Iveta Šimberová

Purpose: This paper presents a predictive model for strategic management of B2B customer satisfaction, designed for Quality 5.0 challenges and situations with limited data. Methodology/Approach: A two-phase methodology was used. In the first phase, the methodology identifies key quality factors using focus groups and online surveys. In the second phase, a trend model is derived from a numerical correlation matrix that describes all past and possible future states of the system. Findings: The results show two main strategies (dynamic and conservative) for transitioning from declining satisfaction to growth. It was found that this goal can be achieved by managing fully controllable factors such as website navigation, information complexity, and graphic design quality. Research Limitations/Implications: By focusing on qualitative scenarios, the model is effective in environments with insufficient data and opens up possibilities for future expansion with fuzzy logic. Originality/Value of Paper: The presented model is an innovative formal tool that complements existing quantitative methods in areas where data is lacking. Its value lies in its function as a strategic management simulator that converts qualitative descriptions of trends into structured action scenarios, thereby strengthening managerial decision-making in the context of Quality 5.0.

Companies in today’s world are undergoing digital transformation to remain competitive. Certain external factors influence the process. The goal of this paper is to find the factors that are considered barriers to a higher level of digital transformation within companies. This paper presents a pilot study working with the concept of digital transformation introduced by Šimberová et al. (2022), examining qualitative and quantitative data collected from the manufacturing companies from Czechia operating with steel and identifies factors as the drivers of the digital transformation. Further, in the discussion, the paper proposes new ways to overcome the identified barriers.

Purpose: This study investigates how digital innovations reshape consumer behaviour and decision-making in German automotive retail. It highlights the impact of online shopping platforms, virtual showrooms, and AI-driven personalisation on customer engagement and purchase decisions. Methodology/Approach: The study employs a systematic literature review and an empirical investigation via a standardised online survey and evaluates attitudes towards digital innovations in automotive retail. Statistical techniques were used for data interpretation, including linear regressions and correlation analysis. Findings: The findings reveal significant impacts of digital innovations on consumer purchasing decisions. Key results show a strong preference for online vehicle purchasing and virtual showrooms, which are closely tied to general online shopping behaviours. Personalised recommendations and advanced digital services are identified as critical drivers for enhanced customer experience. Research Limitation/Implication: This work provides actionable recommendations for integrating digital tools to meet evolving customer expectations. However, the findings are limited to the German market, suggesting a need for validation in Europe. Originality/Value of paper: This study fills an important research gap by providing empirical evidence for the intersection of digital transformation and automotive retail in Germany and is one of the first studies to comprehensively uncover customer expectations of digital and hybrid retail solutions.

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is a peer-reviewed journal which publishes original research papers and case studies

Purpose – The following article focuses on assessment of the evolution of digital transformation in SMEs in the manufacturing industry since the beginning of the pandemic. The digital transformation is assessed in the different blocks of the BM Canvas. The main objective of the paper is to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the development of digital transformation, and to assess whether it is still influencing it now, or vice versa, or no longer has such an impact. Research methodology – The digital transformation is examined in each block of the Business Model Canvas (BM Canvas) from the beginning of the pandemic to the current state. The individual data is obtained from a survey conducted among 18 SMEs. Small and medium-sized enterprises in the manufacturing industry are examined. The survey is based on semi-structured interviews with SME´s management representatives. The collected data is then processed by examining the average rate of digital transformation in each block, the modus, and the median. The focus was again on developments and changes in the digital transformation of enterprises. The data was collected for three periods – before the pandemic (2019), during the pandemic (2021) and now (July 2022). Findings – The paper shows the evolution of digital transformation in the different building blocks of the BM Canvas for SMEs in the manufacturing industry since the beginning of the pandemic. The evolution of digital transformation varies across the BM Canvas blocks. For the Channels block, as of July 2022, there has been a decrease in the average digital transformation rate. The other blocks have seen an increase and continue to develop. However, the increases are no longer as high as in 2021. Whether digital transformation will continue to develop for individual blocks in future periods is a suitable research question for further research. The findings show that the changes and developments vary from building block to building block. It was found that the importance of each building block changed during the pandemic for each firm representative. The results provide the basis for the analysis of the development and change of BM Canvas for individual companies. Research limitations – At the moment, the current situation in Ukraine, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, is playing a major role in SMEs activities as it affects companies. This conflict was not considered in the research, and the development since the beginning of the pandemic was followed. Practical implications – This research highlights how the digital transformation of individual SMEs in the manufacturing industry is evolving. It highlights the impact of the pandemic, which has undoubtedly increased the growth of digital transformation rates. For future research, these results can be very useful, as other influences on the rates of digital transformation can be investigated. Originality/Value – The research was carried out on the basis of primary data collected by the authors themselves. The data were processed and evaluated. The results of the research show how the level of digital transformation in different blocks of the BM Canvas has evolved from the beginning for each SME in the manufacturing industry.

