Force deployment and optimal resource allocation has been an area of considerable research interest in conventional warfare. In the modern scenario, with significant advances in technology related to communication and computation, sophisticated decision-making in these situations has become feasible. This has generated renewed interest in formulating decision-making problems in these areas and seeking optimal solutions to them. This thesis addresses one such problem in which the defending forces need to optimally Partition their resources between several attacking forces of differing strengths. The basic model considered for resource allocation is Lanchester attrition models. Lanchester models are deterministic differential equations that model attrition to forces in convict. In this thesis we address a resource allocation problem where the resource allocation is done using different approaches. First, we developed a (2,1) model using the Lanchester square law model for attrition. For this model we assumed that the attacking force consists of two types of forces and the defending force consists of only one type of force. The objective is to optimally partition the defending force against the two attacking forces so as to maximize the surviving defending force strength and to minimize the attacking force strength. The objective function considered in this thesis is the weighted sum of the surviving defending force strength and the destroyed attacking force strength. We considered a resource allocation problem in which allocation of resources are done using four different approaches. The simplest is the case when allocation is done initially and no further action is taken Iv Abstract v (Time Zero Allocation (TZA)). For the TZA allocation scheme, when any of attacking forces gets destroyed, the corresponding defending force which was engaging that attacking force will stop interacting further. This situation rarely happens in reality. Hence to make this scenario more realistic, we considered another allocation scheme in which allocation is followed by redistribution of resources depending on certain decisive events (Time Zero Allocation with Redistribution (TZAR)). In TZA and TZAR schemes, the allocation of defending force is done only at the initial time. Deviating from this assumption, we considered another allocation scheme in which a constant allocation ratio is used continuously over time till the end of the convict (Continuous Constant Allocation (CCA). To account for the redistribution of resources we extended this allocation scheme to the case in which continuous constant allocation is followed by redistribution of the resources (Continuous Constant Allocation with Redistribution (CCAR)). In each of these formulations we define the conditions for an optimal resource partitioning and allocation. We were able to obtain analytical expression for resource partitioning in almost all of these cases. Next, in order to consider situations in which area fire is required, we developed a (2,1) model using Lanchester linear law model for attrition. Here we considered a resource allocation problem in which the resource allocation is done using ideas similar to the square law case. In the Linear law, the resources will get destroyed completely only at infinite time, hence a situation for redistribution of resources does not arise for this law. We considered Time Zero Allocation and Continuous Constant Allocation schemes for this law. We obtained analytical results for the TZA scheme. For the CCA scheme, closed form solutions are difficult to obtain but numerical solutions were obtained. The above schemes were extended to an (n, 1) model for resource allocation using Lanchester square and linear laws. Here the defending forces have to determine an optimal partitioning of available resources to counter attacks from an adversary from n different fronts. For the square law model, we considered both TZA and CCA schemes for resource allocation. As the number of force types increases, the equations becomes much more complicated and the analytical solutions are difficult to obtain. We were able to obtain analytical solutions for some of the situations that occurs during the conflict. For the linear law, we considered only the TZA scheme since, even for the simpler (2,1) model, the analytical solutions are difficult to obtain for the CCA scheme. The resource allocation strategies developed in this thesis contribute to the growing research in the field of conflicts. The thesis concludes with a discussion on some future Extensions of this work.

Across the globe, people are everyday audiences of advertising images, which have become integrated in our life worlds. Advertising images are entangled with interesting moral conflicts. This study analyses the decision-processes of advertising self-regulators, who are in the midst of such moral conflicts, with the purpose of showing how and why they decide if advertising images are acceptable or not. Two organizations based in different countries are included in the study; The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the United Kingdom and The Trade Ethical Council against Sexism in Advertising (ERK) in Sweden. The empirical material consists of interviews with 38 people, images and text documents, from the two mentioned self-regulatory bodies, and some (participant) observation. The study focuses on cases of potentially offensive advertisements. The material is primarily analysed using the theory of worlds of worth, developed by Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot. The thesis argues that advertising self-regulation is about ascertaining, and making compromises between, conventions of morality. The study demonstrates the pattern of how the contextual circumstances influence the moral decisions that are made. It is shown that a decisive feature of the decisions is to conceptualize the general public in a justified way. This means that decision-makers picture the public as types of people who hold one or a combination of moral logics, and assume that they use these to interpret and evaluate advertising images. How these publics are defined depends on how the settings of the different advertising images are collectively interpreted by the decision-makers. The thesis argues more generally that to understand people’s values we must look at conflict situations in which current morals surface, such as the ways they appear in relation to advertising images.

Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η μελέτη των μεθόδων διαχείρισης των διαφωνιών μεταξύ των στελεχών των ελληνικών ναυτιλιακών επιχειρήσεων. Συγκεκριμένα, πραγματοποιείται η διερεύνηση των συσχετίσεων μεταξύ των μορφών επικοινωνίας και των πέντε μεθόδων διοίκησης συγκρούσεων, καθώς και των σχέσεων των μορφών εξουσίας στις διαδικασίες λήψης αποφάσεων με τις πέντε μεθόδους διοίκησης συγκρούσεων. Τα πρωτογενή στοιχεία αντλήθηκαν με προσωπική συνέντευξη σε 108 εργαζομένους από Ναυτιλιακές Επιχειρήσεις του Πειραιά, της Πάτρας και της Θεσσαλονίκης. Τα ερωτηματολόγια κωδικοποιήθηκαν και ακολούθησε η επεξεργασία τους με το στατιστικό πακέτο SPSS 15.0. Επιπλέον, πραγματοποιήθηκε έλεγχος των υποθέσεων που είχαν τεθεί, μέσω της ανάλυσης παραγόντων που ανέδειξαν νέες μεταβλητές που συσχετίσθηκαν με το συντελεστή συσχέτισης Pearson και την πολλαπλή παλινδρόμηση. / -

May 2010 a project called drop-in sports was started to get boys and girlsin the ages of 13-20 more physically active and keep them away from  committing crime. With the slogan ”come as you are, whenever you want and do what you want for free ” spontaneous sports was organized. To evaluate the project a research of the activity was carried out, where two of the objectives were to investigate how responsibility and empowerment is taken. Twelve hours of observations studies were used to collect data about leadership decision-making and democratic values in forms of respect, everybody’s right to play and influence. The study concluded that variations in the leaders decision-making affected the participant’s influence during activities. In terms of everybody’s right to play the study showed that, girls and younger participants were not included in the same scale at indoor activity as outside. Finally results showed that presence of leaders made an impact in respect and conflict management.

Social media is a collective name for the communication channels that allow users to communicate directly with each other in real time through text, image or sound. This study sets out to describe, analyze and draw conclusions on the use of social media in land conflicts in Cambodia. Experts debate on the importance of social media in social change, and aid institutions encourage social media presence for grass root organizations. With this study we want to add a grass root perspective from a development context, trying to see how the communication and information work with social media actually works. We decided to focus on social media’s agenda setting, advocacy and mobilizational possibilities, and interviewed eight organizations, three journalists/bloggers and one newspaper editor to get a broad perspective of social media’s usage in land conflicts, and we also conducted a small case study on the land conflict Boeung Kak lake’s presence on Youtube. The results showed that the organizations were using social media in many different ways, and on different levels in their communications work. We could however not see any clear interlinkage between the usage of social media and a success in neither agenda setting, social mobilization nor advocacy work; even though there are success stories we could not see consistent patterns in them. Our conclusion is therefore that a more objective and rational picture of social media is needed, that acknowledges the potentials but also shows the obstacles. Our hope is that this study can give a more balanced approach to social media’s place in developing countries in general and Cambodia in particular, helping actors to understand the different factors that need to be addressed to make it a successful tool of communication.

