This thesis focuses on the problem of banking sector in the Czech Republic. The aim is to determine, whether the Czech banking sector is stable and healthy. The analysis is performed on the example of three largest banks since their privatization until now. In my work, I found out how banks due to adjusting from toxic assets and subsequent sale to foreign investors became successful companies, that withstand the financial crisis in the years 2007 - 2009, and every year can generate relatively high profit. Decomposition on the individual components are identified as the main sources of profit and also the main risks. The analysis shows, that the most hazardous component of the revenue comes from trading by banks. These banks in the recent years considerably decreased profitability. For the banks come the main profits from interest income. These in the recent years considerably decreased profitability. For the banks comes the main profit from interest income. Banks concentrate more on traditional banking products and thus do not fall into problems as many other banks abroad. The work confirmed all three hypotheses and thus was fulfilled the assumption that Czech banks are stable and healthy.

This thesis is dedicated to the creation of Balanced Scorecard for three nursery schools in Prague 9. The aim is the application of BSC in the nonprofit sector and its use in the current operation of these organizations. The theoretical part deals with the strategy, method Balaced Scorecard and also the characteristics of the nonprofit sector. In the practical part describes the kindergarten both in terms of legal, economic, but also their specifics. The practical part continues with PEST analysis, Porter analysis and SWOT analysis. The largest part is devoted to the creation of Balanced Scorecard, including evaluation and strategic map.

This paper traces an unfolding process of applying principles of organizational storytelling to build an unpublished website. I created this website to tell the story of a small nonprofit seeking to increase and continue its watershed restoration efforts. Storytelling has become a popular messaging approach within non-profit organizations. I conducted direct interviews with key members of the organization, then set selected excerpts within the context of a written meta-story that conveys information, delivers a call to action, and provides a means for visitor response. Site content corresponds to categories of narrative discourse designed to encourage active response from listeners. The site design employs techniques for capturing and maintaining visitor interaction. The paper includes theoretical discussion of organizational storytelling, non-profit messaging, and website building, as well as basic ideas for future launch and utilization of the website and additional applications of the audio recording files.

Given that analysts expect companies to invest $22 billion in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems by 2017, it is critical that leaders understand the impact of CRM on their bottom line. The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate potential relationships between the independent variables of customer satisfaction and CRM utilization on the dependent variable of business revenue. The service-profit chain formed the theoretical framework for this study. The study population included 203 service branches for an industrial equipment manufacturer in North America. The service director for the subject organization provided the data for the study via data extracts from the company's corporate database. Some branches were eliminated, leaving a total sample size of 178. The results of a multiple linear regression analysis showed that the proposed model could significantly predict branch revenue F (2,175) = 37.321, p < .001, R2 = .298. Both CRM use and customer satisfaction were statistically significant, with CRM use (beta = .488, p < .001) showing a higher contribution than customer satisfaction (beta = -.152, p = .021). This study provides evidence to business executives that CRM use has a strong positive influence on revenue. Additionally, this study supports the findings of other studies that show a point of diminishing returns in improved customer satisfaction. This study contributes to positive social change by allowing firms to make better decisions with their investment dollars and by increasing CRM utilization through cause-related marketing.

Alaska Native populations have experienced significant struggles with addictions to alcohol and other substances. The Alaska Native population's access to treatment services is riddled with problems. This quantitative study served the purpose of identifying factors that lead to the prediction of successful treatment discharges among Alaska Native clients who received treatment for substance abuse at a treatment center in Alaska. Based on the theoretical framework of Marlatt's relapse prevention theory, using archival data, as well as a cross-sectional, quantitative research design, predictive variables of the efficacy of substance use treatment among outpatient clients (N = 278) were examined. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess whether adverse experiences, depression levels, social support, substance abuse, and sociocultural variables such as ethnicity, age, gender, mandatory/voluntary treatment enrollment predicted successful discharge in outpatient treatment. Results indicated that only gender was significantly connected to treatment outcomes. Women were more likely than men to successfully complete the treatment program. Several limitations could explain these results including the use of instruments that were not empirically validated, the use of self-report measures, and the quality of the assessment process. Results of this study could be used to focus on understanding and developing specific treatment modalities for men with substance abuse problems. Future studies should use empirically validated measures and a precise program of research.

