| Abstract [eng] |
The Master's thesis analyses the involvement of SMEs in community activities as a means of strengthening reputation. The aim of the MSc thesis is to analyse the involvement of businesses in community activities and to identify how this involvement contributes to strengthening the reputation of SMEs. To achieve this, the objectives were: to analyse the concept of engagement, the forms of engagement and the operating model, and to examine the benefits and barriers to SMEs engaging in community activities. The aim of the study was to explore the role of reputation in the development of SMEs, and to identify measures that will help businesses to become more involved in community activities, which will enhance their reputation. The final master’s thesis consists of an introduction, theoretical, methodological, empirical, conclusions, recommendations, a list of references and annexes. The master's thesis uses 86 sources, 76 of which are works by foreign researchers. The theoretical part of the thesis is based on an analysis of the scientific literature, which reveals the theoretical basis of community involvement. It analyses the benefits and barriers to community engagement. The concept of reputation and reputation management in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises is examined. A theoretical framework is provided to assess how community involvement contributes to reputation building. The theoretical framework informed the design of the empirical study and the formulation of the research questions. The empirical part of the study was a qualitative study using a semi-structured interview method. The sample consisted of 5 managers of small and medium-sized enterprises who are actively involved in community activities and 3 managers of enterprises who are not involved in community activities. The interviews sought to find out their attitudes towards the forms of involvement, the benefits and barriers they experience, as well as their perceptions of the impact of these activities on the company's reputation. The data collected was analyzed using qualitative content analysis: identifying the main themes, categories and sub-categories, and relating the results to the principles identified in the theoretical section. The study revealed the main motivations for engaging in community activities and the main factors that hinder businesses from actively participating. It also looked at the reputational impact of community involvement. In the conclusion section, research has shown that SME involvement in community activities is an effective tool for reputation building. Barriers appeared to limit or prevent involvement in community activities. Discrepancies were observed between the academic literature and the data obtained from the analysis of the study. The recommendations provide practical insights on how SMEs can become more involved in the community. It also highlights that engagement should be seen as a reputational tool that can be an important strategic step for business development. The recommendations are based on the results and analyses presented in the theoretical and empirical sections to ensure their practical applicability. |
