Corporate social responsibility (hereinafter – CSR) is becoming an essential tool for sustainable development and increasing business competitiveness in Central European countries. The purpose of the study is to identify the most common socially responsible practices among companies in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, and to examine differences in their involvement by industry, size and territorial coverage. The methodological basis of the study includes a questionnaire survey of 300 companies (100 from each country), conducted in 2023 as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility in Business Practice of the Visegrad Region project. For statistical processing, correlation analysis methods (Pearson coefficients, t-tests) and comparative analysis based on four criteria: country, industry, enterprise size, and regional coverage. The results showed that 27% of Czech, 34% of Polish and 43% of Slovak companies strategically plan CSR activities. The most common forms of social responsibility include applying business ethics (43%), caring for employees beyond legal requirements (41%), staff training (36%), equal opportunities (36%), and cooperation with local communities (34%). At the same time, the differences across countries, industries, and sizes were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The analysis uncovered negligible differences in the engagement of surveyed businesses in socially responsible activities across industries, sizes, and regions. The suggestions for businesses emphasise a more strategic approach to socially responsible activities, with a focus on delivering the greatest value to the greatest number of people.Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Pillar, Business Companies, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia

This research paper examines the potential impact of Brexit on Slovak workers' motivation to pursue employment opportunities in the UK. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of Brexit on labor migration from Slovakia to the UK and to analyze the migration intentions and institutional perceptions of Slovak workers in the context of the 2030 Agenda. The research methodological framework is based on quantitative methods, including questionnaire surveys, descriptive statistics, and chi-square hypothesis testing, supported by graphical analyses. The empirical base comprises results from a survey of Slovak workers with work experience in the UK, selected from a sample of 867 valid questionnaires collected in 2022 as part of an international research project. The results have indicated that, to some extent, Brexit will also affect the labor market in Slovakia, as some Slovaks working in the UK intend to return to Slovakia after Brexit comes into force, up to 21% of respondents have no intention of returning to the UK for work. However, a larger share of Slovak workers currently working in the UK will not feel affected by Brexit, facing increased bureaucracy or differential treatment, as 72% of the 158 respondents with UK work experience plan to return to the UK for work. The prospects for further research include conducting a cross-country comparative analysis of labor migration, an in-depth study of the sectoral structure of migration flows, and an assessment of the long-term consequences of Brexit for the sustainability of labor markets.

Environmental policy research plays a crucial role in solving environmental problems. In Kazakhstan, the study of environmental policy covers a wide range of topics, from air pollution to environmental education. The purpose of this work is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on environmental policy in Kazakhstan based on two sets of data from Google Scholar and OpenAlex bibliographic catalogs. The analysis was performed using VOSviewer software, systematizing publications by language, subject matter, type of source, and institutional affiliation of authors. The results show a steady increase in scientific interest in Kazakhstan's environmental policy since 2010, with peak publication activity in 2022–2024 (62, 70 and 82 publications respectively). Among the publicati ons selected in Google Scholar, four key themati c groups stand out: research on the green economy, environmental safety and environmental protecti on, environmental legislati on and regulatory reforms, as well as environmental educati on. The analysis of the OpenAlex dataset shows a similar structure of scienti fi c interests, but with diff erent substanti ve emphases: works on energy security, climate policy, post-Soviet politi cal economy, and sustainable development predominate. Scienti fi c arti cles comprise the bulk of both datasets, refl ecti ng a sustained academic focus on research. For future research, it is recommended to conduct a deeper study on specifi c aspects of policy change, especially in the fi elds of environmental educati on and defi ning “policy change” within the context of Kazakhstan in order to better understand its implicati ons

Public procurement is an important tool for providing public services and regional development, but its effectiveness varies significantly between regions, especially in Kazakhstan. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of fiscal dependence and socio-economic conditions on the level of disruption of public procurement and intensity of procurement activities in Kazakhstan using a panel econometric approach with two-way fixed effects models, which allows taking into account unchangeable regional characteristics and general economic shocks. The empirical base of the study consists of a unique panel dataset on 458 districts and 17 cities of Kazakhstan covering 2016-2024 and includes 432,438 contracts worth 2.65 trillion tenge in total. The results show that, on average, 3.14% of contracts are declared invalid, corresponding to 0.87% of total purchase price.. The most stable factor disrupting purchases is inflation. An increase in the CPI by 1 point leads to an increase in failed contracts by 0.3-0.4 percentage points (p<0.01). Dependence on inter-budget transfers has a weak and unstable impact. Purchasing activity is significantly related to the labour market situation. Rising unemployment reduces both the number and value of contracts. Higher wages contribute to increasing their number. Inflation is a key constraint on public procurement effectiveness. In the future, research can be expanded by using more detailed regional socio-economic data and by disaggregating procurement by type of procedure and sector.

