Suchergebnisse

The theory of sustainable development has become a key concept according to which the European Union and other developed countries have been formulating the long term agricultural policy over the past few decades. Applying this theory into practice, the challenges which derive from the integrity of the objectives of sustainable development are being faced. The different achievements of various countries indicate that the effectiveness of sustainable development policy depends not only on how the various levels of institutions manage to reconcile environmental, social and economic objectives but also on whether the system of sustainability assessment immediately signalizes about the lack of implementation of the measures and creates the prerequisites for a timely policy review. This paper, by applying the different models of sustainable development, presents the principles for developing a system of sustainability assessment of agriculture with a focus on the identification of sustainability constraints arising in relation to insufficient reproduction of environmental, human and manmade capital. The system of sustainability assessment of agriculture in this paper is based on the interdependence of environmental, social and economic factors and aims to determine the causes of unsustainable development and allows to define the contribution and need for an intervention of the various levels of institutions in the implementation of sustainable agricultural development policy. ; Tvaraus vystymosi teorija yra svarbiausia koncepcija, kuria remiantis pastaraisiais dešimtmečiais yra formuojama ilgalaikė žemės ūkio politika Europos Sąjungos ir kitose išsivysčiusiose šalyse. Taikant šią teoriją praktikoje, susiduriama su iššūkiais, kylančiais iš tvaraus vystymosi tikslų integralumo. Skirtingi įvairių šalių pasiekimai rodo, kad tvaraus vystymosi politikos veiksmingumas priklauso ne tik nuo to, kaip įvairaus lygmens institucijos sugeba suderinti aplinkosauginius, socialinius ir ekonominius tikslus, bet taip pat ir nuo to, ar tvaraus vystymosi vertinimo sistema operatyviai signalizuoja apie įgyvendinamų priemonių trūkumą ir sukuria prielaidas savalaikei politikos peržiūrai. Šiame straipsnyje, pritaikius skirtingus tvaraus vystymosi modelius, pateikiami tvaraus žemės ūkio vystymosi vertinimo sistemos konstravimo principai, dėmesį sutelkiant į tvaraus žemės ūkio vystymosi apribojimų, atsirandančių dėl nepakankamo gamtinio, žmogiškojo ir žmogaus sukurto kapitalo atnaujinimo, identifikavimą. Straipsnyje pateikta tvaraus žemės ūkio vystymosi vertinimo sistema, kuri yra pagrįsta aplinkosauginių, socialinių ir ekonominių veiksnių tarpusavio priklausomybe, skirta nustatyti netvaraus vystymosi priežastis bei leidžianti apibrėžti skirtingo lygmens institucijų indėlį ir intervencijos poreikį valstybėje, įgyvendinant tvaraus žemės ūkio vystymosi politiką.

Agricultural land is Lithuania's national property. Agriculture in Lithuania is a priority area which is of great economic, social and environmental significance. On 1 May 2014 the established transitional period of accession of the Republic of Lithuania to the European Union expired, during which the acquisition of agricultural land was restricted to foreign entities. In order to enforce some safeguards on land acquisition and to prevent it from becoming the object of speculations between foreigners and the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania a new amendment to the Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land was introduced. The Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land established additional safeguards which restricted the possibilities of land acquisition not only to the foreign entities but also to the citizens of Lithuania. A person who wants to acquire agricultural land must meet high requirements, have a diploma of agricultural education and be engaged in agricultural activities. It is also requested to fill the purchaser's declaration and get a permit of National Land Service. There are many other requirements which will be analysed in this paper. The question then arises: Do such strict law regulations violate the right of private ownership and freedom of individual economic activity which is established in Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania? It is important to mention that on 26 March 2015 the European Commission started a legislative procedure against Lithuania because of agricultural land acquisition constraints. The fact that the European Commission started a legislative procedure on its own initiative proves that agricultural land acquisition constraints possibly restrict an individual's freedom of action. The aim of this postgraduate paper is to analyse the ways of agricultural land acquisition, to determine the constraints established in the laws and to answer the question if agricultural land acquisition constraints do not violate the principle of economic freedom.

