Work-life balance (WLB) is becoming a topic of focus for management, employees, HR specialists and wellness coordinators due to its association to the health, wellbeing and performance of employees. In line with this, the aim of the study was partly to study which initiatives exist for a balance between work and private life in hospitality organizations and partly how employees and managers, respectively, experience its impact on performance. Furthermore, the aim was to find out which strategies, according to employees' and managers' perceived experiences, can enable hospitality organizations to achieve improved employee performance from work-life balance initiatives. The study employed qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews as the data collection tool and thematic analysis. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation-Hygiene was used as the theoretical framework to aid in the analysis of the findings. The findings revealed a positive relationship between WLB initiatives and perceived employee performance in hospitality organizations. Moreover, the study indicated that managers had a positive attitude towards WLB implementation as they alluded that WLB help to improve employees’ performance because it helps employees manage their roles in a better way without stress and burnout. These initiatives (such as paid leaves, work breaks, and flexible scheduling) were found to contribute positively to the performance of employees in terms of increasing their productivity as they help employees to manage their roles in a better way without any stress. The study concluded that the hospitality organizations can enhance work-life balance through the creation of various HR policies, flexible scheduling, paid time off for child care, paid maternity leave, fitness centers, counseling, and training sessions as well as implement programs such as workshops and seminars on time management, stress reduction, efficient job management among other things.

Problematization: Family firms in Sweden play a vital role in the labor force, reflecting their extensive presence and essential role in the economy. Central to every family firm are its guiding values, shared among family members engaged in its activities. Driven by a commitment to their local communities and a sense of social responsibility, family firms actively pursue social initiatives. However, there is a recognized imperative for additional research to investigate micro-level aspects and enhance the comprehension of the Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) model. Purpose: The research aims to establish a conceptual framework for investigation of the interconnection between family firms and social initiatives. The primary objective is to explore how family values are embedded in the decision-making process concerning social initiatives within the local community. Method: An exploratory multiple case study design was employed, utilizing a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with family members actively involved in the decision-making process regarding social initiatives and their subsequent implementation. Main results: Family values guide decisions related to social initiatives within family firms, driven by centralized ownership, while the business values of firms are influenced by the values upheld by family owners. Consequently, the decision-making process is influenced by the personal interests of family members, hence the essence of fostering community togetherness. The findings underscored an informal decision-making process across various industries,wherein decisions are guided by the personal interests of family members in pursuing social initiatives within the local community.

In recent years, Sweden's society has become ethnically super diverse, yet social exclusion and segregation remain prevalent problems, particularly in employment, housing, and education. Acknowledging this challenge, the Swedish government, the Swedish Sports Confederation, and sports organisations have invested in sports to promote integration.Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence that these efforts lead to social integration, necessitating further investigation into their effectiveness. Therefore, this thesis proposes factors that facilitate or hinder social integration and social capital development among participants from various backgrounds within a CSR programme carried out in a sports club in a highly segregated Swedish city. The concept of social integration encompassing four dimensions (interaction, identification, culturalization, placement) and social capital theory form the theoretical framework for qualitative content data analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with program participants, youth leaders, and the program manager to gain insights into their perceptions and experiences regarding social connections and the development of social capital within the integration program. Participants' experiences and perceptions were analysed and discussed, which led to the conclusion of several key factors. The main conclusion of this study is that key factors, such as interactions with people from diverse backgrounds in safe environments, a physical activity and education component, exceptional events, and networking opportunities, significantly enrich participants' experiences and encourage continued engagement in sports for integration initiatives. This not only contributes to social capital development and social integration into society but also provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of such initiatives. However, challenges like recruiting and retaining participants and inconsistent attendance are crucial factors hindering the effectiveness of these initiatives in promoting social integration.

The global economy is continually evolving, with new market trends constantly emerging. There appears to be one exception, globalization remains a dominant and consistent trend, even among SMEs. Numerous SMEs enter international markets, encountering diverse business standards and cultures, and must align their local strategies with global responsibilities. They need to consider their position in the global economy and their impact on all stakeholders, from actors in the supply chain to citizens in the countries where they operate. Corporate Social Responsibility has become an increasingly important approach for businesses to understand and improve their global impact and competitiveness by adapting both internal and external strategies. Therefore, this thesis investigates how internationalization impacts CSR initiatives for SMEs when expanding across European borders and how these practices contribute to companies' long-term success. Moreover, the emphasis on culture is investigated through Hofstede's cultural dimensions and the CAGE distance framework, to understand the challenges and opportunities related to cultural differences, along with other distances between countries encountered while internationalizing. Furthermore, CSR is investigated based on popular cluster definitions and approaches suggested by the EU and the UN. For the simplicity of this thesis, SMEs originating from Sweden and Germany have been the focal point of this research.  For this thesis, primary and secondary data have been collected and will be analyzed using a qualitative research approach. Secondary data comprising theoretical literature was collected and analyzed from numerous databases. Primary data was gathered through Semi-structured interviews with four specialists employed at SMEs and one expert working with local and global SMEs regularly. This data collection will be analyzed to suggest successful CSR approaches related to the internationalization within Europe.  This research concludes that SMEs must understand their global responsibilities to stay competitive in the international market as CSR will become an inevitable part of a company's business strategy. Companies prioritize different aspects of CSR based on their size and industry and adjust these strategies in line with market trends and the conditions of their respective industries. The extent to which companies can integrate CSR into their core values and business plans depends on the resources available to them.

Text in Afrikaans / lnternasionale erkenning van die konsep van kinderregte skep die grondslag vir state om op nasionale vlak inisiatiewe te loads wat op die kweek van 'n kinderregtekultuur gerig is, wat sal meebring dat 'n sensitiwiteit vir kinderregte ontwikkel en prioriteit aan die beskerming van daardie regte verleen word. Dit is 'n omvattende taak wat grondwetlike bepalings raak en wetgewing en administratiewe programme vereis ten einde 'n balans te vind tussen ouers se aansprake op gesinsoutonomie en die strewe om in gepaste gevalle aan kinders die bevoegdheid te verleen om self besluite oar hul lewens te neem. Die belangeatweging vind plaas teen die agtergrond van die primere oorweging van die beste belange van kinders ten opsigte van aspekte wat hulle raak . . / International recognition of the concept of children's rights lays the foundation for states to launch initiatives on national level which are aimed at developing a culture of children's rights. This will lead to an increased sensitivity to children's rights and the fact that priority will be given to the protection of those rights. It is a wide·ranging task which affects constitutional provisions and requires legislation and administrative programmes in order to strike a balance between parents' claims to the autonomy of the family and the attempt to enable children, in suitable instances, to make decisions about their lives themselves. This weighing up of interests takes place against the background of the primary consideration of the best interests of children with respect to aspects which affect them. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / (LL.M)

