Research background: The research examines the impact of emotional intelligence and ethics on knowledge sharing within organizations. It examines the impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) on the ethical behavior of the individual. The focus is on the individuals working in the SME sector. A questionnaire survey was considered the most appropriate technique to conduct the research. The study is based on 1162 responses, collected from three countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia). Purpose of the article: The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between knowledge sharing, ethics and emotional intelligence. Furthermore, nationality, gender, education, and the age of the respondents influencing EQ are also examined. The additional goal is to explore the factors that influence employee behavior. Methods: We identified four hypotheses. To test these hypotheses, we used variance analysis and logistic regression. The AES scale was chosen to assess EQ, which consisted of 33 items. The results obtained are compared with the opinion of SME owners resulting from structured interviews. Findings & value added: About 20% of enterprises are not using any motivation tool to initiate knowledge sharing of their employees. The most common (47.2%) reason for silencing knowledge ? the lack of appreciation ? did not appear among the answer of company owners. According to the employee perceptions, gender has impact on the level of emotional intelligence, while nationality, education and age group have no impact on the EQ. SME owners do not address much attention to gender. The occurrence of unethical behavior does not depend on the size of the enterprise. According to employee opinion, the EQ has positive impact on knowledge sharing, while it is not affected by ethics. The majority of owners also agreed with the positive impact of EQ. The attitude of employees and owners differ in different aspects. The results have shown that gender plays an influential role in EQ. The research of this complex problem laid down the empirical foundations for the V4 countries.

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Over the last decades, researchers have been increasingly studying the field of emotional intelligence and knowledge management. However, the interaction between these two important factors has not received sufficient attention thus far, therefore this paper aims to assess it. The goal of this article is to assess the impact of emotional intelligence on the willingness of knowledge transfer and examine additional factors (such as gender and generation group). The research sample (N=508) consisted of employees of Slovak SMEs. The study was conducted in June-August of 2022. A two-way variance analysis and a binomial logistic regression were applied. In the case of Hypotheses 1 and 2, Emotional Quotient (EQ) figured as an independent variable, while gender and generation group were independent categorical variables. In the case of Hypotheses 3, 4 and 5, a model was set up using logistic regression, where the EQ, gender and generation group were all independent variables. The results show that gender has a real impact on the level of EQ. The willingness of knowledge transfer is influenced by both the level of EQ and gender. The importance of emotional intelligence in connection to knowledge transfer was examined during the crisis caused by COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, thus expanding the knowledge related to human resources. Previous research on the topic is quite limited and the present study is unique in considering the issue in the context of SMEs and the CEE countries.

During pandemic and economic crises, business units are under constant pressure and face many challenges to find solutions for. Family businesses form a significant segment of the business sector. Competition and the current crisis force businesses to find solutions for sustainable entrepreneurship. Family businesses are gradually consolidating their position in the business environment, especially by introducing a personal approach to the customer (pro-customer orientation) and innovative activities. The concept of innovative marketing (INMARK) represents businesses' opportunity to establish themselves on the market more successfully than their competitors. This work aimed to verify the possibility of applying the concept of INMARK in the segment of small and medium-sized enterprises of family type as an innovative form of marketing management during the crisis. In addition to theoretical approaches, we rely on empirical data obtained by quantitative research in the business environment. In methodological terms, we applied hypothesis testing. As a part of the applied methodology, we verified the applicability of the INMARK concept in the real business environment. Based on the research results obtained, we can conclude that the pillars of the INMARK concept (product innovation, active application of marketing activities) have a positive response among the representatives of the younger generation of family business management, which can contribute to the successful management of these specific business units.