Family businesses (hereinafter – FBs) occupy an important positi on in the Czech economy and play a key role in ensuring regional development sustainability. The aim of this study is to analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportuniti es and threats (SWOT) of Czech family fi rms and to identi fy ambivalent factors that can simultaneously enhance business resilience while creati ng potenti al vulnerabiliti es. The empirical basis relies on data from the Resilient Family Business surveys conducted among owners and successors of family enterprises in 2022 and 2024, comprising more than 3,700 open-ended responses. The methodological approach combines quanti tati ve content analysis, comparati ve SWOT analysis, and correlati on and regression techniques to assess the dynamics of the identi fi ed factors and their interrelati onships. The fi ndings indicate a structural shi􀅌 from traditi onal value-based advantages (SEW, trust, cohesion) toward stronger market and technological orientati on. Specifi cally, the results show that key strengths of family fi rms have intensifi ed: SEW-related factors increased from 67 to 427 menti ons, quality from 57 to 135, and innovati on and digitalisati on from 29 to 95. At the same ti me, weaknesses have also become more pronounced, parti cularly the shortage of qualifi ed labour (rising from 52 to 160 menti ons), managerial limitati ons and low digital maturity. Correlati on analysis confi rms strong associati ons between innovati on and quality, between low digitalisati on and weak marketi ng, and between economic uncertainty and regulatory burdens. Overall, the study provides empirical insights into the evolving percepti ons of SWOT factors in Czech FBs and off ers broader conclusions on how strategic engagement with ambivalence can strengthen entrepreneurial fl exibility and resilience.

In the context of accelerated digitalization and increasing complexity of project activities, research in the field of Data-Driven Project Management (hereinafter – DDPM) remains fragmented, which limits a holistic understanding of its intellectual structure and development dynamics, despite the active introduction of digital technologies. The purpose of this study is to identify the intellectual structure, development dynamics, and dominant research trajectories of DDPM based on a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publications. The methodological basis of the study was the bibliometric analysis of scientific publications using the tools Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny. The empirical database includes 1,149 articles and reviews indexed in the Scopus database for the period 2000-2025. The results of the study showed that with an average annual growth rate of 18.83%, articles account for 1,012 documents (88.1%), reviews – 137 (11.9%). The average number of citati ons per publicati on was 25.13, and the analysis of co-citati ons and keywords revealed the dominance of clusters related to machine learning, predicti ve analyti cs, and risk management. The results confi rm that DDPM is fundamentally changing project management by improving decision support and maximizing resource effi ciency, which directly reduces fi nancial risks and uncertainty. The prospects for further research are related to the use of the results obtained by researchers when planning future scienti fi c work, as well as practi ti oners and decision makers, for the strategic implementati on of data analysis tools aimed at creati ng more sustainable, cost-eff ecti ve and high-performance projects.

In the context of accelerated digitalization of the economy, the growth of e-commerce and increasing requirements for sustainable development, courier logistics is becoming one of the key elements of the modernization of urban transport and logistics systems. The purpose of this article is to study the drivers and barriers of the digital transformation of courier logistics in Kazakhstan, as well as to develop conceptual directions for its sustainable development in the context of a smart city. The research methodology consists of an analysis of strategic and regulatory documents, a review of international scientific publications, and correlation and factor analyses. The empirical basis of the study is official statistical data from the Bureau of National Statistics and the World Bank, as well as primary sociological and expert materials. The results of the study showed that in 2023-2024, the volume of e-commerce in Kazakhstan increased from 1.60 to 2.44 trillion tenge, and the share of online marketplaces was about 85%. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between the development of courier services and GDP per capita (r = 0.946; p < 0.01), as well as with foreign trade turnover (r = 0.897; p < 0.01). Based on the results, a matrix for digital transformation of courier logistics in Kazakhstan is proposed, and a set of strategic recommendations to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the last mile of delivery is formulated. The findings can be used to develop government policy, smart city urban programs, and digital development strategies for logistics companies.