Agricultural land is Lithuania's national property. Agriculture in Lithuania is a priority area which is of great economic, social and environmental significance. On 1 May 2014 the established transitional period of accession of the Republic of Lithuania to the European Union expired, during which the acquisition of agricultural land was restricted to foreign entities. In order to enforce some safeguards on land acquisition and to prevent it from becoming the object of speculations between foreigners and the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania a new amendment to the Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land was introduced. The Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land established additional safeguards which restricted the possibilities of land acquisition not only to the foreign entities but also to the citizens of Lithuania. A person who wants to acquire agricultural land must meet high requirements, have a diploma of agricultural education and be engaged in agricultural activities. It is also requested to fill the purchaser's declaration and get a permit of National Land Service. There are many other requirements which will be analysed in this paper. The question then arises: Do such strict law regulations violate the right of private ownership and freedom of individual economic activity which is established in Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania? It is important to mention that on 26 March 2015 the European Commission started a legislative procedure against Lithuania because of agricultural land acquisition constraints. The fact that the European Commission started a legislative procedure on its own initiative proves that agricultural land acquisition constraints possibly restrict an individual's freedom of action. The aim of this postgraduate paper is to analyse the ways of agricultural land acquisition, to determine the constraints established in the laws and to answer the question if agricultural land acquisition constraints do not violate the principle of economic freedom.

Agricultural land is Lithuania's national property. Agriculture in Lithuania is a priority area which is of great economic, social and environmental significance. On 1 May 2014 the established transitional period of accession of the Republic of Lithuania to the European Union expired, during which the acquisition of agricultural land was restricted to foreign entities. In order to enforce some safeguards on land acquisition and to prevent it from becoming the object of speculations between foreigners and the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania a new amendment to the Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land was introduced. The Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land established additional safeguards which restricted the possibilities of land acquisition not only to the foreign entities but also to the citizens of Lithuania. A person who wants to acquire agricultural land must meet high requirements, have a diploma of agricultural education and be engaged in agricultural activities. It is also requested to fill the purchaser's declaration and get a permit of National Land Service. There are many other requirements which will be analysed in this paper. The question then arises: Do such strict law regulations violate the right of private ownership and freedom of individual economic activity which is established in Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania? It is important to mention that on 26 March 2015 the European Commission started a legislative procedure against Lithuania because of agricultural land acquisition constraints. The fact that the European Commission started a legislative procedure on its own initiative proves that agricultural land acquisition constraints possibly restrict an individual's freedom of action. The aim of this postgraduate paper is to analyse the ways of agricultural land acquisition, to determine the constraints established in the laws and to answer the question if agricultural land acquisition constraints do not violate the principle of economic freedom.

It is acknowledged by various organizations, experts, and researchers around the world that meeting psychological and social needs is an important factor in cancer treatment. However, there is a shortage of psychosocial care supply for cancer patients and their family members in Lithuania. The aim of this study is to discern the causes of this insufficient supply. In order to find out the possible causes, Jon Elster's action explanation framework was used. According to the framework, it is possible to deduce these factors: institutional constraints, economical (resources and labor supply) constraints, social preferences, and political preferences. Qualitative research (expert interviews) and secondary data analysis research methods were employed to gather the required data. A data analysis shows that the there are no institutional constraints for the provision of psychosocial care. However, there is a lack of public resources dedicated for the provision of psychosocial care. As a consequence, the main providers of psychosocial care for cancer patients and their family members are NGOs, which heavily depend on volunteer labor force. There is a contradiction in the point of view toward the professionalization of psychosocial care provision. It is the natural position of medical professionals that the provision of psychosocial care should be in the hands of professionals. On the other side, NGOs disagree with such a perspective. The need for psychosocial care is verbalized by experts and professionals; however, the general public prefers medical treatment. Thus, it is understandable why the public resources allocated to the provision of psychosocial care are so scarce. It is also evident that the political parties are not interested in psychosocial care, as it was shown by our analysis of their political programs.

It is acknowledged by various organizations, experts, and researchers around the world that meeting psychological and social needs is an important factor in cancer treatment. However, there is a shortage of psychosocial care supply for cancer patients and their family members in Lithuania. The aim of this study is to discern the causes of this insufficient supply. In order to find out the possible causes, Jon Elster's action explanation framework was used. According to the framework, it is possible to deduce these factors: institutional constraints, economical (resources and labor supply) constraints, social preferences, and political preferences. Qualitative research (expert interviews) and secondary data analysis research methods were employed to gather the required data. A data analysis shows that the there are no institutional constraints for the provision of psychosocial care. However, there is a lack of public resources dedicated for the provision of psychosocial care. As a consequence, the main providers of psychosocial care for cancer patients and their family members are NGOs, which heavily depend on volunteer labor force. There is a contradiction in the point of view toward the professionalization of psychosocial care provision. It is the natural position of medical professionals that the provision of psychosocial care should be in the hands of professionals. On the other side, NGOs disagree with such a perspective. The need for psychosocial care is verbalized by experts and professionals; however, the general public prefers medical treatment. Thus, it is understandable why the public resources allocated to the provision of psychosocial care are so scarce. It is also evident that the political parties are not interested in psychosocial care, as it was shown by our analysis of their political programs.

