J61 - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant WorkersReturn

The aim of this study is to present the contemporary research of the Schengen area and to prove theoretically as well as empirically that the notion of Fortress Europe is only a misleading conception that the media may find attractive, but which does not depict the reality fully. The reason is, that he concept of a fortress evokes a contrast between the inside and the outside. Nevertheless, the empirical data show that the binary oppositions like 'inside - outside', 'security - free movement' or 'EU citizens - third country citizens' are simplified. Firstly, the paper focuses on the Schengen area itself. Secondly, the contemporary research in the field of the Schengen co-operation is presented. Thirdly, the study aims at the analysis of the current situation and links it to the context of the contemporary research. It presents quantitative as well as qualitative data. This is the main contribution of the paper since the current development is not very well explored.

Of all the post-Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic is probably the only one that is marked by significant inflows of labour force. The largest group of migrants in the Czech Republic comprises the Ukrainians. In 2009, they made up 21% of all the foreigners legally residing in the country and in the previous years their share was even larger. In 2006 alone, 30 thousand Ukrainians migrated to the Czech Republic and the total share of Ukrainians constituted 46% of all the migrants. According to some members of the general public and politicians, migrants represent a burden to the Czech economy. The most notorious arguments against migration are that immigrants take up the jobs of local workers and that the money made in the Czech Republic ends up elsewhere. This analysis shows that labour migration, in our case Ukrainian labour migration to the Czech Republic, might mean a welfare gain for the Czech economy.

This paper is a survey of selected theoretical approaches to migration. It focuses on their practical application when creating new or adjusting existing migration policy concepts. The aim is to seek the possible leverages offering the possibility to influence migration flows not only by the receiving countries, but also by the sending countries. Secondary attention is paid to the interconnection of labour and capital, seeking the answer to the question whether FDI and migration flows are indeed supplementary processes. The paper examines a whole range of theoretical approaches, starting from the simpler ones (gravitational models), and continuing with the more elaborate approaches (neoclassical, behavioural), including the latest approaches in migration theory.

The paper deals with one of the biggest problems currently faced by the Czech labour market: namely, a shortage of labour with regard to specialists who have completed tertiary education. The introduction stresses the importance of knowledge capital both in contemporary society and in a knowledge-based economy. The need for university-educated labour on the Czech labour market was ascertained from the results of a Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs grant project entitled "Risk of a Brain Drain in the Czech Republic". The monitoring took place from the 2nd quarter of 2004 to the 2nd quarter of 2008. The results are based on an analysis of quantitative data (classified advertisements for job vacancies on web portals and in the media and statistics on vacancies provided by labour offices) and repeated qualitative surveys (standardised interviews with recruitment agency personnel). Based on these sources, a shortage of specialists with tertiary education in the Czech Republic was identified in terms of sectoral and professional structure and specialisation. The paper goes on to present university-educated workers as subjects of international competition and the reader is briefly introduced to the approaches of different countries to attracting specialists from abroad.

In recent years, interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has risen considerably due to stakeholder expectations: "conscientious consumers", institutional investors' interest in Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), the increasing demand for highly qualified employees, the political community's interest in sustainability culminating in various initiatives, discussion among the general public about corporate responsibility. CSR can contribute to the success of a company in many ways; e.g., improve its risk management techniques; reduce the reputation-damage risk; attract and retain qualified employees; generate a beneficial business environment. CSR could be a source of competitive advantage if it generates a unique character of the company or product brand.