Case Of Slovakia Research Articles

Health Conscious Consumer Behaviour: The Impact of a Pandemic on the Case of Slovakia

The adverse effects of the pandemic (COVID-19) are already reflected in the Slovak economy. At the same time, some experts warn that the pandemic is not over and may manifest itself in the second wave. The article examines the concept of Health consciousness as one of the possible (preventive) measures in a pandemic. The aim is fourfold: 1. to measure the level of health consciousness in normal conditions 2. to measure the level of health consciousness during a pandemic 3. to examine the differences between these levels and 4. to determine the true meaning of health consciousness in a pandemic. A sample of 384 respondents was employed in the research to collect the empirical data. The sample was selected by the quota method. The study consisted of two phases - the first phase before the pandemic and the second phase during the pandemic (COVID-19). The one-way ANOVA test and linear regression analysis were used to explore the impact of selected factors on health consciousness in the Slovak population and to verify the hypotheses. The results of the research indicate that health consciousness increased sharply during the pandemic. At the same time, selected demographic factors were confirmed as factors influencing the level of health consciousness. The level of health consciousness can affect the frequency of infections. The results can be used in many fields (medicine, sociology, psychology, marketing), both theories and practice.Implications for a Central European audience: The development of the Slovak economy at the end of 2019 led to a more positive estimate of GDP growth and other economic indicators. The situation has changed in the context of the pandemic. Especially small and medium-sized enterprises represent a vulnerable place in the Slovak economy. We must look for possible ways to eliminate the pandemic and at the same time look for effective preventive means that could be used in the event of a second wave or another pandemic to protect human lives as well as the state economy.

동유럽국가들의 코로나 바이러스 감염증-19에 대한 대응과 방역체계 : 슬로바키아, 불가리아, 폴란드 사례를 중심으로

본 연구는 동유럽 국가들의 코로나 바이러스감염증-19(COVID-19)에 대한 대응과 방역체계 살펴보며 어떻게 서유럽보다 동유럽에서 피해를 줄일 수 있었는지에 대한 이유를 찾는 것을 목적으로 한다. 유럽이 코로나19의 세계적인 중심지가 되면서 서유럽을 시작으로 확진 사례와 사망자가 빠르게 증가하기 시작했다. 이에 따라 동유럽국가들은 서유럽과 비교했을 때 상대적으로 의료시스템이 갖춰져 있지 않고 유럽연합(EU)에 가입한 이후 서유럽으로의 의료인력이 유출된 상태이기 때문에 코로나19 대응에 취약할 것으로 예상하였다. 하지만 동유럽국가들은 감염이 확산을 통제하는 데 성공하였고 그 결과 서유럽 대비 적은 피해를 기록하고 있다. 본 고에서는 선제적이고 신속한 방역체계 수립으로 동유럽 내 전체 피해 규모를 줄인 슬로바키아, 불가리아, 폴란드의 코로나19 대응 사례를 분석하였다. 동유럽 국가들은 열악한 의료환경과 불충분한 의료진에 대한 현실 자각으로 의료시스템 붕괴를 우려하였기에 선제적인 조치를 취하였다. 국가차원에서의 신속하고 강력한 수준의 국경봉쇄, 국민들의 마스크 착용 그리고 사회주의 문화의 영향으로 인한 국가통제에 협조하는 국민성 등이 팬데믹에 잘 대처할 수 있게 하는 요인으로 분석된다.

Using the Eco-Innovation Index to Assess the Eco-Innovation Performance: Case of Slovakia

Eco-innovation becomes an emerging priority of the European Union (EU) policy. To secure the environmental protection and economic growth eco-innovations have a central role. As the numerous practical examples demonstrate, eco-innovation is a powerful instrument that combines reduced negative impact on the environment and the positive impact on the economy and society. Emphasizing eco-innovation as a means for achieving sustainable development requires information on the performance of main actors, in particular, countries.

