Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Hron Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Strategy related factors of business entity structure and behaviour Abstract: Each business entity in a turbulent environment aims its behaviour towards achieving defined strategic goals. Strategy formulation means a process towards achieving a model of behaviour which makes use of opportunities in the external environment with optimal use of individual sources so as to satisfy the interests of the main interest groups. The possibility of setting such strategic alternatives is an expression of "health" of a business entity and, at the same time, it is a pre-requisite of success in creating a methodological approach to the selection of the best acceptable variance of solution. Keywords: strategy, alternatives, decision-making process, business entity, external and internal environment, efficient behaviour Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 481-488 Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/5142-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5142-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200511-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:51:y:2005:i:11:id:5142-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Klíma Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Palát Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Assessing the development of labour productivity in the EU countries Abstract: The paper is aimed at assessing the development of labour productivity in GDP (in PPS) per an employed person (EU15 = 100%). There were evaluated the countries of the EU and for comparison the USA and Japan in the reference period 1994 to 2003. Methods of regression and correlation analysis and development trends were used for the mathematical-statistical analysis. A strong increasing development trend is to observe in Ireland. The strongest decrease is in Italy and Germany. The development trend in the Czech Republic is slightly increasing. Keywords: labour productivity, analysis of development, European Union, mathematical and statistical methods Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 489-494 Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/5143-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5143-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200511-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:51:y:2005:i:11:id:5143-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Havlíček Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Dömeová Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Tichá Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Construction of a knowledge based portal for agribusiness Abstract: Virtual portal (VIPO) is designed to provide users with a single-point access to information, and tools to support their decision-making. VIPO illustrates the best practice presented in terms of case studies coded along three dimensions: field, domain and objectives. The second major source of knowledge is based on software packages made available to users including tutor support. The third part of the portal provides useful links to the existing databases which have the potential to facilitate decision making in agribusiness. All three pillars of the VIPO are complemented by on-line consultancy services. Keywords: virtual portal, benchmarking, best practice, knowledge base, knowledge unit, case study, decision making support Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 495-502 Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/5144-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5144-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200511-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:51:y:2005:i:11:id:5144-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: A. Podolák Author-Workplace-Name: Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic Title: Knowledge Economy in the content of education, research and consulting at the faculties of economics Abstract: Knowledge Economy is an education related to the declaration and contents of the Lisbon Strategy - The Perfect Europe and a follow up strategy of the competitiveness of member states of the EU by the year 2010. The term knowledge economy can be defined as "an education about problems of upbringing and educating students, a professional education of managers and population, an education about strategies of being competitive as well as an education about reality and contents of innovating an information society". The application of the Knowledge Economy in the content of education into research and workplace consulting enriches economic theories as well as gradation of agrarian economic in the field of competitiveness and information technology. The Knowledge Economy means a world repute and maximalisation of international relations and at the same time a vision of catching up with the leaders of world economies. Present educational systems, a general and specific education of new member states, is short-sightedly oriented at regional and local education with the effort to educate "an euroengineer, an eurodoctor, etc.", into the expansion of new faculties and their entitling as "European studies, integration studies, some subjects are also innovatived with a modified agrarian and business union politics", which I myself consider to be an "educational lag behind" which is the antithesis to the attributes of catching up with the more developed. Keywords: knowledge economy, education, research and development, segmentation of commodity trade, competitiveness, information society, social excellence Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 503-507 Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/5145-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5145-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200511-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:51:y:2005:i:11:id:5145-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Tomšík Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Sedlo Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Adaptation of the Czech viniculture to the conditions of the European Union Abstract: In the Czech Republic, the sector of viniculture tried to use the period before the entry into the European Union (1stMay 2005) for the maximum development of resources needed for its both quantitative and qualitative advancement. The legislation concerning this sector was changed and harmonised with the legislation of the EU. The total acreage of vineyards was expanded and another 7 thousand hectares were planted. The size of business units changed as well. For the time being, the production potential of this industry is 19.3 thousand ha of vineyards, more than 18 thousand wine growers were registered and there are nearly 600 producers of wine. In this sector, there are approximately 20 thousand jobs and the consumption of wine is gradually increasing and equals 16.5 litres per capita per year. As far as the prices of grapes are concerned, it was found out that they were relatively stable in the period under study and that the price of blue varietals is higher than that of white ones. The Czech wine import is constantly higher than the export, both in volume and financial value. Keywords: wine growing sector, adaptation, analysis, Czech Republic, European Union, producers, resources Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 509-520 Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/5146-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5146-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200511-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:51:y:2005:i:11:id:5146-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: O. Tvrdoň Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: R. Presová Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Importance of the integrated purchasing for food businesses Abstract: The paper describes the importance of integrated purchasing for agrarian businesses and for retail chains, i.e. on two opposite sides of the different economic and negotiating power. It points out the trends of the modern purchasing, economic benefits of long-term business relations, and the importance of objectively settled terms of payment for the purchased products. The paper emphasizes the specifics of sales cooperatives of farmers as a modern element of sales and purchasing activities of the agricultural primary production. Keywords: integrated purchasing, sales cooperatives, retail chains, agrarian sector, responsibility, evaluation, suppliers, trends of purchasing, dynamic approach, purchasing activity Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 521-529 Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/5147-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5147-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200511-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:51:y:2005:i:11:id:5147-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: E. Vávrová Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Title: The Czech agricultural insurance market and a prediction of its development in the context of the European Union Abstract: In the market economy, agriculture ranks among the important political and economic issues. Risks associated with agricultural activity can be catastrophic. For farmers and farms, damages resulting from materialized risks represent significant and existence-threatening problems. For the state, damages in agriculture can endanger the food supply chain, cause fluctuation in employment or jeopardize the state's foreign-policy position due to lack of self-sufficiency. This is why it is necessary to discuss the methods and ways to deal with the problem, to eliminate agricultural risks or to minimize their occurrence and materialization. One of the possible ways is insurance. With regard to these facts, the author attempts to make an analysis of the possible ways to eliminate risks that endanger agricultural production and, according to this analysis, to describe the basic approaches to minimizing or eliminating the materialization of risks associated with agricultural activity. Subsequently, the author focuses on agricultural insurance systems in the countries of the European Union, and on the present-day situation in the field of agricultural insurance in the Czech Republic. Keywords: agricultural production, Common Agricultural Policy, agricultural insurance system, risk elimination, insurance subsidies, commercial insurance company, crop insurance, livestock insurance Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 531-538 Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/5148-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5148-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-200511-0007.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:51:y:2005:i:11:id:5148-AGRICECON