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of digital transformation on Business models (BMs) of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the manufacturing industry. Pre-pandemic and current state of digital transformation of SME’s BMs is analyzed, using Business Model Canvas (BM Canvas). Survey conducted with eighteen SMEs serves as the base for the analysis, putting emphasis on SMEs BMs development and changes that happened after COVID-19 outbreak. Specifically, how each building block reacted to digital transformation. Findings show that changes in the building blocks are not proportional, with each building block achieving different percentual change of digital transformation, whereas the importance of specific blocks varies in the eyes of companies’ manage-ment.

Digital technologies represent an important factor in the achievement of the sustainability goals of the European Green Deal. Whether the digitalisation trend will contribute to the sustainable development of societies in the long term depends on how we shape and understand it. The aim of this paper is to create a concept for the management of the threats and opportunities in the digital transformation of SMEs. As part of a broader research project, a complex tool was developed to assess the digital maturity of SMEs, and our paper focuses on one aspect of this tool, which is related to the identification and management of the opportunities and threats that are associated with digital transformation trends. The methodology that was used to develop this paper is based on a pilot survey that involved 154 SMEs in the Czech Republic, 74 of which were used for the follow-up survey on the opportunities and threats. Sixteen key trends were identified, which were then reduced to five latent factors, with their names forming five dimensions. In the cluster analysis, the companies were divided into three clusters, which served as the basis for determining the final cluster centres. The result is a concept for the management of the threats and opportunities in the digital transformation of SMEs. Digital transformation is the broad topic. Therefore, the theoretical overlap of this study can be seen in the narrower focus on the identification and management of the opportunities and threats in digital transformation. In addition, this study focuses on SMEs because there are more than one million small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic, and they create 54% of the innovative solutions. The practical impact of this study can be understood in the fact that the proposed concept may enable SMEs to more easily manage threats and opportunities in their digital transformation.

Incumbent B2B manufacturing companies join forces and form collaborative networks, called consortia, aiming to increase the circularity of their products. Our research interest lies in the understanding of how the business models (BM) of the companies and the industry are affected by such collaborations in the collaborative networks of the circular economy (CE). Given the exploratory nature of our empirical research, we applied a mixed research strategy of an inductively deductive nature. We carried out case studies in a manufacturing industry field and combined them with quantitative content analyses of the companies’ financial and non-financial reports. Drawing on the assumptions of the Attention-Based View Theory and Legitimacy Theory, we defined and found verbally communicated identifiers of BM elements, CE strategies, and collaborative networks, quantified their occurrences, and transformed them into variables. Using correlation analyses, we determined the tightness and the changes in relationships between the BMs’ elements and CE strategies. We examined the dynamic changes in the structure of BMs and their elements occurring within the implementation of selected CE strategies. Our findings suggest that collaborative networks for CE support an adaptation of the industry’s BMs. The higher-level CE strategies impact the BM more than the lower-level ones. The contribution of our research is in the suggested method of quantification and concretization of an abstract concept of BMs’ elements and their interrelations. This enables an assessment and a direct comparison of BMs, as well as of implemented CE strategies across companies and across industries. Our results also shed more light on the way the companies and industries adapt their BMs towards reaching circularity, as well as on how collaborative networks support such a transition.

