SMEs in Failed Transition Towards Industry 4.0: A case study of a Czech SME

With upcoming new smart technologies, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have to deal with the implementation of industry 4.0 and smart principles. Being known for their constraints in human, technical, and financial resources, SMEs may struggle in the transition phase during introducing industry 4.0. A case study from the Czech Republic should shed some light on the opportunities and issues of the introduction of industry 4.0 in an SME in practice.

Relational Capability, Technological Eco-innovation and Performance: Evidence from Polish Green Companies

The paper presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the impact of relational capability on the relationship between technological eco-innovation and financial performance of Polish green companies. The research model contains both radical and incremental eco-innovations.

Hi-Tech – Determinants Restricting Competencies of Managers

Management competence is of significant importance in the Hi-Tech sector. The relevance of the issue led the author of the article to undertake research to identify and assess the determinants limiting the improvement of managerial competencies in Hi-Tech organisations. Factors impeding the furtherance of managers' competencies include those within the organisation itself and those located in its environment.

Economic Efficiency of Employee Suggestion Systems in Manufacturing Enterprises

Full involvement of employees in improving enterprises and their processes is one of the flagship assumptions in modern management methods. A widely used solution supporting this approach is the employee suggestion systems (ESS), allowing the use of the intellectual potential and creativity of own staff.

Key Life Test Process Optimization Using Six-Sigma Approach

The progress of automotive companies has led to a broad development in all sectors of the automotive industry, having an impact on all processes of design, engineering, systems, prototyping, testing and validation. At the same time, consumers’ demand for durable products remains high.

Production Automation as A Factor in Improving Product Quality in The Automotive Industry

The automation of production is an important element in the functioning of any production enterprise. The aim of this article is to analyze the quality of the product made manually with the use of spot-welding machines and to analyze the quality of the product made by the industrial robot type "Fanuc Robotics S-420i". The analyzed product was the front panel of the body, made of semi-finished products in the spot-welding process. During the analysis, the impact of production automation on the product quality was found. Applications of the robotized welding process are used not only because of better quality parameters, but also because of the significant reduction of production costs and less fatigue of employees. The robot operator is a quality controller and contributes to quality management.

Sustainable Development And Innovation In Financial Services

In the current global context of an economy dominated by services and the rise of environmental and social concerns, the challenge is to integrate the notion of sustainable development with the approach of banking innovation as a marketing strategy allowing banks to be competitive. This paper aims at the link between marketing innovation and sustainable development, often conceived and organized independently, and proposes to analyze the place of sustainable development in the marketing strategy of banks. An exploratory approach to the field of interaction between sustainable development and marketing innovation in banking activity.

R&D Narratives in Annual Reports of European Biopharmaceutical Companies

This study has two objectives. Firstly, it explores how do R&D narratives differ in various clusters of biopharmaceutical companies in terms of discussion context and text readability. Secondly, it examines whether the way how biopharmaceutical companies depict their business within R&D context is dependent on R&D expenses or R&D intensity levels. The paper contributes to the literature in applying qualitative and quantitative methods.

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.