The research focuses on the perception and implications of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic. The aim of the paper is to prove the validity of an existing theoretical model (presented in Romanian research before COVID-19) for the Czech situation during COVID-19 and draw managerial conclusions. Quantitative primary data were collected via questionnaires and analysed using structural equation modelling, evaluating cause-effect relationships between latent variables in two steps: a structural model (showing latent constructs and paths between them) and an outer model (displaying relationships between each latent construct and the indicators defining it). Ten latent variables were defined, and relationships among them were identified. Thirteen hypotheses were tested, of which seven were accepted. Concerning similarities with the previous study, the present study accepted two hypotheses identically to the previous one, while one hypothesis was accepted only in the Romanian research. Model relevancy was proved. The research contributed to extending current literature findings. Implications for Central European audience: Based on the hypotheses tested, autonomy and homonomy in telework should not be understood as contrary but complementary phenomena; managers should support both. Positive emotions about telework should be cultivated because they contribute to work-life balance and positively affect the intention to work from home. Work-life balance is positively related to the positive perception of the social implications of telework.

Purpose: The study aims to explore the dynamics shaping online education processes in the Visegrad countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary) during the transition to remote learning. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study was conducted among 40 university students and 40 academic teachers from the four countries. The data analysis focused on identifying recurring patterns and challenges in online teaching and learning experiences. Findings: The research revealed two negative cycles influencing online education. The first, called the cycle of declining engagement, shows how decreasing student engagement led to lower lecturer involvement, which in turn further reduced students’ motivation. The second, the hide-and-seek cycle, indicates that the more control tools were implemented to monitor students, the more strategies emerged to bypass the rules. The main challenges identified by participants included monotony, lack of social interaction, and lecturers’ psychological exhaustion caused by the absence of live contact with students. Research limitations/implications: The study was based on a relatively small qualitative sample, which limits the generalizability of results. However, it provides valuable insights into mechanisms that may be present in broader contexts of remote education. Originality/value: This research contributes to understanding the relational and motivational dynamics of online education by identifying feedback loops that undermine engagement and trust between students and lecturers.

Purpose of the article The purpose of the article is to monitor the needs of employees and leading staff within a challenging, new and/or unknown working environment, point out the challenges of the digital working environment and formulate key suggestions for Leaders and Human Resource Managers. Methodology/methods Literature Review was executed and Primary Qualitative Research based on semi-structured interviews with university students and staff was proceeded. Data was analyzed with the help of the content analysis principles. Scientific aim The aim of the primary research was to find out the long term consequences of the pandemic on superiors and subordinates based on the sample of university employees and students. Namely the needs of students and university staff managed and working remotely were aimed to be identified in order to draw attention to the challenges of the digital work environment and to formulate key recommendations for leaders, managers and employees of the human resources department. Findings Key factors influencing the mental health and well-being within the academic working and study environment were identified and based on that recommendations on possible future superiors ́ actions were drawn. Conclusions (limits, implications etc.) Emotions varied on a fairly varied scale including both extremes negative as well as positive. The usual experience of stress (due to unexpected changes in life) was multiplied especially by individual developmental crises and not satisfying) family backgrounds. Among the crucial implications the need of coping strategies to be applied by leading employees was revealed. The research findings are limited by the narrow focus of the environment of investigation - academia.

Hybrid education has become a lasting feature of higher education following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in business programs that combine theoretical instruction with practical and collaborative learning. This study examines how business students experience hybrid education in the post-pandemic context, focusing on perceived benefits, challenges, and conditions supporting effective engagement. The analysis is based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with undergraduate business students conducted at leading universities in the Visegrad countries. Adopting a student-centred perspective, the study explores recurring patterns in students’ accounts of learning flexibility, autonomy, interaction, and instructional design. The findings indicate that students generally prefer hybrid arrangements that combine online lectures with in-person practical classes, valuing flexibility, improved time management, and access to digital materials. At the same time, challenges related to concentration, limited social interaction, and insufficient adaptation of teaching and assessment practices were identified. The study concludes that the effectiveness of hybrid education depends on intentional pedagogical design, institutional context, and alignment between structural flexibility, student control, and engagement.