The impact of the board process on board and corporate performance: the case of Slovakia

Nowadays a great deal of attention is paid to corporate governance (CG). Frequent takeovers of ownership rights by management bodies led to a need for business owners to establish clear rules for business management and compliance monitoring. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between selected characteristics of the governance process and the ability of governing bodies to perform their core tasks, as well as to model and predict the impact of the selected characteristics of the governance process on the company’s financial performance, measured by the year-on-year change in return on equity. The respondent sample consists of members of randomly selected top management entities with their headquarters in Slovakia. A total of 132 subjects participated and answered questions in the survey, 54% of which were joint stock companies, 36% were limited liability companies and 10% were respondents from cooperatives. Data were personally collected by a questionnaire survey conducted during 2019. To verify the assumptions and success of the formulated model, correlation analysis, binary logistic regression and other relevant tests were used. The results show that each of the examined board process attributes significantly affects at least one board performance attribute. All significant correlations have a positive value. Independent variables in the ROE regression model increased the estimation rate of ROE change from 54.5% to 93.9%. The model is applicable in the CG practice and allows the prediction of changes in ROE with respect to ongoing governance processes. AcknowledgmentThis paper has been supported by the Scientific Grant Agency of Slovak Republic under the project VEGA No. 1/0749/18 “Research on the application of corporate governance principles in companies in Slovakia”. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Scientific Grant Agency of The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic for financial support of this research and publication.

Dynamics of a twocountry Kaldorian model of business cycles with fixed exchange rates: the case of Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Dynamics of a twocountry Kaldorian model of business cycles with fixed exchange rates: the case of Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Survey on the diagnosis and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection.

The toxigenic strains of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is the most common pathogen of nosocomial and antibiotic-related diarrhoea in healthcare facilities. Lately, there has been an increase in the incidence of C.difficile infection (CDI) cases in Slovakia. Retrospective analysis of the CDI appearance was carried out in the Zilina region. Additionally, an electronic survey focused on the diagnosis and treatment management of C. difficile infection was conducted among leading clinicians of the wards where CDI was present. Eighty percent of clinicians reported that they were following the recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of C. difficile infection in their everyday practice. The majority of leading physicians were from internal medicine wards (50 %). Most respondents stated that the laboratory results correlated with the clinical symptoms of patients. The first-choice treatment of C. difficile infections was reported to be oral vancomycin (in 21.7 %) and oral metronidazole (in 47.8 %). The estimate of first-choice treatment success rate was 80 %, while the recurrence rate and severe course was observed in 20%. Vancomycin was the standard treatment for recurrent infection. It was administered orally either alone (31 %) or combined with metronidazole (38 %) or fidaxomicin (31 %). The results of the survey showed that recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment were implemented in the wards of hospitals and showed the awareness of the necessity of rapid diagnosis and early treatment of C. difficile infection in patients (Fig. 4, Ref. 30).

Technical Efficiency in the Agricultural Business—The Case of Slovakia

The key element of the European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy is sustainable agriculture where the social, economic, and environmental objectives should be fulfilled. This role can fulfill only those agricultural holdings that are effective in the transformation of inputs to outputs, and which do not waste the inputs. Therefore, we analyze the technical efficiency of the agricultural holdings in the Slovak regions, and try to identify the factors that are able to influence the efficiency of agricultural holdings. We can conclude that there are regional disparities in technical efficiency in Slovakia; however, the problem of inefficiency is not typical only for the agricultural holdings in the areas with natural constraints. These regional disparities should be considered when adopting a new political measure to support sustainable agriculture. By the results of econometric models, we find that the agricultural production diversity, the policy of the labor market, and tax policy are the important factors influencing the technical efficiency of the agricultural holdings in Slovakia.