The study was initiated to determine how sheep ranches were physically and economically organized in 1964 and to select range and livestock management alternatives which would be profitable to sheep ranches. With data collected from the ranches three model ranches, representing the three most prominent strata, were constructed. These strata were determined by number of breeding ewes that were on the ranch and by the season of grazing on government land, i.e., winter, summer, or year around. After the building of these three ranches, each of them was linear programmed to find the profit maximizing combination of resources both before and following the addition of private and public capital. Capital was added in small increments, and the internal rate of return was calculated for each increment to determine the profitability of each investment. As an added tool, the capitalized value of the ranch resources was obtained showing the value of one more unit of each resource to the ranch concerned.

Everything manufactured has an impact on the environment, either by consuming unrenewable resources as raw materials, or consuming energy, or adding excess nutrients to soils and waterways, or generating greenhouse gasses, wastes or pollutants. Many environmental critics believe that the most effective way to reduce this damage is to regulate to force manufacturers to produce and distribute goods with lower environmental impacts. Others believe that consumers should be educated to demand these improvements from manufacturers. The author of this thesis believes the most effective way to persuade the private sector to reduce the environmental impacts of its products would be to convince them that this would be profitable. At this point in time, most Australian manufacturers do not believe this to be the case, otherwise there would be many more green products in the marketplace. Many marketers have a negative attitude to green marketing, while others who would like to investigate the potential of the green market lack the data to do so. The original research for this thesis takes the form of a commercial market segmentation study designed to analyse the green market and provide answers to the following questions : Which segment or segments of the Australian population are actual or potential green consumers? What are their motivations, attitudes and buying habits? What new products would they welcome in the future? The findings of the research are that at least 50 percent of the Australian market has made considerable behavioural adjustments for environmental reasons and would welcome greener products. Marketers can therefore only ignore the green market at the risk of ignoring the needs and wants of 50 percent of the population. Thus, the original research provides a map of the Australian Green Market which will legitimise the corporate decision, develop and promote greener products / Master of Science (Hons) (Social Ecology)

Community service organisations play a crucial role in the delivery of many social services while functioning from a strong values base often associated with a particular religion. They attempt to respond to the needs of multiple stakeholders. This creates a complex and sometimes ambiguous set of accountability relationships. Government contributes significantly to the funding of most community service organisations, and often this is reflected in close working relationships between public servants in funding departments and managers of community service organisations. The nature of this relationship was changed as a consequence of a wave of public sector reforms beginning in the 1980s. These reforms aimed to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of government departments. Strategies adopted included funder-purchaser-provider models of service delivery, leading to the contracting out of some services previously provided by government and the adoption of more contract-like agreements with existing external service providers. This led to the development of additional mechanisms for measuring and monitoring performance. These were directed both internally towards public sector staff and externally to funded programs. The community services sector’s concern about the impact of reform on their functioning and survival provided the impetus for undertaking this qualitative study of the management of accountability in community service organisations in South Australia. Data were collected in 2000-2001 through interviews with community service organisation and public service staff, and through analysis of organisational documents related to accountability. Staff from twelve community service organisations, and state and federal public servants participated. While the analysis shows the costs to community service organisations and the damage to their relationship with government resulting from reform, it also identifies improvements to the management of accountability in some organisations. Governments at both state and federal levels have since adopted the language of partnership and collaboration. This occurred partly in recognition of the negative impacts of an over-zealous emphasis on distanced purchaser-provider relationships and partly from an increasing recognition of the failure of existing systems to resolve complex social issues. Follow-up data were collected in 2004 that identified changes in the relationships between the community service organisations and funding departments, and in the community service organisations’ management of their own accountability. Analysis of these data found a significance increase in formal relationships between community service organisations but limited change in the relationship with government. Through an analysis of the impact of public sector change on community service organisations in South Australia, this thesis contributes to the understanding of inter-sectoral relationships and the management of accountability in community service organisations.

