Nowadays, more and more major emergencies of natural or anthropogenic origin are occurring, which often become crisis situations. Crisis management is set up to deal with these events and has the task of providing comprehensive preparation for their management. In recent years, crisis management authorities have been using non-governmental non-profit organizations to work together to contribute to crisis management, particularly in the provision of humanitarian assistance to the affected population. The diploma thesis focuses on crisis management authorities of territorial self-governing units and on non-governmental non-profit organizations, which are part of the South Bohemian Region Panel, which is a free association of participants and is established for the purpose of their coordination in providing forces, resources and activities to the South Bohemian Region in dealing with major emergencies and crisis situations. The aim of the thesis is to analyse the possibilities of cooperation between crisis management authorities and non-governmental non-profit organizations operating in the South Bohemian Region in deploying the forces and resources needed to deal with emergencies and crisis situations and cooperation of the above mentioned entities during the floods in 2013. In order to achieve the determined objective and obtain objective results, quantitative research was applied, using a questionnaire survey. It was applied to crisis management personnel of the municipality with extended powers within the South Bohemian Region. Furthermore, a qualitative research was conducted in the form of a controlled interview with representatives of non-governmental non-profit organizations who are members of the Panel of the South Bohemian Region. The information obtained from the non-profit organizations and the evaluation of the questionnaire survey from the crisis management personnel show that the research questions are answered positively, i.e. the cooperation between the above-mentioned entities worked without major problems in 2013. The crisis management authorities used assistance from non-governmental non-profit organizations to a greater extent in monitoring the situation, material assistance and manual assistance, to a lesser extent financial and psychosocial assistance. Thanks to the experience gained by the above-mentioned entities during the floods in 2013, but especially during previous major emergencies or crisis situations, there is a constant development in the area of cooperation between them. In order to improve mutual cooperation, there are training sessions, meetings and exercises organized by the South Bohemian Region, integrated rescue system units, non-profit organizations as well as crisis management personnel of the municipality with extended powers. The results of the analysis of the thesis can serve as a basis for increasing the efficiency and improving the cooperation in deploying forces and resources by crisis management authorities and non-governmental non-profit organizations, as well as study material.

The outbreak of crisis exposes the weakness of the incumbent government. It brings the opposition two opportunities to challenge the incumbent. First, the opposition, through providing a timely and appropriate response to crisis within a limited time, challenges the incumbent's legitimacy by exposing its underperformance and maladministration. Second, crisis brings change to existing policy, providing another opportunity for the opposition to channel its policy advocacy into real policy. Against this background, this thesis examines how the opposition in Hong Kong responds to and manipulates crises to gain issue ownership and electoral advantage. Through such an examination, one can observe the dynamics between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the opposition and the pro-government establishment camp. Through examining 19 crises selected throughout the period from 1998 to 2017, i.e., the beginning of the first LegCo session to the end of Leung Chun-ying's term, this thesis contributes to the literature in two ways. It offers a new framework for studying factional politics. The thesis regards the pan-democrats as a whole as one quasi-political party, and each member party constituent of the pan-democrats is viewed as a faction. The analysis applies a new model combining competition and cooperation to study the dynamics within the pan-democrats. The pan-democrats both cooperate to confront the HKSAR Government and its faithful ally and compete among themselves for vote share. This thesis also offers a new perspective for understanding Hong Kong politics, as the existing literature on Hong Kong politics mainly focuses on the constitutional disputes between the HKSAR Government, pan-democrats and the pro-establishment. One can study the dynamics between these three actors in the policy-making process under the context of Hong Kong politics, which has been little discussed in the existing literature.

