Influence and Intensity of Exogenous Factors on the Development and Stability of Rural Areas

Institute of Technology and Business, Department of Management, Okružní 517/10, 37001 České Budějovice, Czech Republic

^* Corresponding author: partlova@mail.vstecb.cz

Abstract

This contribution focuses on the issue of the influence and intensity of exogenous factors on the development and stability of rural areas. The results are presented at two levels. The first reflects the monitoring of the influence of external factors on the external environment of companies, i.e. those factors which they have limited possibilities to influence, and how to eliminate the potential negative impacts thereof. The second provides information on the results and evaluation of four basic parameters in the field of knowledge skills, namely contenders, competition, coordination and cooperation. The evaluation of the goals set are based on the results of a questionnaire survey, supplemented by controlled interviews with business managers and the managements of local action groups (LAGs) in the Region of South Bohemia. The created database is analysed using the method of content analysis and the simultaneous use of statistical methods. The main outputs of the solution determine the significance and strength of the external environment on companies, which is mostly influenced by competitors, suppliers, customers and business partners. In contrast, universities and research institutes do not have a significant impact on the business environment. Similar results apply to LAGs, where in most cases the LAGs cooperate with each other and are not considered competitors, thereby also reporting good cooperation with towns, micro-regions and the regional authorities of South Bohemia. In contrast, LAGs reported none or poor cooperation with the National Network of LAGs and ministries.