Research background: In this era of globalization, data growth in research and educational communities have shown an increase in analysis accuracy, benefits dropout detection, academic status prediction, and trend analysis. However, the analysis accuracy is low when the quality of educational data is incomplete. Moreover, the current approaches on dropout prediction cannot utilize available sources. Purpose of the article: This article aims to develop a prediction model for students’ dropout prediction using machine learning techniques. Methods: The study used machine learning methods to identify early dropouts of students during their study. The performance of different machine learning methods was evaluated using accuracy, precision, support, and f-score methods. The algorithm that best suits the datasets for these performance measurements was used to create the best prediction model. Findings & value added: This study contributes to tackling the current global challenges of student dropouts from their study. The developed prediction model allows higher education institutions to target students who are likely to dropout and intervene timely to improve retention rates and quality of education. It can also help the institutions to plan resources in advance for the coming academic semester and allocate it appropriately. Generally, the learning analytics prediction model would allow higher education institutions to target students who are likely to dropout and intervene timely to improve retention rates and quality of education.

Research background: Professional football is becoming more and more commercialized. The most recent attempt to establish a “Super League” failed, but the big football clubs are nevertheless trying to generate success in sports through increasingly high player transfers. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to empirically test the above statements and assumptions. On the one hand, the question arises whether the placement in a ranking table of a competition depends on the investment volume. At the same time, it is analyzed whether this relationship exhibits stability over time. Table placement was chosen because it has a direct influence on the distribution of funds in a competition. In addition, individual matches are analyzed to determine whether the investment volume has a statistically significant influence on winning a match. Methods: The years 2014 to 2020 of the competitions of one of the top five European leagues, the German Bundesliga, are prepared in a database. In addition to the player results and table positions, the market values of the players in the season are used. All data is taken from the website Transfermarkt.de. In the context of the table rankings, a regression analysis is performed to explain the place in the table by the market value of the team. When analyzing individual matches, the team value on the field in each case is determined and the differences between the values of the teams playing are established. These differences are explained as a dependent variable in a regression line with three dummy variables: won, lost, and draw. Findings & Value added: The results enable the management of football clubs to make an investment decision for a successful future. They show, on the one hand, whether the team value has an influence on the league position and, on the other hand, on the match result.

Research background: In terms of the development of information and communication technologies, smart mobile phones are booming. Consumers choose the most suitable smartphone concerning their needs and preferences. Consumers are not limited by the domestic supply but can choose from smartphones from all over the world. The article aims to provide effective multi-criteria decision-making to evaluate different mobile phones according to consumer preferences of global supply. Purpose of the article: The benefit of the article is the elimination of uncertainty in the choice of mobile phone and the expression of preferences of the consumer with decision-making powers. Methods: Multicriteria decision-making is based on the evaluation of the possibilities of mobile phones with regard to the preferences of users. Ordinalistic (Lexicographic method and ORESTE method) and Cardinalistic method (TOPSIS method and Weighted sum method) are used for this evaluation. Findings & Value added: Based on the methods used, the variants of smartphones were ranked from best to worst. The order differed significantly for the selected methods. The lexicographic method recommended buying the cheapest variant. The ORESTE method recommended buying one of the most expensive variants. Of the methods requiring cardinal information, the TOPSIS method in the model example recommended the purchase of the Realme 7i variant and the weighted sum method recommended the purchase of the Samsung Galaxy A52 variant despite its high price. All results are calculated using a decision support system. The application contains a DLL library that provides the decision-making process and the structure of the decision-making problem and the user environment.

Research background: Currently, it is constantly increasing emphasis on the satisfaction of employees in the company. One way to satisfy them through internal marketing communication. Set them training according to their needs and interests and allow them to grow their career growth. It is also the provision of information on time at the required range and especially to be up to date. As a result, employees can perform their work efficiently and work to achieve the required result that the enterprise expects. It is necessary for this internal communication in the company took place both directions for many companies. It follows that finance inserted into education of employees; it will return to a business in an even greater range. Purpose of the article: The aim of this research is to analyses the use of the tools of the communication mix in the field of internal marketing communication of the selected company. Methods: SWOT analysis, Deduction, Comparison. Findings & Value added: Internal marketing communication in chosen company is on high level, according to analyzing tools and results of SWOT analysis. Added value is finding a level of internal marketing communication for company and creating some points for continuing in building quality internal marketing communication.

Research background: Globally climate action is gaining momentum. Most significant players on global political arena including the US, the EU and China are actively engaging in addressing the problem of climate change. Sustainable development agenda implies the need to simultaneously reduce harmful impacts of anthropogenic activity on natural ecosystems, reduce poverty and combat global heating. However, when pursuing these three targets often complicated trade-offs emerge. These trade-offs are especially pronounced when competing land-uses are considered. Recent global assessments suggest that the world is failing to slow down biodiversity loss, poverty is going to soar in the nearest future, and global heating is likely to reach temperature limit. All these problems need to be addressed in nearest few decades. The task may seem overwhelming, especially without a clear roadmap. Purpose of the article: The aim of this study is to critically evaluate approaches to climate mitigation, detect trade-offs and synergies with biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation goals and find the optimal strategies capable to resolve all these problems together. Methods: Conceptual research approach - theory adaptation was used. Findings & Value added: Findings of present study suggest that in order to achieve sustainable development only climate actions that benefit biodiversity conservation should be implemented. In case biodiversity is supported by global initiatives it is likely that poverty will be reduced due to sustained provision of ecosystem services, underpinning human wellbeing. Policy recommendations are provided that could help tailoring climate actions to support biodiversity conservation and reduce poverty.