This essay is about how the concepts of resilience and vulnerability are expressed in local vulnerability analyses. The essay also highlights underlying structures and driving forces to risk and vulnerability in the selected risk- and vulnerability analyses. The purpose is to examine and analyze how resilience and vulnerability in society is reflected in local risk- and crisis management with a selection of municipal risk- and vulnerability assesments as an exempel. The chosen method in this work is qualitative text analysis. The result indicates that the general focus in the analyzed material is on municipal activties and events of chock or crisis. The perspectives on risk and vulnerability that is being used equates risks with events and vulnerability as the effect of those events. In regards of resilience and the 3D Resilience framework from Bené et al.(2012) the risk- and vulnerability analyses are therefore at most related to the first two dimensions: absorption and adaption. Above all the municipalities wants to attain stability and robustness while resisting the effects of chock or crisis events to be able to revert to pre-chock state. Vulnerability is being reflected as a contrast to the abilities the municipalities aim for with their crisis response. That sort of understanding and assessment of risk and vulnerability pays barely no attention at all to underlying driving forces to risk and crisis. Even if in some cases there seems to be a will to try and include issuess like social vulnerability and social inequalities.

This mixed methods, multisite case study examined the relational ecology of two urban middle schools that had adopted school-wide restorative practices (SWRPs) and the changes that occurred as a result of the reform initiative. The study was conducted in two Title I middle schools in the Oakland Unified School District in California. A positive relational ecology existed in these two urban middle schools, and this ecology was built on the interacting and interrelated themes of relational trust, being heard, a relational-based, student-centered culture, and a commitment to the principles of social justice. The positive relational ecology created a strong foundation upon which change could occur at the organizational, individual, and pedagogical levels. Various structures within the schools, including circles, instructional leadership teams, student councils, and peer mediation, created space for teachers and students to be heard and empowered, which subsequently facilitated change and growth for many administrators, teachers, and students. High turnover, lack of initial and ongoing training, and the development of quasi- or non-restorative processes jeopardized program fidelity. Findings revealed that in these restorative schools, relational ecology and change were inseparable, and that they moved and influenced each other. A positive relational ecology created an environment that enabled leaders and staff to feel safe as they embarked upon the journey of change. Changes in the ways that members of the school communities related to each other on a daily basis provided additional motivation to continue the change effort, and these changes then strengthened the relational ecologies. Findings of this study are significant and have implications for schools and school districts, policy makers, and teacher and leader education programs. Future research should include longitudinal, mixed methods studies that assess the school culture before and after implementing SWRPs, as well as experimental or quasi-experimental designs that compare restorative and non-restorative schools. Such studies may provide more empirical evidence that links healthy relational ecologies to student achievement, less teacher turnover, decreased conflict, and healthier communities, thereby strengthening the case for rejecting punitive and discriminatory zero tolerance school discipline policies and adopting restorative justice in education instead. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:38:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiz Antonio Manzochi.pdf: 510688 bytes, checksum: 7693cc5bd5779875d4cec40006425d3c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-04 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This study had the objective to contribute to improving the professional qualification of invisible emergency workers, as well as to prepare an Occupational Health Program for these professionals, with the aim to ensure their physical and mental health. Invisible emergency professionals are those work actively in emergency situations but not directly with the care of people, and for that reason, do not receive specific training on emergency work. A qualitative research with purposeful sample was carried out. Five professionals answered semi-structured interviews: a daily print media journalist, an ambulance driver, an emergency department receptionist, a forensic photographer, and a psychosocial care volunteer. The content of the interviews was analyzed and