit of organizational change for employees were identified, but not for enterprise. Furthermore, the difference in attitudes between employees who have undergone organizational change in the enterprise and those who have not undergone organizational change, were identified too. It is interesting that contingency between the extent to which managers play a role in change and the well-executed nature of change were detected. The practical usage of the research can be helpful for SME management, especially in the HR field. The management can consider that employees may be afraid of the changes if they are ahead of them, but if the change is handled well, people will think positively of it

The influence of selected financial factors on the survival of SMEs in V4 countries

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the global economy. This article examines SMEs' financial management attitudes in the Visegrad Four countries, aiming to understand how these attitudes impact the firms' long-term sustainability. The empirical study, conducted in June 2022, involved 1,398 respondents, comprising owners or top managers of SMEs from V4 countries. The research explores various facets of the long-term viability of companies over the next five years. Central to the investigation is understanding how managerial comprehension of critical financial management aspects, the willingness to embrace financial risks, and effective risk management contribute to a company's enduring success. Additionally, the study assesses how a positive evaluation of a company's financial performance correlates with its overall longevity in the business landscape. Results indicate that financial management significantly influences SME stability in the medium term. Factors positively affecting SME stability include a proper understanding and management of financial risks, along with a positive assessment of the company's financial activities. Correlation analysis suggests that the perception of business continuity over a 5-year horizon moderately depends on understanding key financial management aspects, accepting financial risks as part of daily operations, and adeptly managing them. A positive vision of V4 SME management regarding their own future emerged as a crucial factor in the study. In conclusion, the article underscores the importance of effective financial management practices, risk comprehension, and positive self-assessment for SMEs to achieve sustained stability in the dynamic business landscape.Tomas Bata University in Zlín, TB

The level of business ethics of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Visegrad group

The aim of the paper is to define and compare the significant attributes in the field of business ethics according to the size of the firm, gender and education of entrepreneurs in the SME segment in sum in the V4 countries. The empirical research, which was aimed at identifying the attitudes of small and medium-sized firms, was conducted in June 2022 in the Visegrad Four countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary). The data collection was carried out by the external firm. Statistical hypotheses were tested through descriptive statistics, chi-square and Z-score at α = 5% significance level. The attitudes of SMEs towards the following statements were examined: ST1: I consider ethics in business important; ST2: I consider the ethical implications of my decisions when managing my business; ST3: I feel good when I behave ethically in business; and ST4: Our company enforces rules of ethical conduct in business. We find that the level of agreement with these statements is high. We did not find statistically significant differences in responses based on defined demographic characteristics

Business recovery and institutional constraints: evidence from Visegrad Countries and Serbia

The current study investigates how institutional constraints and firms’ and entrepreneurs’ characteristics affect business recovery. Some elements have not yet been rigorously examined in the existing literature, especially not concerning the post-communist countries’ business recovery component and the same is the research gap current study intended to address. To evaluate the study model, ordinal logistic regression was used. More than 300 valid questionnaires are collected from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Serbia. The findings show that factors such as firm tenure and size, location, sector, entrepreneurial motivation, product change, etc., have conflicting effects on business recovery. Some of the outcomes of the present study is supported by the existing studies and some requires further research. The study focuses on the less explored independent variables and their association with business recovery, specifically on SMEs, which highlights the paper’s originality. The output of the current study adds to the existing literature of business recovery and institutional constraints. Policymakers interested in removing institutional limitations and promoting a quicker business recovery for SMEs are drawn to the research. The study findings are also helpful from a managerial standpoint because business owners and managers significantly impact decisions about entrepreneur motivation, product change, and other issues

The role of access to information in trading relationship and plans for future activities

The goal of this study is to investigate the role of market information on the quality of the relationship between farmers and their buyers, and also plans for future activities in a farm. Although there is research which sheds light on the role of communication and shared information between the trading partners, yet there is a need to provide sound evidence that brings more clarity to the role of market information in different aspects of trading relationships. Primary data are collected and analysed with the aim to test the above linkages. 403 complete questionnaires have been collected in different agribusiness areas in Albania. To test the mentioned relationships, partial least squares method of structured equation modelling (PSL-SEM) was used. Reliability, discriminant and path analyses were done. The results show that market information positively affects the relationship quality (satisfaction, commitment and trust), while plans for future activities are influenced by farmer’s commitment, trust, and age, and also incomes from agricultural activities. This work contributes to the existing literature, in particular in the agribusiness field, by offering extra evidence from a developing country context. © Foundation of International Studies, 2021

The effect of relationship quality on contract farming: The mediating role of conflict between trading partners in Albania

The aim of this research paper is to explore the role of conflict between trading partners in terms of relationship quality (satisfaction, commitment, and trust) on contract farming. Even though there is research on the above issues, yet there is lack of research on the role of conflict between partners in terms of relationship quality on contract farming. Thus, there is a need to offer evidence that brings more clarity to such a role of conflict between trading partners. To test the hypothesized relationships, primary data are collected in different agribusiness areas in Albania. Altogether, 640 successful questionnaires are filled in. The relationships are tested using the partial least squares of structured equation modelling (PSL-SEM) method. The key finding is that a conflict between trading partners influences contract farming and mediates the effects of the farmer’s satisfaction and trust in the relationship with their buyer on contract farming. This paper enriches the existing literature, since it provides additional insights from a developing country context. © 2021, Centre of Sociological Research. All rights reserved