The impact of economic crisis on tourism in Spain seen by the perspective of newspaper (study based on newspaper articles) The aim of the thesis is recognition of possibilities of analysis and interpretation of texts and reflection on limitations that emerge from this analysis. The thesis is divided in theoretical part and research. The theory starts with politic-economic background of the topic and continues with linguistic specifics of text analysis. The role of media is mentioned afterwards; also the description of the language used in the media and principles that rule newspaper article creation are described. One chapter is dedicated to the construction and description of corpus. Theoretical description of discourse analysis and narratological analysis follows. Research focuses on qualitative analysis and narratological analysis based on corpus written in Czech as well as in Spanish.\\

The current global economic crisis, together with the general distrust and lack of confidence in business after a number of undeniable corporate scandals at board level (Hilb, 2006:3) has necessitated actions to assist business to become more transparent and to comply with corporate governance rules. Internationally, a number of actions were taken, such as the introduction of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in the USA, the Cadbury Report in the UK and the King Report in South Africa, to mention a few. The King Report has become an internationally recognised brand as it advocated for an integrated approach to corporate governance, over and above the financial and regulatory aspects. Companies across the globe are encouraged and in some cases forced to give consideration to governance principles. In South Africa, the King Reports (King I, II and III), of which the King III Report on Governance is the latest, are no different. However, for the first time, the King III Report includes a chapter that focuses on managing stakeholder relationships as part of good corporate governance. As stakeholder relationship management (SRM) is central to the practice of communication management, Chapter 8 of the King III Report on Governance thus recognises the value that communication management can or should add in assisting businesses to comply with corporate governance rules. The problem is however that communication professionals do not always know how to implement the six principles outlined in Chapter 8 of the King III Report. Furthermore, the purpose of communication management, in particular strategic communication management, is not clear in the minds of companies’ senior management. This is often evident from the business paradigm where companies have little or no knowledge of stakeholder relationship management, and do not realise the value a well-developed communication management strategy can add in managing stakeholder relationships. It could therefore be surmised that companies and communication professionals do not know: <ul><li> To what extent the role, scope, function, structure and level of authority of communication management influence the management of stakeholder relationships and the implementation of a company’s business strategy. </li><li> What the implications of Chapter 8 of the King III Report on Governance are, with regard to the managing of stakeholder relationships for companies and their communication professionals. </li><li> What trends in communication management, affect stakeholder relationship management globally. </li><li> Which guidelines should be established for the implementation of stakeholder relationship management, according to the King III Report on Governance. </li><li> If companies would make use of a stakeholder relationship management positioning framework to position themselves in terms of their current compliance with good corporate governance rules. </li></ul> The main purpose of this research was to consider how communication professionals can assist their companies to manage stakeholder relationships according to the King III Report on Governance through obtaining a better understanding of the abovementioned questions. The study aimed to contribute to the body of knowledge and practice of communication management by: <ul><li> Theoretically and empirically determining whether a redefined business paradigm focussing on strategic communication management’s contribution to the effectiveness of the business through managing stakeholder relationship management is evident. </li><li> Considering the implications of the King III Report on Governance for companies and communication management. </li><li> Analysing the global communication management studies in an attempt to identify practices and trends that may inform the improved management of stakeholder relationships. </li><li> Empirically determining how senior communicators view stakeholder relationship management according to the King III Report on Governance in an attempt to propose guidelines for the implementation of stakeholder relationship management followed by a stakeholder relationship management positioning framework. </li></ul> Three phases guided the study, where the first phase consisted of a literature review, unpacking Chapter 8 of the King III Report on Governance and conducting an analysis of the global communication management studies in line with the Stockholm Accords. Phase II included qualitative empirical research into the views and practices of selected South African senior communicators. The last phase (Phase III) was a culmination of Phase I and Phase II, where nine (9) guidelines for the strategic management of stakeholder relationships were drafted, followed by a strategic stakeholder relationship management positioning framework against which businesses can benchmark themselves in terms of their level of compliance with corporate governance rules with the assistance of their communication management departments. The guidelines suggested in this study revolve around stakeholder relationship management being strategic and encompassing both stakeholder engagement and the governing of stakeholder relationships. Strategic stakeholder relationship management (SSRM) requires strategic integrated communication at the organisational, stakeholder and environmental levels of the organisation, and the utilisation of a strategic stakeholder relationship management and communication framework to identify, prioritise, communicate and build relationships with stakeholders. A carefully crafted communication strategy aligned with, and influencing business strategy, is needed and requires the CEO and top management to have knowledge and understanding of the considerations and challenges of stakeholders and how they can impact organisational reputation. Effective issues management and crisis communication approaches to assist in conflict resolution are necessary. The strategic, structured, disciplined and systematic management of communication throughout the organisation, as well as the communication management function/department is imperative. Strategic stakeholder relationship management is enhanced through the empowerment of the communication management function, assigning decision-making responsibility and accountability to the communication management function, and having a supportive organisational culture and structure. The proposed positioning framework affords a company the opportunity to outline where it is positioned with regard to strategic stakeholder relationship management, and it may assist a company to utilise its stakeholder relationship management strategy to gain a competitive advantage. The study added value to both companies and their communication professionals by aligning the six principles of Chapter 8 of the King III Report of Governance with the role, scope, function and authority of the communication management function. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Business Management / unrestricted