organized into categories based on the literature, especially on the concepts of Psychology of Emergency, Social Psychology (identity), and Organizational Psychology (training and qualification), with the aim to raise knowledge on the phenomenon studied. It was possible to observe the lack of preparation and specific training of the invisible professionals working in emergencies. The structure of the occupational health care is ineffective and stigmatizes professionals who need psychological or psychiatric care. The training, development and education area does not promote trainings that address the real needs of the professionals. Emotional and psychosomatic disorders cause changes in the relationship and behavioral patterns of these employees. The study suggests action and management strategies that could change this reality, providing enough space for the professionals to perform their functions effectively, preserving their physical and mental health / Este estudo teve como objetivo inicial contribuir para melhoria na qualificação profissional do trabalhador invisível que atua nas emergências, assim como na elaboração de Programa de Atenção à Saúde do trabalhador para esses profissionais, buscando garantir sua saúde física e mental. Profissionais invisíveis das emergências são aqueles que atuam de forma ativa na emergência, mas não diretamente na assistência e, por este motivo, não recebem treinamento específico sobre trabalho nas emergências. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa com amostra proposital. Foram entrevistados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada cinco profissionais: uma jornalista de cotidiano de mídia impressa, um motorista de ambulância, uma recepcionista de pronto socorro hospitalar, um fotógrafo da polícia científica e uma voluntária de atenção psicossocial. O conteúdo das entrevistas foi analisado e organizado em categorias construídas com base na literatura, sobretudo em conceitos da Psicologia das Emergências, Psicologia Social (identidade) e Psicologia organizacional e do Trabalho (treinamento e capacitação), com o intuito de agregar conhecimentos que auxiliassem na compreensão do fenômeno estudado. Foi possível observar o despreparo e falta de treinamento específico para atuar em emergências que afetam os profissionais invisíveis. A estrutura do serviço de atenção à saúde do trabalhador não é efetiva e contribui para estigmatizar o profissional que precise de atendimento psicológico ou psiquiátrico. A área de treinamento, desenvolvimento e educação não realiza treinamentos que contemplem a real necessidade dos profissionais. Transtornos emocionais e psicossomáticos levam o profissional a apresentar mudanças de padrão de relacionamento e comportamento. O estudo sugere estratégias de atuação e manejo que possam mudar esta realidade, propiciando espaço adequado para o profissional desempenhar suas funções de forma efetiva e preservando sua saúde física e mental

Interagerande osäkerhet är ett viktigt ämne, men ytterst lite forskning har gjorts om dess påverkan på samarbete i interorganisatoriska projekt. Studien fokuserar på frågeställningen på vilka sätt hanteras interagerande osäkerhet i interorganisatoriska projekt. För att kunna besvara på vilka sätt interagerande osäkerhet påverkar samarbete i interorganisatoriska projekt, använde studien ett organisationsperspektiv. Denna studie använder ett deduktivt perspektiv genom att granska litteratur om interagerande osäkerhet, interorganisatoriska projekt och förankring. En fallstudie beträffande hur interagerande osäkerhet kan förebyggas gjordes genom kvalitativ metod. Insamlingen av data bestod av grundliga intervjuer angående teman samarbete, osäkerhet, krishantering och förtroende. Studien drar slutsatsen att interagerande osäkerhet har en påverkan på samarbete och att förebyggande redskap kan reducera den interagerande osäkerheten. Studien bidrar med utveckling och redskap för att hantera interagerande osäkerhet. / Interactional uncertainty is a relevant subject, but very little research has been done about the impacts on cooperation in interorganizational projects. The study focuses on the main question in which ways are interactional uncertainty handled in interorganizational projects. To answer the question an organizational perspective was used to explore in what ways interactional uncertainty affects cooperation within interorganizational projects. This study uses a deductive perspective by examining literature concerning interactional uncertainty, interorganizational project and embeddedness. A case study regarding how interactional uncertainty can be prevented was implemented through a qualitative method. The collection of data consisted of in-depth interviews concerning the themes cooperation, uncertainty, crisis management and trust. This study concludes that interactional uncertainty has an impact on cooperation and that preventative gear can reduce the interactional uncertainty. The study contributes with development and tools for managing interactional uncertainty.