L’effervescence religieuse et politique au Cameroun engendre progressivement la fragmentation ethnique du peuple chrétien camerounais. Face à la manipulation politique, l’autre nom de l’injustice ethnique, la plupart des Camerounais et Camerounaises y compris les chrétiens réagissent désormais par le tribalisme, l’autre nom de la résignation ou mieux du déchirement social. Les Camerounais et Camerounaises donnent l’impression d’avoir perdu l’esprit de résistance/dissidence qui leur a valu la liberté ou mieux l’indépendance. Comment ignorer que de s’accoutumer au drame de la dérive ethnique, en s’installant, pour des raisons de survie, dans l’éclatement le plus abject, c’est opter pour l’asservissement volontaire d’un peuple qui mène inexorablement au génocide collectif ? Notre recherche repose sur l’hypothèse que les conflits ethniques ont pénétré la sphère du christianisme et font désormais partie des dysfonctionnements de l’Église du Cameroun. Ces dysfonctionnements internes nuisent à la crédibilité de l’Église. Il y a un lien entre les défaillances observées dans l’Église et les défaillances de la société Camerounaise. De plus, le rapport de convergence entre les rivalités ethniques et la religion, provoque un questionnement théologique inévitable : comment amener les différentes ethnies qui forment la plupart des États africains à un harmonieux vivre - ensemble inspiré par le mode de vie et de fonctionnement des Églises chrétiennes, au Cameroun en l'occurrence ? Faut-il se limiter à l’adoption d’une nouvelle image de l’Église par exemple l’Église-famille-de-Dieu, ou bien faut-il prendre le taureau par les cornes et éduquer les peuples africains à une culture de la paix ? La démarche de cette thèse s’inspire de la méthode adoptée par la théologie pratique, c’est-à-dire la praxéologie1, en relation avec la théologie contextuelle2, au niveau du lien avec les méthodes d’analyses des sciences sociales et sciences humaines, et au niveau de sa dimension prophétique créatrice. Elle est construite autour de quatre coordonnées: observation (médiation sociale), interprétation (médiation herméneutique), intervention pastorale (médiation pratique) et prospective. 1 Cf. G. ROUTHIER, et M.VIAU, (dir.), Précis de théologie pratique, Montréal/Bruxelles, Novalis/Lumen Vitae, 2004, 819 p. 2 Cf. C. BOFF, Théorie et pratique . La méthode des théologies de la libération, Paris, Cerf, 1990, 400 p. ii La thèse comporte quatre parties. La première partie (chapitres 1, 2 et 3) consacrée à l’observation cerne la problématique du vivre ensemble multiethnique, pour permettre de mieux percevoir la manifestation du phénomène du tribalisme dans l’Église (les Églises) et la société camerounaise. Elle montre que des situations dramatiques, de malheurs, de pauvreté, de famine, de conflits et de guerres sont causées en partie par le tribalisme exclusif. La deuxième partie (chapitres 4 et 5) porte sur la question du sens. Elle analyse et met à l’épreuve la compréhension du phénomène du tribalisme et des conflits ethniques dans la société et dans les Églises du Cameroun. Sont ainsi abordés, successivement, les principales articulations du tribalisme, la stratégie mise sur pied (diviser pour mieux régner) pour la transformation des structures sociales au Cameroun pendant la colonisation, puis récupérée par les politiciens comme idéologie politique depuis les indépendances. Nous en sommes arrivés à constater que cette idéologie a conduit à une profonde déstructuration de la société camerounaise jusque dans l’Église (les Églises). La troisième partie (chapitres 6 et 7) est consacrée à la pratique ecclésiale du dialogue de la diversité ethnique africaine pour la paix ; nous y montrons comment les solidarités ethniques purifiées au feu de l’Évangile peuvent avoir une influence sur la pratique chrétienne. Nous cherchons ensuite à démontrer que le dialogue interethnique bien articulé est le chemin de la réconciliation. La quatrième partie (chapitre 8) est un effort pour passer de l’utopie mise en pratique à une pratique en forme d’utopie. Nous cherchons à montrer que le dialogue pastoral enrichi par la diversité ethnique et religieuse entraînera la transformation de