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The paper describes the role of rural tourism for the sustainable development of rural areas and stresses out the importance of strategic approach in the planning of their development. The author identifies core problems, which eliminate their use and disable individual strategies set by some entrepreneurs in rural tourism. Concretely it is the absence of developing projects and focus on the development of individual villages. Then it is the lack of will to cooperate, local resources are not effectively used and the local community is not adequately involved.

The Program Period of the European Union for the years 2007-2013 is focused on supports of the rural development standardization and creation of the space for its sustainable development. Agriculture in the structure of production and non-production functions is an important factor of social-economic development of countryside and contributes to the increase of its growth potential. Diversification of activities in the countryside has a significant influence on the stability of settlement, the development of employment in the countryside, and sustenance of the entrepreneurial structures in rural regions.

The paper presents the results of the research projects with their applications in enterprise practice, in the sphere of strategic control of enterprise management focused on the methods of decision-making enabling an enterprise to respond to changes in the entrepreneurial environment. Rapid changes, principally in the external environment, require the business management to select new approaches and methods of decision-making and to have a well conceived algorithm enabling a flexible response to customers' wishes using findings of knowledge management. The paper presents the results of applying the methods of BSG and SPACE analysis, namely during the years 1998-2006. The sphere of business of the company is also analysed using the correlation-table analysis method. All actions are focused on obtaining and maintaining the competitive advantage of the firm.

PATRIA Kobylí, Inc. is one of the traditional wine-growers and producers of quality wines based in southern Moravia. Farming on 152 hectares, PATRIA Kobylí supplies the market with more than 1 million litres of wine per year. It offers an assortment of 14 whites and 6 blue wines. The company focuses on wines designed for gastronomes and distributed to selected specialized wine-merchants. But since 2003, the sales of the company's wines have been declining. The sales in the individual months of 2006 were the lowest for the last 6 years. But the aim of the company will not be to increase the sales volume but the wine quality and services and sales techniques and so to maintain its position in the market. The company started to analyze its strengths and weaknesses and extended its portfolio of Saint Martin wine and special wines and sparkling wines.

The economic impact of the EC procurement policy is an important aspect of public procurement in the most areas of industry and agriculture. There exist some studies about the economic impact of the EC procurement policy. The first major study was the one commissioned by the European Commission and published in 1997 as a part of a broader evaluation of the European single market. This dealt with the period from 1987 when the directives were substantially revised, to 1994. In February 2004, the Commission published a new summary analysis of the economic impact of the EC rules covering the period 1995-2002. A report on the functioning of public procurement markets in the EU: benefits from the application of the EU directives and challenges for the future (EC 2004). This confirms a much greater importance of the indirect cross-border activity as compared with the direct cross-border binding activity, and also indicates that this form of trade in public markets has increased further. The above mentioned studies in relation to the Economic Impact of the EC procurement Policy are the object of this article.

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the opportunities for further expansion in the segment of the functional food as highly innovative products based on market segmentation done from the consumer perspective. The survey analysed consumers and their relationship to Functional Food. The relationship between nutrition and health was evaluated as well as their trust towards some actors in the field of food, e.g. producers and retailers and their promotion claims on the one side and medical doctors and nutritional consultants and their advices on the other side. Germany, Poland, Spain and England were the analyzed countries of this survey. About 600 consumers have been interviewed. Afterwards they were grouped into five segments of buyers and three groups of non-buyers of Functional Food.

Research and historical development showed that market economy with social orientation is more effective than without it. Emerging from these facts, the paper is focused on the need of monitoring the social information in managerial accounting and in managerial information systems in enterprises. Since the social situation and the living standard of agriculture in the Slovak Republic are lagging behind, the above mentioned issues are documented in comparison with other branches of national economy. The method of Balanced Scorecard is characterized in brief as well as a new model of economy, called the Economy of Communion that draw attention towards the social aspect of entrepreneuring. The main spheres of social information are mentioned that are necessary for operating at the level of an enterprise and at a broader level. Measures in the field of operating and its information assurance are offered in order to improve the social situation and living standard in agriculture.

The paper presents selected results of the research intent No. MSM 6215648904 "Czech national economy in processes of integration and globalization and the development in sectors of agriculture and services under conditions of European integrated market". Its authors evaluate the effects of subsidies on the development of organic farming in the Czech Republic and in some selected EU countries. In the Czech Republic, the height of subsidies for the organic farming is continuously increasing. In 1998, the total amount of subsidies was 48 million CZK while in 2004 it increased to nearly 277 million CZK. Numbers of organic farms as well as the area under organic farming increased in dependence on the subsidies for this form of agricultural production.