Finding meaning and purpose in loss : insights into spiritual aspects of the grieving process of college students / The relationship between spirituality and sexual identity among lesbian and gay undergraduate students : a qualitative analysis / A profile of choice/responsibleness and goal-seeking attitudes among first-generation and non-first-generation college students / Spiritually driven strategies employed by first-generation college aspirants of color to resist stereotype threat and discrimination / African American males' college preparedness : the role of spirituality in home-based education / African American college women's reactions : a group program providing counseling and spiritual support / Internalization of the African gods and academic achievement perceptions. Spirituality Research Studies in Higher Education offers two uniquely designed sections that showcase a group of talented scholars from major research institutions. This edited volume by Terence Hicks provides the reader with topics such as spiritual aspects of the grieving college students, spirituality and sexual identity among lesbian and gay students, spirituality driven strategies among first-generation students, the role of spirituality in home-based education, and counseling and spiritual support among women. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1094/thumbnail.jpg

The 18 September 2000 disclosure that StarLink corn, a genetically engineered variety not approved for human consumption, had been detected in food was a seminal event in agricultural biotechnology. This thesis presents a comprehensive case study of the StarLink incident (part one), reviews the StarLink situation in terms of crisis management theory (part two) and develops crisis management theory using the StarLink incident as an example of a crisis (part three). Part one provides background information, then a meticulous day-by-day account of StarLink-related events. Part two presents a detailed overview of crisis management theory, then examines the StarLink situation in terms of pre-crisis (warning signals, preconditions for a crisis, crisis trigger), crisis (how Aventis, the biotechnology provider, managed the crisis and opinions concerning crisis handling) and post-crisis (lessons learned). Part three develops crisis management theory using the StarLink situation as an example of a crisis. It evaluates whether the StarLink incident possessed characteristics predicted for modern crises and suggests other factors which may become more prevalent and significant in future crises. The StarLink incident delivers certain practical lessons for managers, regulators and others and demonstrates a number of characteristics of modern crises.

<p><strong>Bakgrund:</strong> Idag handlar det inte ”om” en kris ska drabba ett företag utan ”när” den drabbar ett företag. Kriser i dagens samhälle sker på en mängd olika nivåer och kan uppstå ur en mängd olika situationer, ur inre och yttre hot samt vara av materiell eller immateriell art. Gemensamt för kriser är dock att om de inte hanteras på rätt sätt kan de få förödande konsekvenser. För att undvika att företag drabbas av stora negativa effekter i samband med en krissituation trycker teoretiker på vikten av att företag engagerar sig i ett förberedande arbete. Detta är dock något som företag tenderar att avstå ifrån då ett sådant förberedande krisarbete anses vara av lägre prioritet, onödigt, tidskrävande och kostsamt. Detta har fått oss att fundera kring huruvida fler företag skulle initiera ett förberedande krisarbete om ett sådant arbete kunde förenklas.</p><p><strong>Syfte: </strong>Att presentera en tentativ krisförberedelsemodell för företag i avsaknad av ett förberedande krisarbete.</p><p><strong>Resultat och slutsats: </strong>Den tentativa krisförberedelsemodellen inkluderar förberedelser för två av de tre förberedelsestegen; förebyggande och styrning av en kris. Förberedelser gällande det förbyggande arbetet bör innefatta; att identifiera vilka olika risker och hot som finns i såväl företagets interna som externa miljö samt att uppskatta vilka av dessa risker och hot som kan anses ge upphov till den mest allvarliga potentiella krissituationen. Förberedelser gällande styrning av kris bör innefatta att enbart utarbeta planer för den krissituation som identifierats som allvarligast för företaget. För att styrningen ska bli effektiv ska även såväl lokal som central rollfördelning ske. Ett kristeam med ett fåtal medlemmar samt en kommunikationsansvarig bör därmed utnämnas och tränas inför den allvarligaste potentiella krissituationen som identifierats.