Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Josef Abrhám
Author-Name: Milan Vošta
Title: Economic Growth and Convergence of the Enlarged European Union
Abstract: Economic growth and economic level belong among the most monitored economic figures as they give evidence of the level of both the economic activity and performance of a country as well as of the level of the economic development at which a given state or region  finds itself. Within the EU environment as well as in the individual Member States, the issue of economic growth belongs among fiercely discussed topics. The economic growth of the European Union in the last decade was lagging behind most other centres of the world economy. This, however, does not mean that all the EU countries were characterised by a weak growth performance. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the trends and main factors of the economic growth and the processes of real convergence of the EU Member base in the last decade. This paper should also provide answers on which way the recently implemented Eastern enlargement and the world economic crisis influenced the economic dynamics of the old and new Member countries.
Keywords: European Union, economic growth, convergence
Classification-JEL: F15, F43
Pages: 3-16
Volume: 2011
Issue: 5
Year: 2011
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=343.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/343
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Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Luboš Smrčka
Author-Name: Markéta Arltová
Author-Name: Jaroslav Schönfeld
Title: The Economic Crisis and the Development of Tourism in the Czech Republic
Abstract: While the significance of tourism for the Czech Republic's economy is relatively high, it is far from being the dominant industry. Despite the recent substantial investments in this particular field of economic activity, the share of tourism in the gross value added has been steadily declining, similarly to the ratio of tourism revenue to the gross domestic product. The year 2008 saw these values hitting a bottom as a result of the overall stagnation of tourism in the European Union, with the mild growth in 2009 being mostly attributable to the overall economy going through the recession; in this respect, the mild increase in tourism revenue to the GDP did not come as a surprise. In terms of the development of the entire industry, the real impacts of the crisis on tourism within the Czech economy need examining, although this particular influence should also be distinguished from other aspects such as the steady decrease in the share of tourism in the gross value added and in the ratio of tourism revenue to the GDP. This will enable us to exactly define the key reasons for tourism within the Czech economy not yielding the results that the same industry has generated in comparable countries. The present work formulates, and using a host of statistical data and their analysis also proves, the thesis that contrary to popular belief, the Czech tourism industry had been experiencing a downturn even before the economic recession set in.
Keywords: gross domestic product, tourism, recession, time series analysis
Classification-JEL: C5, G01, L8
Pages: 17-33
Volume: 2011
Issue: 5
Year: 2011
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=344.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/344
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Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2011:y:2011:i:5:id:344:p:17-33
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Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Martin Dlouhý
Title: Alternative Production Models in Economic Theory
Abstract: In the paper, marginal analysis and linear programming are described and then compared as two independent theoretical approaches to production theory. Although marginal analysis dominates economic literature, we argue that linear programming is an equivalent theory with some advantages and, of course, some disadvantages in comparison to marginal analysis. Marginal analysis will be a more suitable choice if we assume continuous changes and perfect substitution in production and unlimited capacities of production factors. On the other hand, linear programming describes production as a combination of a finite number of available technologies with limited capacities of production factors. However, the best choice is likely to combine both the approaches to complement one another. It is a paradox that many economic students know linear programming from operational research or management science courses, but they have no notion that linear programming is also one of the basic tools of quantitative economic analysis.
Keywords: production theory, production function, linear programming, marginal analysis
Classification-JEL: C02, D24
Pages: 34-47
Volume: 2011
Issue: 5
Year: 2011
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=345.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/345
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Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2011:y:2011:i:5:id:345:p:34-47
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Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jarmila Zimmermannová
Title: Corporate Environmental Costs Connected with Legislative Compliance in the Czech Republic
Abstract: This article focuses mainly on the environmental costs connected with legislative compliance in the Czech Republic, possibilities of their identification and observation in corporations and suggestions for cutting them down. First, we present an overview of theoretical concepts regarding determination of costs connected with environmental protection in companies and possible difficulties with identification of this kind of costs; however, there are various methods depending both on the authors' opinions and purposes of environmental cost identification in companies. Then, the article discusses particular inputs and outputs of companies and tries to identify possible environmental costs on both sides. Generally, both the simplest and cheapest way for the companies is to concentrate on such environmental costs that are connected with legislation in force; therefore, the Czech Republic's current environmental protection law is analyzed for this purpose. After that, the article focuses briefly on suggestions for possible corporate savings and environmental cost reduction, based on the legislation in force in the Czech Republic. Finally, the key element of this article is a case study based on the information obtained from a real company. The case study presents results of both identification and  quantification of particular environmental costs connected with legislation in force in a small business in the Czech Republic in 2010.
Keywords: Czech Republic, case study, environmental costs, environmental legislation, company
Classification-JEL: D24, H25, K32, Q56
Pages: 48-67
Volume: 2011
Issue: 5
Year: 2011
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=346.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/346
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Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2011:y:2011:i:5:id:346:p:48-67
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Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Petr Doucek
Author-Name: Lea Nedomová
Title: Comparison of ICT Sectors in the Czech and Slovak Republics
Abstract: The recent boom of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is over. The impact of the financial crisis and the new scenarios for future development of European countries after overcoming it have formulated new requirements on the ICT sector all around the world. ICT seems to be one of the key factors for a competitive advantage within a country or a community of countries. This article offers a comparison of the development of the ICT sector in the Czech and Slovak Republics with a special accent on the human resources use in this sector and research and development expenditures. Indicators selected by the authors are compared between these two countries on the one hand and with the reality of the European Community -the average for EU 27 countries - on the other hand. Some aspects of ICT human factors are presented in this article as well as their impact on competitiveness of both the countries. The ICT effectiveness index and future possible development of the information society in these two countries are presented very briefly at the end of the paper.
Keywords: Human resources in ICT, investment in ICT, comparison of ICT sectors
Classification-JEL: M15, O15
Pages: 68-86
Volume: 2011
Issue: 5
Year: 2011
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=347.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/347
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2011:y:2011:i:5:id:347:p:68-86
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