<p>Abstract</p><p>Type of thesis: Bachelor thesis</p><p>Number of pages: 98</p><p>Title: Understanding leadership in successful Non-profit organizations: a case-study of IKSU</p><p>Authors: Linnéa Larsson, Peter Storhannus</p><p>Supervisor: Jessica Eriksson</p><p>Date: 2008-01-24</p><p>Summary:</p><p>Most leadership research has made within regular corporations or public sector organizations in the business world. However, the research on leadership in the non-profit organizations (NPOs) has been scarce even though these organizations play an important part in society and the economy as well. It is argued that leadership in NPOs is different from that of a for-profit organization due to the different preconditions that exist in a non-profit organization.</p><p>The research question of this thesis is therefore; “what characterizes leadership in NPOs and what leadership styles can be found?”.</p><p>Our purpose with this thesis is to provide an understanding of the leadership in a successful non-profit organization. More specifically, understand the leadership at IKSU. We identify IKSU as a combination between a mutual benefit organization and a voluntary association. We have chosen to make a case study by interviewing managers in different positions at the successful non-profit organization IKSU located in Umeå.</p><p>The interviewees also answered a questionnaire about their leadership as a complement to the interviews. Further, a questionnaire was sent out to the interviewed managers’ employees in order to receive better contextual understanding about their self-perceived leadership. Literature about NPOs and leadership in both NPOs and for-profit organization has been used. Two frameworks are central throughout the thesis; the situational leadership model constructed by Hersey & Blanchard (1981) have been used to analyze and understand the leadership styles and the four cornerstones of leadership by Ekstam (2002) have been used to construct the interview guide and to analyze the leaders’ roles in the organization.</p><p>The results have shown that he leadership styles that we can find at IKSU are supporting and coaching and that the leaders most developed roles are the roles as developers and teambuilders. We conclude that the use of high supportive behaviour might be due to both the fact that they have such close relationships between leaders and subordinates that the leaders feel uncomfortable adopting a low task/low relationship style, as that could instead damage the close relationship and lead to lower motivation and commitment from the employee. Another reason to use high relationship leadership style is due to that there exist no clear goals within the organization. The leaders work close together with their employees and the employees seem to work independently, thus with the support from the leaders. They let the employees be part of the decision making processes and they take care of the employees skills and knowledge rather than doing everything themselves. Further, they lead the employees through the constantly changing organization and understand that the organization have to develop since the profits have to be reinvested which will lead to further development of the organization.</p>

<p>Introduction</p><p>This paper focuses on the Internet and more specifically on how non-profit organizations can use the Internet to enhance their online presence. Our choice of research object is Automation Region (AR), a non-profit cluster organization, whose purpose is to strengthen and make the cluster of companies within industrial automation in Mälardalen visible. This cluster consists of business-to-business companies in the automation industry and AR was formed to increase the productivity, growth and profitability of these companies. The organization has two goals set up, which include: (1) increased exposure for the automation industry as well as the region wherein AR operates and (2) attracting the best competence as well as getting youths and children interested in automation. AR currently has a website (www.automationregion.com) and the overall purpose for it is to support AR's goals. However, we have a difficulty seeing how this website, as it looks and functions today, is to achieve the goals and objectives of the cluster organization and we also find it difficult to see how AR should do in order to expose its website and its brand to its target audience. The two research questions then becomes: How is Automation Region's website being used today? How can Automation Region utilize the Internet to achieve its goals?</p><p>Purpose</p><p>The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how cluster organizations like Automation Region may use the Internet to achieve its goals, and by doing this also be able to give recommendations on how Automation Region can benefit from the use of the Internet as their primary channel for goal achievement.</p><p>Method - An Action Research based study</p><p>This paper is based on an action research approach, which contains a real world problem, a framework of ideas, and a set of methodologies. The different means of collecting data used in this paper can be categorized in four separate categories: interviews, internet analysis tool, benchmarking, and other empirical data collected.</p><p>Framework of ideas</p><p>Our framework of ideas consists of an introduction to the term clusters, which then explains the different actors on the cluster stage. Then the benefits of clusters are discussed, leading to a further discussion on how non-profit cluster organizations can utilize the possible benefits of a cluster. This leads to a presentation of different ways to improve an organizations online presence.</p><p>Analysis</p><p>The analysis is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the results of the website analysis, where different reports from the web analysis program are analyzed. This will show how the website currently is being used and should lead to conclusions on how this usage can be improved. The second part focuses on the available Internet tools and how AR can utilize these to reach their explicit goals for the cluster organization.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The so called internal visitors are plentiful on AR's website site and we can conclude that the site is being used in an Intranet like way. Another conclusion is that AR should be able to increase the probability of achieving their goals by further enhancing the use of the Internet tools they currently have (website and e-mail), and also by expanding their online presence with the use of several other potential Internet tools.</p>