Wojna i jej skutki jako ideologiczne źródło europejskiego faszyzmu

<p>Pierwsza wojna światowa i jej skutki stanowiły podłoże, na którym w całej Europie wyrosły ruchy faszystowskie, zarówno faszyzm włoski, jak i niemiecki nazizm, belgijski reksizm, węgierscy strzałokrzyżowcy i inni. Chociaż tylko nieliczne zdobyły władzę, wszystkie jednak odwoływały się do programu walki ze skutkami wojny, najczęściej dążąc do nowej wojny. Z jednej strony I wojna światowa, która wywołała rozpad wielkich wielonarodowych imperiów, a w której padło hasło samostanowienia narodów, wymagała zdecydowanej identyfikacji jednostki ze względu na przynależność narodową, z drugiej zaś traktat wersalski nie zawsze respektował te narodowe dążenia, jak w przypadku Słowacji, Austrii czy Węgier. Niezadowolenie z ładu powojennego było istotnym podłożem dla ruchów faszystowskich. Drugim elementem była gloryfikacja i rehabilitacja wojny jako przeciwieństwa tchórzliwego pacyfizmu, jako wspaniałej postawy narodowej. W tym duchu wychowywano młodzież, a nawet dzieci. Wreszcie – co trzeba podkreślić – większość charyzmatycznych przywódców rozmaitych ruchów faszystowskich brała udział w I wojnie światowej, odbierając ją jako wielkie przeżycie wspólnoty. Dotyczyło to nie tylko Mussoliniego czy Hitlera. Pragnienie, by ład wersalski był ładem trwałym, od początku było zatem skazane na kontestację. W tej roli wystąpili faszyści, którzy doprowadzili do II wojny światowej.</p>

Can Social Innovations in Housing Save Public Money? The Case of Slovakia

ABSTRACTThe paper deals with research into the innovative provision of public services by the non-governmental organizations in the field of housing. The paper describes the legislation of the housing system in Slovakia and aims to analyse innovation in social housing provision. The paper contributes to the knowledge on innovative social housing solutions provided by non-governmental organizations. The use of cost benefit analysis reveals the benefits of innovation in housing provision by an internationally awarded organization ETP Slovakia. The analysis proves the government´s possible savings of public expenditures if it would decide to support the innovative approach in social housing provision.

Financing principles of non-profit organisations: A case of Slovakia

A non-profit organisation is an organisation that uses its surplus of the revenues to achieve its ultimate objective, rather than distributing its income to the organisation's shareholders, leaders or members. Thus, the man aim of this paper is to analyse and assess the system and structure of financing of non-profit organisation considering the economic, social and legislative conditions of the Slovak Republic. The results reveal that the basic principle of financing the non-profit sector in Slovakia is its multi-sourcing. Its essence is to use multiple sources of income in the non-profit organisations, in order to reach their own independence on one financial source, as well as to avoid negative consequences of its unexpected failure. Keywords: Financing, non-profit organisation, public sources, self-financing.

Disparities in the financial performance of agricultural entities according to the legal form: the case of Slovakia

ABSTRACTFinancial management in agricultural enterprises is affected by a range of factors that are not present in other sectors. One of the factors that affect the performance of enterprises is the legal or organizational form of the business. In Slovakia, the specific structure of farms is different from that of almost any other member state of the European Union. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the disparities in the financial performance of agricultural enterprises according to the legal form. We analysed and compared two groups of agricultural entities, agricultural cooperatives and business companies, for the period from 2005 to 2014. Based on an analysis of the differences using mathematical and statistical methods, we can conclude that the legal forms are distinguished in all monitored parameters and our hypothesis on the differences in economic performance of agricultural entities according to legal form was confirmed.

Oligopolistic Competition among Providers in the Telecommunication Industry: The Case of Slovakia

The issue of the paper is devoted to the oligopolistic market structure, which is a popular form of imperfect competition occurring in the current market economies. The main aim of the paper is to quantify the selected oligopolistic structure of the telecom industry in the Slovak market in the period 2013–2017. We subjected the oligopoly to concentration analysis of the market to quantify and assess the competitive environment in which mobile providers are operating. Market concentration was measured while using specific indicators of market concentration CR2, CR3, the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, Lorenz curve, Gini coefficient, and coefficient of variation, using the information on total revenues of operators, the share of mobile operators on total revenues, number of active customers, and the penetration of SIM cards. The calculated values of the selected market concentration indices in the telecom sector proved that the mobile operators market is highly concentrated. The services that are offered by operators are not identical, and they are differentiated based on price, quality, availability, or the target group of customers. We also identified the entry barriers, which can be categorized to strategic, economic, technical, and time barriers. The Slovak telecom sector is an oligopoly where competitors offer slightly differentiated products; however, the competitive environment in which they operate is highly concentrated and competition needs to be regulated to achieve the sustainable development of the telecommunication sector.

