The paper is focused on the issue of consumption of milk and dairy products as an important part of the rational nutrition of the population of the Slovak Republic. The aim of the paper is to highlight the development of consumption of drinking milk and selected dairy products, including cheese and acid-based products, in the last 20 years in the conditions of the Slovak Republic. Furthermore, the paper focuses on comparing current consumption of milk and dairy products with recommended intakes resulting from the rationalization of diet. Based on the results, it can be stated that the consumption of milk and dairy products is insufficient at the level of 70% of the recommended consumption intakes of the selected food group. In connection with this, it is important to note that the consumption of drinking milk is low. The results obtained by processing the secondary data were supplemented with the primary data obtained from the questionnaire survey. Based on the results, we have conclude that most consumers are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and rational diet, which is just the consumption of milk and dairy products. Consumers especially prefer drinking milk, cheese and yoghurt, whose consumption is still low, which the respondents attribute to the high prices of the monitored products as compared to their income. On the other hand, the results showed the main factors determining the consumption of milk and dairy products, among which we can include quality, composition, price, durability and nutrition data. Based on the results obtained by processing secondary data and primary research, we suggest informing and educating consumers about the positive health effects and highlighting the recommended benefits to a greater extent.

This paper highlights the activity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its impact on brand value in food enterprises with and without foreign participation in Slovakia. Attention has been paid to all three pillars—People, Planet, Profit—and their communication in relation to customers, business partners, employees, local communities, environmental protection, and company values. The paper evaluates the impact of these activities on brand value in food enterprises in Slovakia. One hundred and twenty-five food enterprises were included in the research. The paper offers eight statistically tested hypotheses, of which three have been fully confirmed. Almost 86% of food companies with foreign participation apply CSR activities, while companies without foreign participation comprise only 40% of the total share. The biggest differences in the perception of the importance of CSR activities are noticeable in foundations and charitable activities, and in sponsorship and donations, but are less noticeable in terms of ecology, corporate transparency, and cooperation with non-profit organizations. In the field of environmental protection, CSR activities are communicated and used in order to build brand value, mostly in food enterprises with foreign participation. Almost 96% of food enterprises with foreign participation that apply and communicate CSR activities see an increase in their brand value.

Although the issue of corporate culture has been taken over and addressed in the literature from various perspectives, there are very few researchers about the role of leadership and motivation in it, respectively very few researchers have addressed them as important components of the international company’s corporate culture. The present paper aims to point out that leadership and motivation can be perceived as important aspects of the international company’s corporate culture. The object of the investigation was an international company (situated in Italy) and its five subsidiaries (situated in Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, and Turkey). As the main research method, there was chosen the method of the questionnaire survey, which was attempted by all the company’s employees (totally 270 respondents). The questionnaire was divided into three separate, but logically related parts—leadership, motivation, and corporate culture, and submitted to two groups of respondents—the company’s management and its employees. In total 11 hypotheses were formulated and further evaluated by the methods of Pearson Chi-square Test, Fisher’s Exact Test, Cramer’s V coefficient, Kendall rank correlation coefficient, Eta coefficient, Spearman coefficient, Mann–Whitney U test and Wilcoxon W statistics, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Friedman’s test. The results of the research have proven that leadership and motivation are important parts of the corporate culture.

The paper aims at the question of using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities as a marketing tool from the customers’ perspective in the Slovak food market. Five research questions and hypotheses were set to reach the given aim. The research was based on a questionnaire survey with 1254 respondents. The frequency and contingency tables were used to evaluate the obtained data, one sample proportion Z test, Pearson Chi-square test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Based on the results, although the customers are familiar with CSR, many respondents need to learn more about these activities. CSR activities must be more actively applied and communicated by the food companies. In most cases, Slovak customers perceive the sustainability of food companies and their CSR activities as a marketing communication tool that can build a positive image of the company. At the threshold of the 3rd millennium, CSR is also connected with rationality and irrationality in creating preferences in consumer shopping behavior. While the way that food is produced can be changed through regulation, the communication of CSR and sustainability activities are major drivers for the development of food companies. Trustworthiness is one of the key factors, and customers play a key role in this direction. The solved issue has a huge impact on the success of the food companies in the market, and, therefore, it would be suitable to pay attention to this issue and conduct similar research in other E.U. countries and on their food companies.

Nowadays, meat and meat products are considered as a part of the daily diet of most people. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with meat and meat products and their consumption according to individual types of meat. Based on the above, the paper is focused on the issue of consumption of individual types of meat in the Slovak Republic and the identification of key factors affecting the consumption of meat and meat products from Slovak consumers' point of view. Secondary and primary data is used to fulfil the aim of the paper. Secondary data is obtained from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, on the basis of which the development of consumption of individual types of meat is predicted by 2020. It can be stated that poultry and pork meat and meat products consumption is constantly increasing and there is a slight change in beef and fish meat and meat products consumption, which is currently at a very low level. In the context of the above, a questionnaire survey is realised and based on its results it could be concluded that the price is a main reason for the inadequate consumption of different types of meat. However, consumers consume meat and meat products mainly because of taste, which can be considered as an aspect of irrationality in the diet of Slovak consumers. Furthermore, a number of factors affecting the purchase and consumption of meat and meat products have been identified. The results show rational and irrational aspects in the decision making of Slovak consumers. The most important factor is the quality of meat and meat products, which consumers perceive differently, mainly on the basis of their own personality and other aspects of meat quality (price, origin, freshness, and sensory characteristics of meat). Other important factors are the perception of composition, freshness, price and country of origin.