M.Comm. / The study was concerned with the problem of the long-term survival and success of SMEs in the tourism industry in a turbulent global operating environment, as well as in hostile conditions, such as unexpected changes, or disaster in the operating environments of the small businesses. The study was prompted by the high failure rate of SMEs worldwide and in SA. The tourism industry has a predominance of small business and was identified by SA as the industry of choice to support for the achievement of macroeconomic goals that include economic stability, poverty alleviation and employment creation. The overall objective of the study was to explore and examine factors located within the three operating environments (macro, industry and micro), that contribute to the survival and long-term success of tourism SMEs (five guest houses on the Dolphin Coast), operating in a turbulent global environment and hostile conditions such as disaster and unexpected events. The study explored and explained factors from four interrelated perspectives, namely a macro, meso, micro and chrono contexts; to examine the way in which the guest houses engaged with their environments; to determine the role of networks and clusters in the process; and to determine the impact of industry-specific and sector-specific factors on success. The study used an embedded case study methodology to assess five tourism SMEs, guest houses, located on the east coast of SA in a region known as the Dolphin Coast. The area was studied over a three year period from 2005 to 2007, a period of favourable economic and industry conditions globally and nationally (SA). Slowing economic conditions, severe coastal storms, rates increases and changes in the external environment provided conditions of turbulence and hostility in which to assess the responses of the guest houses, compared to activity and perceptions in the prior stable conditions. Porter’s (1980; 1990; 1996; 2000) theoretical frameworks, including the Diamond Model, the Five Forces Model and augmentations to these models were used to guide the research and interpretation of results. The study concluded that various sets of interlinked factors located in the macro, industry and internal (micro) operating environment of the firm, contributed to the success and constraints experienced by the guest houses. The presence of elements in the environments does not facilitate or ensure success, but success is dependent on the actions and choices of leaders and managers. These actions and choices are, in turn, guided by the values and culture present in the environment and are affected by human agency and efficacy.

Mental health services in Australia (and in most western countries) have undergone considerable changes in the past 20 years. These changes have included the closing or downsizing of the old tertiary institutions and a move towards community treatment of people with a mental illness (consumers). Consumers no longer live in hospitals; as a consequence housing has become an important aspect of their lives. Research has demonstrated that when consumers live in good quality housing of their own choosing they report improved quality of life, more satisfying supportive social relationships, and have fewer admissions. People with schizophrenia are the largest psychiatric diagnostic group treated by the public health system in Australia. As a result of their illness people with schizophrenia often have difficulty in maintaining reasonable quality accommodation and supportive social relationships. A review of the available literature on housing options indicates that, for people with a mental illness, boarding houses are the least desirable type of community housing and that living in their own home is the most desirable. These were the two types of housing chosen for the study. Aims of the study This study aimed to explore the impact of housing on the mental health of people with schizophrenia. Study Design Stage 1 For the initial stage of the project archival data was used to investigate the relationship between types of accommodation and illness patterns of people with schizophrenia. The hypotheses for stage 1 of the project were: 1. Admission rates will be significantly different for people with schizophrenia who are discharged to a private home when compared to those discharged to a boarding house. 2. Length of stay in hospital will not be significantly different for people with schizophrenia discharged to a private home when compared to those discharged to a boarding house. 3. Symptoms, as measured by scores on HoNOS scale, will be significantly different for people with schizophrenia living in a private home when compared to those living in a boarding house. 4. The level of functioning, measured using an LSP 16, will be significantly different for people with schizophrenia living in a private home when compared to those living in a boarding house. Inclusion Criteria The subjects included were between 18 and 65 years of age and had a principal diagnosis of schizophrenia. Findings Findings indicate that people with schizophrenia are more likely to be admitted to hospital if discharged to a boarding house. Surprisingly, results also indicated that while there were no differences in the level of psychiatric symptoms experienced, people with schizophrenia living in boarding houses had less access to social support, meaningful activities and work and had lower levels of global functioning. These findings contradict the conventional wisdom that people with schizophrenia resort to living in boarding houses because of their level of disability. Stage 2 Stage 2 of the study further explored the impact of housing type on the mental health of people with schizophrenia by examining the experience of thirteen people living independently in private homes or in a boarding house. The study aimed to use the experiences of the participants to develop a grounded theory explanation of the impact of housing on people with schizophrenia. Findings from Stage 2 indicated a strong desire amongst all participants to live in their own home. Participants living in their own home had access to more opportunities and resources for staying well than participants living in boarding houses. Those participants who lived in their own home felt they belonged, they felt safe and most importantly they had greater opportunities to make and maintain supportive social relationships with friends and family. Participants reported that stable housing and supportive relationships helped them to stay well.

This thesis focuses on students´ activities related to social participation in leisure time and information sources where they get information about courses of events in society. These activities are associated with residence in two chosen boarding houses Boarding house belonging to grammar school, secondary school of economics and secondary training school in Kaplice and boarding house and school canteen in Holečkova street in České Budějovice. This thesis includes tutors´ opinions on students´ social involvement in their leisure time. Theoretical part of this thesis defines youth in current society, characterizes students´ leisure time culture, their attitude to social participation and it also describes the impact of value orientation on development of both their personality and environment. This part also describes youth´s lifestyle in information society and there are described basic characteristics of boarding houses, tutor´s personality and his part within the process of youth´s participation in society. The last chapter of theoretical part introduces chosen education approaches based on training leading to youth´s participation and there is stated their influence on individual lifelong and social impact. Experimental part defines research task, research questions and defines hypothesis. It is followed by question-forms assessment that were filled in by students and tutors and assessment of defined hypothesis. There are discussed results of the research in the end of this thesis.

1. A study was made of the food habits of college students. 2. Nine women's and five men's boarding houses contributed data over a period of 15 to 84 consecutive days regarding food purchases and the number served. 3. The individual houses reported from 24 to 323 students fed daily. 4. In no case was the food expenditure for fruits and vegetables less than 20 per cent, the range being 21 to 38 per cent. 5. The money spent for milk and milk products was greater for the men's houses than for the women's; five of the eight women's houses exceeded the 20 per cent mark while two of the five men's houses exceeded it. 6. The portion of the food dollar spent for meat, fish, eggs, and poultry on the whole was high, the range being 18 to 40 per cent. 7. None of the houses spent a fifth of the food expenditure for bread and cereals, the range being 4 to 14 per cent. 8. The large amount of money spent by women's houses for oleomargarine tended to increase the proportion of the food dollar spent for adjuncts. Two of the men's houses reported no money spent for oleomargarine. 9. The cost range per day per person for the entire study was 11 to 36 cents. 10. The average cost of feeding a man student was 4 and 1/2 cents more per day than that of feeding a woman student.