Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 2013 (vol. 61), issue 2
Social capital theory related to corporate social responsibility
Eva Abramuszkinová Pavlíková, Karl Sheldon Wacey
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 267-272 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020267 
The article deals with corporate social responsibility and its relationship to strategic management dealing with acquisition, development and utilisation of essential inputs. They influence the design of processes related to the creation of products or services that satisfy customers' needs. Authors claim that the successful securing, deployment and development of any input is of human origin or linked to human activity which means that the nature of relationships plays a crucial role. As businesses are not isolated, they operate on a global scale where the question of trust is very important. The concept of social capital stresses that trust in norms...
Collection of road tax in the years from 1993-2011 in the Czech Republic
Břetislav Andrlík
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 273-282 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020273
The article deals with the position of road tax in the tax system of the Czech Republic. It focuses on the analysis of road tax collection in the years 1993-2011 and the determination of reasons for change in the collection amount in the individual monitored years, especially in connection to amendment of the basic law, which is law No. 16/1993, Road Tax Code. Within the frame of the analysis not only the absolute collection of road tax is quantified and discussed, but also basic statistic indicators are calculated, e.g. growth rate or absolute increase of road tax collection. Part of the paper deals with the road tax yield. The paper judges the success...
Five-phase model of the intelligence cycle of Competitive Intelligence
František Bartes
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 283-288 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020283
In business Competitive Intelligence practice is often used four-phase model of intelligence cycle in Competitive Intelligence and Management, collection, analysis and distribution. Based on its 20 years of business experience, the author believes that this four-phase model CI cycle is suitable for simpler tasks of CI, or its use is appropriate in the particular circumstances of governmental organizations - e.g. CIA etc.. But current business practice confronts Competitive Intelligence in a globalized world much more demanding tasks.For lack of basic four-step model of intelligence cycle author considers a substantial disparity of the data, information...
Clustering of agricultural enterprises
Michaela Beranová, Marcela Basovníková, Dana Martinovičová
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 289-296 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020289
Agricultural business is a very specific branch which is characterized by very low financial performance while this characteristic is given mainly by external factors as market pricing of agricultural commodities on one side, and production costs of agricultural commodities on the other side. This way, agricultural enterprises recognize negative values of gross margin in the Profit and Loss Statement but positive value of operating profit after even there are items of costs which are deducted. These results are derived from agricultural production subsidies which are recognized as income in the P/L Statement. In connection with this fact, the government...
Assessment of economic efficiency of conventional and organic agricultural enterprises in a chosen region
Ivana Brožová, Jiří Vaněk
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 297-307 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020297
The present paper is aimed at assessing the economic efficiency of organically farming agricultural enterprises in a chosen region of the Czech Republic. The results recorded in the organic farming sector were confronted both with conventional agriculture and FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) enterprises in the respective region. Economic efficiency has been evaluated firstly by means of a production base (equity, assets, and liabilities). Secondly, profit indicators (operating profit, accounting profit) have been employed while monitoring the share of profitable and loss-making farms. Different profitability ratios were calculated per one hectare...
Construction of corporate social performance indicators for Czech manufacturing industry
Marie Dočekalová
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 309-315 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020309
This article aims to map out the level of social performance measurement of Czech companies, i.e. what social performance indicators companies monitor and what information they provide to their stakeholders and to construct alternative corporate social performance indicators. Based on an analysis of 24 corporate voluntary reports and results of an empirical research performed among 79 large companies operating in the manufacturing industry, it was found that companies partially monitor their social performance, but from the perspective of international standards (e.g. Global Reporting Initiative, International Federation of Accountants) it is still...
Measuring private transaction costs of public procurement: Case of the Czech Republic
Luboš Dufek
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 317-325 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020317
In the Czech Republic ca. 13% of the GDP, is spent every year on public procurement. More money each year has to be spent by the contracting authorities and private subjects for the public procurement to even work. This paper focuses on measuring private transaction cost of public procurement in the Czech Republic. In the first section of this paper, we present data used for our analysis and methods used for achieving our goals. In the second section, we summarise the results. Average transaction cost of one proposal is CZK 22 489. Weighted average relative transaction cost is 0.25% of the contract value. We estimate the total transaction cost of public...
Lobbying in the European union - regulation and public sector economics perspective
Daniela Dvořáková, Michal Petrůj
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 327-333 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020327
Lobbying has become an inseparable companion of the decision-making process and firms but also other social actors (non-governmental organizations, individuals, private and civil sector) are forced to reflect this fact, if they want to promote their interests effectively and if they want to avoid regulation that would harm their interests. The paper analyses the regulation of lobbying in European institutions and focuses on two major institutions which are under pressure of the lobbyists, the European Commission and the European Parliament. The paper discusses and presents the both ways of regulation which occur in the European institutions - the concept...
