The paper presents the results of an international research on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) conducted in post-transitional countries in Europe. The aim was to investigate the recognition level of the efforts in companies toward CSR activities by employees and their influence on perception and identification with those activities. It was expected that employees with a higher level of CSR awareness would show a greater level of loyalty and identification with the company and, therefore, perform their activities better. A number of significant issues were investigated, i.e. the purpose of CSR implementation, CSR activities in companies, barriers for CSR implementation, employee loyalty, and the performance of companies, along with how these factors are interconnected. CSR was accessed from the point of view of employees through a questionnaire, after which the proposed conceptual model and hypothesis were tested using SEM methodology. The results point out that a clearly defined purpose of implementing CSR can contribute positively to appropriate CSR activities and overcoming the barriers that can occur during implementation. In addition, statistical evidence was gathered showing that CSR activities significantly influence employee loyalty, thus more commitment from employees to the company. Finally, the findings indicate that the greater the loyalty of employees, the greater the performance and competitiveness of the company. The presented results can be very significant for decision-makers and researchers, as they highlight the specificity of CSR and can be used for creating appropriate business strategies that introduce and implement CSR in business operations in order to increase competitiveness and overall company results.

This paper presents a conceptual framework for investigation of the factors influencing the failure of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as the level of their recovery. Based on the review of literature, all the factors are classified either as individual characteristics of entrepreneurs or non-individual characteristics, that is, characteristics related to SMEs. Having in mind various factors identified by different researchers in their studies, the authors of this paper formed a basic hypothetical framework as well as a qualitative framework for evaluation of the most significant factors influencing SME failure and recovery. Accordingly, a preliminary questionnaire was designed in order to collect the attitudes of entrepreneurs regarding the impact of particular factors. The results of the survey were used for further quantitative analysis and as a base for the formation of a structural equation model for testing the proposed hypotheses. Using the structural equation model to derive results, the authors have found that all the analysed factors except the factors related to private time activities of entrepreneurs/owners of SMEs have a statistically significant influence on SME success, with external non-individual factors having the greatest influence. Furthermore, the results indicate that the level of recovery, business life cycle stage and the sector of a failed SME impact on the ranking of the factors leading to SME failure. The study points to the necessity of improving the conditions under which SMEs operate, primarily by removing the obstacles that hinder growth and development of SMEs as well as by developing the appropriate system of support for entrepreneurs. In addition, having a clear vision of the factors of failure can help SMEs to become more resistant to the adverse effects of these factors and deal with them more effectively.

The concept of total quality management (TQM) emphasises continuous improvement which requires the participation of every individual in the company. Although much has already been said about people being the primary resource in an organisation practicing TQM, this area has been neglected by companies implementing TQM. The aim of this study was to determine critical factors of TQM practice that would positively impact employee satisfaction. Data for this study were obtained from three manufacturing companies, which have accepted TQM philosophy. Using structural equation modeling, the relationships between structural determinants of job satisfaction and employee loyalty were investigated. The results suggest that five, out of six, determinants are positively related to job satisfaction.

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