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The paper discusses the importance of building up receptive multilingualism in tertiary education on the background of current linguistic and curricular policies, giving space to a wide-spread presence of English as a lingua franca. It puts forward results of comparative research on receptive multilingualism of young Slovak speakers in relation to a genetically related language laying stress on the factor of contextual prediction. Understanding contextualized and uncontextualized items in a written text is measured in correlation to main features of linguistic repertories of speakers. The study opens up towards metalinguistic and reflexive components of one’s communicative competence as well, identifying possible key factors enhancing intercomprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the issues of the building amenities of panel buildings from the perspective of the realistic usability by the residents. To determine the weighted user comfort, the paper used, as general input methods of processing the issue, descriptive statistics, or more precisely put, qualitative research. This method was chosen for its best informative ability to arrive at certain results based on an in-depth comprehension of the details. The subject is very timely and necessary, with respect to the necessity of regeneration of the housing inventory in the Czech Republic. This is not just a theoretical problem, but must also be addressed in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contribute to the extension of risk management issues in specific form of doing business in case of small and medium enterprises – clusters. The clustering creates new strategies and brings through a shared approach not only various economic and non-economic benefits, but also various risk factors influenced their activities. There is specific typology of clusters in Slovakia. Within this typology we recognize technological and tourism clusters. The largest group of clusters’ stakeholders are small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The main aim of the paper is to evaluate the perception of six risk categories by SMEs that have experience with cluster cooperation. In order to address this analysis in this research we used the results of questionnaire surveys. For evaluation of the differences in perception of risk categories between technological and tourism SMEs we used the Mann Whitney's test. The significant risk categories were determined by Pareto analysis. The ways of risks’ prevention were presented in register of risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the issue of the impact of changes in selected macroeconomic indicators and the standard VAT rate on the amount of VAT revenue. The aim of the paper was to empirically verify this impact. The analysis was performed using a linear regression analysis and an econometric model, which determined the magnitude of changes in VAT revenue as the indicators increased. Subsequently, it was necessary to point out the correspondence between the calculated and the actual VAT revenue. The analysis followed GDP, consumption expenditure, exports, imports and the VAT rate in the 28 EU countries for the period 2004-2018, while the countries were considered as a separate territorial unit. The contribution set out a hypothesis that was not confirmed, as GDP had the most significant impact on VAT revenues. This caused the most significant increase in VAT revenue by EUR 139,300 while increasing GDP by 1 million EUR. The calculated VAT revenue based on the compiled econometric model indicated that with slight deviations, it copies the actual value of VAT revenue. Based on the analysis, we can conclude that the selected indicators and the level of the standard rate are variables that affect the amount of VAT revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes mechanical joining methods used in car body production. The automotive industry is a decisive industry and a driving force for the development of the Slovak economy. Mechanical connecting is the most widely used method of connecting materials. Joints are a critical factor in the production, assembly and service of cars. The joining in car body is mainly used to join material with various thicknesses, mechanical properties, surface coatings, even ferrous or nonferrous metals. Many requirements are placed on the body of the car, the important thing is sufficient stiffness of the structure under the given stress. The paper deals mainly with welded and glued joints in the design of automotive structures and their strength analysis using the finite element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Slovak Republic is characterized by regional disparities, which are also reflected in the labor market. The aim of our paper is to examine the development of the Slovak labor market and evaluate the level of regional labor markets on the basis of selected indicators in the years 2001-2019. We examine the situation on the labor market in the regions of the Slovak Republic on the basis of the development of economic activity, employment, unemployment, average wage and the proportion of employed with tertiary education. To evaluate regional disparities in our article, we use two methods: the scoring method and the method of a uniform normalized variable. With both methods used, the Bratislava region was best placed in 2001 and in 2019. The worst evaluation in 2001 was achieved by the Nitra region and in 2019 by the Prešov region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper’s primary goal is to point out tourism development options through a solitary element with the potential of photogenicity and aesthetics, which can complement other tourism offer and point out the positive and negative effects of applying such an element in the complex of tourism. The analytical part of the work describes and evaluates the impacts of the installation of a work of art called Súľovská visual pyramid, which managed to increase the number of visitors to the particular site by about 250% in five years – but was also - based on negative experiences of local people - disassembled. Based on this experience, we argue that development through the arts can also be unsustainable if possible negative externalities are not considered in advance in planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium-sized enterprises can be considered carriers of innovation, employment, and social and regional integration. They guarantee higher efficiency and sustainable growth of the country's economy. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the most sensitive to changes in the business environment. In this paper, we focus on communication between small and medium-sized enterprises and public authorities in the selected Slovak town of Trnava. Based on the implementation of longer-term marketing research, several scientific methods and analyses were used, which took place in stages and individually followed each other; we tried to find relevant information about the issue. Our findings result from the implementation of correlation and regression analysis, determination of assumptions before the longerterm marketing research and questionnaire survey. Based on the findings, we present recommendations for improving the current state of communication between SMEs and public administration bodies and determining further possible scientific research on the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, it is not easy to define and recognise the innovative potential of an enterprise in a market environment. It is about identifying the components, relationships and understanding the concepts, interconnections and achieving the expected economic, social, environmental consequences of introducing and managing innovation. Innovation is associated with increased performance, the creation of new markets and competitive advantage. Enterprises are innovating to defend their existing competitive positions as well as to seek a sustainable competitive advantage. The paper's main goal was to examine the degree of the introduction of innovations in enterprises in Slovakia in the era of Industry 4.0 on the basis of a knowledge base and a questionnaire survey. By applying theoretical knowledge and statistical methods of evaluating the questionnaire survey, we came to potential opportunities for the development of innovation activity in the ongoing fourth industrial revolution in the surveyed enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the components of successful online learning and teaching environments. By following a socio-cultural perspective on learning, the author underlines the importance of teacher-student and student-student interaction and the role of small groups in efficient online learning. The paper presents the findings of a case study investigating how a previously offline university bachelor course, Drama Techniques in Teaching English as a Foreign Language I. was transformed to virtual space during the lockdown period in Slovakia in the winter term of the 2020/2021 academic year, at the J. Selye University, Faculty of Education, Komárno. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural and social realia are in the 2nd grade of elementary schools being taught primarily as a part of the Elementary realia subject. This subject, not only in Slovakia but also in the Czech Republic, has in the last decade undergone several content changes. This research paper shows comparison of educational content of the Elementary realia subject in the two above mentioned countries, which had originally identical content. The authors conducted a research, in which they focused on comparing the current contents of the Elementary realia by utilizing in-depth analysis. In presented research paper, they present partial results of the research with an emphasis on topics, that can enhance pupils’ knowledge of forest environment. The core of teaching Elementary realia is the conceptual process. The concepts were discovered by the analysis, and these were related to the topics, which pupils are expected to adopt and understand. Authors were able to convert these concepts from theory into application, more specifically into the education construct, which essentially supports the educational contents of Elementary realia via aestheticeducational objects. This represents a strategy, of how to stimulate pupils’ relationship to the environment and their environmentally responsible behavior, as a part of sustainable development education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies the DEA to evaluate revenue efficiency using the traditional (TRE) and new (NRE) model. We show how to make the relevant calculations in RStudio and discuss application in the banking area. Using balanced panel data from 2008 to 2017, we compared the efficiency of Czech and Slovak banks. The results showed that the TRE ranged from 24.15% to 100%, and NRE ranged from 29.68% to 100%. The results showed that a higher efficiency was in the case of banks located in Czech Republic and pointed to the fact that large banks were the most efficient. The results of nonparametric test for equality of densities pointed to the fact that it depends on selected methodology, bank size and also the location of banks. The results were also verified by the GMM model, which signalized, that the level of efficiency depended mainly on the efficiency in the previous year, but also on the location of the bank in the new revenue model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the possibilities of using Google Analytics in the study of students' learning behaviour and for the design of online courses. Specifically, it analyzes data from an information literacy course for high school students. The paper use data from an online course for high school students between 1 February 2020 and 16 September 2020. There are a total of 785 unique visitors whose behavior on the web was the basis for our analysis. We also use information from 7 semi-structured interviews with teachers and from 2 focus groups with students (14 students) to interpret