Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase of cases that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has dealt with relating to dismissal for social media posts by employees. Employees have shared some of their unpleasant experiences with their employers, some have expressed their grievances and in other situations have posted on social media platforms how unfairly they feel they are treated by their employers. There is very little scholarly research in South Africa on the discussion on the use of social media and how it affects the employment relationship that exists between the employer and employee as well as how it may affect the relationship that exists between colleagues. The main objective of this research is to establish whether there is a fair reason to dismiss an employee based on what they post on their personal social media platforms, and to understand when and how the right to privacy can be limited. The aim of this research is to find whether there are any shortcomings in the South African labour laws that social media has opened in our laws with regards to the employment relationship and the use of social media, if there are any shortcomings will recommend how the said shortcomings can be addressed.

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Lobbying regulation in the Czech Republic - recommendations based on international experience Summary Lobbying is a natural part of contemporary globalized world, where political interests meet intensively with the economic and other private interests. In order to strengthen the principles, especially transparency and responsibility, some countries adopt lobbying regulation. The USA, Canada, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania and the EU institutions approach to lobbying in some aspects in the same way, in many other aspects they approach to it very differently. Different historical and socio-economical experience of these entities has, often substantial, influence on the differences of their regulation approach. The Czech Republic shares with many mentioned countries the experience of post- communist state, which does not have long democratic political culture and which has many problems with corruption in the public decision-making process. Lobbying regulation under Czech conditions is therefore necessary for raising transparency and responsibility of politicians. During the preparation of the future regulation, it is necessary to respect recmmendations of the international organizations and to thoroughly analyze experience of other states. The necessary parts of the future law should be especially: clear...

This final thesis deals with innovations in the management of informal education. The main objective is to highlight the importance of innovations in informal and leisure education, and bring inspiration to the managers of informal and leisure education in the form of examples of good practice. In the theoretical part informal and interest education is incorporated into the overall educational system of the Czech Republic and its development is illustrated on the laws and decrees from 1948 to present. The research in the form of structured interview with respondents revealed their view on innovations in leisure education and showed their experience with the introduction of innovations in their own organizations. The process and the conclusions of structured interviews clearly highlighted the need for innovation in informal and leisure education for the competitiveness of informal education organizations. The executives of school facilities for leisure education as well as organizations of informal education can hereby find inspiration for each specific innovation in the examples of good practice.

Since the 1970s there has been a growing interest in, and utilisation of, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques to resolve environmental conflicts in western societies. ADR was incorporated into one of New Zealand's main environmental statutes, the Resource Management Act 1991(RMA). Under s.268 of the RMA the Environment Court (the Court) may, if the parties agree, conduct mediation in order to facilitate settlement of resource management disputes. The RMA, which has now been in operation for ten years, gives no guidance as to the way in which mediation is to be conducted. The Court has developed procedures and processes for administering and conducting mediation. This study critically evaluates the practice of Court assisted mediation of environmental disputes under the RMA. A literature review and interviews with stakeholder groups are used in this evaluation. The study shows that mediation generates benefits for the Court and participants. It also identifies limitations with the current mediation procedures and processes. These may impact the effectiveness of participants in mediation, their satisfaction with, and support for, the mediated settlement and with the environmental outcomes. The study recommends a series of guidelines be prepared on the functions and administrative procedures of the Court and on the mediation process promoted by the Court. Further research is also recommended. It is considered that these recommendations, if implemented, will enhance the process for participants, ensure more equitable and consistent environmental outcomes, in terms of present and future generations, and retain public confidence in the mediation process.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the viability and sustainability of preferential procurement in the metals and engineering sector. Preferential procurement is one of the seven elements of Broad–Based–Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and seeks to encourage companies to procure goods and services from black empowered suppliers. The Broad–Based–Black Economic Empowerment Act was legislated in 2004 as an improvement on the previous Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). The objective of these legislations was to increase participation of previously disadvantaged groups in the mainstream economy. BEE was deemed to be narrow because it focused exclusively on ownership and management control. BBBEE was enacted to broaden the number of beneficiaries and included five other elements, namely: Employment Equity, Skills Development, Preferential Procurement, Enterprise Development and Socio–economic Development. The two companies that engage in preferential procurement should benefit from the relationship and value should be created in the process. Companies should not procure from black suppliers for accumulating points on the generic scorecard. Black–owned suppliers should provide service and products of the highest quality standards that meet customer requirements. The questionnaire that reflects on the objectives of this study was drafted and circulated to black–owned suppliers for completion. The suppliers were asked to comment on statements that reflect on capacity, profitability, working relationship and continuity. The results show that the SMMEs have capacity to perform according to specification of customers. The area of concern was the difficulty for SMMEs to maintain the current preferential status. This is a risk that needs urgent attention. This needs further in–depth study and analysis. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the viability and sustainability of preferential procurement in the metals and engineering sector. Preferential procurement is one of the seven elements of Broad–Based–Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and seeks to encourage companies to procure goods and services from black empowered suppliers. The Broad–Based–Black Economic Empowerment Act was legislated in 2004 as an improvement on the previous Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). The objective of these legislations was to increase participation of previously disadvantaged groups in the mainstream economy. BEE was deemed to be narrow because it focused exclusively on ownership and management control. BBBEE was enacted to broaden the number of beneficiaries and included five other elements, namely: Employment Equity, Skills Development, Preferential Procurement, Enterprise Development and Socio–economic Development. The two companies that engage in preferential procurement should benefit from the relationship and value should be created in the process. Companies should not procure from black suppliers for accumulating points on the generic scorecard. Black–owned suppliers should provide service and products of the highest quality standards that meet customer requirements. The questionnaire that reflects on the objectives of this study was drafted and circulated to black–owned suppliers for completion. The suppliers were asked to comment on statements that reflect on capacity, profitability, working relationship and continuity. The results show that the SMMEs have capacity to perform according to specification of customers. The area of concern was the difficulty for SMMEs to maintain the current preferential status. This is a risk that needs urgent attention. This needs further in–depth study and analysis. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Since the 1970s there has been a growing interest in, and utilisation of, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques to resolve environmental conflicts in western societies. ADR was incorporated into one of New Zealand's main environmental statutes, the Resource Management Act 1991(RMA). Under s.268 of the RMA the Environment Court (the Court) may, if the parties agree, conduct mediation in order to facilitate settlement of resource management disputes. The RMA, which has now been in operation for ten years, gives no guidance as to the way in which mediation is to be conducted. The Court has developed procedures and processes for administering and conducting mediation. This study critically evaluates the practice of Court assisted mediation of environmental disputes under the RMA. A literature review and interviews with stakeholder groups are used in this evaluation. The study shows that mediation generates benefits for the Court and participants. It also identifies limitations with the current mediation procedures and processes. These may impact the effectiveness of participants in mediation, their satisfaction with, and support for, the mediated settlement and with the environmental outcomes. The study recommends a series of guidelines be prepared on the functions and administrative procedures of the Court and on the mediation process promoted by the Court. Further research is also recommended. It is considered that these recommendations, if implemented, will enhance the process for participants, ensure more equitable and consistent environmental outcomes, in terms of present and future generations, and retain public confidence in the mediation process.