Rural development is a topic that is frequently discussed, but there is no consensus on how to measure it. Various criteria exist such as economic, social, cultural or environmental, which can be used to assess rural development. Therefore the main question addressed in this paper is to identify what factors and indicators are suitable for scrutinizing development of rural areas under the conditions of the Czech Republic. For this purpose, articles focused on Czech rural regions were analysed. Fourteen most frequently used indicators were identified based on the comprehensive analysis of the selected Czech studies.
Insufficient domestic demand and increasing competition force small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in internationalization process and enter to foreign markets. This process, however, carries risks that should be appropriate managed. In order to identify similarities and differences in the approach of SMEs from selected Central European countries towards managing these risks and find out whether perception of risks differ based on domestic country of the SMEs, questionnaire survey among Czech, Slovak, German, Austrian and Poland SMEs was performed in 2014. It was found that more Austrian and German SMEs, compared to Czech, Slovak and Polish SMEs, do not apply any method of risk analysis but are more focused on some form of protection in international operations. As the most common form was identified payment in advance. It was also found that Austrian and German SMEs prefer to use bank products rather that conclude long-term contracts or verify the credibility of their foreign business partners used by Czech, Slovak and Poland SMEs. Based on statistical testing, significant differences appeared in risk perception of SMEs from different countries. Especially perception of market risks, transportation risks and risk of natural disasters.
KUBÍČKOVÁ LEA, MORÁVKOVÁ MARTINA, TUZOVÁ MARCELA, NEČAS IGOR. 2017. The Role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Development of Rural Areas. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 65(6): 1987Brunensis, 65(6): -1996 Apart from the indisputable importance of SMEs to the national economy, they also provide social and economic benefits for regions they operate in. In this context, the rural areas seem to be interesting because currently there can be seen a reappraisal and emphasizing of their importance. Between 2015 and 2016 there were carried out surveys in two different regions (Hodonín and Holešov) in order to define the role of SMEs in rural areas. The aim of these surveys was to determine how the particular players of the regional development subjectively perceive the role of SMEs in rural areas, particularly how is the role subjectively perceived by SMEs themselves and also by local representatives in the given regions and how SMEs perceive doing business in such regions. The analysis of survey results together with the analysis of secondary data on the important characteristics of these two regions provided the basis for comparison of subjective perception of SMEs; economic and social benefits in these two different regions. According to our findings the role of SMEs in rural areas in the Czech Republic is determined by the creation of competitive environment, the deepening of ties between apprentices and practice, the use of local resources, the increase in rural area attractiveness, the financial benefits for municipalities, the creation of vacancies, the sustaining of positive relationships within the local community and the development of infrastructure.
The aim of this paper is to scrutinize some aspects of the Uppsala model whose applicability for SMEs' internationalisation is often questioned. This model explains internationalisation as a sequential process based on learning in which an enterprise increases its international commitment in incremental steps (Johanson and Vahlne, 1977). The assumptions of Uppsala model are discussed in conditions of SMEs from different countries, namely the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria and Germany. The paper is based on primary data obtained by questionnaire survey performed in 2014. Respondents were small and medium-sized firms from the above mentioned countries. Following assumptions are scrutinized: SMEs start internationalisation by exporting to neighbouring markets, SMEs behave in internationalisation according to the establishment chain, SMEs' risk perception regarding foreign markets with different psychic distance changes with the obtained knowledge and SMEs' risk perception regarding particular foreign markets differs depending on the country which the enterprise comes from.
This paper is concerned with the issue of quantifying food waste as a basic assumption for an effective measure to achieve the lowering of its volume. From literary sources one can see great differences in the amounts recorded, caused, among other reasons, by the unclear methods of monitoring and the unclear terms used for description of the term food waste. From questionnaire research carried out on the opinions and causes of waste among 1582 respondents it was found that it is regarded as a significant problem by society but the everyday behaviour of the individual does not correspond to this. Changes in the behaviour of the individual occur during their realisation of this waste issue, for instance by means of objective research into wasted food (through the weighing of the individual types of food thrown out). The average value of wasted food reached approximately a quarter of the amount given for EU and corresponds to the amount reported in Finland.
The aim of this paper is to define the specifics of the internationalization process of Czech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry. The food industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the EU which consists mainly of SMEs. However, in the Czech Republic it has to face increasing imports of foreign food products because of growing globalization, while exports lag behind. Thus, enterprises should be encouraged to internationalize in a greater extent to maintain their competitiveness. The paper explores the main motives, barriers and risks involved in internationalization as perceived by these enterprises. The results are based on primary data obtained by questionnaire surveys performed among Czech food industry SMEs, thus it is based on data about SME's real experiences and perception of interntaionalization process. According to our results, Czech SMEs from food industry are driven to internationalize mainly by their efforts to grow or by unsolicited foreign demand for their product. However, as the biggest barriers are perceived those connected with the lack of knowledge about foreign market and administrative requirements. The identified motives and barriers are compared with results of similar researches from Slovakia and Poland. Moreover, the results of Czech SMEs risk perception in internationalization are depicted in risk matrix which assess not only the effect of risk but also the possibility of its occurrence.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.