COVID-19 pandemic and small and medium-sized enterprises in the Republic of Croatia

Tema ovog diplomskog rada je utjecaj COVID – 19 pandemije na malo i srednje poduzetništvo u Republici Hrvatskoj. U prvom poglavlju, napravit će se kratak uvod u danu temu. Objasnit će se predmet te cilj rada zatim izvori i metode načina prikupljanja relevantnih podataka, sadržaj i struktura samog rada. Sljedeće poglavlje sadržava obilježja malih i srednjih poduzeća. Objašnjava se pojmovno određenje malog i srednjeg poduzeća, njihova uloga u gospodarstvu te institucionalni okvir za njihovo poslovanje. U trećem poglavlju, detaljnije se opisuje pandemija COVID – 19 i njezine implikacije na mala i srednja poduzeća u Europskoj uniji. Nadalje, objašnjavaju se odgovori politike na krizu uzrokovanu COVID – 19 pandemijom u Europskoj unije i daje se pregled postojećih istraživanja o učincima pandemije na mala i srednja poduzeća. Sljedeće poglavlje fokusira se na učinak COVID – 19 pandemije na mala i srednja poduzeća u Republici Hrvatskoj. Dakle, opisuje se razvoj i značaj malih i srednjih poduzeća u Republici Hrvatskoj u predpandemijskom razdoblju, analiziraju se mala i srednja poduzeća u pandemijskom razdoblju te pregled potpora malim i srednjim poduzećima u vrijeme pandemije. U petom i ujedno posljednjem poglavlju rada, donosi se zaključak na temu.The topic of this thesis is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small and medium-sized enterprises in the Republic of Croatia. In the first chapter, a short introduction to the given topic will be made. The subject and goal of the work will be explained, followed by the sources and methods of collecting relevant data, the content and structure of the work itself. The next chapter contains characteristics of small and medium enterprises. The conceptual definition of small and medium-sized enterprises, their role in the economy and the institutional framework for their operations are explained. In the third chapter, the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for small and medium-sized enterprises in the European Union are described in more detail. Furthermore, policy responses to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the European Union are explained and an overview of existing research on the effects of the pandemic on small and medium-sized enterprises is given. The next chapter focuses on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on small and medium-sized enterprises in the Republic of Croatia. Thus, the development and importance of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Republic of Croatia in the pre-pandemic period is described, small and medium-sized enterprises are analyzed in the pandemic period, and the support for small and medium-sized enterprises during the pandemic is reviewed. In the fifth and last chapter of the work, a conclusion is drawn on the topic