This paper deals with problems of rural tourism development. The works is focused on researching the situation in the area of rural tourism in the Czech Republic, on understanding the attitudes of entrepreneurial sphere and rural population to this entrepreneurship and mainly on the determination of limiting factors that prevent this form of tourism from a more distinctive development. Rural tourism in the Czech Republic is still in the initiating stage of its development and it is not as developed as in some countries in West Europe. This goal has been reached with the help of primary questionnaire inquiry among business and agricultural subjects in rural areas in the individual regions and the detail results of this questionnaire inquiry are enclosed to the following paper. These identified factors were mainly insufficient financial means and at the same time insufficient state assistance connected with this. Insufficient awareness of this support as well as its inaccessibility for small business appears to be a difficulty, too. From the other obstacles, we can mention the current legislation system, bureaucracy, the state of communication and tourist infrastructure, fears of neighbours' intolerance and losing privacy and also unfamiliarity and little experience.

Finnish agriculture changed radically with the EU joining in 1995. The commitment of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) led to unprecedented changes in economic environment - in agriculture as in processing industry. Finland lost the possibility to regulate the original price level of agricultural products supported by the national border protection and export subsidies. Prices guaranteed by the EU are much lower today than before the EU-membership. Recently, Finland has evaluated ten years being an EU member. Despite its competitive disadvantage, given mostly by unfavourable production conditions, Finnish agriculture has not lost within the competitive environment of the single market and it has tried to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the CAP. The article recapitulates the ten year effort of Finnish agriculture to ensure the competitiveness within the EU single market.

The contribution presents the findings of the third phase of an extensive survey, the main goal of which was the identification of factors stimulating or restricting the establishment of small and medium-sized enterprises. It comprises the outcomes of the comparative analysis aimed at the comparison of groups of small and medium-sized enterprises and the model enterprise according to areas influencing founders' entrepreneurial activities.

The paper deals with the issue of knowledge transfer from several angles (context, benefits, and channels) in order to specify roles the universities should play in order to enhance the competitiveness of the EU economy. Knowledge transfer encompasses a wide variety of activities that range from appearances in the media and at public forums to participation in bilateral projects, the commercial development of research, the application of expertise through partnerships and internships, and the inclusion of broader community influences in the curriculum to enhance the capabilities of graduates. The broader context to facilitate knowledge transfer activities is assessed, suitable channels identified and some hints to select the appropriate channels provided. As the benefits of knowledge transfer go beyond the simple financial return, factors supporting effective deployment of knowledge transfer function at universities include not only financial incentives, but also a combination of measures ranging from training knowledge transfer personnel, setting appropriate metrics to assess the performance of knowledge transfer processes, quality assurance schemes as well as barriers-removing policies to enhance mobility of staff and free exchange of knowledge.

The benefits arising from adoption of information and communication technology by farming businesses are explored, and the prospect of a digital divide appearing in the UK agricultural sector is discussed, drawing on results of research at the University of Plymouth. It is proposed that countries in Central and Eastern Europe will be subject to the same phenomenon, and that the potential disadvantage suffered by non-adopters of this technology will be sufficiently severe to justify both policy intervention and further research.

In the enlargement process, the agriculture and food sector merits particular attention because trade and policy issues between the candidate countries and the EU are more important in this sector than in any other. In 2001, Hungarian agriculture's contribution to GDP was 4.5 percent and agriculture represented 6.2 percent of the total employment. The share of agricultural and food products in total exports was 7.5 percent. Agricultural policies in Hungary have developed in the context of a transition towards market economy and in anticipation of entry into the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Producer prices in Hungary are by up to 20 percent lower than EU domestic producer prices (with the exception of beef, maize and sugar-beet). Domestic consumer prices are, in average, closely aligned with the world market prices, and in 2001, consumers were paying the world market prices. Progress made so far by Hungary provides a good basis for implementing the acquis in the agricultural sector, however, strengthening of the administrative capacity with regard to the Common Market Organisation mechanisms and structures relating to the European Agricultural Guarantee and Guidance Fund is a priority. For Hungary, the issues of equality of treatment and no distinction between the old and new members of the EU are at least as important as the level of transfers it will receive. The revised draft common position of the European Commission does not seem particularly equitable and should be improved by the end of the accession negotiations.

This article is divided into four parts; the first is concerned with the methodology of evaluation of the type of technical development and its objectives. Another part will evaluate the type of technical development in the national economy as a whole in the period 1995-1999. The main indicators are fund efficiency, productivity of labour and the technical specifications of work. The third part of the contribution will deal with an evaluation of these indicators in the selected sector of the economy, namely in the farms which are obliged to make public their income statements in the business bulletin. The last part, considered from the perspective of the type of technical development will be a farm sample, divided according to size into two groups - production and marginal area. This sample will be considered for the years 1997-2000. Finally a total evaluation of the present development of single monitored groups and an inter group comparison will be carried out.