It is acknowledged by various organizations, experts, and researchers around the world that meeting psychological and social needs is an important factor in cancer treatment. However, there is a shortage of psychosocial care supply for cancer patients and their family members in Lithuania. The aim of this study is to discern the causes of this insufficient supply. In order to find out the possible causes, Jon Elster's action explanation framework was used. According to the framework, it is possible to deduce these factors: institutional constraints, economical (resources and labor supply) constraints, social preferences, and political preferences. Qualitative research (expert interviews) and secondary data analysis research methods were employed to gather the required data. A data analysis shows that the there are no institutional constraints for the provision of psychosocial care. However, there is a lack of public resources dedicated for the provision of psychosocial care. As a consequence, the main providers of psychosocial care for cancer patients and their family members are NGOs, which heavily depend on volunteer labor force. There is a contradiction in the point of view toward the professionalization of psychosocial care provision. It is the natural position of medical professionals that the provision of psychosocial care should be in the hands of professionals. On the other side, NGOs disagree with such a perspective. The need for psychosocial care is verbalized by experts and professionals; however, the general public prefers medical treatment. Thus, it is understandable why the public resources allocated to the provision of psychosocial care are so scarce. It is also evident that the political parties are not interested in psychosocial care, as it was shown by our analysis of their political programs.

It is acknowledged by various organizations, experts, and researchers around the world that meeting psychological and social needs is an important factor in cancer treatment. However, there is a shortage of psychosocial care supply for cancer patients and their family members in Lithuania. The aim of this study is to discern the causes of this insufficient supply. In order to find out the possible causes, Jon Elster's action explanation framework was used. According to the framework, it is possible to deduce these factors: institutional constraints, economical (resources and labor supply) constraints, social preferences, and political preferences. Qualitative research (expert interviews) and secondary data analysis research methods were employed to gather the required data. A data analysis shows that the there are no institutional constraints for the provision of psychosocial care. However, there is a lack of public resources dedicated for the provision of psychosocial care. As a consequence, the main providers of psychosocial care for cancer patients and their family members are NGOs, which heavily depend on volunteer labor force. There is a contradiction in the point of view toward the professionalization of psychosocial care provision. It is the natural position of medical professionals that the provision of psychosocial care should be in the hands of professionals. On the other side, NGOs disagree with such a perspective. The need for psychosocial care is verbalized by experts and professionals; however, the general public prefers medical treatment. Thus, it is understandable why the public resources allocated to the provision of psychosocial care are so scarce. It is also evident that the political parties are not interested in psychosocial care, as it was shown by our analysis of their political programs.

The final master's thesis examines high-tech industry and barriers for improving processes in such industries. Overview of high-tech industry in Lithuania is made with comparisons with other European Union countries. Analysis of most popular business improvement methodologies – "Lean", "Six Sigma" and "Theory of Constraints" – is made. In addition to that employee reaction to change and motivational factors are examined as important components of improvement model implementation success. Possibilities to improve high-tech industry performance by implementing business improvement methodologies are analyzed, which is possible by eliminating constraints that reduce the success of such systems implementation in high-tech industry. Employee influence to the success of business improvement methodology implementation is examined and the opposite – business improvement methodology implementation influence to employee motivation and initiative is also examined. Based on the results of the research and empirical data collected from two high-tech companies and one generalized group of employees a model for high-tech company business improvement is proposed, which also has tools to improve employee morale and motivation. The work consists of three parts: introduction, high-tech industry business improvement theoretical aspect analysis, high-tech industry empirical research, high-tech industry business improvement model, conclusions and recommendations, references, appendixes. The work consists of – 89 pages (excluding appendixes), 37 images, 15 tables, 52 references. The accessories are attached separately.

The final master's thesis examines high-tech industry and barriers for improving processes in such industries. Overview of high-tech industry in Lithuania is made with comparisons with other European Union countries. Analysis of most popular business improvement methodologies – "Lean", "Six Sigma" and "Theory of Constraints" – is made. In addition to that employee reaction to change and motivational factors are examined as important components of improvement model implementation success. Possibilities to improve high-tech industry performance by implementing business improvement methodologies are analyzed, which is possible by eliminating constraints that reduce the success of such systems implementation in high-tech industry. Employee influence to the success of business improvement methodology implementation is examined and the opposite – business improvement methodology implementation influence to employee motivation and initiative is also examined. Based on the results of the research and empirical data collected from two high-tech companies and one generalized group of employees a model for high-tech company business improvement is proposed, which also has tools to improve employee morale and motivation. The work consists of three parts: introduction, high-tech industry business improvement theoretical aspect analysis, high-tech industry empirical research, high-tech industry business improvement model, conclusions and recommendations, references, appendixes. The work consists of – 89 pages (excluding appendixes), 37 images, 15 tables, 52 references. The accessories are attached separately.

Master's thesis analyzes the contemporary Alcohol Control Policy of Lithuania. Author of the work conducted a public opinion survey-interview, used the analysis of scientific literature and other methods of research to disclose and evaluate the issues of the Lithuanian Alcohol Control Policy. The paper not only reveals the lack of implementation of alcohol control in Lithuania, but also provides guidance on how to improve it with/adapting the effective science-based and used globally alcohol control measures. Lithuanian residents (survey data) and alcohol-control experts have an average view of this policy. Many of them support the stronger alcohol control policy. One of the major constraints on evidence-based alcohol policy development – strong influence of the alcohol industry in the country.

Master's thesis analyzes the contemporary Alcohol Control Policy of Lithuania. Author of the work conducted a public opinion survey-interview, used the analysis of scientific literature and other methods of research to disclose and evaluate the issues of the Lithuanian Alcohol Control Policy. The paper not only reveals the lack of implementation of alcohol control in Lithuania, but also provides guidance on how to improve it with/adapting the effective science-based and used globally alcohol control measures. Lithuanian residents (survey data) and alcohol-control experts have an average view of this policy. Many of them support the stronger alcohol control policy. One of the major constraints on evidence-based alcohol policy development – strong influence of the alcohol industry in the country.

Many critics of Hannah Arendt claim that her account of politics lacks moral guidelines and constraints. In their view, she radically dissociated politics from morality. Such an interpretation is mistaken. These critics fail to acknowledge that Arendt's conception has its own resources of normativity. Fundamental categories of Arendt's political theory (plurality, natality, freedom, equality, forgiveness, promise) serve moral, as well as political, purposes. The internalization of these categories strengthens political actors' moral judgment and their sense of responsibility. Active participation in political life engenders respect for human dignity and the multiplicity of different perspectives. Critics ignore the moral dimension of Arendt's conception of politics because they confuse different levels of analysis of the relationship between politics and morality. In the paper, these levels are discussed using the metaphor of a three-storey house.

Many critics of Hannah Arendt claim that her account of politics lacks moral guidelines and constraints. In their view, she radically dissociated politics from morality. Such an interpretation is mistaken. These critics fail to acknowledge that Arendt's conception has its own resources of normativity. Fundamental categories of Arendt's political theory (plurality, natality, freedom, equality, forgiveness, promise) serve moral, as well as political, purposes. The internalization of these categories strengthens political actors' moral judgment and their sense of responsibility. Active participation in political life engenders respect for human dignity and the multiplicity of different perspectives. Critics ignore the moral dimension of Arendt's conception of politics because they confuse different levels of analysis of the relationship between politics and morality. In the paper, these levels are discussed using the metaphor of a three-storey house.

Many critics of Hannah Arendt claim that her account of politics lacks moral guidelines and constraints. In their view, she radically dissociated politics from morality. Such an interpretation is mistaken. These critics fail to acknowledge that Arendt's conception has its own resources of normativity. Fundamental categories of Arendt's political theory (plurality, natality, freedom, equality, forgiveness, promise) serve moral, as well as political, purposes. The internalization of these categories strengthens political actors' moral judgment and their sense of responsibility. Active participation in political life engenders respect for human dignity and the multiplicity of different perspectives. Critics ignore the moral dimension of Arendt's conception of politics because they confuse different levels of analysis of the relationship between politics and morality. In the paper, these levels are discussed using the metaphor of a three-storey house.