Thesis (MA (Political Science. International Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Southern Africa as a region requires a rallying point from where they can integrate and mobilize their resources in order to create a security community, which acts both as a deterrent to the outbreak of conflict and regional bloc to protect local industries from global forces. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) does not have the strong relationship which usually exists between states that share a common goal or interest. The study argues that the lack of leadership within the region accounts for the weak cooperative relationship that presently exists in Southern Africa. This study argues that regionalization does not come about unless the states in a particular region want it. It may come about through spontaneous or unintended convergence in terms of political regime, economic policy or security, but often one can identify a triggering political event which sets the process in motion. The study argues that the Development Corridors apparent in Southern Africa can act as the triggering event and have the promise to forge the most feasible cooperation amongst regional states. The phenomenon of Peace Parks rooted in the Spatial Development Initiatives, offer a unique type of regional integration embedded on traditional focal areas and Southern African Identity. This study intends to analyze the potential ability of regional hegemony to foster peace through development. The primary objective of this study consequently is to examine the role of regional hegemonies as tools for peace; using South Africa’s hegemony in Southern Africa as a case study. This study describes the importance of South Africa as a regional hegemon to lead the process of creating a peaceful co-existence in SADC. To achieve the research objectives the following questions have been formulated: What is South Africa’s role as a development partner in Southern Africa? The second research question asks how the political economy of regionalism is apparent in the Spatial Development Indicators (Development Corridors). Specifically what contribution could Spatial Development Initiatives make towards SADC’s regional integration objectives? The research questions provide an impression of major socio-political developments looming in the region and also seek to provide the required tools to analyze and understand what is going on in Southern Africa today. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suider-Afrikaanse streek het ’n definitiewe behoefte om ‘n sentrale punt te identifiseer waar beide integrasie kan plaasvind en hulpbronne gemobiliseer kan word om ’n veiligheids gemeenskap te skep. Dit kan as ’n definitiewe teenvoeter dien vir die onstaan van konflik en om plaaslike industrie te beskerm teen die soms negatiewe invloed van internasionale magte. Die Suider-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelings Gemeenskap (SAOG) het huidiglik nie ’n sterk verhouding wat tussen state met gemeenskaplike doelwitte en belange heers nie. Die kern argument van hierdie studie is dat die tekort aan leierskap binne die streek een van die hoofoorsake is vir die algemene swak samewerking wat tans bestaan in Suider-Afrika. Die studie argumenteer dat sogenaamde streeks/regionale integrasie nie tot stand kan kom tensy die state in ’n spesifieke streek ’n definitiewe behoefte daartoe het nie. Dit kan wel onstaan deur middel van ’n spontane samevloei van politieke regimes, ekonomiese beleid en veiligheid. Daar is soms egter ’n spesifieke gebeurtenis wat die proses laat onstaan. Die studie argumenteer dat die sogenaamde Ontwikkelings Deurgange (‘Development Corridors’) wat tans in Suider-Afrika ontwikkel as ’n moontlike vertrekpunt gesien kan word wat die beste kans bied om samewerking tussen state te bevorder. Die onstaan van Vredes Parke (‘Peace Parks’) gevestig binne die Ontwikkelings Deurgange, bied ’n unieke vorm van regionale integrasie in Suider-Afrika. Hierdie studie het ten doel om die potensiële moontlikheid van regionale hegemonie om vrede te bewerkstellig deur middel van ontwikkeling te ontleed. Die hoof doelwit van hierdie studie is om die rol van regionale hegemonie as instrument van vrede te ontleed. Die studie sal spesifiek die gevallestudie van Suid-Afrika se regionale hegemonie in Suider-Afrika ondersoek. Hierdie studie beskryf die belangrikheid van Suid-Afrika as ’n streeks moondheid om die leiding te neem om vreedsame samewerking binne die SAOG te bewerkstellig. Die volgende belangrike vrae is in hierdie studie gestel: Wat is Suid-Afrika se rol as ’n ontwikkelings-vennoot in Suider-Afrika? Die tweede vraag probeer vasstel tot watter mate die politieke ekonomie van regionale samewerking tans bestaan in die Omgewings Ontwikkelings Indikatore (die sogenaamde ‘Development Corridors’). Watter spesifieke bydraes kan hierdie inisiatiewe lewer om die SAOG se regionale integrasie doelwitte te bereik? Die vrae probeer ’n geheel indruk skep hoe die Omgewings-Ontwikkelings Inisiatiewe (‘Spatial Development Initiatives’) tans bydra om ’n beter begrip te skep van huidige verwikkelinge in Suider-Afrika.

