Sustainable development is a concept that is constantly evolving, being discussed at the global, national, and local levels, not only among individuals but also within organisations. However, the importance of this concept lies in its complexity. The article's main goal is to identify the approaches of selected Czech companies to promote the concept of sustainable development and evaluate the basic factors that impact competitiveness. The data were obtained based on quantitative research (questionnaire survey of data collection) in selected organisations (n = 179) and additional qualitative research in the form of individual interviews with representatives of agricultural enterprises (n = 8). Data were processed using chi-square tests and factor analysis to identify latent variables. Key approaches to promoting the concept of sustainable development include an emphasis on process approach, non-financial business performance, and sector stability. The basic factors for competitiveness are quality relationships with stakeholders and the implementation of an integrated management system.

If an organisation is to develop in today’s highly competitive environment, it cannot do so without continuous training and development of its employees. The benefit to the individual can be assessed by a measurable degree of his knowledge, mastering a certain operation, etc. Evaluating the effectiveness of training is not easy, because very often we work with quantities that are difficult to quantify, and therefore difficult to measure. The prerequisite is the precise definition of educational goals and ensuring the controllability of educational results (training). This article aims to find factors influencing evaluation of effectiveness of employee training and development. The data was obtained from a questionnaire survey in which 207 organisations operating in the Czech Republic participated. The results show that when evaluating the effectiveness of employee training, organisations prefer methods based on subjective evaluation by an evaluator (direct supervisors, colleagues), but also on their own self-evaluation regarding the number of training days. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, current human resources (HR) trends and priorities for 2021 have changed significantly. The systematic process of evaluating employee training effectiveness depends on the business sector (p-value 0.022), on the fact that the organisation is or is not a part of a larger group (p-value 0.000), on (non)existence of an HR department (p-value 0.000), and on the organisation size (p-value 0.000).

Primary sector, especially agricultural companies, have long been struggling with labour shortages and demographic trends as well as with negative age structure of employees. The article, therefore, aims to identify the organisational benefits and strategies of human resource management that will help ensure a generational change in selected agricultural companies in primary sectors. The data was obtained on the basis of quantitative research in 136 companies operating in the primary sector according to the CZ-NACE methodology. More than 75% of the enterprises assessed do not apply age management, the biggest obstacle being staffing shortage in the area of age management. The respondents see the main benefits in retaining key employees, improving motivation, increasing performance, and improving organisational climate. The article is limited by its focus on the specific primary sector, nevertheless, this topic is very important in its focus on Common Agricultural Policy at the level of individual companies in all countries of the European Union.

Beekeeping is an important part of the bioeconomy. Throughout its existence, it has been one of the fields of human endeavour that contributes to sustainability. It has significant benefits for society, both economically and environmentally. Most (90%) of honeybees’ benefit to humankind lies in their pollination capacity, and only 10% lies in bee products (honey, propolis, wax, etc.). The research presented was carried out in the conditions of the Czech Republic in the first half of 2020 through a questionnaire survey within a Google Form, which was aimed at beekeepers. The aim of this paper is, based on a questionnaire survey, to evaluate ecosystem services of beekeeping from the perspective of beekeepers, including the valuation of selected types of ecosystem services. The results show that in the Czech Republic, the most common reason for beekeeping is as a hobby (34.18%). As expected, the demand for pollination is very low compared to other countries (11.6%). From the point of view of the benefits of ecosystem services, the questionnaire survey showed that the most important benefit is the pollination of cultivated and other plants (54.7%) and honeybee products (24.8%). The value of all selected ecosystem services totals 3,646,368 CZK. The results show that state support is needed, which should address the negative demographic development of beekeepers and thus ensure the production of ecosystem services.

The business that is not focused solely on short-term profits and takes sustainability principles into account can be called a sustainable business. In contrast, the sustainable competitive advantage is the basis of business performance. This article discusses the benefits of selected strategic trends for sustainable competitiveness. The sustainability approach has rarely been considered in the competitiveness studies examined. An appropriate framework for its sustainable competitiveness requires taking into account the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions on the one hand and the consideration of all stakeholders on the other one. While global corporations have been integrating sustainable business into their strategies, this important step to make still awaits Czech organizations. The main goal of the study was to identify strategic trends implemented by the selected Czech organizations aiming at ensuring competitive advantage and evaluating the orientation of organizations depending on the selected variables. The factor analysis was used (principal component method, varimax method), and the dependencies of the organizations´ orientation and the identifying variables from the questionnaire survey (n1 = 183) and focus groups (n2 = 8) were tested. The results from the questionnaire survey and focus groups have revealed six factors, namely, the integrated management system, employee development, CSR reporting, the organizational structure for innovation development, succession planning, and knowledge continuity.