The scientific periodical journal (indexed on Web of Science) published by the Tomas Bata University in Zlin offers results of basic and applied economic research in the English language.

The sustainability of services in undertakings which operate in railway passenger transport is closely connected with efforts to provide high-quality and time-acceptable services to the customer, to achieve lean processes, to standardise work processes, to eliminate wastage and to avoid those activities which do not add any value. Considering its ecological nature and big volume of passenger transport, railway passenger transport represents an irreplaceable sustainable system for the future. These facts and the entry of new railway carriers into this system highlight the importance of managing risks in a progressive way. This article focuses on the options of risk management when versatile and flexible tools, such as Lean tools, are set correctly. The aim of this article is to introduce a proposal for the application and a specific application of Lean philosophy in risk management which impacts train delays in railway passenger transport. From the point of view of quantitative data analysis, multiple mathematical-statistical tests have been used to assess data (e.g., Anderson–Darling test, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Jarque–Bera test, two-tailed test, Grubbs’s test and Thompson Tau test). Also, descriptive statistics and ANOVA test (Analysis of Variance) have been applied in the process of evaluating the monitored attributes. In order to assess the data dependency, Chi-Square Test and a correlation analysis have been applied. The research outcomes focus on highlighting the need for a systematic approach for train delays and to avoid delays through risk management. The case study applies selected Lean methods to monitor train delays in selected stations within the main railway corridor of the Slovak Republic for the period from 2015 to 2018. In 2019, the results were processed and created a basis for proposing a unique software tool like an aid for risk management in the case of train delays using Lean philosophy. The flexible software includes the participation of employees, and at the same time, it respects the needs of customers. The research results provide grounds for further study of risks in a challenging environment of railway undertakings, with different types of trains, railway stations as well as entire railway networks. The processed results of the article represent valuable material for railway undertakings not only in Slovakia but also for railway organisations in V4 countries.

The Assessment of Key Business Risks for SMEs in Slovakia and Their Comparison with other EU Countries

Research background: The managers have a key position in process of management risk. The managers are able to implement the risk management process in the companies with an emphasis on preventing the company crises using the appropriate methods and tools for the early identification of the changes if the entrepreneurial environment develops negatively. Does a manager have enough knowledge and awareness about the potential risk sources in company? Purpose of the article: The essence of this article is to assess the sources of the market, economic, financial, operational, HR, security and legal risk depending on the rate of implementing the risk management process in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Methods: We realized the risk assessment process on the basis of evaluations by 487 man-agers who gave their opinions to selected risks and their sources in the SMEs in Slovakia. Subsequently, we utilized the methods and tools of the mathematical statistics (descriptive statistics, comparison, Z-score for 2 population proportions, Chi-squared test for 5 x 2 contingency table). Findings & Value added: The strongest dependence perceived by the SME-entrepreneurs lies between the development of the tax and insurance burdens as the source of the economic risk and the criterion of the ?level of the risk management in the company?. The overall results of the empirical research underline the significance and importance of dealing with the assessment of the key risks and their sources in the Slovak SMEs. The results having been processed are the basic material for the professional public and other organizations whose effort is to help the companies in an effective implementation of the risk management process in the Slovak enterprises.