Changes in the Czech Business Environment by the View of SME Managers

Abstract

This article shows first of all opinions of SME managers on the changes in the quality of the Czech business environment. The article contains the views of managers identified in 2017 and 2015 and compares them with the detected results in 2010 and 2004. It is interesting that managers reported more opportunities than threats in all years. Because the most of respondents (SME managers) were active in a municipality of up to 2000 residents in villages in southern Moravia their views on the quality of the business environment can be used to assess the competitiveness of the region and to reflect on the relationship between small and medium-sized enterprises and regional development. The paper also documents the applicability of the situational analysis of the external environment in SMEs. But the quality of business environment is evaluated also based on the results of the World Bank and Transparency International for purposes of international comparison in this article. To assess the quality of the business environment was used Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International. Czech Republic ranked 37 place with the score 56 in 2015 (score 51 in 2014). Also, World Bank in its results “Doing business 2016” shows improve conditions for business in the Czech Republic.