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The World Health Organization estimates that the diseases caused by contaminated food constitute one of the most widespread sanitary problems. Currently, the food prepared at home have had great influence on the ocurrence of outbreaks of Diseases Transmitted by Food (DTFs), as a result of hygienic failures in the manipulation of foods. Taking this situation into account, this work aimed to develop and apply an education program on good practice for the manipulation of foods at home. The present study was conducted in 615 houses distributed in the 8 Administrative Regions (AR) of the city of Santa Maria RS, between March and November 2011. In order to make the diagnosis, the person in charge of the manipulation of foods at home was asked to complete a form covering personal data, knowledge and practice of food safety. Also, a List of Evaluation of Good Practice at Home (LEGPH) was applied to identify the level of hygienic and sanitary conditions in home kitchens. After the diagnosis, an education program was developed using the most popular means of communication reported by the population for a further reapplication of the LEGPH in a third of the sample of homes with the aim of evaluating the efficiency of this program. Through the application of the form, it was found that the urban central region differed in most cases from the north, south, central-west and western regions. The level of education of the interviewees influenced on the classification of the houses, that is, the higher the level of education, the higher the level of adequacy. After the education program, it was verified that there was no significant difference in the level of adequacy of the houses when compared to the first application, however, an enhancement was observed in almost all of the items of the LEGPH. Since it is difficult to modify practices and habits of the population with only three months of educational actions, it is suggested the need to continue with programs on the consciousness-raising process of the population due to the risks related to food manipulation, seeking a food safety perspective and an improvement of the quality of life of the population. / A Organização Mundial de Saúde estima que as enfermidades causadas por alimentos contaminados constituem um dos problemas sanitários mais difundidos no mundo. Atualmente, os alimentos preparados nos domicílios têm grande influência na ocorrência de surtos de Doenças Transmitidas por Alimentos (DTAs), como resultado de falhas higiênicas na manipulação dos alimentos. Tendo em vista o exposto, objetivou-se desenvolver e aplicar um programa educativo sobre boas práticas na manipulação de alimentos nos domicílios. O presente estudo foi realizado em 615 domicílios distribuídos nas 8 Regiões Administrativas (RA) da cidade de Santa Maria RS, nos meses de março a novembro de 2011. Para a realização do diagnóstico, aplicou-se um formulário com o responsável pela manipulação de alimentos nos domicílios, abrangendo dados pessoais, conhecimentos e práticas em segurança dos alimentos, assim como foi aplicada uma Lista de Avaliação das Boas Práticas nos Domicílios (LABPD) para identificar o nível higiênico-sanitário das cozinhas domiciliares. Após o diagnóstico, foi desenvolvido um programa educativo utilizando os meios de comunicação de maior acesso relatados pela população para, posteriormente, reaplicação da LABPD em um terço da amostra de domicílios com o intuito de avaliar a eficácia desse programa. Constatou-se, através da aplicação do formulário, que a região centro urbano diferiu-se, na maioria das vezes, da região norte, sul, centro-oeste e oeste. O nível de escolaridade dos entrevistados influenciou na classificação dos domicílios, ou seja, quanto maior o nível de escolaridade, maior o nível de adequação. Após o programa educativo, verificou-se que não houve uma diferença significativa no nível de adequação dos domicílios quando comparada com a primeira aplicação; no entanto, observou-se uma melhora em quase todos os itens da LABPD. Por ser difícil modificar práticas e hábitos da população com apenas três meses de ações educativas, sugere-se a necessidade de continuidade de programas no processo de conscientização da população, em virtude dos riscos relacionados à manipulação dos alimentos, buscando uma perspectiva de segurança alimentar e melhoria da qualidade de vida da coletividade.

This paper deals with selected conditions of good practice of the Department of Social-legal Protection of Children (OSPOD) in the current system of care for children at risk and their families. Currently, this system finds itself in the early stage of transformation. Its starting point is the trans-sectoral "National action plan for the transformation and unification of the system of care for children at risk for the period 2009-2011" (NAP). NAP is a set of key measures in the form of visions, among which an idea of OSPOD as a core body of multidisciplinary cooperation stands out. This thesis addresses the cooperation of OSPOD with other subjects in practice. The first chapter identifies key concepts; other chapters analyze specific areas of cooperation of OSPOD (multidisciplinary cooperation, social planning, cooperation with clients) and highlight the potential risks and opportunities. The thesis closes with a research, which aims to find examples of good practice in OSPOD in the Central Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic.