Central European Business Review

7-13

Authors: Denisa Kasl Kollmannová

This article presents an in-depth study based on open-source data analysis (Edelman Trust Barometer and European Communication Monitor) concerning the general loss of trust, which both commercial companies, governments and in minor scale also NGO´s have been experiencing since Global Financial Crisis in 2008. Trust is an essential line of corporate communications, public relations and reputation management of companies and it is personalized by the CEO´s and top management. According to the data, the trust to CEO saw biggest decline in trust in the U.S., however in Slovakia the trust is still quite high, on the contrary to E.U. in general where the level of trust to CEO reached historical minimum of 30%. The overall shift from trusting the traditional authorities, such as government, CEO´s and official representatives to academics, stakeholders, employees and general “vox populi” can be seen globally. The aim of this article is to define trust and the social and communication context of building the trust as a key factor in company´s reputation. Finally, clear managerial implications on reputation management focusing on the Czech and Slovak CEO´s and businesses will be given.

20-26

Authors: Jaroslava Kubátová

Together with the ever increasing economic position of China, the importance of understanding the specifics of Chinese national culture and their influence on knowledge management, or on the management of Chinese knowledge workers, is also increasing. The objective of this article, though necessarily simplified, is to present the most important specifics of Chinese national culture and clarify their influence on the behavior and ways of work of Chinese knowledge workers. Methodologically, this article is based upon Hofstede's characteristics of cultural dimensions and their application on China. Also, an analysis of case studies from the Chinese environment has been used and comparison to Western approaches to knowledge management and knowledge workers performed. The article shall prepare managers for cooperation with their Chinese partners while emphasizing that this cooperation will be interesting, though absolutely not easy, since Chinese approach to knowledge and its sharing under the influence of their national culture is very specific and different from Western ways. The term “Western cultures” is understood to mean namely the cultures of Europe and the U.S.A.

33-37

Authors: Iveta Němečková

The initial part of the article addresses the human potential of companies as well as the motivation and retention of employees, which play a key role in reaching a company’s commercial and financial goals. The article’s objective is answering questions concerning the importance of employee education as a significant tool of employee motivation and retention. The article’s author has set two hypotheses: H1: It is possible to identify common factors having an impact on employee motivation and retention from job descriptions and position in the management hierarchy’s point of view. It is also possible to find out and name the key factors in motivation and retention preferred by employees in the Czech Republic. H2: The possibility of further education and professional growth is a very important motivational factor for employees. The hypotheses were verified and confirmed through an anonymous questionnaire; the author conducted the research among employees of Czech companies. The research, which was of key importance for data collection, was supplemented by round table discussions with the respondents, helping to confirm and to be more accurate in interpretation of results delivered by the research. A clear result has come of the research; respondents valued further education the most out of sixteen offered benefits provided by employers. The article’s conclusion – referring to the fact of a drop in education investments by companies due to cost cutting pressures (a very dangerous and unhealthy trend from the long-term point of view, according to the article’s author) – provides managers with recommendations.