Differences in financial statements of business entities in the Czech Republic
Jana Gláserová
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 335-343 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020335
Ministry of Finance in the Czech Republic identifies and defines four types of accounting entities that are engaged in business activities. These are the "normal" business entities, business entities as banks, commercial insurance companies and health insurance companies. For each of these types of entities the Ministry of Finance issued relevant regulations that contain specific accounting policies arising mainly from the specifics of the scope of business activities of these entities. The effects of these specifics are ultimately shown also in the individual parts of the financial statement closing. In contrast the International Financial Reporting...
Profit indicators in performance systems in the Czech companies
Jana Hornungová, František Milichovský
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 345-352 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020345
The main focus of the paper is the corporate performance measurement. At present, it is necessary to monitor this corporate performance and mostly try to improve it, because it could be very crucial competitive advantage in the market. The article provides an overview of key performance indicators (KPIs) in the companies. Based on the theoretical data there are applied statistical methods, which should be achieved of main aim of the paper. The main aim of the paper is to describe which groups of Key Performance Indicators are connected with corporate performance system of measurement in the area of Information and Communication Activities. To support...
Performance factors of Czech brewing industry companies
Gabriela Chmelíková
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 353-365 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020353
The aim of this paper is to identify and subsequently quantify the intensity of relation between selected value drivers of Czech brewing industry companies and thus answer the question of what the significance level of partial indicators influencing the economic value added in the Czech brewing industry is. The aim was achieved by construction and application of multifactorial model for value generators explanation, which represents a synthesis of the INFA model and performance system Balanced Scorecard. The features typical for the first part of the model are algorithmized relations and financial character of the elements, while in the second with...
Public funds in theory of financial structure a company in Czech Republic
František Kalouda
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 367-376 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020367
Mutually beneficial co-existence of the private and state sectors can be seen as proven in theory. The proof is the concept of a two-sector economy of A. Wagner (1835-1917), while, in Wagner's view, the importance of the state sector should grow (Wagner's law). State finance is understood in this context as a tool used to achieve social justice, and in general as a socially stabilizing element.In conditions of real Czech economy, the relationship between the state and private sectors is shown in the form of subsidies for businesses enterprises; although at first sight the available data do not demonstrate the key role of public finance. Another...
Data adjustment for the purposes of self-teaching of the neural network, and its application for the model-reduction of classification of patients suffering from the ischemic heart disease
Vladimír Konečný, Oldřich Trenz, Milan Sepši
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 377-384 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020377
Neural networks present a modern, very effective and practical instrument designated for decision-making support. To make use of them, we not only need to select the neural network type and structure, but also a corresponding data adjustment. One consequence of unsuitable data use can be an inexact or absolutely mistaken function of the model.The need for a certain adjustment of input data comes from the features of the chosen neural network type, from the use of various metrics systems of object attributes, but also from the weight, i.e., the importance of individual attributes, but also from establishing representatives of classifying sets and...
Effect of the equity multiplier indicator in companies according to sectors
Lenka Lízalová, Petra Kozáková
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 385-392 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020385
Managers carry out the demand of the owners to maximise the rentability of invested capital with regards to the taken risk. The tool that evaluates the suitability to indebt in order to reach a higher rentability is the equity multiplier indicator. An analysis of the multiplier was carried out on 10 years of data from 456 Czech companies. Based on the data from these companies the influence of two components of the multiplier, which characterise the influence of indebtedness on the return on equity, was analysed. These components are "financial leverage" and "interest burden", these having an antagonistic effect. The low variability of the equity multiplier...
Changes in direct payments after 2013 in the Czech agrarian sector
Jana Lososová, Jaroslav Svoboda
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 393-404 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020393
The Common Agricultural Policy is the oldest common policy of the European Union and its influence covers a wide range of social life issues, covering the agricultural production itself as well as the fields of rural development, employment, environmental protection and others. The aim of this paper is to review the development of the CAP subsidy policy and its possible scenarios after 2013. For the analysis, a sample of Czech farms was selected (920 farms) in 2004-2011. The first part of this paper describes the development of subsidies in 2004-2011 and their impact on the profitability of enterprises. It includes a prediction of a possible new system...
Use of the cluster analysis for assessment of economic situation of an enterprise
Martin Maršík, Daniel Kopta
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 405-410 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020405
The aim of the paper was to discuss the disadvantages of enterprises in dry areas compared to enterprises farming in similar production area outside a rain shadow. The analysis was based on the sample of 45 enterprises; twelve of which farming in the area of a rain shadow. In the first step, enterprises were sorted by the cluster analysis into groups farming in the same area, at a similar altitude, with the same structure in a similar manner, and under comparable financial conditions - (such as debt ratio, liquidity and activity ratio). The results of this step showed a different method of farming within enterprises in disadvantaged areas. Such enterprises...