More than 770 000 employees in South Africa have been made redundant since the start of the economic crisis in the third quarter of 2008. Unfortunately, companies often do not anticipate, or prepare for, the lower morale and lower productivity experienced by the survivors. However, despite the fact that retrenchment survivors are the linchpin of a company‟s future profitability, limited research on their experiences is available in South Africa. Until recently, the survivors of retrenchment were considered fortunate and the general consensus is that survivors are grateful to have kept their jobs. But is it really that simple? The study explores the perceptions and experiences of survivors of retrenchment in the automotive industry. The study was conducted among retrenchment survivors operating at junior management, middle management and senior management roles in various functional areas in an Automotive Manufacturer in South Africa. Qualitative data was collected by means of conducting semi-structured interviews, which provided insight into the beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and experiences of the participants, as well as by the analysis of company documents. Following an in-depth analysis based on constructivist grounded theory guidelines, survivor denial in varied manifestations emerged as the core concept. This core concept was underpinned by the survivors‟ overall perception of the retrenchment experience, the affective and behavioural responses of survivors, as well some aggravating factors. The result of the analysis is a framework for understanding survivor experiences during retrenchments, as well as suggested interventions for organisations that are contemplating, or have already commenced with retrenchments to reduce the anticipated negative effects of the retrenchment process. This study demonstrates that retrenchment brings to the fore a multitude of inadequately understood emotional reactions and that, if retrenchment is not properly implemented and managed, can result in a significant amount of stress. Appropriate analysis of individual responses and the facilitation of constructive coping strategies is the starting point towards more effective intervention. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

The diploma thesis shows the status of the automotive industry in the Czech Republic. It shows the trends in the Czech automotive industry in short theoretical presentation. There is a trend of the future competition from developing countries, other problems are growing raw material prices or government's limits in CO2 production. The companies connected to the automotive industry are reacting. The relevant information about the status and reactions of the Czech automotive industry companies, especially at the time of the crisis, was gained. The work answers the main question: How will the situation look like in the Czech automotive industry after the end of the crisis.

This master thesis describes impacts of economic crisis on migration in the European Union. It analyzes migration flows within the European Union and from the third countries in the time period between 2004 and 2008. The goal of this thesis is to either confirm or deny the hypothesis: the number of people migrating from the southern parts of Europe to the more economically developed central and northern parts of Europe has increased as a consequence of the financial crisis in 2008. The impact of financial crisis on the intra-European migration is analyzed with a migration potential applied on an example of two countries: Italy and Germany.

The claim that economic crisis matters for well-being seems intuitive; supporting evidence, however, remains elusive. The present study aims to examine the individual and contextual determinants of well-being across regions in Europe during the 2007-2008 economic crisis. This study contributes to the existing research on the determinants of well-being in three ways. First, while most studies explain the determinants of well-being in the context of non-crisis, this study examines the determinants during a period of crisis. Second, while most research on well-being focuses on cross-national comparisons of well-being, this study investigates variations at both the regional and national levels. Third, while most studies use either individual or aggregate analyses to examine the determinants of well-being, this study uses multilevel models. This study uses datasets that combine individual, regional and country level data. Individual data is taken from the 2008 European Values Study (EVS) and the 2004-2010 European Social Survey (ESS). Regional level data comes from Eurostat and Euroboundarymaps, while country level data comes from the Inglehart Index, UNU-WIDER and Esping-Andersen categorisation on welfare states. To analyse the data, this study uses various multilevel models including multivariate multilevel model, multilevel simultaneous equations model and spatial dependence multilevel model. The main findings show that during the crisis under consideration, well-being is associated not only with individual determinants, but also with regional and national determinants. Results suggest that happiness and health are positively correlated at individual, regional and national levels. In terms of social capital, this study shows the reciprocal relationship between association membership and trust. Frequent Internet use at the time of crisis is positively associated with well-being. Finally, the findings suggest that, by means of unobserved factors, well-being is spatially correlated with the well-being of those neighbouring regions.

The global economic crisis that began in 2007 affected the lives of many people in the UK. Most existing research into the effects of ‘the Great Recession’ on well-being takes an economic or subjective approach to assessing the impacts of hard times. This thesis takes an alternative perspective: the Capabilities Approach (CA) is used to assess the effects of economic crisis on people’s freedom to lead flourishing lives. The study develops a theoretical framework that combines the CA with concepts from Philosophy and Social Psychology - the theories of practical reason and personal values. These concepts are then operationalised using data from the European Social Survey and quantitative methods, including latent variable techniques and structural equation models. The study reveals that economic crisis had a two-fold effect on well-being, resulting in (1) reduced opportunities to achieve valuable outcomes and (2) diminished expectations, aspirations and goals. These effects were concentrated among socio-economically vulnerable groups, including those on low incomes and the long-term sick and disabled: the findings show that economic crisis compounded existing socio-economic inequalities. The research makes three main contributions. First, it demonstrates theoretically and empirically that subjective well-being is not a reliable indicator for evaluating the effects of hard times on well-being; nor is it, more generally, a suitable guide for public policy. Second, it demonstrates a new methodological approach to identifying latent ‘value orientations’ within Schwartz’s framework of personal values. Third, in combining the CA with theories of practical reason and personal values, this research offers a new approach to conceptualising and measuring the agency aspect of capability.

Il est historiquement prouvé que crise économique rime avec désorganisation des institutions. L’effort d’un encadrement juridique de la crise nous amène donc à constater une transformation flagrante des règles de droit émises pendant cette période. Dans le cadre du processus législatif, cette transformation se produit par le déclenchement des mécanismes exceptionnels. Ainsi, la législation de la crise consiste principalement à l’édiction des normes législatives par le pouvoir exécutif sur la base de son pouvoir législatif exceptionnel. A cet égard, l’exigence de flexibilité issue de la crise semble justifier une nouvelle répartition des pouvoirs. A l’origine de cette nouvelle répartition se trouve une tentative de faire passer à tout prix des mesures qui apporteront des bénéfices économiques, sauf que ces mesures s’étendent dans le champ des droits et libertés en imposant des restrictions considérables à leur jouissance. Face à cet ébranlement institutionnel, le juge constitutionnel reste souvent passif, en se limitant à un contrôle restreint des actes adoptés selon des procédures exceptionnelles. Ainsi, les problèmes financiers prennent un caractère vivement politique qui conduit le juge national à s’autolimiter pour ne pas s’immiscer dans les questions qui semblent constituer des choix politiques. La Grèce constitue un exemple emblématique de ce phénomène. Les réformes effectuées au cours de ces dernières années par les gouvernements grecs successifs touchent les domaines les plus cruciaux de la vie socioéconomique du pays. La grande majorité de ces réformes et, incontestablement les plus importantes parmi eux, sont fondées sur une législation d’exception / It is historically proven that economic crisis rhymes with disorganization of institutions. The effort of a legal definition and delimitation of the crisis leads to a blatant transformation of the legal rules issued during this period. As a part of the legislative process, this transformation takes place by the implementation of exceptional mechanisms to deal with emergencies. Thus, the legislation of the crisis consists mainly of the enactment of legislative norms by the executive power on the basis of its exceptional legislative power. In this context, the requirement of flexibility resulting from the crisis seems to justify a new division of powers. This redistribution is based in an attempt to pass at all costs measures which will bring economic benefits, except that these measures extend into the field of rights and freedoms by imposing considerable restrictions on their enjoyment. Faced with this institutional disruption, the constitutional judge often remains passive, limiting itself to a limited control of the acts adopted by exceptional procedures. Thus, the financial problems acquire a highly political character which leads the national judge to restrict himself so as not to interfere with the questions that seem to constitute political choices. Greece is an emblematic example of this phenomenon. The reforms undertaken in recent years by successive Greek governments affect the most crucial areas of the country's socio-economic life. The vast majority of these reforms, and undoubtedly the most important among them, are based on an exceptional legislation

This dissertation is concerned with the documentation and analysis of contemporary responses of a particular segment of Greek society to the economic crisis that has impacted on Greece, Europe and the wider capitalist world. Based on ethnographic research conducted in multiple sites, including the city of Athens and the village of Kandyla, I argue that dynamic contemporary connections exist between rural and urban Greece in relation to these responses. I also argue that contemporary responses to the crisis among this segment of society, notably small-business people, are constructed through and built upon strategies that have long histories in Greek village life and that are informed by responses to earlier crises, the memories of which are kept alive both materially and discursively. These responses are rooted in and performed in what Herzfeld has called “collective identification” evident in a set of shared sentiments among research participants regarding the valorisation of hard work and the principle of self-sufficiency, the parasitic nature of the Greek state, the constant production of insiders and outsiders in relation to the state, the use of reciprocity in business contexts, and the deployment of stereotypes regarding youths and politicians. / Dissertation (MSocSci) University of Pretoria, 2017. / Anthropology and Archaeology / MSocSci / Unrestricted

