Due to an intensified climate change discourse, renewable energy technologies find higher attention within the energy system and increasingly compete with traditional energy conversion systems. Electricity is progressively being generated through renewable electricity generation technologies (REGT) which harness naturally existing energy fluxes (wind, tide, heat, sun) and convert it to electricity. High investments are currently being made into well-developed REGT using explored energy sources such as wind, hydro or solar. In order to increase cost- and energy efficiency of REGTs, university research projects are developing new REGTs that harvest underexplored energy sources such as the marine energy source. These capital-intensive marine energy research projects are entering the market through university spin-off firms but are often confronted with funding gaps, for the current or future operations. Capital rich investors could provide these funds but are often investing in well explored energy sources rather than into underexplored but more cost- and energy-efficient energy sources. Utilizing a qualitative, grounded theory-influenced approach and combining empirical material of semi-structured interviews, data from a participant observation of an innovation system workshop attendance and data from continuous meetings with an academic REGT spin-off from Uppsala University, this study investigates 1) the drivers and barriers within the funding ecosystem for academic REGT spin-offs in Sweden, 2) the limited access of high capital to underexplored energy sources on the specific case of the marine energy source and 3) a potential common ground for investors with high capital and academic REGT spin-offs in order to allow an accelerated diffusion of the marine energy source. The results indicate that the physical properties of the underexplored marine source should not be accounted for as driver but rather as the foundation of an academic REGT spin-off. This frame allows to bridge practitioners of both the investment field and the academic field of REGT spin-offs through the degree of utilization. An inversion of relations, where not only entrepreneurs increasingly link their field of study to economy and business, but also investors adapt cross-disciplinary knowledge towards academia and natural sciences via the degree of utilization, could be beneficial for an accelerated diffusion of academic REGTs. Bridging practitioners of both fields through the degree of utilization and other means might together with a full commercial application and proof of marine REGTs reduce the funding gap of academic spin-offs in the marine sector and allow access to investors with high capital.

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International business strategy is a widely investigated topic, with a plethora of related research. Aspects such as the internationalization process and the challenges faced when entering a foreign market have been widely examined, with the majority of existing literature linked to multinational corporations and companies of a traditional nature. However, there is a lack of research based on companies operating within the sharing economy. This is in contrast to the attention that has been given to the study of small entrepreneurial firms, such as international new ventures and born globals. Hence making the sharing economy a valuable area of investigation in terms of internationalization.   With more and more companies breaking away from the traditional norms of operation, this modern approach to business requires a deeper understanding. Due to the very nature of the sharing economy, companies are highly likely to internationalize and do so from an early stage, and knowledge of the challenges related to the process is therefore vital. Such recognition provided the motivation for this study, in the belief that it will provide valuable knowledge to companies, as well as contribute to the existing body of literature.   This study sets out to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the challenges faced by sharing economy companies when internationalizing. Furthermore, the study seeks to examine the effects such challenges have on the company and how they can be overcome. Research was carried out through a qualitative case study of six companies, out of which; four have already internationalized and two are yet to internationalize. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the founders and senior managers, with questions relating to both internal and external challenges. The challenges were examined and their impact on the internationalization process explained.   The researchers conclude that both internal and external challenges impacted the internationalization process, and that many challenges were somewhat interconnected. From the challenges identified, the following were considered critical: networks, business model, funding and leadership decision-making. Overcoming such challenges can lessen the effects of other challenges and make the internationalization process more successful.

The financial provisions of the HE Act (2004) were intended to introduce market forces into the relationship between higher education institutions in England and their full-time Home/EU undergraduates. The policies that underpinned that legislation were established by Parliamentarians during a period of intense public and political debate which accompanied the passage of the Act and now, as suppliers in a nascent quasi-market, universities are de facto responsible for their delivery. With that market beginning to stabilise, this research compares those political objectives with observed outcomes of the introduction of the Act. Primary data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with key decision-makers in six sample universities – chosen to reflect both the spread of institutions in the sector and the range of pricing policies in operation – and with those involved nationally in shaping the legislation. From this material, supported by secondary quantitative and qualitative evidence, university pricing strategies are considered, in the context of theories of marketing and of higher education management, to provide an understanding of how institutions have structured their financial offerings with the aim of targeting specific markets for applicants. Data from the sample institutions is then used to build a profile of the quasi-market that the suppliers within it are generating. Even though members of the sample have taken diverse approaches to price-setting, there are some clear consistencies that typify this emerging national market: prices are set through adjustments to bursaries, not fees; and complex financial offerings have created barriers to effective communication. Furthermore, as institutional managers analyse the effects of their own pricing strategies locally, they are observing these trends and thus, where any changes are being made, these tend towards simplification of bursary schemes and hence increasing homogeneity across the sector. However, with the (index-linked) £3000 cap which currently applies to fees, it is increasingly apparent that the current quasi-market for full-time Home/EU undergraduates at English universities has not reached its price-sensitivity point and hence, this research argues, the market is not operating fully. Therefore, while this study offers an understanding of motivations behind current institutional actions and the nature of the resulting quasi-market, it also explains why it is not feasible to extrapolate from this information to forecast how the market might work were regulatory parameters to be changed significantly.

