Journal of Economics - Obsahy ročníkov

This paper provides an analysis of economics of luxury, more specifically of consumption behavior focusing on buying luxury goods and their counterfeits. We employ data from own omnibus research in the Czech Republic in a discrete choice model with binary dependent variables and so determine a probability of certain action. Our results imply that people who buy luxury goods could be taken (and are taken) as role models for both supply and demand sides on the market with counterfeits. The data also implies that consumers, who buy luxury goods, buy fake goods as well. Keywords: economics of luxury, consumption, conspicuous consumption, luxury goods, Veblen, counterfeit goods JEL Classification: A13, D01, D12

Among the most significant changes in the nature of labour is an increasing rate of time and space flexibility and spatial unanchoredness (delocalization) of work. These changes give rise to the need to review the current theoretical and methodological insights into the relationships between home and work, which largely determine the delimitation of metropolitan regions. The article offers a discussion of conceptual approaches to the issue of flexibility and localisation of labour and critical reflection on these concepts, especially from the perspective of social and economic geography. The aim is to discuss the usability of theoretical concepts to current research of metropolitan areas in Czechia. In the final part of the text we discuss the possibility of measurement of work localisa-tion using traditional approaches based on data on commuting with triangulation of data using alternative sources. Keywords: labour flexibility, localisation of labour; commercial suburbanisation; globalisation; labour geography JEL Classification: J61, J11, R11

According to the Czech National Bank, the average capital adequacy of Czech banks increased from 14.1% in 2009 to 17.1% in 2013. For the sample of 17 Czech banks we aim to identify the strategies that Czech banks adopted in order to increase their capital ratios. Our analysis shows that as with the large multi-national banks from advanced economies, retained earnings have played a major role in increasing the average capital ratio of Czech banks. In addition, the Czech banks have decreased their risk to strengthen the overall ratio. The results of our analysis are useful mainly from a regulatory point of view as currently the countercyclical buffer is set to its minimum of 0% of risk-weighted assets and the Czech National Bank may increase the buffer up to 2.5% in the medium or long-term. Keywords: Basel III, capital adequacy, bank capital JEL Classification: G21, G28

This paper deals with area of business performance measurement and management. Based on primary data obtained by questionnaire survey current state of performance measurement in Slovakian industrial companies was analyzed and then cause and effects relationships between factors influencing performance ware assessed by PLS method. Results were compared with the results of other authors. We found out that strategic orientation, performance monitoring and reward system have positive impact on business performance. Keywords: performance, performance management, financial indicators, monitoring JEL Classification: G23, M21, M41

Systems of taxation of passenger motor vehicles in the EU countries should be based on the principle of general environmental tax. We have established that this is feasible through introduction of CO2 emission values in grams per kilometre driven into the annual tax base of each operated car. Theoretical values of emissions in old vehicles may be calculated through the identification of dependence of emission levels on the engine capacity and year of the first registration of newer cars. We also determine calculation formulas of the environmental road tax rate in monetary units per emission unit. The tax liability for each passenger vehicle and revenue from environmental road tax may then be identified and compared with the quantified level of externalities caused by emissions generated by car traffic. Keywords: road tax, emissions, Carbone dioxide, passenger vehicle, European Union JEL Classification: H21, H23