Relation between process and service logics
Milan Mišovič, Jan Turčínek
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 411-416 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020411
It is generally accepted that the process control of a small and medium-sized manufacturing business enterprise is the foundation of high quality care of firm's business processes. Any business process is seen as an indivisible sequence of activity steps designed to perform complex business activities. In its statutory documents the company should have concise descriptions of at least the main processes, along with their contexts in a given department of the company and the employee position.The main business processes, of course many others, are not immutable, on the contrary, they are very often changing. Many processes occur, others are modified...
Proposals of changes in the financial statements of non-profit organizations
Milena Otavová
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 417-425 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020417
Financial statements (balance sheet, profit and loss statement) intended for profit and non-profit organizations have large number of differences in terms of content of individual items and also with regard to their formal structure. This is due to the existence of different types of accounting entities for which there are created sets of accounting rules. Need for separate set of accounting rules results from their objectives, management rules, performed activities and certain specific of costs, revenues, assets and liabilities. The differences found on the basis of comparative analysis in this paper are evaluated and subsequently there are recommended...
International harmonization of accounting demands a new approach to accounting education
Milana Otrusinová, Eva Hýblová
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 427-435 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020427
Accounting and financial reporting are valuable sources of information about the financial position and performance of a company. The development of the international capital market have brought needs for international, globally valid and acknowledged accounting norms. Currently, the IFRS are used in agreement with the European Commission directive for the elaboration of financial statements of companies which are issued by securities; the other entities continue using national generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). As the number of companies which apply the GAAP is predominant, the basis of the education of future accounting professionals...
Alternative indicators of living standards and household consumption expenditure in a global perspective
Milan Palát, Alois Kunc
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 437-444 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020437
The paper deals with identifying relationships between the household consumption expenditure and the human development index (HDI) on the sample of countries of the world. It provides an analysis of the HDI and the household consumption expenditure and on the basis of available statistic data carries out evaluation of the correlation analysis between household consumption expenditure and HDI in six groups of countries: developed countries, countries of the former eastern bloc, countries of the Near East, countries of South East Asia, Latin American countries and African countries. With respect to results of the analysis, statistically significant dependences...
Unemployment and growth in advanced economies in the pre-crisis period
Milan Palát
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 445-450 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020445
The paper is aimed at assessing the relationship between the unemployment growth rate and the real GDP growth rate in three biggest advanced economic bodies of the world. In the statistical part of the paper the correlation determination of the real GDP growth rate and unemployment rate has been examined. The results of quantitative methods especially regression and correlation analysis statistically approved the correlation of chosen characteristics including the statistical significance in Japan and the United States. The situation in the European Union differs from the results of two other examined economies and the existence correlation hadn't...
How to measure organizational performance in search for factors of competitiveness
Jana Pokorná, Ondřej Částek
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 451-461 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020451
The aim of this paper is to find an appropriate method of expressing a company's performance in order to offer it to researchers for the purpose of subsequent searches for factors affecting corporate competitiveness.Of the possible approaches to performance measuring, and after considering their advantages and limitations, we have chosen long-term financial indicators, Assets Growth and Return on Assets, because each of these indicators represents one of two possible strategies to improve financial performance.This article thus presents the alternatives that are offered for that purpose as well as several means of using selected indicators...
Global sugar market - the analysis of factors influencing supply and demand
Lenka Rumánková, Luboš Smutka
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 463-471 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020463
This article deals with an analysis of the world sugar market, and specifically focuses on the supply and demand of refined sugar and their main determinants. The article first identifies the main determinants of the world supply of and demand for sugar, and further, their effect on such variables is quantified. Further, the component correlations on the selected market are analyzed. This consists of the identification of the factors affecting the production of refined sugar, as one of the main elements of the supply of sugar, as well as an analysis of the world price of sugar, as one of the significant factors affecting the world sugar market. The...
Evaluation of electronic public services in agriculture in the Czech Republic
Hana Rysová, Karel Kubata, Jan Tyrychtr, Miloš Ulman, Martina Šmejkalová, Václav Vostrovský
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 473-479 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020473
The goals of the paper are to analyze the uptake and to evaluate the quality of electronic public services among Czech agricultural enterprises. A sample of 119 entrepreneurs in the agriculture from different regions in the Czech Republic was chosen. This research is based on the application of scientific analysis, synthesis and deduction. Descriptive statistics were calculated from the data obtained in the questionnaire survey. There were fifteen different electronic services examined in the survey. Respondents made a plain ordinal-scaled evaluation of all used services in terms of the frequency of use, usefulness, importance and quality. Working...