This study examined changes in funding and expenditures for the forty-seven public community college districts in Texas from 1974 through 1983. Expenditures data were subdivided into three parts: state reimbursable operating costs, nonreimbursable operating costs, and the cost of bonded indebtedness. Data on income for operations were aggregated in four parts: state appropriations, tuition and fees, local property taxes, and miscellaneous funds. For the purpose of determining differences in expenditure and income trends by institutional size, each of the forty-seven public community college districts was categorized as small, medium, or large in size. The findings indicate that for the period of the study some changes occurred in both expenditures and funding. In the area of expenditures, nonreimbursable operating costs increased as a proportion of total expenditures while the proportionate cost of bonded indebtedness declined. Small colleges experienced the largest increase in nonreimbursable costs, diminishing the dollars available for instructional costs.

The problem addressed in this study is the administrative process and criteria used by nonprofit visual arts organizations in the State of Texas in acquiring government and private funding. The purposes of the study were to examine the organization and administrative process of the nonprofit visual arts organization, to determine the criteria utilized by government and private funding sources for distribution of funds to nonprofit visual arts organizations, and to examine the process used by nonprofit visual arts organizations when acquiring funds from government and private sources. The data were obtained by means of a descriptive survey questionnaire which was mailed to 336 selected nonprofit visual arts organizations in the State of Texas. These organizations represent the following six areas of visual art: foundations, galleries, museums, associations, photography, and schools. From these areas the population was further refined to include only museums and associations, which represent the extreme diversity of administrative processes used. The resulting subpopulation was comprised of forty-six organizations which had filed for grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts within the past three years. Thirty research questions were answered from the results of the questionnaire. Research questions one, and three through thirty were analyzed and presented in narrative discussion with the results. Categorical data were listed to show range. The second research question was analyzed using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. On the basis of the literature review and the survey responses received, an authentic problem exists in the funding process of these organizations. The organizations surveyed appear to recognize the funding problems, but the results of the study reveal that many have yet to develop effective and efficient strategies to solve several of these problems.

Title: Monitoring circumstances for yourth ice hockey in selected hockey clubs in smaller towns Purpose: Main aim of diploma tesis is to decribe situation in selected ice hockey clubs in Czech republic. Visited clubs were choosen by small numbers of members in youth categories of ice hockey players. Huge effort of the diploma tesis is detect causes unsatisfactory situation in clubs and suggest the best solutions to expansion and development youth membership. Methods: Survey is based on depth and sturctured interviews with the expert guidance of the clubs and the mayors of the cities. Next method used in diploma tesis is utilized content data analysis. Thanks to using these two methods was formed qualitative research, which was summarized and described in 18 case studies. Results: Both methods are qualitatively processed in case studies. There are carefully and accuratelly reasons of decreasing youth membership in ice hockey clubs. There is also decribed way of solution. Collected data include envely research and results could be aplicated to the whole territory of Czech republic. Keywords: ice ring, sports facilities service, funding clubs, membership development

Title: Participatory budgeting as one of the possible sources of funding for sport Objectives: Examine particular project financing opportunities for the construction of a street workout park, possibly from public funds provided in grant programs to promote and support sport. Methods: The work used the method of document analysis, then synthesis of the data to create reports for a better orientation in grant programs and also the method of case studies to illustrate solid examples of grant applications. Results: The result is lucid table used for selecting the right grant program in respect of specific case. The work also includes ideas and recommendations based on personal experience gained by participating in the project Moje stopa financed by participatory budget. The result is a proposal to detach a separate program for sport in the upcoming next year of this project. Keywords: sports funding, grants, sport supporting programs, case study method

Die beiden Systemen wurden auf die ähnliche Tradition gegründet. Diese Tradition hat seine Wurzeln in Österreich-Ungarn, die bis 1918 in der gleichen Zwischenraum ausgesetzt wurden. Ein weiterer Zusammenhang ist die geographische Beziehung. Die Gesetztformen in der beiden Staaten sind unterschiedlich. In der Tschechische Republik gibt es viele Sozialversicherungsgesetze, in den der jede Typ des Versichertes geregelt ist. In Österreich gibt es für den jeden Type des Versichertes ein Sozialversicherungsgesetz. Die beiden Systemen sind die gesetzlichen öffentlichen Krankenversicherungen. Das tschechische System ist postkommunisch und Österreich ist der korporatische konservative Sozialstaat. Es gibt die Umverteilung in den beiden Systemen, aber in Österreich hat ein Unterschied, weil auch die Umverteilung in der Anstaltspflege enthält. Die vergleichende Systeme der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherungen haben die gemeinsame ethische Grundsätze, die aber in Österreich mehr in den Gesetze geregelt werden. Dieser Fakt macht den Rahmen des Systemes der Krankenversicherung, das viel auf die Patienten sich konzetriert wird. Der Patient hat ein Recht auf aktive Beteiligung in diesem System und auch in der Behandlung. Ein großes Unterschied ist die Verfassungsschutz der Rechte im beiden Staaten. In Tschechien gibt es die...