M19 - Business Administration: OtherReturn

This investigation of small and medium sized enterprises is based on receiving and evaluating 185 questionnaires reflecting the situation in 2010. Data from questionnaires were evaluated in three different ways: 1) as average values of the whole group. 2) Later, they were sorted according to the number of employees (1-9; 10-24; 25-49; 50-249) and 3) according to six different specialisations. The planning activity is most developed in enterprises with 50-249 employees, where on average 2.6 different plans are used, however, in the category with 10-24 employees only 1.6 plans are made. The same tendency concerns process maps, which are constructed first of all in enterprises with 50-249 employees (67.2 %),whereas, in the category of 10-24 employees this is only 21.7 %. A part of this investigation was focused on four main processes: Marketing, Human relations, Production and Finance. The best evaluation was in respect of Finance, followed by Production, Human relations and Marketing. Detailed analysis was carried out for the process connected with Production. Besides this, the analysis also concerned outsourcing [most outsourced activities were accountancy (24.9 %), maintenance (23.2 %) and transport (26.5 %). As the most competitive advantage there was mentioned assortment (37.8 %), flexibility (21.6 %) and quality of work (35.7 %). The enterprises are worried the most about client's insolvency (39.5 %) and policy of the government (20.5 %).

Small and medium sized enterprises were investigated by means of university students who helped managers to fulfill 185 questionnaires. Questionnaires were sorted according to the size of firms into 4 groups [1-9, 10-24, 25-49, 50-249 employees] and according to the branches [Industrial production, Building firms, Woodwork, Food processing firms, Retail business, Services including transportation]. The main indicators concern the size of firms, number of employees, productivity, legal form, number of managers, form of production, foreign country activities and strategy of enterprises. Interesting results were received especially in classification according to branches, where firms in Engineering production and Services substantially differ from others. Classification according to the size showed better results in enterprises with more employees. Enterprises should take these differences into account when applying new methods of organization and management.