PurposeThe paper aims to determine and assess the cost positions that mostly impact the company total cost efficiency in supply chain management under theoretical and empirical background.Design/methodology/approachIn the paper, the systemic and logical analysis of e‐commerce expert research made over the past several years was used. For the empirical research, the data of a wholesale company cost structure and processes management was used.FindingsMajor findings allow stating that e‐commerce adoption in business has a positive impact on business efficiency in several areas. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of e‐commerce impact on business efficiency shows that the main cost positions, which directly depend on e‐commerce adoption and use, and experience quite big changes, are average cost of inventory management, the cost of materials ordering process, and the cost of labour.Research limitations/implicationsThe presented empirical research confirms the theoretical implications of e‐commerce impact on business efficiency. Using this information, the future research should be made on evaluation of indirect e‐commerce impact on business efficiency.Practical implicationsThe empirical research of e‐commerce adoption in a wholesale company confirms that the main areas where e‐commerce has an important positive impact on business efficiency are the cost of inventory management, the cost of materials ordering process and the cost of labour.Originality/valueThe e‐commerce impact on business result analysis is improved by detailed costs, which depend on e‐commerce adoption, analysis and definition of e‐commerce impact on business results, by evaluating the business efficiency in quantitative and qualitative forms.

PurposeThe paper aims to evaluate the problems and theoretical characteristics of integral cultural space development in the context of transition processes in Central and Eastern Europe.Design/methodology/approachThe paper has used the outcomes of the research conducted over recent several years, dedicated to the diagnostics of the problems of transformations as well as economic and social development in Central and Eastern Europe with a special reference to the development of the integral cultural space.FindingsMajor findings show that the creation and development of the integral cultural space in Europe is a very complex and controversial process, and in this course various problems and conflicts arise. Therefore, to encourage the creation of the integral cultural space in Europe appropriate cultural policies need to be implemented in Europe. These policies may embrace many priorities including the preservation of cultural diversity, adaptation and dissemination of integrated European dimensions and elimination of inappropriate factors within humanism and democracy of all European countries.Practical implicationsFor implementation of key priorities of cultural policies the use of a number of pan‐European scale special programmes is suggested.Originality/valueThe new non‐traditional ideas of possible economic and social development in Central and Eastern Europe are discussed.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of university research management on institutional competitiveness, international visibility and fund‐raising.Design/methodology/approachThe research findings are based on analysis of leading universities in six European countries: Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, The Netherlands and Germany. For the analysis, two criteria are chosen – institutional way of work and core partnerships. This summary is compared with theoretical background for innovative research management and the conclusion is made that these two issues are much in line.FindingsThe findings suggest that majority of leading universities in the analysed countries actively realize principles of the Triple Helix and Mode 2 Science. This is realized through innovative managerial structures and strong orientation to practical implication of research production. The findings summarise the main forms of institutional work and discuss core partnering issues.Research limitations/implicationsA limited number of universities are chosen and data are mainly collected from secondary sources such as institutional documents, web site information or corporate presentations. This is why it is difficult to evaluate how some formal declarations are realized in practice.Practical implicationsThe findings may serve as a framework for considering changes in university research management structure or seeking increase of institutional competitiveness, international visibility and effective fund‐raisingOriginality/valueThe paper compares theoretic discussions on innovative research management through cooperation and specialization with existing practices in leading universities and provides summary and examples universities are taking to increase institutional effectiveness.

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