The positions of four Central European countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) on Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures are estimated on the basis of matched samples of students. Findings from The Netherlands are used to calibrate the scores found for the four Central European countries. The findings show that there are important differences between the value orientations in Western Europe (represented by The Netherlands) and Central Europe. Furthermore, there are substantial differences among the four Central European countries. Slovakia has an extreme position among these countries on four of the five dimensions. The differences found may have implications for the political and economic processes of integration within Europe.

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The paper deals with a semiotic analysis of work motivation theories developed in the second half of the twentieth century. These theories stem from different theoretical backgrounds, varying in ideas as well as in their impact to work motivation reality. For a student approaching this field it might seem to provide an overwhelming situation in an area of study filled with contradictory theories. The method used in this study is similar to one historians use when analysing development in a human society-semiotic analysis. Based on the historical analysis, an analysis of ideas and clusters of meanings follows. Authors assume that personal experience might determine individual motivation factors. It is quite clear, that on the biological level the processes of motivation should be the same in all humans. However, stimuli or conditions under which the processes of motivation are commenced might be caused by the personal experience of the individuals concerned. Authors believe that the above mentioned analysis of clusters of meaning could help us to better systemize the wide range of work motivation theories and make it more evident for all students of the field.

The aim of the survey was to find out if it is possible to identify the differences in work motivation between people from large cities and people from small municipalities, namely between the inhabitants of the Prague metropolitan area and smaller municipalities. The survey was carried out as a questionnaire analysis and the data obtained were processed using the variance analysis (ANOVA), the correlation analysis and the factor analysis. Here we will focus only on the results detected in the variance analysis (ANOVA).We used for the survey an EDMK questionnaire (Roe et al. 2001), which was described elsewhere, and several questions that we added to the EDMK questionnaire.The reliability of the used scales was verified before the actual analysis using the calculation of Cronbach's alfa. Work motivation and the municipality sizeMotivace pracovní činnosti a velikost sídla Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech RepublicAbstract: The article shows the results of the grant project of Czech Science Foundation 406/03/0896, which focused on the survey of work motivation and quality of working life issues in the Czech country. The results concern an analysis of variation and a range of coefficients and show statistically significant differences in motivational coefficients in sets that differ in the respondent's size of residence. The main aim of the survey was to find out if it is possible to identify the differences in work motivation between people from large cities and people from small municipalities, namely between inhabitants of the Prague metropolitan area and smaller municipalities placed near to the national boundary. The survey was conducted by means of the EDMK questionnaire, which is described elsewhere (see references). Some specific questions were added by the present authors. Statistical analysis of the data obtained resulted in the findings, as follows: (1) questionnaire scales used are sufficiently reliable (as proved by the Cronbachs' alphas statistics); (2) statistically significant differences were identified in the motivational patterns of the Prague Metropolitan Area and small municipalities inhabitants; (3) the quality of working life in Czechia was found as a rather low; it results in lower perceived responsibility and job involvement found in the whole sample of Czech responses. Key words: motivation, working life quality, EDMK, Czech countrysideAbstrakt: Stať prezentuje výsledky výzkumu provedeného v rámci řešení grantového projektu GAČR 406/03/0896 zamě-řeného na výzkum motivace a kvality života při práci na českém venkově. Výzkum byl proveden jako dotazníková studie. Výsledky byly analyzovány pomocí metod analýza variance, korelační analýza a faktorová analýza. Výsledky vykázaly statisticky významné rozdíly v motivačních charakteristikách mezi soubory respondentů pocházejících z velkých a malých sídel. Hlavním cílem studie bylo zjistit zda lze identifikovat rozdíly v pracovní motivaci mezi obyvateli velkých měst a obyvateli malých obcí a také mezi obyvateli pražské metropolitní obl...

The primary aim of this paper is to add to the team effort in building a competency model. The secondary aim is to put together a method, namely a set of scales to measure attitudes to work and organization 1 . The competency model will be shortly dealt with in the following paragraph. The main part of the paper, however, will be committed to its second aim. THE COMPETENCY MODELThe present authors assume that a competency model could cover not only a manager, but a general employee. The differences between a manager and an employee of a different rank might concern specific skills and knowledge, which are necessary for the performance on a specific job and/or assignment. Different kinds of skills and knowledge, however, do not have to make it necessary to construe competency differently in specific cases. When attempting to model an employee competency, several facets of this theoretical construct could be identified. First of all, the efficacy of an employee will be an important aspect of the model. Efficacy is connected to self-efficacy, which in turn produces motivation (Wall et al. 2004). In this way, work motivation makes a second part of Attitudes to work and organization as a part of a competency modelPostoje k práci a organizaci jako součást modelu kompetence L. KOLMAN, P. RYMEŠOVÁ Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech RepublicAbstract: When modelling an employee competency, several facets of this theoretical construct could be identified. One of them is grounded in the employee's attitudes to work and organization, namely in her/his job involvement, organizational commitment, responsibility etc. The paper deals with results of a survey comparing work and organizational attitudes of four groups of subjects. The groups differed in age (20-30 and 50-60) and gender. The survey was a part of a wider research effort aimed at building up a new method of work attitudes measurement. The previous research has shown a rather specific response pattern in the Czech respondents. The survey dealt with presently tries to find more details as goes about the patterns mentioned and to help in constructing a final version of the method. The authors expect that the method will prove to be useful both in theory development and in the field. Key words: competency, attitude, job involvement, organizational commitmentAbstrakt: Při modelování kompetence zaměstnance lze identifikovat několik aspektů tohoto teoretického konstruktu. Jeden z nich je dán postoji zaměstnance k práci a organizaci, zejména jeho zaujatostí prací, oddaností organizaci, odpovědností apod. Stať se zabývá výsledky dotazníkového výzkumu, ve kterém byly porovnávány postoje k práci a organizaci čtyř skupin respondentů. Skupiny se lišily věkem (20-30 a 50-60) a v rodu. Výzkum byl součástí širšího výzkumného úsilí věnovaného tvorbě metody měření postojů k práci. Předchozí výzkum vykázal u českých respondentů dosti specifický vzorec odpově-dí. Současná studie se zaměřuje na upřesnění detailů tohoto vzorce a na pomoc při návrhu finální verze metody. Auto...