the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the content and subsequent evaluation of the project with the intention of early intervention. The project of interest concerns the issue of early intervention, which is focused on the family with a child with a risky development. The project in question was evaluated very positively by experts and parents. The results of partial outputs (in the form of documents and supporting materials) in the evaluation process pointed out the importance of early intervention, which forms the basis of the readiness of a child with special educational needs for the educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented paper focuses on the problem of using revenue management tools in the hospitality industry. The research uses a quantitative method based on the questionnaire (n = 254). The research locality is the Czech Republic, and the survey was done during the years 2017 - 2021. One of the results says that tools based on the price are more often used than tools based on the managing capacity. The most typical tool related to the price is discounts and the intuition of the responsible person. Based on the hypothesis testing, we can say that dynamic prices and tools that work with occupancy are used in the larger hotel more often. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AI provides the concept of machine learning that helps to automate the decision-making process by analyzing data inputs. This paper is focused on the usage of AI mechanisms in the Czech Republic across business segments. The data from the Czech statistical office provided from 6 794 companies on the usage of mechanism as text mining, speech recognition and generation, image recognition, and machine learning robotic process automatization. The most used mechanism is image recognition, which used all of the sectors and the least are speech generation and machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of artificial intelligence methods in medicine requires large volumes of input data available. The source of this data is electronic health records. Extraction of data from health records is accompanied by a number of difficulties, mainly associated with their being filled out in any form and doctors using various abbreviations when putting down the information. The paper describes a method of processing electronic health records which allows extracting the necessary information from them - the one needed for building work algorithms of artificial intelligence software complexes and their learning. The method was developed and tested out on electronic health records filled out in Russian. For working with medical documents filled out in other languages, it needs no special adaptation. For this, it is sufficient to change teaching data and perform complete learning of all models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book Trap with a Green Fence: Survival in Treblinka by Richard Glazar is about the testimony of personal experiences of the Jews who survived their own death in the Nazi extermination camps daily. The interpretation of the introduced novels from the point of view of the author's relation to the depicted reality (genre aspect, literary characters, documentarity, fabularity) stands in the centre of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify the challenges to Industry 4.0 implementation in agriculture with emphasis on the human factor, which is an issue not sufficiently dealt with in the current literature. Investments in Industry 4.0 technologies and tools enable enterprises to increase labour productivity, to more accurately predict future developments, and allow employees (operators, managers and executives) to make informed day-to-day decisions based on real-time data, facilitating in-house departmental collaboration. Over the period 2019-2020, the authors conducted a survey (semi-structured face-to-face interviews) among almost thirty representatives of agricultural enterprises, advisers and secondary school head teachers. Primary data showed significant agricultural labour shortages, which is one of the reasons why farm managements decide to automate and robotize the production process. In addition to high financial costs, barriers to the digital technologies include concerns about power outages and subsequent data losses. The present survey results also indicate possible impacts on the workforce, the feeling of losing touch with farming practice in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparedness of an entrepreneur with regards to development of his probable successors especially for key roles is not only critical and important keeping in view the long-term business success but also to remain competitive. This research paper presents the creation and verification of the entrepreneur preparedness to the development of probable successors in Entrepreneurial Organization engagement scale, as tested on a sample of 150. The respondents included Leadership Team, Heads of Human Resources and senior management team members of the organizations belonging to 48 organizations due to the involvement of senior management of these organizations and homogeneous nature of the population. The basis of selection was their entrepreneurial orientation. The organizations are more than a year old to maximum of 90 years old. Organizations which were selected belonged to across industries irrespective of national geography as the meaning of entrepreneurial orientation remains same in any industry. Sampling of participants focused primarily on role of respondents in succession planning for probable successors in their organizations. The scale is a 19 item self-reporting questionnaire (1 was dropped as it was irrelevant) that measures four facets of development of probable successors with regards to Statements that represent preparedness of Entrepreneur with regards to the development of probable successors in entrepreneurial Organization. The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the subscales were both quite good. All the dimensions of development of probable successors