The main task of the thesis is to characterize the German business practices, which are influenced mainly by cultural characteristics and standards. This work take stand for empirical research based on the experience of Czech companies with German partners. The main objective is to find out, whether the theory is in line with the practice of Czech companies. In the first part of my paper I write about local characteristic of the Federal Republic of Germany. The second chapter characterizes tendencies in behavior of the German and Czech business partners. I analyze differences between Czech and German cultural standards in international trade relations. The third chapter is about process and forms of business negotiations with Germans. In the last part of my work I mention my personal knowledge learned from personal interviews, conducted with representatives of Czech companies trading in the German market and also from my questionary research.

The purpose of the following thesis is evaluation of relation evolution between Turkey and European Union. Thesis is divided into four main chapters in logical subsequent order. First chapter covers the historical and economic issues from the foundation of turkish republic up to the present. Second part deals with the development description of relations between the Turkey and the Union since the fifties when the first integration attempts took place. In 1995 these attempts became real when the customs union has been set and resulted in an initiation of accession negotiations during 2005. Third chapter is dedicated to the present problems connected with Turkey accession, particularly one so called "EU absorption capacity". Last section contains opinion stands of selected member countries, both from the political elites point of view as well as the output from the public opinion polls amongst EU and Turkey citizens.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain insight into the perspectives of experienced higher education administrators regarding faculty unionization, the collective bargaining process, and the interpersonal relationships between higher education faculty members and administrators. The primary method of data collection was semi-structured face to face interviews with nine administrators from two community colleges and two universities in the south Florida area. All of the study participants worked with unionized faculty members and had direct experience participating in bargaining negotiations. Upon the completion of each interview, the researcher listened to the taped audio recording of the interview several times and then transcribed all of the information from the audiotape into a Word file. Data collection and analysis for each participant were performed concurrently. Using a modified concept mapping approach, the research questions were written on large yellow sticky notes and placed in the middle of a wall in the researcher’s home with nine descriptive categorical themes written on smaller sticky notes placed around the study questions. The highlighted quotes and key phrases were cut from each transcript and placed under each of the descriptive categories. Over the course of a few months repeatedly reviewing the research questions that guided this study, the theory of symbolic interactionism, and relevant literature the categorical descriptive themes were refined and condensed into five descriptive themes. Study findings indicated that the administrators: (a) must have a clear understanding of what it is that the faculty does to be an effective representative at the bargaining table, (b) experienced role ambiguity and role strain related to a lack of understanding as to their role at the bargaining table and a lack of organizational support, (c) were not offered any type of training in preparation for bargaining, (d) perceived a definite “us versus them” mentality between faculty and administration, and (e) saw faculty collective bargaining at public institutions of higher education in Florida as ineffectual.

Traditional methods for teaching negotiation have required both instructor and student to be physically present in the same location. With the advent of the Internet and associated technological advances, however, instructors may now transcend geographical barriers and effectively deliver the same content virtually. In this article, we present an exploratory study comparing two masters-level negotiation courses: one taught using a traditional in-person method and the other taught online. Results showed no significant difference in knowledge acquisition as quantified by objective measures, including mean grades. In addition, self-report data indicate that, although students' skill and mastery of negotiation improved in both courses, online students reported that they experienced less interaction and social engagement with their classmates and instructor. Several course development strategies and best practices are discussed.

