Zuzana Hajduova

In this article, the authors measure and evaluate the efficiency of anesthesiology and intensive care wards in the Slovak Republic using the suitable methods and check suitability of methods and variables used in the Slovak healthcare environment. Nowadays, trends are towards modification of basic data envelopment analysis (DEA) incorporating other quantitative methods. In this study, the authors examined the influence of contextual variables on CCR DEA efficiency scores. Variables Ageing index and Unemployment rate had unexpected sign/effect on efficiency. Variables Average length of stay and Bed occupancy rate seem to be adequate to be used and checked for significance in terms of selected wards of the Slovak Republic healthcare. Such types of articles are completely missing in the Slovak Republic. Methods and variables the authors have used could be modificated to needs of individual wards. These findings could be used to build information system of efficiency in the Slovak healthcare within cooperation with National Health Information Center.

This study aimed to investigate the differences in motivational focus and sources of satisfaction between family and non-family employees in family businesses. Data from a questionnaire survey conducted between May and September 2021 were used to examine the relationship of work motivation between family and non-family employees. Data were collected via a questionnaire and interviews with 56 non-family employees and 148 family employees from family businesses of eight Slovak regions. To meet the stated aim, relevant quantitative methods such as the two-sample Fisher’s F-test, two-sample Student’s t-test with inequality of variances, and the Pearson correlation method were applied. Based on the established results, it can be assumed that it is possible to adapt the dealings with the employees of family companies more closely to their individual needs, and thus contribute to their performance. Non-family employees are more oriented towards economic benefits. Family employees show a more balanced orientation between economic benefits and moral satisfaction. This confirms that financial considerations are still an important factor of motivation for non-family employees. According to the results of the study, non-family employees tend to focus on content and activity, while family employees rather focus on success. A possible explanation could be that family members perceive the success of a company more than their own and feel more confident in the choice of activities they would like to carry out, so they take this fact more than for granted.

Acknowledgment
This paper has been supported by funds of the project VEGA No. 1/0240/20. This study was supported by the project GAAA 5-5/2020 “Development of family businesses in Slovak regions”, which has received funding from Grant Agency Academia Aurea and by project VEGA 1/0813/19 “Managing the development of innovative and start-up forms of businesses in international environment and verification of INMARK concept”, which has received funding from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.

The integration of the Slovak Republic into the European Union and the globalization process create conditions that significantly reduce barriers to entry into particular markets, but, on the other hand, enhance the intensity of competition. The relevance of the study lies in the extent of the European Union’s support for the effectiveness of innovation activities in Slovakia. This paper investigates the influence of endogenous and exogenous factors on the competitiveness of Slovak enterprises over the period 2006–2018. The study is aimed at determining the causal relationship of factors that determine the competitiveness of enterprises. To investigate the relationship between the endogenous and exogenous factors, the Granger causality method is used. Mathematical models are used to identify the relationship between innovation expenditures on the one hand and different types of innovation activity with market expansion on the other. The results of the study provide a statistically significant relationship between the performance measured by the percentage of revenues of enterprises that have introduced innovations with a two-year lag and the concentration measured by the total R&D expenditure of an enterprise. The results of this study should also be used to ensure that, in the case of the Slovak SME sector, R&D expenditure is a significant driver of innovation in enterprises, as innovation in enterprises is expected to improve the quality of products and services, increase profits and expansion in domestic and foreign markets.

Acknowledgment
This paper has been supported by funds of the project VEGA No. 1/0240/20 and VEGA No. 1/0813/19 Managing the development of innovative and start-up forms of businesses in international environment and verification of INMARK concept, which has received funding from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.