were positively and significantly related. The results of EFA rendered 3 distinct factors namely; Leadership Commitment to Planned succession, Communication of Planned succession to probable successors, Succession decisions directed by Family concerns, values and norms. These factors were then checked for construct validity and discriminant validity followed by structural model fit assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The period of the pandemic was clearly stressful for almost all areas of daily life. While the area of the school education system, primary, secondary and higher education, is in the media's crosshairs almost every day, the extensive area of further education has mostly gone unnoticed. The fact is that we found ourselves in a new, specific situation that we were not prepared for. As far as it was possible, school education switched to another form (e-learning, distance learning, etc.), but this option was not always possible for material reasons. The introduction of online teaching was not only for schools and teachers, but also for students. There was a need for contact between teachers and students, access to information and additionally flexible professional support for the teacher. The aim of the contribution is to supplement the comparison of the individual waves of the pandemic from the point of view of education at the Department of Technology and Information Technologies, Faculty of Pedagogy of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Startups are unpredictable, but above all unpredictable enterprises, which can hardly be attributed a universally valid recommendation for their existence. For startups, it is very important to recall that there is no constant business model for them. The current literature provides a number of business models that could be a guide for startups, but it would make little sense to establish a universally valid model given their diversity, instability and variability. In this paper, we describe the Canvas business model, which serves as a visualization of the current state of real functioning Slovak startups, and we further gain valuable insights and valuable knowledge based on this model. The main objective is to identify the significance of the impact of the Canvas business model on the performance indicators of startups. The achieved results and the metamorphosis of real functioning startups contribute to the expansion of knowledge of this relatively new and promising entrepreneurial phenomenon. The startup environment is many times presented by the most successful representatives and the less successful ones quietly sink into oblivion. Representatives of unsuccessful startups do not like to provide data and information about their business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the pandemic situation, the online form of education has become widespread in all its spheres. The education of seniors, which is provided, among others, at universities of the third age, has been no exception. Prior to the global pandemic, universities of the third age mainly provided full-time education. However, the new situation has brought new challenges. Third Age Universities have either decided to provide online education or have temporarily ceased their activities. In this paper, we focus on online education during the pandemic at a particular third age university. Based on the results of a questionnaire survey, we present the experiences of seniors with online learning, specifically, identifying the advantages of online education for seniors and the disadvantages of this form of education for this target group. To achieve these objectives, a quantitative research survey was conducted among seniors who participated in online learning at the University of the Third Age in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have a great potential for contemporary higher education in the era of distance teaching and learning. Learners all around the world enrol on MOOCs to participate in courses which meet their age, skills, interests and study programs. There is a great variability in participants' motivation when focusing on their second language learning skills and knowledge. This paper examines the preference of English language participants for MOOCs and also proposes the courses in English language by the most relevant institutions building on participants' needs. Engagement in MOOCs is one of the strongest predictive features for the course completion, while learners' motivation to be involved in a non-formal education affirms their ability to focus on the lifelong language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the market development of accommodation facilities and restaurants accompanied by the growth requirements of the guests focus on the quality and structure of additional services. The paper pays attention to the quality of tourism services as an essential criterion for travel decision. The paper also focuses on tourism in two regions of Portugal and offers tourism overview in selected districts. The paper aimed to evaluate the quality of hospitality services in selected regions during the low season. The research evaluation categories were: place and important visible information, atmosphere and cleanliness, menu, order process, payment process, staff – delivery person. The research was realized in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon and Central Portugal in October 2019 and used mystery shopping as a research method. We also used the analysis method (the Correspondence analysis), mathematical and statistical methods. For the evaluation of the results, Statistica 13 EN Program was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports a part of the results of a broader research, in which the evaluation of e-learning by music teachers was examined. As a part of the paper, we are presenting the research findings on the views of music teachers (n = 238), but also future music teachers - students (n = 117) on e-learning, perception of the use of electronic media and their effectiveness in the implementation