Phenotypic plasticity, the capacity of individuals to respond to changing environments by modifying traits, is critically important in allowing biological innovation in the face of environmental change. My dissertation used the clown anemonefish (Amphiprion percula) study system to explore plasticity in parenting strategies in response to variable ecological and social environments. In Part I, I investigated plasticity in response to ecological environment. First, I explored how resource variation influences parenting strategies. I measured parental behaviors in A. percula under two feeding regimes in the laboratory. I demonstrated that clownfish exhibit plasticity in parental care, and that there is significant among individual variation, i.e., personality, in parenting strategies. Second, I tested how plasticity affects life history strategies in the field. I measured habitat, reproductive, and parental traits in a natural population and found positive correlations between resource availability (anemone size) and body size, reproduction, and parental care. I conducted an experimental manipulation of resource availability and found that reproduction and parental care are plastic, providing a causal link between habitat quality variation and reproductive success in natural populations. In Part II, I investigated plasticity in response to social environment. In my third chapter, I explored how parents utilize social information to optimize their parental investment. I developed a game theory model that provides predictions for how power and punishment influence negotiations between parents over offspring care. The model predicts that the threat of punishment by a powerful parent will result in greater partner effort and, as a result, the offspring receive more total care when there is power and punishment in negotiations. Finally, I tested alternative models along with the model I developed, investigating how parents respond to each other to reach a negotiated settlement over offspring care. I experimentally handicapped one pair member and measured the response of the other parent. I found that anemonefish males and females do not respond directly to changes in their partner’s behavior, contrary to predictions of current negotiation models. Together, results from my dissertation extend our understanding of plasticity of parental care, providing a framework for understanding how parents will respond to changing environments.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Political Science) in the Department of History at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / Sub-Saharan Africa has been faced with an increase in levels of intra-state armed conflict since the last century. Intra-state conflicts have not only shown to be complex by their very nature, but have also shown numerous challenges in finding a solution that could be applied in an effective manner to bring about a guaranteed lasting solution. It is on this basis that interest and attention has been given to the transitional processes from conflict to peace. The conflict transformational process of two dissimilar countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of South Africa form a case study for understanding this quagmire. The transitional negotiations of the DRC from 2003–2006 and that of South Africa from 1991–1994 are the cases in point. The major issues for conflict resolution therefore includes understanding transitional negotiations as a vital process that can make or mar lasting peace in conflict prone areas. This research questions includes; Does citizen participation in transitional negotiations impact on sustainable peace in post- conflict societies? Given the vested interests and the often conflicting interests of various citizen groupings, does citizen participation create stability in the negotiation process for the purpose of creating a sustainable peace, or does it create a greater possibility of non-agreement and regression into conflict? Is it possible to obtain peace in countries that are complex political emergencies where elite interests are outweighing and civil liberties and interests are compromised? How do mediators overcome the problem of self-serving elites in transitional negotiations? Using the post-conflict DRC and South Africa as case studies and for comparative analysis, how can the differences in their outcomes be aggregated? This study is a mix of explanatory and exploratory research. Qualitative methods were used in the research. An expert sampling technique was adopted to conduct interviews in order to represent the different perspectives and theories of the outbreak of conflicts and violence. The principal theories that the study was based on are the Protracted Social Conflict Theory and the Transformative Cosmopolitan Theory. The study hypothetically argues that the paucity of or inclusion of citizens in transitional negotiations can either lead to sustainable peace in post-conflict societies or regress to a conflict stricken society. It also gauged the relations between the state and civil society organizations in working with citizens in order to avoid local conflicts that can interrupt negotiation processes. It expounds on the relationship between the interests of the political elites and the interests of the citizens. This study has determined that the lack of citizen participation in transitional negotiations does impact negatively on sustainable peace in post-conflict societies. In both case studies, it was shown that conflict has continued at the local level. The study has shown further that an inclusive approach to negotiations as well as peace building in post-conflict societies can be beneficial to the state, as there would be sustainable peace. Where mediators have been unable to balance the interests of the self- serving elites and needs of society, the failure has led to high intensity conflicts such as the local conflicts in the DRC becoming independent of the national level, thus making them difficult to resolve.

This research focuses on the opportunities and barriers of virtual peace diplomacy,examining the different aspects of this approach and analyzing its potential impact on thepeace process. In an era where conflicts have evolved into new forms of warfare, thecomplexities of mediation have intensified. Furthermore, the advent of the COVID-19pandemic, together with the widespread availability of digital tools, has transformed peacediplomacy and, therefore, the role of mediators. The research aims to discover whatinfluences the changing environment surrounding peace processes has on peace negotiationand how mediators can adapt most effectively to that environment. This will be done bylooking at all the tracks introduced by the Multi-Track Diplomacy Framework, whereby thedifference in approaches between the tracks will be highlighted. The research will provide anin-depth analysis of the complications regarding virtual trust-building in peace negotiationsin the context of Yemen. This is facilitated by previous peace attempts by the UN in Yemenand by examining the current landscape in Yemen.

Yes / Professor Graham S. Pearson discusses the scope of the international legal prohibition against biological warfare and provides an overview of the status of negotiations, currently in the end-game phase, to agree a legally-binding verification Protocol to the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

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