This paper is related to the application of the land policies implemented in France in 2nd half of the 20th century, and their consequences on the economy of the agricultural sector and the operation of the farms. Starting from a framework of historical and institutional analysis, the object of this research is to analyse the economic and institutional determinants of these land policies. In France of small landowners, the existence of the right of ownership is considered as an obstacle for a fast evolution of the structures of farms which are sufficient size to implement technological progress allowing the profits of productivity. The aim of the land policy followed in France since the end of the Second World War was to encourage the development of such farms. The main measures were the statute of the tenant farming, the control of the structures and the control of the land market by the SAFER. This policy is implemented at a departmental level by the representatives of the Farmers Unions and generally supports the access to the land for young farmers or the middle-sized farmers.

Agriculture is a sector in Latvia which plays an important role in the country's economy and the same time performs a significant social, environmental and ethno-cultural function. Latvia has favourable conditions for the development of organic agriculture. The aim of land reform is to reorganise legal, social and economic relationships of land property and land use to facilitate the development of infrastructure, land protection and rational land use according to the interests of society. In Latvia, the land reform is practically carried out in three directions - restitution of real estate rights, privatisation of real property and compensation for previous real estate. At the moment, the main and urgent goal concerns strengthening of the results of land reform. It means that all the information on real estates (land and buildings), uses and area of lease obtained during the previous course of land reform must be reflected into the real property cadastre.

The economic importance of agricultural sector in Slovakia declined during transition period. There are several reasons for this: declining terms of agricultural trade, extreme weather, transformation of agricultural sector, unclear property rights in transition period, short-run privatization distortions, transformation of up and downstream sectors, world market fluctuation, decline of real wages, low stability of agricultural policy and other. The development in economic market was paralleled by activity in political market. After initial liberalization, agricultural protection subsequently increased. The EU accession influences both levels of protection as well as instruments of agricultural policy.

This paper aimed at revealing both dairy farmers' problems and structural issues of dairying in Turkey. First of all, majority of the dairy sector examined is compared to developed and developing country figures and practices. Next, Turkish dairy sector figures are argued with developing country examples. Consequently, problems that were faced by dairy farmers were studied and the data related to problems were examined with factor analysis. Research data were collected from 282 dairy farmers in Turkey. Results indicate that milk yield was found to be 4 443.5 kg/year/cow so that it is quite high compared to Turkey's average, closer to the EU average. The average number of dairy cow per farm was found very low at 4.6 units. The fodder consumption average was found to be 14.6 ton/year, producers silage consumption averages were found to be 47.1 tons/year and 8.18 tons/year mixed feed. The dairy farmers' response indicates that low raw milk price and fluctuations in market and higher feed prices are the major problem in Turkey. Factor analysis results indicate similar findings that the above-mentioned problems extracted from same group of issues, which is called more important.

The study deals with the problems of territorial marginality in Slovakia. It illustrates the content structure of regional marginality, its factor satiation, as well as its spatial (territorial) localization. The historical-spatial context of marginal territories in Slovakia and their position in the transformation period are pointed out. The stress is laid on social-spatial marginality of the regions, representing its central component. The study suggests the possibilities of solving the problems of marginal regions, their developmental disposabilities, as well as the necessity of application of certain demarginalization activities, as a component part of modernization processes and their dynamization in the respective territories. The existing contradictions between the intentions of the regional policy of the Slovak Republic and the actual situation in solving the problems of marginal regions have been pointed out as well.

The paper builds on the resource-based approach to the firm and develops it further towards the knowledge-based approach by exploring the importance of knowledge in a modern firm. Various concepts explaining characteristics of knowledge are compared and contrasted in order to contribute to the current strategic management thinking and to stimulate adoption of the concepts of knowledge management in modern businesses. The paper draws from the literature review made within the project Information and Knowledge Support for Strategic Management financed by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

The primary goal of our analysis is to evaluate the effects of changes in the Slovak agriculture subsidy system on the selected farms located in different production areas between the years 2003 and 2004. Our comparative analysis divides the farms into two groups: The first group represents all those farms that operate in good farming conditions i.e. primarily the land is more productive (PA). The second group of farms operates in less favorable farming conditions (LFA). The regions differ from each other in terms of geographical position, location, production and climatic conditions, as well as the quality of land. We analyzed data of 119 farms.