</p> / <p><strong>Background:</strong> Nowadays, it is not about ”if” a crisis will affect a business, but ”when” it will affect a business. Crises can originate from many kinds of levels and situations, and can be of internal and external threats as well as of tangible and intangible nature. A common feature of crises is that if not handled properly, they can have devastating consequences. To avoid negative consequences associated with a crisis situation it is of importance for businesses to be engaged in preparatory work. However, businesses tend to avoid this kind of preparatory work since it tends to be of lower priority, unnecessary, time consuming and costly. This has led us to reflect on whether more companies would initiate such a preparatory work if it could be simplified.</p><p><strong>Purpose:</strong> To present a tentative model of crisis preparation for business in absence of such a preparatory work.</p><p><strong>Results and conclusion:</strong> The tentative model of crisis preparation includes the preparation of two of the three preparatory steps; preventative measures and crisis containment. Preparing the existing preventative efforts should include identifying the various risks and threats that exist in both a business’s internal and external environment and to estimate which of these risks and threats poses the most serious potential of becoming a crisis situation. Preparation of the crisis containment should include plans for the crisis identified as the most serious one for the business. For the crisis containment to be effective, it is also necessary that roles are divided amongst members of the organization. A crisis team of a few members and a communications officer should therefore be appointed, and thus be trained for the most serious potential crisis situation identified.</p>

<p>Olofström som ligger i södra Sverige är en ort som är beroende av bilindustrin vilket gör att orten drabbats hårt av finanskrisen. Många invånare har förlorat sina arbeten och arbetslösheten har mer än fördubblats på ett år. Detaljhandeln på orten har också påverkats när de drabbade invånarna med stor sannolikhet har dragit ner på sin konsumtion och det är därför intressant att studera om detaljhandelsföretagen har hanterat finanskrisen på olika sätt. För att ta reda på om det är några skillnader delades en enkät ut till alla detaljhandelsföretag på orten och svarsfrekvensen var mycket hög.</p><p> </p><p>Teorin i uppsatsen baseras på krishantering, strategi och marknadsföring. Avsnittet om krishantering utgår ifrån det faktum att det finns olika faser i en kris som ett företag måste ta sig igenom och vilken fas företaget befinner sig i beror på vilka åtgärder som har vidtagits. Teorin om strategi handlar om strategins fyra principer samt avsiktliga och framväxande strategier. Beroende på vilka åtgärder ett företag har vidtagit så är det möjligt att karaktärisera dessa handlingar som avsiktliga eller framväxande. Till sist handlar marknadsföringsavsnittet bland annat om marknadsföringens fyra p som representerar delar av företaget som ständigt måste ses över för att anpassa företaget till omgivningen.   </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Efter genomförd undersökning har vi kommit fram till att detaljhandelsföretagen i Olofström har hanterat finanskrisen på olika sätt, att de inte har nått samma fas i krishanteringsprocessen och att de har vidtagit diverse åtgärder som kan relateras till strategi och marknadsföring.</p> / <p>Olofström, located in southern Sweden, is a town dependent on the automotive industry which makes the place hard hit in the financial crisis. Many people have lost their jobs and unemployment has more than doubled in a year. Retail businesses in the town has also been affected when the affected population in all probability have scaled down their consumption and it is therefore interesting to study whether the retailers have handled the financial crisis in different ways. To find out if there are any differences a questionnaire were distributed to all retail businesses in the town and the response rate was very high.</p><p>The theory in the thesis is based on crisis management, strategy and marketing. The section on crisis management is based on the fact that there are different phases of a crisis that a company has to get through and what phase the company is in depends on the measures taken by it. The theory of strategy deals with the four principles of strategy and deliberate and emergent strategies. Depending on what measures a company has taken, it is possible to characterize the actions as deliberate or emergent. Finally, the theory of marketing includes for example the four p:s of marketing which represents parts of the company that must constantly be reviewed in order to keep up with changes in the environment surrounding the company.</p><p>After conducting our research, we note that retail businesses in Olofström has handled the financial crisis in different ways, that they have not reached the same phase in the crisis management process and that they have taken various measures that can be related to strategy and marketing.</p>