l’Église locale dans son interaction avec les différentes ethnies du Cameroun et d’Afrique. / The religious and political effervescence in Cameroon is progressively causing the ethnic fragmentation of the Christian people of Cameroon. In the face of political manipulation, the other name for ethnic injustice, the majority of Cameroonians, and Christians in particular, now react by tribalism, the other name for resignation, or better yet, for social fraying. Cameroonians give the impression they have lost the spirit of resistance/dissidence that made their freedom, better yet, their independence possible. How can one ignore that to become accustomed to the drama of ethnic drifting by settling, for reasons of survival, into the most abject fragmentation, is to opt for the voluntary enslavement of a people that inexorably leads to collective genocide? Our research puts forward the hypothesis that ethnic conflicts have penetrated the sphere of Christianity and are now a part of the dysfunctions of the Church in Cameroon. These internal dysfunctions hinder the credibility of the Church. There is a link between the shortcomings observed in the Church and those in Cameroonian society. Furthermore, the relationship of convergence between ethnic rivalries and religion provoke an unavoidable theological questioning: how are the different ethnic groups that make up most African countries to be lead to a harmonious living together inspired by the way of life and the way of functioning of the Christian Churches, in Cameroon to be specific. Must one be limited to adopting a new image of the church, for example the Church- family-of- God, or must one take the bull by the horns and educate the peoples of Africa in regards to living a culture of peace? The approach of this thesis is inspired by the method adopted by practical theology, in other words praxeology3, in relation to contextual theology4, in regards to the relationship with the human and social sciences’ methods of analysis, and in regards to its creative prophetic dimension. It is constructed around four axes: observation (social mediation), 3 Cf. G. ROUTHIER et VIAU (dir.), Précis de théologie pratique, Montréal/Bruxelles, Novalis/Lumen Vitae, 2004, 819p. 4 C. BOFF, Théorie et pratique. La méthode des théologies de la libération, Paris, Cerf, 1900, 400p. iv interpretation (hermeneutic mediation), pastoral intervention (practical mediation) and prospective. The thesis is composed of four parts. The first part (chapters 1, 2, and 3), dedicated to observation, seeks to encompass the issue of multiethnic cohabitation thus enabling a better perception of the manifestation of the phenomenon of tribalism in the Church (the Churches) and in Cameroonian society. It shows that dramatic situations of misfortune, poverty, famine, conflicts and wars are caused in part by excessive tribalism. The second part (chapters 4 and 5) deals with comprehension of the meaning. It analyses and tests the comprehension of the phenomenon of tribalism and ethnic conflict in Cameroonian society and its Churches. What is thus successively examined are the principal manifestations of tribalism, the strategy employed during the era of colonialism in order to transform the social structure in Cameroon (divide to reign more easily), and subsequently kept up by politicians as political ideology since independence. We have come to realize that this ideology has lead to a profound structural breakdown of Cameroonian society that extends to the Church (the Churches). The third part (chapters 6 and 7) is dedicated to the ecclesial practise of dialogue for peace within the African ethnic diversity. We illustrate how ethnic solidarities purified by the fire of the Gospel can have an influence on Christian practise. We then seek to demonstrate that a well articulated ethnic dialogue is the way to reconciliation. The fourth part (chapter 8) is an effort to move from utopia put unto practise to a practise in a utopian form the fertile pastoral dialogue within the ethnic and religious diversity shall bring forth the transformation of the local Church in its interaction with the different ethnic groups of Cameroon and Africa.