of music education. The results of the empirical research confirm the openness of both music education teachers and students to these innovations in Music education, which are implemented through the use of e-learning and e-textbooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented paper compares the influence of nonlinear structuring of the curriculum on the graphical visualization of the curriculum of a selected thematic unit in the mental representations of learners. The method of an experiment and the method of a test of conceptual mapping were applied in the research. The consistency of concept maps was assessed by the relational method of evaluation through an ordinal variable: graphical visualization of a concept map. By the analysis of the results it has been discovered that through the use of nonlinear structuring of the curriculum the learners’ results have improved in experimental groups within the investigated parameter of operationalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comprehensive education system in 2020 was significantly limited at all levels by the global pandemic of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Universities modified the organization of teaching and transformed study into cyberspace, so teaching could continue in a distance form using e-learning, webinars, or other digital education tools. The paper focuses on the issue of university education during the first wave of the pandemic and has the character of a theoretical-empirical study. The first part presents the basic theoretical background of the researched issue from the perspective of various authorial approaches. The key is the empirical part, in which the results of research conducted among students are interpreted to find out their experiences, attitudes and preferences in the context of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research involved 730 respondents from sixteen Slovak universities. In conclusion, the author appeals to the importance of digital and media literacy so online teaching can be considered an effective and equivalent tool to the full-time form of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an analysis of the impacts of immigration from countries outside the European Union on domestic unemployment rates of Austria, Czech Republic, Germany and Poland based on gender and age of immigrants. Using Eurostat data from 1998 to 2014, data analysis and regression functions with constant coefficients for every analysed country were performed. The results of P-values and the T test indicate that the gender of immigrants is not a determination factor for the development of domestic employment in any examined country, contrary to their. With the increase of age of immigrants, the employment rate in Poland and the Czech Republic increases as well. Generally, the labor markets react to inflow of immigrants differently in Poland and the Czech Republic compared to Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the selected issues of clustering in various field of industries in Slovak and Polish republics. It provides an overview of basic differences between Slovak and Polish conditions for clustering from the point of view of quantitative aspects. The paper consists of two parts. In the first the focus is oriented on comparison of regional economy measured by indicators on which the operation of clusters has impact through the cluster analysis. The second part is oriented on comparison of selected issues of cluster policy that is prerequisite for clustering of regional stakeholders. The results showed similarities in both cases. The aggregation of regions into the clusters by using cluster analysis depends on using indicators and we can't follow the influence of clusters in region on regional indicators. From the point of view of issues of cluster policy we can conclude that situation in this field is better in Poland than in Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sickness of an employee and his/her recognition as temporarily incapable for work has several important consequences in labor relations. If an employee sees a physician because of an ailment and thus is recognized as temporarily incapable for work based on the found health condition, the duties of such an employee is suspended and he will not go to work because of his/her illness and will not receive wages. The paper analyses the problematics of the rise and duration of temporary incapacity for work which follows certain legal guidelines. Since the question of financial support during temporary incapacity for work is of high importance for the sick employee, his title for financial compensation during temporary incapacity for work is pointed out in the paper. Even though the above mentioned type of hindrance to work is rather common, in reality there is inadequate knowledge of this field and that is why the issue is paid attention in our paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge has become the main source of value creation in many businesses. In the paper we investigate applied approaches for estimating the value of intangible assets published in recent years. The objective of our paper is to compare three main approaches, which were used as intangible intensity indicators in last five years. We apply them on a sample of data of European companies from database Amadeus. The analysis covers ROTA measure as well as investment in intangible assets and expenses into research and development as the key drivers of the knowledge creation in a company. We show that for European firms with increasing ROTA rank measure, the value of R&D expenses and disclosed intangible assets increase as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented paper is focused on the compositional language of the paramount Slovak composer, theorist, musicologist and publicist Roman Berger. His work occupies an essential and unique place in the field of Slovak music culture. The composer has cerité his own and original musical language that is specific to each of his compositions. The paper is a summary of the composer's lifelong work and an explanation and characteristic of his specific compositional language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School and family are generally considered to be important personality shaping environments for children that co-create their personality and influence their achievements. Establishing cooperation between them is a key factor in creating good living conditions in order to ensure a child’s progress. The present paper introduces the theoretical framework of the inclusive school system, emphasizing the importance of school and family cooperation, while presenting the findings of research conducted by the authors. The selected findings in the area in question indicate the justification of the profession of a school social worker as an intermediary who, in line with respondents’ opinions, should address, in particular, the problems of disadvantaged pupils, provide assistance by focusing on the consequences of the clients’ problem situation (pupils, parents, etc.) and by working with families and other community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings new findings about 3 categories of internal factors of hotel industry in Sarajevo: “economic” (management & ethics of the hotel business), “geographic” (location and access) and “architectonic-interior” (facilities and modernity of hotel). All identified factors were measured by 19 parameters incorporated into survey on the Likert matrix model (1-5) and analysed by their statistical relevance. Therefore, the results were classified as “positive”, “neutral” and “negative” score, and there was determined the qualitative rank-3 categories: “high”, “medium” and “low” impact of the internal factors on the hotel industry. Terrain observations and visit to sampled hotels (where the survey was conducted) as well as the satellite map analysis were helpful to get the knowledge on the hotel spatial distribution and its quality as well as the work atmosphere at the hotels. The study reflected that all 3 groups of internal factors highly affecting the hotel industry development, while only the human resources-the workforce quality was determined as neutral with the contemporary medium impact on the hospitality. Regarding to new concepts of successful hotel industry, this paper helps to understand the strengths & weaknesses at the Sarajevo hotel sector and it brings solutions for sustainable hotel industry development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern civilization threatens the earth's nature, but also itself, and thus sustainability, resp. sustainable development has also becoming a challenge for education and training. Based on the explication of the reasons evoking the need to transform the economy onto a sustainable, the paper pays the main attention to eco-literacy, which is one of the components of education for sustainable development. Its aim is to justify, through the theoretical research, that, especially at schools that prepare experts for practice in the economic sphere of society, the education should, among other things, focus on the eco-literacy of future graduates. Such education is presented as an important component of education for sustainable development but mainly as a way to transform the economy onto the sustainable in accordance with the main objective of sustainability. It should be based on a value reorientation of human, society and civilization, on a holistic perception of changed economic reality, and respect the laws of the real world and nature. In addition, the paper outlines what the education aimed at eco-literacy of subjects in the economy should include and last but not least it emphasizes and justifies the need for its implementation in education in those educational institutions that prepare future experts in the field of economy. In conclusion, the expected contribution of this education to the development of the sustainable economy but also to the whole society and culture is pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the problem of digital competences of university students - the future teachers of Fine Arts, in relation to their cultural awareness and expression systematically developing during their pregradual preparation within the disciplines focused on theory and history of Fine arts at the Department of Creative Arts and Art Education at the Faculty of Education at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. The paper looks into students` competences of given area via questionnaire based on self-assessment. The author of this paper explores the problem in relation to project goals supported by Slovak Research and Development Agency according to Act No. APVV-15 - 0368 in the context of present requirements of teacher training program in the area of critical thinking and creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper offers an analysis of the current situation in so-called ‘second chance education’ in Slovakia. It is characterised by problematic accessibility, especially for people with little or no education, while the rate of early school leaving in Slovakia has been steadily increasing in recent years. According to Švec (2008, p. 225), second chance education is understood as “an opportunity for adults to obtain, in a continuous education cycle, the kind and level of education usually acquired in childhood or youth during the initial education cycle”. Education of this kind is framed by several legal norms in Slovakia, particularly focusing on the legal framework of education aimed at lower secondary education (ISCED 2) and secondary vocational education (ISCED 2C, 3A, 3C). At the same time, forms of second chance education and problems with their application in practice are dealt with. The paper also includes available statistical data on the number of people who have completed this type of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The actual corporate environment, reflecting the concept of Industry 4.0, requires managers and leaders with specific leadership qualities. These qualities capture importance in a security