The master‘s thesis is dealing with the issue related to the organizational culture. The work is divided to three parts. In the first chapter, the theoretical base is defined. The second part consists of an analysis of the actual state of the organizational culture in the chosen organization. The last part contains suggested recommendations for organizational culture change based on the defined theoretical base, and the results of the performed analysis.

This thesis explores recent Scottish penal culture through the biographical narrative accounts of retired judges. Insights from the sociology of punishment are used to develop a more fully cultural approach to the judiciary and to sentencing practice. This entails a view of the judiciary as a complex institution whose practices reflect tension and compromise, and which recognises judges as bearers of penal culture through their sentencing practices. The aims of the research are twofold: to provide insight into the changing conditions of judging in Scotland and into the judicial role in criminal justice. Narrative research methods were used to interview retired judges and gain contextual accounts of judicial life and practice. This approach focuses on subjectivity and on individual responses to experiences and constraints. Reflecting the judicial role in punishment, an interpretive position based on the hermeneutics of faith and suspicion is used to evaluate and interpret these narrative accounts. This conceptual and methodological framework is used to explore aspects of judicial occupational culture including training and early experiences, the status of criminal work, judicial conduct, collegiality, the influence of criminological research on sentencing practice, and the relevance of the ‘master narrative’ - judicial independence - to sentencing. It is also used to explore the frameworks of meaning and vocabularies of motive which judges bring to penal practice. What emerges from these judicial narratives is firstly the entanglement of individual life histories and organisational imperatives. Secondly, a picture emerges of a judicial habitus that includes complex motivations, some openness to new approaches, and capacity for reflecting on the conditions which structure and constrain criminal justice practice. This suggests the reflexive judge may be an important vector of penal change and there are implications for judicial training, penal reform and for the dissemination of criminological and criminal justice research.

Cell competition leads to elimination of a viable cell population, by fitter cells. Despite over forty years of research, the molecular mechanisms of competition in mammals are poorly understood. During my PhD I have investigated the mechanisms of competition by exploring an established mammalian cell culture system, in which wild-type MDCK cells eliminate scribble-deficient cells, and I have also developed a novel cell culture system to model mammalian competition. My work contributed to the discovery that scribble-deficient cells are eliminated not by biochemical exchange among cells, but by mechanical compaction. We termed this phenomenon mechanical competition. I employed transcriptional profiling to determine the molecular signature of mechanical losers, and identified activation of p53 signalling as their hallmark. My colleagues and I then demonstrated that elevation of p53 is both necessary and sufficient to trigger mechanical competition. In further investigating the mechanisms of mechanical competition, I found that compaction activates ROCK in scribble-deficient cells, and that this is required for their elimination. Inhibition of Src signalling in mechanical losers also protected them form out-competition, and integrin signalling is another pathway likely involved in mechanical competition. While investigating p53 competition, we observed that p53-high and p53-low cells engage in directional migration, with p53-high cells always at the migrating front. As a side-project, I investigated the role of p53 in directional migration, by exploring an established model with a single leader cell and multiple followers. We established a method to generate multinucleated leaders on demand. By creating leaders from p53-deficient cells, I established that p53 signalling is required for some, but not all multinucleated cells to trigger collective migration, thus implicating p53 signalling in a type of migration involved in wound healing. Finally, I successfully modelled p53-driven mechanical competition in a differentiated primary tracheal epithelial cell culture, thereby establishing a novel system to study mammalian competition, and also proving that p53 competition is conserved between different mammalian epithelia. Considering the involvement of p53, mechanical competition may play a major role in cancer.

Depuis un siècle, l'aménagement intensif du territoire français, sans prise en compte du patrimoine archéologique a entrainé la destruction irréversible d'un nombre incalculable de sites. Aujourd'hui ce processus est ralenti. La restructuration du cœur historique des villes et les grands projets de développement local sont accompagnés par les archéologues. Ils favorisent ainsi un renouvellement sans précédent de la connaissance de notre histoire. C'est une chance et une révolution qu'il faut mener de front avec la profonde mutation des sources médiatiques. L'archéologie est tributaire des médias même si elle a parfois du mal à s'adapter à la contrainte de « l'immédiat ». Car ils influencent les opinions surtout en matière culturelle, hiérarchisent les événements de l'actualité mettant l'accent sur certains et en laissant d'autres dans l'ombre. La subjectivité est grande et les médias de référence (presse nationale quotidienne et télévision) donnent le ton, définissent la tendance. Ces derniers sont furtivement suivis par la presse locale qui cherche à mettre les faits à la portée de leur lectorat. La porte qui s'ouvre avec l'audiovisuel et surtout le réseau tentaculaire et infini du web oblige les archéologues à repenser le cadrage de l'information. L'identité, les origines, le patrimoine universel, la bataille des idées et des cultures peuvent aussi passionner d'autres publics sur internet avec d'autres réseaux que les sources classiques et canalisées. Les comportement des trois protagonistes de ce sujet ; archéologues, journalistes et publics ont ici été étudiés à partir d'un corpus d'articles, d'entretiens et d'études d'opinion. / Since a century, the intensive development of the French territory, without consideration of the archaeological heritage, has driven to the irreversible destruction of an incalculable number of sites. Today this process is slowed down. The restructuring of the historic heart of cities and importants projects of local planning are accompanied by the archaeologists. They unprecedented remodelled the knowledge of our history. It is a luck and a révolution which need to be manage with the profound transformation of the media. Archaeology need media even if it's sometimes difficult to adapt it at the constraint of the quickness which is neccessary in the word's information. Because media influence the opinions especially in cultural field, organize into a hierarchy the events of the current, emphasizing some and leaving the others in the shadow. The subjectivity is important and the reference media (daily national press and television) set the tone, define the tendency. These last ones are followed in by the local press which tries to put the facts within the reach of their readership. The door which opens, with the broadcasting and especially the tentacular and infinite network of Web, oblige the archaeologists to rethink the centring of the information. Identity, origins, universal heritage, battle of the ideas and cultures, can fascinate as well an other public on the Internet.

