The article focuses on the use of a strategic management tool, especially the EFQM model. The EFQM Excellence Model is a comprehensive management tool used to assess and improve business performance. In this article we focused on the use of this model in tourism enterprises in Slovakia. The main goal of the paper was to carry out research on the use of this model and to identify barriers that prevent the use of this model in managing and increasing the performance of businesses active in tourism. The research was based on formulated hypotheses, which we verified using statistical methods. As suitable statistical methods to verify hypotheses we chose the population proportion method and the Chi-square test of independence. The hypotheses were formulated on the basis of the available literature, published articles and research carried out so far. We also described the reasons that prevent the use of the EFQM model and analyzed the relevant context using a standard deviation. The aim of our paper was to find out the current state of use of the mentioned model and to present the model as a suitable tool for increasing the performance of businesses not only in the field of tourism.

Since the mid-1990s, enterprise resource plannig (ERP) information systems have been installed in thousands of companies worldwide. A growing number of studies and research papers show that information systems have a significant role in the sustainable economic development assuring economic competitiveness. Modern enterprise performance management shares a strong strategic and sustainable orientation of management focused on further strategic growth and business development with parallel use of information and all highly sophisticated knowledge resulting from modern enterprise information technology. The paper focuses on research findings related to information processes and their impact on overall entrepreneurship performance. The most important results show that the companies from the selected industrial segments in Slovakia have a strong focus on the application of innovation procedures and specific business information systems. The results bring the findings that business intelligence (BI) is based on information and knowledge with a high added value has a positive long-term and sustainable effect on the overall entrepreneurship performance. By application of selected management tools such as ERP, BI information systems and others, it can be achieved a higher entrepreneurship performance of industry companies in Slovakia and EU. We believe that our study presented in this paper contributes to explore a new dimension to the existing view on business information systems in industrial companies. More detailed research results are presented in this paper.

Slovak spa services are not given sufficient attention directly following the support and sustainable development. The paper focuses on the evaluation of the overall development and current level of efficiency of the Slovak spas in 2013–2018, through the application of DEA models. Input variables (total number of beds, employees, medical staff) and output variables (use of bed capacity, number of treated clients) within the structure of DEA models analyzed (CCR-I, CCR-O, BCC-I, BCC-O) are determined by results of the correlation analysis. The data were obtained from the annual reports of the spa enterprises. By the results, the average efficiency score for all enterprises reached 0.7527, i.e., the average spa enterprise would need only 75.27% of currently used inputs for a given output production to move to the efficiency frontier. The development of the average efficiency score confirmed a positive growing trend until 2015; however, the efficiency decreased by 1.84% in a year-to-year comparison in 2016–2018. In each year of the analyzed period, the number of inefficient enterprises (66.67%) exceeded that of the efficient ones (33.33%). Through research carried out in spa facilities, the authors contributed to expanding the application of the DEA method in another tourism sector.

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Measuring the performance and efficiency of the tourism enterprises is essential regarding the current pandemic situation. In such a context, improving their financial situation and competitive position also depend on the use of innovative multi-criteria evaluation models. The paper's main objective is to propose the newly designed Performance & Efficiency model (P&E model) for Slovak spa enterprises. Its structure consists of three dimensions – P&E_I, P&E_II, P&E_III. The application of Confirmatory Factor Analysis validates 34 key performance ratios reflecting the financial situation of enterprises within the P&E_I. In case of P&E_II, the development of value-added dynamics is measured by using the Economic Value Added Momentum. Using the Data Envelopment Analysis, the level of enterprise efficiency is quantified (P&E_III). The partial results of the dimensions are transformed using min-max normalization to the overall score ranging from 0 to 3. Based on the results, a rating scale of all enterprises is carried out, and both their partial and overall positions are assessed through benchmarking. During the research (2013 – 2018), the best results are achieved for SE03 (Spa Bojnice, Inc.), SE21 (Specialised Spa Institute Marína, s.e.), and SE18 (Spa Horný Smokovec, Ltd.). The worst-rated spa enterprises include SE14 (Natural Iodine Spa Číž, Inc.), SE09 (Spa Sliač, Inc.), and SE19 (Pieniny Resort, Ltd.). The proposed P&E model is easily applicable to other tourism enterprises. The research as carried out enables deepening of knowledge concerning the multi-criteria evaluation and management concepts and helps enterprises overcome current unfavorable situations.