environment, especially in the army. Paper deals with the topic of psychophysical condition identification of individual applicants in solving stress situations of the security environment. Research of the psychophysical condition was done in the simulated situation of increased psychophysical stress during courses with X-tream methodology application. X-tream methodology helps to monitor the qualities and potentials of individuals in hard and dangerous contexts. The research sample consists of 286 of course participants, working on managerial and commander positions. The main aim of the paper is to define an indicator of the psychophysical condition by the usage of objective pacification parameters and organism regeneration. Due application of factor analysis two factors with the calming-down trend after physical drain were gained. From both factors, only one reached an acceptable value of Cronbach's alpha ratio. Monitoring and evaluation of the relationship between change trends of the psychophysical condition and human activities in stress situations could serve as a base for choice, preparing and personal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the political influence of NGOs and civil society on political development. Non-governmental organizations have no direct impact on government actions, but they have an opinion-forming function, by which they can influence citizens and voters. In this respect, it is important that NGOs act in the interest of citizens, which is a sensitive and difficult to prove topic in the case of foreign funding. Just as civil society needs to organize itself in NGOs for its development, these organizations need funding for their activities. The interest of government should be to ensure sufficient funding for this area, which will to some extent prevent the influence of foreign donors on the political situation in the given country. The article is addressing a current issue, as NGOs are an integral part of any democratic society. Their influence on the political situation was noticeable in Slovakia before the 1998 parliamentary elections, when they influenced the electoral behavior of citizens, thus influencing the overall result of the elections. Contemporary literary sources, opinions of Slovak experts, but also the theoretical definitions of NGOs and civil society were used to better understand the position of NGOs in the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper is devoted to analysis of the problematic aspects of tourism sector development in Slovak economy in terms of the robotics and automation issues being affected by Industry 4.0 concept implementation and find out their consequences. The main objective of the research is to estimate the impact of robotics, automation and digitalization within Slovak tourism business that might affect the new job creation and job disposal along with the labor force adaptability to it. The way how robotics is being implemented in hotel business, the particular example is to be illustrated on the Hotel Elizabeth in Trenčín, Slovakia by means of the structured interview as the principal scientific method, the hotel managers were inquired by. Further analysis is provided on a database of Eurostat, Ministry of Economy of Slovak Republic, UNWTO and OECD. The results have shown that automation and robotics of activities in hotel business can help tourism industry improve its performance also contribute to productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with innovations in security policy, which are mainly influenced in relation to cyberspace. Currently, cybersecurity issues are among the most discussed, mainly because most of both the professional as well as personal activities have moved to the online environment. Along the advantages of this phenomenon which undoubtedly include, in particular, the use of the Internet, we may also distinguish in an exponentially increasing magnitude the risks of cyber-hazard of various levels of significance. It is therefore essential to have an institutional framework of public authorities ensuring the safe use of the online environment as well as for dealing with possible security incidents. The aim of the paper is thus to analyze those public administration bodies in the Slovak Republic that have powers in the researched area, as well as to point out the modern trends related to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competence of designing and planning education belongs to key teachers professional competences aimed at the management of teaching process. The competence represents a relatively complex set of requirements on teachers consisting of both content and methodological mastery of a particular topic in a particular subject. The paper presents a case study describing the assessment process of the teacher competence to plan the teaching process in a specific subject lesson (Civics) using a newly developed assessment tools within the research project APVV-14-0446 Evaluation of teacher competences and applying the AAA (Annotation - Analysis - Alternation) methodology. The results are presented in the annotation part which shows the context of the teaching situation in the lesson and didactic grasp of the content of the curriculum, and the analysis part which deals with the method of content transformation and its evaluation from the point of view of different aspects of the competence. Finally, the discussion part of the paper provides alternative suggestions for the improvement of the monitored teacher professional competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integral part of the issue of terrorism is not only the consequences of committed terrorist acts which lead to subsequent security measures but also the causes of terrorist activities which determine the reasons why people are motivated for these activities. The paper focuses on the social factors (social inequality in society, citizen’s standards of living, level of citizens education, religion), economic factors (economic performance of state, unemployment, inflation) and security-political factors (corruption, criminality, political instability, government ineffectiveness, war conflicts) which potentially generate future terrorist activities. The main target is to analyze opinions of 98 Czech respondents on importance of individual factors. Experts from military, police and academic institutions in the Czech Republic were selected as respondents for the questionnaire. Based on this analysis we made summarized statement about possible causes of terrorism. According the respondents, security-political area is the most important (especially current national and international war conflict), followed by social area (Islam religion) and economic area (youth and adult unemployment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the development of the global copper market using sentiment analysis to analyse the opinions, feelings, and subjectivities of the research subject. Particular attention is paid to one of the most important international mining companies in the world, Freeport-McMoRan. Texts related to Freeport-McMoRan and the relevant copper market were processed using MS Excel software and artificial intelligence, specifically recurrent neural networks. Sentiment analysis was followed by regression analysis to track the copper price trend over the same period. Confirmed the existence of inverse relationship between the copper price and the results of the sentiment analysis performed. Positive results of the sentiment analysis affect the sentiment of the copper market, thereby affecting the copper price with a time lag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to map the price development of selected metal commodities - gold and silver from 1 January 2015 to 1 January 2023, to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on their price development and whether there is a linear relationship between the prices of these commodities. The validity of the correlation between the prices of gold and silver was examined using correlation analysis. Granger causality confirmed a statistically significant relationship between past gold and silver prices, indicating their mutual predictive value for future prices. The price data was obtained by content analysis and evaluated by graphical analysis. During the period under review, the price of both commodities increased, and the curves of both commodities followed a similar pattern. The gold price evolved from the original value of CZK 877.19/g to the price quoted on 1 January 2023, which was CZK 1,327/g. The price of silver also saw a price development, from CZK 11.64/g to CZK 17.43/g. From an investment point of view, the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive effect on both commodities, as prices increased significantly, especially for gold, which can serve as an investment metal in times of economic crises. The biggest limitation of the work were events such as the COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, which influenced the price development of both commodities and thus could have affected the results of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the issue of motivation for military service in the Czech Armed Forces. It aims to map the Institutional-Occupational (I-O) motivations of the generation of Czech recruits currently starting their military career. The research sample consisted of 1557 recruits. Institutional preference was confirmed. The influence of gender, age, education, partner life and parenthood on these factors were also analyzed. From an institutional point of view, significant influence of age and education was found. From an occupational point of view, results showed, that again age, education and type of partnership cohabitation have a significant influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to identify the essential factors affecting CFROI (based on a comparative analysis of theoretical sources, case studies and conclusions from our research) with a subsequent analysis of the implementation process of this method. The consequence of the connection is the systematic, holistically incorporated principles of the method into managers' decision-making. The procedure for applying the CFROI method consists of eight parts, namely data collection, determination of the value of depreciated assets and their useful life, calculation of the value of depreciated assets at current prices, calculation of the value of non-depreciated assets, determination of the value of the investment, quantification of cash flow, calculation of the CFROI indicator and its economic interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to analyze how Czech car manufacturers have coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Included are data on manufacturing companies taken from the Cribis database of the CRIF - Czech Credit Bureau a.s., specifically data on ŠKODA AUTO a.s., Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech s.r.o. and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic s.r.o. Subsequently, the research comprises economic results, ROS (return on sales) and indebtedness calculated in relation to the aforementioned companies for the period of 2019-2020. The results show that the car manufacturers had greater losses during the COVID-19 pandemic than the year before. Additionally, they became more indebted in 2020 and had lower return on sales than in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gearboxes are among the most widely used transmissions. Technical documentation is used in all phases of the gearbox life cycle, which defines it and describes the processes taking place in it. The definition and correct prescription of the shape (geometry), and dimensions in the production drawing have an important role. This regulation ensures the optimal function of the component together with the scattering around the optimum, which also ensures a satisfactory function. All this is defined by the geometric specifications of the product. The paper deals with the application of these rules to the drawing documentation of gearbox shafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]