<p>The aim of this inquiry is to investigate which ideals of democracy that three proposals for strengtening the democracy in the European Union consists of and to judge if the desired effects of the proposals are reachable. The method that is used is an analysis of ideas and contents. Theories that are used are deliberative and particiapatory ideals of democracy. The theories are used to investigate if the ideas in the proposals correspond to the ideals of deliberative and participatory democracy. The major result is that the proposals fail to fulfil the ideas of the theories. The reason is that the proposals are lacking ideas of how to make the citizens more aware and active in politics. The point of departure in the proposals is that the European Union will be more democratic if the people are brought in to the politics, but they do not suggest how people should form opinions through communication and become conscious and competent in political issues through participation. It is also likely that the effects of the proposals not are reachable to all the citizens. Only the ones who have an interest in communicating and participating in European politics will be gained by the proposals.</p>

In 1995 the Swedish government launched the first area-based initiative Special initiatives in immigrant-dense neighbourhoods as a response to the current debate concerning the failings of the integration policy. The area-based policy and projects undertake the mission to reverse the trend in marginalized neighbourhoods in Sweden’s major cities from 1995 to 2014. The empirical material is from the projects Area-programs for a socially sustainable Malmö (2010-2015) and Lindängen towards the future (2012-2014), Malmö municipality. Adopting a social constructionist approach the study’s aim is to examine the projects’ assumptions concerning what – and who – should be changed and how.  Based on the policy´s claim to achieve structural change the study also examines if, and if so what, possibilities the projects have to create opportunities for structural change.   The study shows that the area-based projects cannot create opportunities for structural change but rather work to reduce the social consequences of structural deficiencies that are made visible through the reproduction of marginalised neighbourhoods. In the projects the social problem is constructed as consisting of four interrelated factors: long-term unemployment, foreign background, segregation and lack of social responsibility. The strategy is to mobilise public, private and civil sector actors so that they – despite society’s exclusion of people of foreign background in situations of long-term unemployment – take their social responsibility and make available resources to individual residents in order to prepare them for becoming active citizens. As they are not able to reduce poverty, promote inclusive political and economic processes or legitimate relationships between those in power and representatives of civil society with demands for changing conditions, their ability to create opportunities for structural change is found to be  limited. / 1995 implementeras det första områdesbaserade projektet Särskilda insatser i invandrartäta bostadsområden som svar på den pågående debatten rörande samhällsutvecklingen och den misslyckade integrationspolitiken. Den områdesbaserade politiken syftar till att vända utvecklingen i marginaliserade bostadsområden i Sveriges storstäder 1995-2014. Här studeras Malmö stads Områdesprogram för ett socialt hållbart Malmö (2010-2015) och Lindängen mot framtiden (2012-2014). Genom att anlägga en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats syftar studien till att undersöka föreställningar om vad - och vem - som bör förändras och hur. Med bakgrund i politikområdets anspråk om att uppnå strukturell förändring undersöker studien även om, och i så fall vilka, förutsättningar politikområdet och projekt i praktiken har att möjliggöra strukturell förändring.   Studien visar att de områdesbaserade projekten inte har möjlighet att verka strukturförändrande utan snarast arbetar för att minska de sociala konsekvenserna av strukturella brister som synliggörs genom reproduktionen av marginaliserade bostadsområden. Projekten konstruerar det sociala problemet som bestående av fyra interrelaterade faktorer: långvarig arbetslöshet, utländsk bakgrund, boendesegregation och bristande samhällsansvar. Deras strategi är att mobilisera offentliga, privata och civila sektorsaktörer för att de – trots samhällssystemets exkludering av människor med utländsk bakgrund i situationer av långvarig arbetslöshet – ska ta sitt samhällsansvar och tillgängliggöra resurser till enskilda invånare för att förbereda dem för att bli aktiva samhällsmedborgare. Projektens möjlighet att skapa strukturell förändring hindras av att de inte kan minska fattigdom, främja inkluderande politiska och ekonomiska processer, eller bidra till legitima relationer mellan makthavare och aktörer från det civila samhället med krav på förändrade villkor. / <p>QC 20161213</p>

The American social welfare system is a mixed system consisting of loosely coupled government programs, private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, grassroots and religious entities. Although religious entities historically played a key role in the development of the social welfare system, the faith-based initiative of President George W. Bush targeted religious service providers to receive government funding and take on a larger role in service delivery to at-risk populations based on the belief that these providers were substantially different from traditional providers. Using a cross-sectional research design and a survey instrument created for the study, data was collected from 121 nonprofit service providers in the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area of Virginia. Nonprofit organizations were selected from three online databases using identified criteria and sent paper surveys and/or emails inviting them to complete a web-based survey. The study identified similarities and differences between characteristics of faith-based service providers and traditional providers and used a conceptual model composed of Resource Dependence Theory and Neo-Institutional Theory to suggest dynamics impacting similarities and differences between providers. Data analysis included univariate and multivariate analysis of organization characteristics. Univariate findings identified that faith-based organizations in the study were older, served more people in 2006, generally provided services via volunteers, received more funding from congregations and other religious entities and did not favor membership in professional organizations. Other than these notable differences, faith-based providers were fairly similar to their traditional counterparts. A multivariate analysis used a two-group discriminant function (DFA) procedure to determine which variables best discriminated between provider groups. Two variables, funding from congregations/other religious entities and funding from government grants/contracts, were found to be the most important discriminating variables. Study findings were consistent with prior research comparing the provider groups. Although some differences do exist, overall similarities tended to outweigh differences suggesting that the claim of substantially differences between providers did not fit the geographic area studied. For those concerned with community service delivery, the implication is that recent economic developments suggest that attention should be placed on collaboration and service delivery capacity-building rather than on the differences between service providers.

Student Number : 0317854T - MEd research report - School of Education - Faculty of Humanities / School effectiveness and school improvement research is a worldwide phenomenon that has inspired a great deal of literature. This report examines teachers’ perceptions of a teacher-led curriculum development initiative currently effective in independent schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, and it describes strategies for implementation for interested schools. It is a programme that focuses school improvement back into the classroom, with teachers leading the changes at their site of practice. The Gauteng Independent Schools Curriculum Development Initiative (GISCDI) is a teacher-led initiative. Qualitative research generates an understanding of how the mechanisms of this initiative impact on the lives of teachers and students. It provides detailed explanations of teachers’ perceptions of change in actual classroom practices, pedagogy and curriculum implementation by entering into conversations with selected participants. It considers the changes in light of reflective practice, after involvement in the GISCDI. The report accesses the different methodologies the teachers implemented in their classrooms, after the teacher-led interventions were presented to them. It also considers the concepts of teacher leadership, trust, distributed leadership and collegiality as being the core elements to initiating, implementing and sustaining change in practice, to benefit student learning and improving schools.