Research background: The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has affected to vary degrees the way of life of global society and the country’s economies. Subsequent social, economic, and political crises inevitably provoke part of the scientific community to focus their research interest, towards COVID-19 impact. The pandemic may have encouraged companies and policy makers to further revise the existing corporate social responsibility, apart from adjusting to the ongoing crisis and what is more to establish resilience for similar future shocks. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the current research is to perform bibliometric analyse on the scientific papers linking COVID-19 regarding the corporate social responsibility and to elaborate the basis for future research. The aim of the article was derived from the fact that so far there are limited if no research done on the topic. Methods: The main method applied in the current study is the bibliometric, which identified 186 relevant articles in the Web of Science and 172 in Scopus databases. The information resources of both databases were used in order to gain the databank required for the research by selecting the following keywords: “Social corporate responsibility” and “COVID-19”. The results have been visualised and analysed via VOSviewer. Findings & Value added: The findings include bibliometric analysis on the existing knowledge on corporate social responsibility during the COVID-19 crisis. The research can be used as a model for data analysis of similar type of research.

Research background: Predicting and assessing financial health should be one of the most important activities for each business especially in context of turbulent business environment and global economy. The financial sustainability of family businesses has a direct and significant influence on the development and growth of the economy because they still represent the backbone of the economy and play an important role in national economies worldwide accounting. Purpose of the article: We used in this article the financial distress and bankruptcy prediction models for assessing financial status of family businesses in agricultural sector. The aim of the paper is to compare models developed by using three different methods to identify a model with the highest predictive accuracy of financial distress and assess financial health. Methods: The data was obtained from Finstat database. For assessing the financial health of selected family businesses bankruptcy models were used: Chrastinova’s CH-Index, Gurcik’s G-Index (defined for Slovak agricultural enterprises) and Altman Z-score. Findings & Value added: This article summarizes existing models and compares results of assessing financial health of family businesses using three different models.

Research background: The issue of population aging, recently discussed across the entire society, has greatly affected all generations of the society. The aging is a long-term and natural process that governments should be ready to accommodate if they want to keep the demographic situation stable despite the increasing fertility and decreasing mortality of inhabitants. Purpose of the article: The resultant changes in population can be attributed primarily to better healthcare, to social and economic development and to new patterns of reproductive behavior. Developing countries have lately been experiencing a more rapid pace of population aging than the developed ones, where the process has had much longer history (United Nations, 2019). Methods: The paper aims to present newly found facts, to offer their wider context and, with the benefit of practical experience, to analyze, evaluate, argue and interpret the dynamics of population aging, while identifying its causes and effects. To accomplish the aim, the author has defined these milestones: searching and discussing relevant literature; characterizing major causes of population aging; defining indicators useful for measuring the process of aging; applying chosen demographic indicators to analyze trends in population aging; interpreting what can be considered “active” aging; and appraising the positive and negative aspects of population aging. Findings & Value added: The SWOT analysis, relying on information obtained from the current Internet and literary sources, has assessed the strengths and weaknesses of population aging together with the process´s opportunities and threats. The research method was chosen so that the found facts could be synthesized and abstracted. The text is based on statistical data and demographic prognoses of population aging, specifically on the World Population Prospect database administered by the United Nations.

Research background: Today information technologies occupy many spheres of human activity, including political government systems. The new digital reality requires a revision of the political and economic science methodology and a transition to a new paradigm that meets the challenges of information globalization. Purpose of the article: The article is devoted to the study of the European and Russian experience in teaching digital skills to citizens and civil servants. The need to improve existing digital competencies in the context of widespread digitalization is determined. Methods: The main research method is a comparative analysis of the European and Russian approaches to the digital competencies formation in the sphere of public administration and politics, emerging and transforming under the influence of widespread globalization and digitalization. Particular attention is paid to state strategies, programs and projects aimed at digital development and modernization of all areas of society. Findings & Value added: On the basis of the study, the authors formulated the European and Russian models of teaching digital competencies, focusing on the sphere of public administration and politics, highlighted the disadvantages of the Russian model and the advantages of the European approach, and also offered recommendations on the prospects for the spread of European practice in Russian conditions.

Research background: Globalization encourages increased involvement of retailers, and the market currently provides these entities with a new range of purchasing functions. The new economy is based primarily on information and knowledge, so the key to success is the ability to constantly improve and respond to changing market conditions and increasing customer requirements. The Internet thus becomes an integral part of our lives. It is a tool that makes our lives better. The expansion of the global information network Internet has created space for a new kind of business. It brings benefits to all e-commerce entities. For this reason, its popularity is growing exponentially. The negative experience caused by financial fraud, misuse of sensitive data, the unreliability of business partners, and the like is also growing. Purpose of the article: The basic purpose of the article is the fact that the development of e-commerce is one of the important conditions for maintaining and increasing the competitiveness of the Slovak economy and its ability to participate in the international division of labor with the economically developed countries. Methods: The basic pillar of the article was to analyze the current development of e-commerce in the Slovak Republic, which is affected by the pandemic situation caused by COVID-19, make a comparison with EU countries, and evaluate the perception of e-commerce by Slovak consumers based on a questionnaire survey.Findings & Value added: Finally, we interpret the answers of the respondents, which were obtained by the questionnaire method.