Peter Karácsony

The COVID-19 pandemic, which became a global crisis in 2020, has radically transformed people’s normal lives in a matter of weeks. In addition to the health consequences, the virus has had a significant impact on the society and the economy, including the labor market. The present study aims to assess how traditional working has been transformed into teleworking in Slovakia. The study examines whether Slovakian workers are satisfied with teleworking. The questionnaire survey was conducted in December 2020 during the second wave of the coronavirus in Slovakia. Based on the obtained results, a significant relationship between teleworking satisfaction and salary satisfaction, supervisory support, and job autonomy was found. Based on the obtained results, teleworking introduced due to the coronavirus had a clear positive effect on job satisfaction of the examined Slovakian employees. As a result of teleworking, the relationship between manager and subordinate has improved, and work-life balance has also developed favorably.

Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Pallas Athéné Foundations.

Innovation is vital in the modern economic environment, as it aims to improve the operational efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of enterprises. The study aimed to examine the innovation activity of Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises and the most important factors influencing their innovation. The paper employed a questionnaire survey in the spring of 2024. During the survey, a total of 253 companies were interviewed about their innovation factors. Based on the results, the innovation activity of the Hungarian SME sector shows a developing tendency. A positive attitude toward innovation is increasingly present among SMEs. More than half of the respondents (53%) believe that innovation plays a key role in maintaining competitiveness. However, in practice, almost two-thirds (58%) of managers do not involve their employees in innovation processes, or only partially, suggesting that companies’ decision-making processes remain centralized. Statistical analyses showed that neither the companies’ size nor age showed a significant correlation with innovation. However, the research results showed a close relationship between innovation and the use of knowledge transfer. This result shows that knowledge management plays a decisive role in the innovation processes of Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises.

Acknowledgments
This study is funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant “Strategy of structural and technological modernization of the basic sectors of the economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan based on ESG: criteria, mechanisms and forecast scenario” No. BR24993089).

Type of the article: Research article

Abstract
In today’s dynamic labor market, employee engagement has emerged as a critical organizational priority. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of stress factors on employee commitment and to identify differences in stress perception between mental and manual workers in the Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprise sector. The survey was conducted among 223 employees of the SME sector in Hungary in 2025. Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and confidential in accordance with GDPR requirements. A heterogeneous snowball sampling method was applied. The sample was nearly evenly split between white-collar (50.7%) and blue-collar workers (49.3%). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23, and nonparametric methods such as the Jonckheere–Terpstra and Mann–Whitney U tests were applied. Descriptive statistics showed medium average levels for stress (Mean number = 3.07) and commitment (Mean number = 3.60). A significant negative trend between perceived stress and organizational commitment was confirmed (z = –3.230; p = 0.001), with higher stress levels. Pairwise comparisons showed that employees experiencing extreme or high stress reported moderate or low levels of commitment (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002). A significant difference in stress perception was found between occupational categories (U = 5129.000; p = 0.018), with higher levels among white-collar employees. Among knowledge workers, the most influential stressors included complex tasks (44.4%), tight deadlines (39.0%), lack of support (35.9%), insufficient information (34.1%), and unclear expectations (30.9%). Thus, workplace stress significantly reduces organizational engagement and highlights the importance of targeted stress management strategies in SMEs.

Acknowledgments
This research has been funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant IRN AP23489234 “Research of new tools for the development of agro-technological hubs in the regions of Kazakhstan to increase the country’s competitiveness in the Eurasian region”).