The article summarizes recent developments in the field of knowledge management and its vital influence on strategic management. Knowledge has become a resource of key importance with regard to the competitive advantage of a business. It thus strengthens the resource-based view of competitive advantage and develops it further by providing guidelines for developing, storing, and sharing knowledge within a business with the use of the concept of organisational learning. Tacit and explicit knowledge is distinguished in order to differentiate their contribution towards the competitiveness of a business. Based on these developments major trends affecting current development of strategic management are defined as well as recommendations drawn from the experience of leading subjects in the field.

This paper will focus on the development trends of enterprise information infrastructure which will take into account an effective management of institution as well as integration of the existing technologies and systems. A special focus will aimed at the new Smart Enterprise Suites (SES), which should provide for convergence and integration of the originally single systems as portals, content management and collaboration. The author presented part of these results also at the Agrarian Perspectives Conference 2005 in the applied informatics session.

The conception of the agricultural politicy of the Czech Republic is in accordance with the European model of agriculture, and one of this politicy pillars has been concentrated on the development of the multifunctional agriculture. In this contribution, several findings from the solution of the research project QF 4142 have been summarised in a synthetic form. It introduced financing and support programme of the rape methyl-esther (RME) and mixed fuel production. In the article, the availability and economic potential of the renewable energy sources till the year 2010 are shown primarily. The RME and the bio-diesel form an important part of the biomass in the Czech Republic. We describe in brief the RME characteristics in the year 1997-2004 in the following fields: production and support of the RME and mixed fuel. We have the capacity of the RME production 150 000 t in the Czech Republic with the average costs 20 CZK/l RME.

Intangible issues, which are often very difficult to be quantified become more and more the field of interest of social sciences. There are many research works demonstrating that various types of knowledge, institutions, social networks, and social relations have a great influence on human activities as for efficient achievement of the actors' goals. This paper relates expert knowledge (shaping professional qualification) to human capital and tacit knowledge (understood as a broader, general, and contextual knowledge) to cultural capital. Both forms of capital exist in their primary form only in concrete individual persons. Concerning collective persons (firm, community), cultural and human capitals are transformed into intellectual capital. Work with specific knowledge, tacit knowledge and capitals corresponding to them shows the role of social networks and social capital in their organization. Using the analysis of two farms based on natural experiment, the paper demonstrates the role of tacit knowledge and cultural capital (opposing to the overestimated role of expert knowledge and human capital). The conclusions outline social determination of both types of knowledge through social networks and social capital needed for an efficient work of a farm.

Rural villages are the sole subjects in rural area which integrate all elements acting in the rural area to one functional whole. They can be therefore taken as the pivotal element of rural development. The research was done in 2004 and was based on the search for rural villages' characteristics and exploration of the elements of regional differentiation. The project results from the presumption of difference between the rural villages given by their size, location in specific areas or on exposed roads, distance from civic centers etc. It is supposed that these characteristics have specific and significant connections with such phenomenon as the level of unemployment, the level of civic and technical facilities in villages, the activity of inhabitants and the village itself, etc. The challenge was to define problem characteristics of rural areas, which mirror significant regional differences, structure and interconnectedness of these differences and their importance for future regional development. Interdependence of particular indicators was explored by statistical evaluation.

How does an organization utilize knowledge for the reproduction of its culture in innovations, it was a key-point of the question for an approach based on the methodology of social process in the recent past. Then the formation of knowledge was considered a process of power politics with the consequences for knowledge management. In the framework of those projects, attempts were made in organizations to extract the knowledge from experts and specialized professionals that it might be codified and saved in extensive databases; only then the remainder of employees ought to have possibility to consult them and add the results of their own ideas to these databases. Poor success of such attempts only illustrates the methodological failure of utilizing information technologies for knowledge formation, its storage and transfer. Moreover, when a new fact was soon discovered even in the framework of the new approach, that there was an abyss-like difference between information (that information technologies operate with) and the knowledge, then the significance of personality increased again. The research that was done with the "champions of organizational learning" in the framework of knowledge management emphasized their import in catching the best experience, knowledge codification and its distribution in the organizations. Among other qualities, the knowledge is strongly personalized: it means it is connected with personal experience, attitudes, and evaluations. On the other hand, an advantage of new methodology was that the possible social actions, connected with the knowledge management, search for a strategy, and implementation were studied. These very changes in methodology have been a valuable contribution even for the research into the role of personality within this social process, however. They induce circumstances and means for studying the infrastructure of relationships that make possible the impact of individual authority in organization in general. In this paper, we also pay attention to this social process in teams as compared to collectives and how team-leaders emerge within them.