The aim of the thesis is to propose changes in organizational culture in a selected company. In the first part of my work the most important theoretical concepts are described such as definition of organizational culture, elements of organizational culture or methods of organizational culture analysis. Second part is then focused on the identification of the current organizational culture, using a questionnaire survey and semi-standardized interviews. Based on the results of the research of the given methods, concrete proposals are defined to improve the current situation.

There are three different uses of the term 'information' in ordinary language: in the restricted sense, it means diverse types of material objects, such as data or documents ('information as thing'); alternatively, the term is used as in reference to the act of informing or becoming informed ('information as process'), or to equate to knowledge ('information as knowledge'). Each of these connotations represents a legitimate view of information in its own right, being equally significant to information-intensive organisations. The literature lacks studies that approach information from an integrative viewpoint, however. The purpose of this study was to explore and develop the notion of 'information governance' as an integrative, systemic approach to information in the context of research organisations. Soft Systems Methodology was used in a case study involving the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. Qualitative data was gathered through in-depth interviews with researchers and information/knowledge managers, followed by a thematic, two-level analysis. From a 'macro level' of analysis (the wider Brazilian agricultural research system) it was found that, to solve increasingly complex research problems, collaborative, multidisciplinary networking is needed. On the other hand, competitive forces are continuously emanating from the systems of research steering, funds and resources' allocation, quality control, and recognition and reward. This conflict inhibits the collaborative sharing of 'information as thing' and 'as knowledge', disturbs internal communication flows and contributes to low levels of synergy and cross-departmental partnerships, ultimately affecting research outcomes. At a 'meso level' (the local practices and culture of agricultural knowledge production), different epistemic cultures were identified (named in vitro, in situ and in silico research), which respond differently to the opposing forces of collaboration and competition. Based on a deep understanding of the agricultural research system and underlying epistemic cultures, a framework for effective governance of information was developed. Action to improve the governance of information at Embrapa would involve nurturing an information culture that supports collaborative work. Given that interactions between researchers are determined by their individual pursuits and struggles, this would require a change in the corporate system of performance evaluation and reward, according to the different epistemic cultures.

The thesis thematizes the antihero phenomenon in current television series, whereas the phenomenon mentioned is attempted to be explained by a qualitative reception research regarding the television series called Breaking Bad. Therefore, the aim of this research is to understand the motivations of viewers for selecting and watching series featuring a main protagonist that might be described as an antihero. It is thus a type of audience research that is attempting to identify the aspects that are the most attractive for audience of these kinds of narratives. Furthermore this thesis is trying to clarify viewer's attitudes towards antihero as a type of serial character, as it becomes apparent that these characters are becoming more popular than ever before. The results of this research offer an evaluation of viewer's motivations for watching the series featuring antiheroes and identification of aspects that are the most attractive for audience of these kinds of narratives.

Revolver Revue is a cultural periodical magazine founded in 1985. Initially, as a product of Czech underground subculture, of the former communist Czechoslovakia, Revolver Revue was deemed to be illegal samizdat material. After the transformation of the social and political environment in Czechoslovakia, Revolver Revue became a legal publication, and continues to be published today, in the Czech Republic. The following work is a study of Revolver Revue as a social phenomenon in which the author works towards capturing its main defining features and its developments over time, including it's noteworthy changes as well as the continuity which the organization has seen. Also focused upon are the specific social groups related to Revolver Revue, the specific institutions and the interaction of important actors involved, all perceived through a political and historical context. This work is centred around qualitative empirical research based on analyses of interviews and on the study of related documents. The approach taken to this study was heavily influenced by Grounded Theory.

This diploma thesis deals with support of quality increasing process at social service provider in Domov pro seniory, Zahradní Město in Prague. The theoretical part intercepts a development of social services in context of social and legislative changes, theoretically deals with spheres which relate with change management process i.e. quality of social services, organizational culture and conflicts. With use of qualitative and quantitative methods was followed process of main aim filling of thesis i.e. quality increasing of provided social service. By focus group method was verified successfulness of planned process in praxis of social service provider. Final part of thesis contains my reflection of process from process participant view and from managerial practice view. I also give out my vision of further organization progress shortly. Considering to results of research evaluative phase it is possible to say that main aim of thesis i.e. quality increasing process of provided social service was fulfilled. It is possible to note that partial aims of diploma thesis were successfully fulfilled too i.e. describe action research process, define process pillars and barriers. KEY WORDS Quality Increasing Process, Change, Key Worker, Quality, Social Service Provider, Action Research, Organizational Culture.