The article presents a new approach to the generation of business models based on value streams. The originality of the study lies in the assumption that in every business model the generator of added value is the value chain which, if original enough, will maximize potential while minimizing costs. This approach will provide the respective enterprise with a high level competitiveness in the long term. The tested group of enterprises consisted of 354 SMEs, one hundred eightyseven of which were from the manufacturing and industry sector, with 167 from the services sector. The novelty of this approach also consists of the integrated approach to the business environment in which the value streams were analyzed. The results suggest that the analysis of value streams is suitable for the projection of business models. In addition, the methods of dimensional reduction and logit regression have been identified as appropriate analytical tools, with representative results found valid and utilizable in business practice. The authors of the article are aware that this is only the first step in addressing this issue, one which will play a critical role in the gradual process of the upcoming digital transformation of all business models, not only those of SMEs in the Czech Republic.

Purpose: The paper aims to assess differences and similarities between e-commerce development in Czechia, Poland and Slovakia in the context of the EU’s Digital Single Market strategy. The theoretical framework of the paper is based on synthetic considerations related to the digital transformation and development of the EU digital economy. The DSM strategy identifies the barriers to e-commerce market development in the European space and sets directions for legal changes, creating favorable conditions for building a strong e-economy including e-commerce and a modern digital society in all EU member states. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical part of the paper presents differences in e-commerce development in three countries: Czechia, Poland and Slovakia. The research was based on the analysis of the literature and secondary sources. The former allowed for the identification of the consequences of the DSM strategy for the development of e-commerce in the EU member states, the latter allowed for a comparative assessment of e-commerce development in the three surveyed countries. The adopted research method allowed for the assessment of the size, structure and dynamics of the development of the e-commerce market in the three countries covered by the research. Findings: The presented analysis describes the status, conditions and development trends in e-commerce in Czechia, Poland and Slovakia. The three analyzed countries are – to a large degree – uniform in terms of cultural, historical and economic aspects. The development of e-commerce in these countries is similar, but it is also characterized by considerable differences. The similarities refer to the level of informatization, the socioeconomic characteristics of users and e-consumers, development projections until 2023, and the social acceptance of online shopping. Simultaneously, the analyzed countries have diversified industry structures of online markets, they differ in the values of ARPU indices and record considerably lower values of online shopping per capita as compared with average EU standards. Limitations in developing transborder trade are due to similar factors as in other EU member states. Research limitations/implications: The article, by its nature, has its limitations. They result from the concentration of considerations on the formal side of DSM – assessment of the DSM project architecture, its priorities and identification of opportunities and conditions of its implementation in each member country. The problem of diversifying e-commerce development in three countries is general and limited in the space of analysis. The limitations apply to the use of one research method, which is nonetheless important and adequate to the problem. When designing future research, we indicate the need to use methodological triangulation. An important and interesting direction of future research will be detailed studies of e-consumers, e-commerce strategies of enterprises and the extension of research to other countries, to the international environment. Originality/value: The presented comparative analysis is significant from the perspective of its cognitive value. It combines an approach of management sciences with the macro- and microeconomic perspective. The former represents a platform of corporate functioning and its development in the environment of networks, new business models and new consumer characteristics, behaviors and assessments of companies’ marketing offerings. The other perspective is expressed by a new macro- and microeconomic environment, the character of regulation, transborder online competitive mechanisms, continuous processes of digital transformation and e-economy development. The results of the research can lead to further research of corporate management and transborder strategies in the environment of the digital transformation and creation of the digital single market across Europe.