The role of corporate governance in debt and dividend policies: case of Slovakia

Do good corporate governance practices affect the amount of intermediated debt used by corporations and their dividend payout decisions? This study addresses the direct effects of corporate governance practices on both the indebtedness and the dividend pay-outs in corporations listed on the Bratislava Stock Exchange in 2015–2017 in Slovakia. Because of the relatively weakly developed stock market, the hypothesis is set only to found whenever there is a correlation between those variables. For analyzing the data, Spearman’s rank correlation was used because of the absence of normal distribution. Furthermore, authors adjusted the data set specifically in both cases to reflect more precisely the situation and increase the significance of the models. The most important result of this paper is the finding that the application of the corporate governance principles affects financial decisions of companies. There is a correlation between the responsible application of corporate governance principles and the total debt of companies. Also, there is a correlation between the responsible application of corporate governance principles and the amount of dividends paid to shareholders.

National innovative performance and sustainable development – the case of Slovakia

Abstract Innovation are considered as the engine of sustainability and economic growth. Innovations are an integral part of the business that is expressed in scientific and research activities. If a company want to gain competitive advantage, it must do the business activities in accordance with economic, environmental, social and institutional factors. Business activities in this area are reflected in macroeconomic indicators of the country. This article deals with innovations and sustainable development issues. The main goal of research is testing interaction between innovations and sustainable development through the selected indicators. Summary Innovation Index (SII) represents innovations and sustainable development is represented by the set of indicators from four areas: economic, environmental, social and institutional. The analysis is based on values of the Summary Innovation Index proposed by the European Commission to measure the competitiveness of European countries in terms of innovation activity and values of sustainable development indicators such as GDP per capita, energy intensity of the economy, migration, transport performance, greenhouse gas emissions, application of environmental management system, mining and consumption of mineral resources, etc. The research is carried out on the case of Slovakia with application of mathematical-statistical apparatus (correlation analysis). The main benefit of research lies in the identification of strengths and weaknesses of Slovakia in analysed areas and determining the expected development.

Referendum as a Party Tool: The Case of Slovakia

This article is part of the special cluster titled Political Parties and Direct Democracy in Eastern Europe, guest-edited by Sergiu Gherghina. Referendums are widely regarded as a way of enhancing democracy as they provide a further arena for citizens to affect public policy outcomes. In this regard, Slovakia represents a deviant case that contradicts such an expectation. Since its emergence in 1993, the country implemented mechanisms of direct democracy into its political system. This article analyses referendums in Slovakia and it shows how political parties use the employment of this tool solely for their own purposes. Our study provides evidence that Slovak political parties use referendums either as a way to mobilize their own supporters for upcoming national elections or to harm their opponents. Hence, a referendum in Slovakia serves as a tool for expanding the power of political parties rather than as a way of increasing the public engagement of citizens in the democratic system.

Crop Diversity and Common Agricultural Policy—The Case of Slovakia

Crop diversity has an important role in sustainable agroecosystems. This study analyzed the crop diversity of agricultural holdings in particular regions (NUTS III) in Slovakia and identified the impact of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments on the crop diversity of agricultural holdings. There are regional disparities in crop diversity in Slovakia. The highest crop diversity is typical for the regions with the best soil quality. From the results of econometric models, it was found that some of the CAP payments have an effect on crop diversity, mainly single area payment scheme (SAPS) payments, which had a negative effect, and payments for areas facing natural constraints (ANC) and animal welfare, which were found to have positive effects. It can be concluded that the second pillar of the CAP is able to improve or at least maintain crop diversity in Slovakia. Other important factors found to influence crop diversity are irrigation, total crop area corresponding with the farm size, geographical location including the soil quality, and the legal structure of agricultural holdings. However, the distance of the farm from the city, the education of managers, and membership in farmers’ associations are not important factors for crop diversity in Slovakia.

Analyses of severe acute maternal morbidity in Slovakia during years 2012-2016.

Severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM) is a state of the woman, when she nearly died, but survived. The aim of study was to find out the exact incidence of SAMM in Slovakia, establishment of functional surveillance system and improve quality of health care. The regular annual analyses of SAMM cases in Slovakia from January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2016. Observed SAMM included: peripartum haemorrhage, peripartum hysterectomy, uterine rupture, abnormally invasive placenta, HELLP syndrome, eclampsia, sepsis, transport to intensive care unit or anaesthesiology and non-fatal amniotic fluid embolism. The response rate of questionnaires was 84.8 %. The overall confirmed incidence of SAMM was 6.35/1,000 births (95% CI 6.03-6.67). The most often causes of SAMM were: peripartum haemorrhage (2.1/1,000 births), transport to intensive care unit or anaesthesiology (1.46/1,000 births), peripartum hysterectomy (0.84/1,000 births) and HELLP syndrome (0.63/1,000 births). The average age of women with SAMM was 30.3 years (14-46) and average parity was 1.16 (0-15). The incidence of SAMM and especially incidence of peripartum haemorrhage and peripartum hysterectomy in Slovakia is one of the highest in Europe. To decrease incidence and improve management and outcome of patients, regular audit of SAMM is needed (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 30).

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Eastern Slovakia from 2004 to 2016.

An extraordinary incidence of genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (gCJD) appearing in clusters in the Slovak Republic was described in the 1990's. The aim of the study was to analyse data of CJD cases obtained from surveillance in Eastern Slovakia (ES) (2004-2016), the region outside the described geographical clusters. The database set in the project was the source for epidemiological and clinical analysis of CJD cases. The incidence of CJD in ES (2004-2016) was 1.7/million person-years (95% CI 1-2.4); the incidence increase in the last five years (2012-2016) was comparable to the whole country. Twenty seven of 29 reported CJD cases were available for analysis (mean age 59 years, F/M 15/12). The proportion of gCJD (E200K mutation) cases remained dominant (78%), with 9 familiar cases originating in 4 families. Analysis of the clinical features revealed shorter duration of the symptomatic phase in sporadic CJD (sCJD) (3.4 months) versus gCJD (5.15 months). Cognitive/behavioural changes, insomnia, and sensory disturbance were more pronounced in the early symptoms of gCJD. Periodic EEG discharges were more frequent in sCJD (83%) than gCJD (56%), all 19 available MR findings were CJD specific and localisation of abnormalities varied amongst the CJD forms. The surveillance of CJD in ES (2004-2016) showed an increased incidence of CJD in ES, reaching the incidence rate of the whole country, with a permanent proportion of 70% gCJD cases based on the E200K mutation. Clinical, electrophysiological and MR features of sCJD and gCJD cases were in conformity with already published data. Epidemiological analysis of CJD in ES shows increasing detection of CJD but also suggests that current routine surveillance systems for CJD may underestimate the true burden of disease, especially sporadic cases in Slovakia.

State aid and investment: case of Slovakia

State investment incentives are detrimental to the quality of the business environment and create unequal starting conditions for entrepreneurs to implement investment plans. In some cases, however, it is necessary to regulate the allocation of inward investment to regions within one country and thus decrease the disparities. Investment incentives are instruments that in general might violate market principles and thus are regulated within the EU internal market. Despite being aware of this fact most economists and politicians advocate these kinds of measures as necessary and relatively cheap in order to push the economy forward or win international big private equity investments. Investment aid is regional aid to stimulate investment in disadvantaged regions and to create new jobs in the Slovak Republic. Beneficiaries of this assistance may be natural and legal persons authorized to carry on business in the territory of the Slovak Republic and whose investment activities and projects meet the conditions of Act no. 561/2007 Z.z. on Investment Assistance and on Amendments to Certain Acts. This paper will focus on how investment incentive attracts foreign investment in the Slovak Republic and based on the data from 2002 to 2017 we will analyze their effectiveness on the created jobs. Despite the possible support from the Slovak government not all foreign investors areapplying for investment incentives, either are in contact with the government during their investment phase.

Crisis Management in Regional and Local Development (The Case of Slovakia)

Crisis Management in Regional and Local Development (The Case of Slovakia)