The research is a practical theological exploration which analysed prophetic preaching in neo-Pentecostal Christianity during the socio-economic and socio-political crisis. At the centre of Pentecostalism is the notion of preaching and prophecy. In an attempt to understand prophetic preaching in these neo-Pentecostal churches the study examines the trends and behaviour of the neo-Pentecostal prophets and the critical aspect of how these ministries communicate the gospel to its adherents. The critical focus of the research is the question of whether the meaning of prophetic preaching refers to sermons that in some way predict the future or to preaching that addresses significant social issues and concerns. It also questions whether the adherents of these new ministries are inspired by the gospel of faith or are they driven by the socio-economic and socio-political crisis which may eventually not be accurate understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The research addresses the terrors and doubts of many people who are trapped between Christian belief and terror and reaction to the declaration of the prophetic gospel of prosperity by the neo-Pentecostal prophets particularly in Zimbabwe. The theoretical statement of this research is that there appears to be an understated renewal element in the theology of neo-Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe as is evidently expressed through the movement of Christians from the traditional churches to these neo-Pentecostal churches in tendencies which reflect the fluctuating religious topography and the expression of African Christianity in general and Zimbabwean Christianity in particular. The research explores the landscape, influence and importance of neo-Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwean community in general. The identity and nature of neo-Pentecostal Christianity in its practical theological exploration discussed the origins of the neo-Pentecostal prophets, their churches and the sermons they preach and the dynamics that promote the growth of these ministries in the context of God’s plans for evangelism and the community in particular. Fundamental to this kind of Christianity are the similes of power and prosperity which are believed to be symbols of faith. The effect and impact of this type of faith expression in the socio-economic and socio-political scene has been fully reconnoitred. The primary methodology in this research is the qualitative method complemented by quantitative methods. A practical theological framework was used in the research especially with Osmer’s core tasks of practical theological interpretation, as it was used to interpret the unfolding trends of the phenomenon under exploration. The research discloses how people’s socio-economic and socio-political fears and hopes in the hub of life’s challenges lure them toward new ministries which promise to absolutely encourage a magnificent life with real results being received in the ‘here and now’. This study has reviewed how religion and politics interacted specifically in the Zimbabwean context and how they affect each other. It has also reviewed how religion especially neo-Pentecostal Christianity, has been seen as a platform of a lavish life in the environment of people’s desires and challenges. There is longing in neo-Pentecostal Christianity, for wealth and health as expressions of salvation and a faithful Christian life. Strangely, there is diminutive references to moral and ethical issues from the neo-Pentecostal prophetic preaching, it was noted that their preaching is centred on declarations, prosperity, prophecy, deliverance, health, and miracles. These themes are the pillars of prophetic preaching in neo-Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe and they are considered as signs of being saved and to have received blessings from God. When one lacks these things and economic success one is regarded as demons possessed and it causes poor health hence one needs to be delivered from the bondage of Satan. Such teachings have accustomed the potential converts to seek after material things and values as acute features of the significance of salvation and the mission of Christ. The fundamentals of the research compared the Old Testament prophets’ prophetic preaching with that of neo-Pentecostal prophets and finds that neo-Pentecostalism preaching has failed to be prophetic in the sense of eighth century prophets like Elijah, Isaiah, Amos, and Elisha who rebuked the kings, merchants, and priests for their immoral practices. Prophecy as seen from the Old Testament prophets is described as a medium of communication between God and his chosen nation Israel; prophecy was meant to rebuke, challenge and change Israel’s attitude and follow the statutes and commandments of God which were the basis for their everyday living. Hence the research has noted that the neo-Pentecostal prophets failed to meet this standard set by the ancient prophets. The research went on to expose that neo-Pentecostal Christianity encourages in an indirect way of making disciples instead of the traditional way of faith response to the gospel proclamation. But does this neo-Pentecostal gospel alleviate poverty or does it have any relevance to edify one’s life to have a better relationship with God? The eight chapters of this research has embarked on these questions, pointing the way to the four elements of preaching as a new theory for praxis. These four elements ended up looking at the gospel of contentment as a response to a dependable Christian evangelisation that is alive and related to the meaning of salvation and bring this nation out of this socio-economic and socio- political crisis. The research concludes that the four elements of preaching and especially gospel of contentment is the panacea providing meaning and solutions to the varied human fears, corruption, economic and political meltdown of the country that portrays the provisional nature of human existence. This can be achieved when the church practices prophetic preaching as the men of the eighth century did. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Practical Theology / PhD / Unrestricted