Klimato kaita tampa vis akivaizdesnė (pasaulyje bei Lietuvoje) ir greitai progresuojanti, todėl ateityje pasaulyje gali kilti precedento neturinčių saugumo problemų. Nors Lietuvos įtaka klimato kaitai nėra didelė, tačiau bendras mažų valstybių indėlis globalios problemos vystymuisi išties nemažas. Taip pat Lietuva turi tarptautinių įsipareigojimų susijusių su klimato kaitos mažinimu ir jų neįvykdymas galėtų iššaukti tam tikras sankcijas Lietuvos atžvilgiu. Todėl klimato kaitos problema turi būti neatmestinai sprendžiama Lietuvoje. Kadangi pagrindinis šiltnamio efektą sukeliančių dujų šaltinis yra energetikos sektorius, o didžiausius šio sektoriaus išmetimus įtakoja Lietuvos elektrinės, gaminančios elektros energiją tradiciniu būdu, todėl kaip priemonė klimato kaitos mažinimui yra atsinaujinančioji energetika. Darbe nustatyta, kad Lietuvoje elektros gamybai iš atsinaujinančių energijos išteklių didelį potencialą turi vėjo energija, tačiau šio atsinaujinančio šaltinio plėtrą stabdo interesų konfliktai. Daugiausiai konfliktai vyksta su privačių sklypų savininkais. Darbe nustatyta, kad visuomenė palankiai vertina vėjo energetikos plėtrą Lietuvoje (91 proc. vertina teigiamai), tačiau taip pat nustatyta, kad visuomenė yra per mažai informuota apie vėjo energetikos poveikį žmogaus sveikatai, aplinkai bei klimato kaitai, o tai sudaro prielaidas konfliktų atsiradimui. Atsižvelgiant į tyrimų rezultatus pateikiamos rekomendacijos ir pasiūlymai problemų sprendimui. Rekomenduojama vėjo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Climate change is becoming more and more obvious (in the world and in Lithuania) and fast progressing, therefore there may emerge unprecedented safety problems in future. Although Lithuania’s influence on the climate change is rather small, total input of small countries into the development of the global problem is really big. What is more, Lithuania has got international commitments related to the decrease of climate change and their noncompliance might evoke certain sanctions regarding Lithuania. For this reason, the problem of climate change must be inevitably solved in Lithuania. Since the main source of greenhouse gas emission is the energy sector, and the biggest emissions of this sector in Lithuania come from power-stations, which produce electricity in traditional way, renewable energy sources (RES) are the best means to reduce the climate change. It has been observed in the work, that wind power has great potential for electricity production from RES in Lithuania; however, the development of this renewable source is impeded by conflicts of interests. Most conflicts arise with private land owners. It has been found, that the majority of the society (91 per cent) welcomes the development of wind power in Lithuania, however, it was also found, that there is too little public awareness about the effect of wind power on people’s health, environment and climate change, and this establishes conditions for conflicts. Wind power developers are recommended to cooperate with... [to full text]

The dissertation analyses legal aspects of shareholders’ agreements concluded in listed companies using theoretical model provided by agency theory. The author provides qualitative research which identifies the nature, qualifying characteristics of the shareholders’ agreement, as well as different aims of contracting shareholders. Voting agreements and transfer of voting right agreements constitute part of the academic analysis provided in the dissertation. Lithuanian regulation of shareholders’ agreements is compared with Belgian and the UK legal systems. An extensive empirical research is carried out regarding the shareholders’ agreements concluded in companies listed on stock exchanges of the selected jurisdictions. The author concludes that extensive and detailed statutory regulation of shareholders’ agreements is unnecessary. In order for shareholders’ agreements to be a feasible solution for dealing with agency problems, statutory acts have to provide that shareholders’ agreement is a valid contract which can be enforced by courts. Restrictions on the subject matter of the agreement are necessary only to limit possible abusive behaviour of contracting shareholders and expropriation of other corporate constituents. Empirical research has revealed that shareholders in jurisdictions with concentrated ownership structure, compared with jurisdictions where dispersed ownership structure prevails, conclude more shareholders’ agreements. Shareholders’ agreements are mainly used... [to full text] / Disertacijoje, remiantis ekonomikos mokslininkų suformuluota atstovavimo teorija, nagrinėjami akcininkų sutarčių, sudaromų biržinėse bendrovėse, teisiniai aspektai. Autorius pasitelkdamas kokybinio tyrimo metodus analizuoja akcininkų sutarties prigimtį, jos pagrindinius kvalifikuojančius bruožus, vertina pagrindinius susitariančių akcininkų tikslus. Disertacijoje taip pat pateikiamas balsavimo sutarties ir balsavimo teisės perleidimo sutarties mokslinis tyrimas. Lietuvos Respublikoje įtvirtintas teisinis akcininkų sutarčių reguliavimas yra lyginamas su Belgijos ir Jungtinės Karalystės teisinėmis sistemomis. Moksliniame darbe atliekamas išsamus akcininkų sutarčių, sudaromų pasirinktų jurisdikcijų vertybinių popierių biržose, empirinis tyrimas. Autorius daro išvadą, kad išsamus ir detalus akcininkų sutarties instituto reglamentavimas teisės aktuose nėra reikalingas. Tačiau siekiant, kad akcininkų sutartis taptų veiksmingu teisiniu instrumentu, įstatymų leidėjas turėtų pripažinti ją kaip teisėtą ir priverstinai vykdytiną teisinį sandorį. Akcininkų sutarties turinio ribojimai yra reikalingi tik tam, kad būtų išvengta akivaizdžių piktnaudžiavimo atvejų. Empiriniai tyrimai atskleidė, kad jurisdikcijose, kuriose vyrauja koncentruota nuosavybės struktūra, palyginti su jurisdikcijomis, kuriose bendrovių nuosavybės struktūra yra išskaidyta, akcininkų sutarčių skaičius yra ženkliai didesnis. Akcininkų sutartys daugiausia yra naudojamos kaip teisinė priemonė vidutinio dydžio akcininkams... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

The dissertation analyses legal aspects of shareholders’ agreements concluded in listed companies using theoretical model provided by agency theory. The author provides qualitative research which identifies the nature, qualifying characteristics of the shareholders’ agreement, as well as different aims of contracting shareholders. Voting agreements and transfer of voting right agreements constitute part of the academic analysis provided in the dissertation. Lithuanian regulation of shareholders’ agreements is compared with Belgian and the UK legal systems. An extensive empirical research is carried out regarding the shareholders’ agreements concluded in companies listed on stock exchanges of the selected jurisdictions. The author concludes that extensive and detailed statutory regulation of shareholders’ agreements is unnecessary. In order for shareholders’ agreements to be a feasible solution for dealing with agency problems, statutory acts have to provide that shareholders’ agreement is a valid contract which can be enforced by courts. Restrictions on the subject matter of the agreement are necessary only to limit possible abusive behaviour of contracting shareholders and expropriation of other corporate constituents. Empirical research has revealed that shareholders in jurisdictions with concentrated ownership structure, compared with jurisdictions where dispersed ownership structure prevails, conclude more shareholders’ agreements. Shareholders’ agreements are mainly used... [to full text] / Disertacijoje, remiantis ekonomikos mokslininkų suformuluota atstovavimo teorija, nagrinėjami akcininkų sutarčių, sudaromų biržinėse bendrovėse, teisiniai aspektai. Autorius pasitelkdamas kokybinio tyrimo metodus analizuoja akcininkų sutarties prigimtį, jos pagrindinius kvalifikuojančius bruožus, vertina pagrindinius susitariančių akcininkų tikslus. Disertacijoje taip pat pateikiamas balsavimo sutarties ir balsavimo teisės perleidimo sutarties mokslinis tyrimas. Lietuvos Respublikoje įtvirtintas teisinis akcininkų sutarčių reguliavimas yra lyginamas su Belgijos ir Jungtinės Karalystės teisinėmis sistemomis. Moksliniame darbe atliekamas išsamus akcininkų sutarčių, sudaromų pasirinktų jurisdikcijų vertybinių popierių biržose, empirinis tyrimas. Autorius daro išvadą, kad išsamus ir detalus akcininkų sutarties instituto reglamentavimas teisės aktuose nėra reikalingas. Tačiau siekiant, kad akcininkų sutartis taptų veiksmingu teisiniu instrumentu, įstatymų leidėjas turėtų pripažinti ją kaip teisėtą ir priverstinai vykdytiną teisinį sandorį. Akcininkų sutarties turinio ribojimai yra reikalingi tik tam, kad būtų išvengta akivaizdžių piktnaudžiavimo atvejų. Empiriniai tyrimai atskleidė, kad jurisdikcijose, kuriose vyrauja koncentruota nuosavybės struktūra, palyginti su jurisdikcijomis, kuriose bendrovių nuosavybės struktūra yra išskaidyta, akcininkų sutarčių skaičius yra ženkliai didesnis. Akcininkų sutartys daugiausia yra naudojamos kaip teisinė priemonė vidutinio dydžio akcininkams... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

<p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1992, härtill 8 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu