Purpose: The aim of the article is to study the differences between efficiency of their research and innovation systems, innovation performance and efficiency of the Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) as well as their regions. Methodology/Approach: Visegrad countries are to be compared according to national innovative capacity framework based on the composite index methodology The regional innovation efficiency is examined by considering R&D expenditures as inputs and patents as outputs. The efficiency of the regional research and innovation systems is based on the concept of knowledge production function (Cobb - Douglas type). Findings: Visegrad countries do not belong among the best performers in innovation and competitiveness in the European Union. The findings show a substantial difference if replacing commonly evaluated innovation performance by the efficiency. Except the capital regions, there are several Polish and Czech regions which belong to the most efficient in innovation in the Visegrad regional comparison: Lodzkie, Lesser Poland, Central Moravia and South-East Moravia. Research Limitation/implication: The research shows the limitation of the innovation performance as published by the European Commission in a form of Regional Innovation Monitor. Originality/Value of paper: The approach of relative efficiency evaluation shows a rather different picture in comparison to previous static models and comparisons.

The European Capital of Culture (ECoC) initiative, which is aimed at highlighting the diversity of European urban cultures, has brought positive effects in many of the supported cities over the past 30 years. These include the dissemination of positive features from other ECoC models, such as city regeneration, an improved urban image, a boost to tourism and an increase in the influence of the creative sector in the city economy and culture. There are several areas of consideration (which we call “dilemmas”) within the ECoC programme, which can be summarised under the headings of cultural, economic and spatial dilemmas. Through an analysis of the Košice 2013 ECoC in this way, we identify a shift to the concept of culture-led regeneration, which is stimulated by the young organisers and entrepreneurs, who are bringing in knowledge from other European cultural centres.

This paper aims to present the results of comparative research on the culture of quality in the largest foreign and domestic organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia. The empirical research examines quality strategy, quality vision, leadership, quality values, and customer involvement practices. The comparative research is based on in-depth personal interviews with professionals responsible for quality and innovation management in the organisations. The empirical research is combined with secondary resources (e.g. annual reports). The culture in Slovakia as described according to the Hofstede model has a ‘high power distance’ and is strongly ‘masculine’. Empirical research on the large foreign organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia recognises that the culture of quality varies significantly according to the country of origin. Inherent differences exist within French, German, Korean, Mexican, Norwegian, and US companies. Proximity in culture can be found between France and the United States as well as Mexico and Germany. The main differences in the culture of quality are primarily in practices and less in vision, values and leadership approaches. Despite the variability within the group of foreign companies, as a group, the set shows a common culture that is fundamentally different from the culture of the sample of Slovak companies. The research focused only on the group of the largest organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia, both foreign and domestic. The paper provides original findings on the culture of quality in foreign organisations operating in Slovakia. Previous studies have not examined what culture of quality arises when a foreign-owned company is faced with the culture of Slovak employees.

In the paper, a new algorithm for finding the absolute center of the graph is proposed. Later on problem of the absolute balance point of the graph is investigated the objective function of which is defined as the difference in the distance from the located facility to the farthest and the nearest demand point. An algorithm for finding it is presented By following the balance criterion it may happen, that the balance point is located too far from the demand points. Conversely, if we are interested not only in the distance to the farthest demand point, but (what is more realistic) also in the structure of the distances, a criterion of balance is appropriate. Consequently, we investigate the center balance constrained model that simultaneously used center and balance criteria. By considering the center and the balance objective in a multiobjective framework, efficient solutions are generated by minimizing former objective such that latter satisfies an upperbound