Retail food prices in the Czech Republic - the influence of selected factors
Luboš Smutka, Michal Steininger, Mansoor Maitah, Eva Rosochatecká, Anna Belova, Salim Nassir
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 481-492 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020481
During the last decade (2000-2010), we have witnessed an unprecedented rise in food prices, especially from the world and European market viewpoint. The article aims to analyze the development of prices in the food market in the Czech Republic and to identify the influence of global and European prices development on domestic food price development and price development of selected food products. The article focuses primarily on the sensitivity of Czech food price development and especially on sensitivity of the selected commodity aggregations price development on the global and European market price growth. Furthermore, it is analyzed the impact of...
Measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities use in relation to company size
Lucie Sychrová
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 493-500 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020493
The aim of this paper is to research the relationship between measurements of effectiveness of marketing activities and company size. An analysis of the economic sources, professional publications, analysis and reports of previous research shows that the concept of measuring of effectiveness is one of the key themes, which economists always pay much attention. It is a criterion that helps to rationally decide on the use limited resources to meet the needs that are not limited. This topic deals with numerous domestic and foreign literatures. The authors are not only different concepts of effectiveness, but also the using terminology. There are multiple...
A critical evaluation of risk-return characteristics of environmentally focused stock's companies
Stanislav Škapa, Tomáš Meluzín, Marek Zinecker
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 501-506 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020501
The objective of the paper is to critically evaluate and determine risk-return profile environmentally focused stock's companies which are covered by STOXX Global ESG Environmental Leaders Index and whether this index should be taken in as an independent asset class of investments portfolio for its risk-return improvement. This paper gives an empirical view on the ex-post asset classes characteristics focused mainly on risk side of investment.
Service quality in banking: developing and testing measurement instrument with Latvian sample data
Jelena Titko, Natalja Lace, Konstantis Kozlovskis
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 507-515 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020507
The paper highlights the importance of managing service quality in banking that can positively affect customer satisfaction. The goal of the given study is to develop an instrument for measuring service quality perceived by Latvian banks' retail customers and to determine the most important contributors to customer satisfaction. To achieve this purpose, randomly selected customers of Latvian banks were surveyed, using the authors' developed questionnaire. The proposed instrument was tested for reliability and validity, using techniques of confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis yielded five service quality dimensions (factors) that...
Selected aspects and specifics of the economic development in sub-Saharan Africa
Karel Tomšík, Luboš Smutka
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 517-528 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020517
The paper examines the development of economies in the sub-Saharan region. It aims to identify particular development trends specific to the region. That means identifying changes which have occurred in the past five decades in following areas: development of the GDP value and structure, growth in the value of foreign trade, demographic growth, and changes in the value of GDP per capita. The results of the analysis show very constrained economic power of sub-Saharan region. Not only weak economy of the region but also a significant population growth is a problem. Increasing production and trade does not contribute effectively to elimination of high...
Competitive space demands accelerator and its impacts on importance and sustainability of competitive advantages
Robert Zich, Jitka Veselá
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 529-538 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020529
A determined effort of companies to improve their potential of success-ability through a development of their own competitiveness is very significantly reflected in the nature of their competitive environment. A question can be asked: what changes are introduced and what their mechanism is. The main objective of this article has been to define a theoretical background to a principle of a competitive space demands accelerator and its impacts on deterioration and sustainability of competitive advantages. The methodology used is based upon a success-ability concept. The success-ability concept describes behavior of companies in the way which - from the...
Organic food market in the Czech Republic
Iva Živělová, Michaela Crhová
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 539-546 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020539
The contribution provides partial results of the research focused on organic food, a product from organic farming. The total area of ecologically farmed areas in the Czech Republic permanently increases, however the offer of organic food is insufficient, in particular in view of their structure. Deficiency in organic food is being solved by imports. Distributors play an important role in the organic food market. In the Czech Republic the largest share from them is occupied by retail chains. Their share continues to grow to the detriment of other sales channels. One of the main factors affecting consumers' interest in organic food is its price. The...
Regeneration of agricultural brownfields in the Czech Republic - Case study of the South Moravian Region
Petr Klusáček, Tomáš Krejčí, Stanislav Martinát, Josef Kunc, Robert Osman, Bohumil Frantál
Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(2), 549-561 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361020549
The paper deals with the regeneration of agricultural brownfields in the Czech Republic. The first part of paper introduces the issue and the most important results of the previous scientific researches. The second part describes the goal of paper and methodology of own research activities. The third part brings own analysis of the Czechinvest Agency dataset of the non-regenerated agricultural brownfields collected in period 2005-2007 updated for the case study area of the South Moravian Region according the dataset of the Regional Development Agency of the South Moravia (2010). The forth part pays attention to origin and potential location of agricultural...