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The study presented in the article examined
the mediating role played by internationalisation in
both government financial support–export strategic
performance and government non-financial support–
export strategic performance relationships. The moderating role of a strategic alliance in the relationships
between government financial support and degree of
internationalisation, and between government nonfinancial support and degree of internationalisation,
was also considered. The study entailed a cross-sectional survey and included 301 indigenous export firms in
Ghana. The reliability and validity of the data was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, with structural
equation modelling as the primary means of analysis,
run using Amos (v.23). It was concluded that both government financial support and non-financial support
had a direct positive influence on export strategic performance. These relationships were partially mediated
by the degree of internationalisation. Strategic alliance
positively moderated the relationships between government financial support and degree of internationalisation, and also between government non-financial support and degree of internationalisation.
Keywords: government financial support; government
non-financial support; strategic alliance; internationalisation; export strategic performance

Obstaja veliko študij, ki se ukvarjajo s primerjalnim vrednotenjem e-uprave. Razlog za tako popularnost primerjalnega vrednotenja je interes različnih držav za boljši vpogled v trenutno specifično fazo razvoja e-uprave na nacionalni ravni. Ta vpogled hkrati razkriva pozitivne in negativne plati razvoja v primerjavi z drugimi državami ter tiste vidike, ki jih je treba izboljšati. Namen naše študije, ki vsebuje analizo razvitosti e-uprave v Sloveniji, Avstriji, Hrvaški, Danski in Estoniji v letih 2014, 2015 in 2016, je ugotoviti, ali v izbranih državah obstaja povezanost med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in drugimi izbranimi dejavniki razvitosti države (višina bruto domačega proizvoda, stopnja izobrazbe in stopnja interakcije z javnimi organi). Za opisovanje ključnih pojmov e-uprave in kazalnikov razvitosti smo uporabili metodo deskripcije, s komparativno in statistično metodo pa smo primerjali izmerjene vrednosti izbranih kazalnikov. Ugotovitve analize ne nakazujejo povezanosti med višino BDP in stopnjo razvitosti euprave. Pri nižji in srednji stopnji izobrazbe obstaja negativna povezanost, kar pomeni, da manjši kot so deleži prebivalstva z nižjo oziroma srednjo izobrazbo, bolj se povečuje stopnja razvitosti e-uprave. Delež prebivalstva z visoko izobrazbo pa je pozitivno povezan s stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave. Močna pozitivna povezanost je prav tako prisotna med stopnjo interakcije z javno upravo in stopnjo razvoja e-uprave. Izjema je le Slovenija, kjer se stopnja interakcije z javnimi organi znižuje s povečevanjem stopnje razvitosti e-uprave. S primerjalno analizo smo pridobili boljši vpogled v stanje e-uprave v izbranih državah ter s tem prispevali k boljšemu razumevanju obravnavanega področja in k identifikaciji povezanosti razvitosti e-uprave z drugimi kazalniki razvoja države. ; There are many studies dealing with comparative evaluation of e-government. The reason for such popularity of comparative evaluation is the interest of different countries for a better insight into the current, specific phase of e-government development at the national level. At the same time, this insight reveals positive and negative aspects of development in comparison with other countries and emphasizes those aspects that need to be improved. The purpose of our study, which includes the analysis of the development of e-government in Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark and Estonia in 2014, 2015 and 2016, is to determine whether a correlation between the level of development of egovernment and other selected factors of the country's development (amount of gross domestic product, level of education, level of interaction with public authorities) exists in selected countries. In order to describe the key concepts of e-government and development indicators, a descriptive method was used, and with the comparative and statistical method we compared the measured value of the selected indicators. The findings of the analysis do not indicate the correlation between the level of GDP and the level of development of e-government. At the lower and middle level of education, there is a negative correlation, which means that smaller the proportions of the population with lower and secondary education are, higher is the level of development of e-government. The proportion of the population with higher education positively correlates with the level of e-government development. A strong positive correlation is also present between the level of interaction with public authorities and the level of egovernment development. The only exception is Slovenia, where the level of interaction with public authorities is decreasing by increasing the level of e-government development. With our comparative analysis we gained a better insight into the condition of egovernment in selected countries and thus contributed to a better understanding of the area as well as identified the connection between the development of e-government and other indicators of the country's development.

Magistrska naloga obravnava in analizira odnose med županom kot najvišjim političnim funkcionarjem in direktorjem občinske uprave kot najvišjim javnim uslužbencem. V prvem delu sta predstavljeni zgodovina lokalne samouprave v Sloveniji in Ustava Republike Slovenije, ki je najvišji splošni pravni akt in lokalni samoupravi posveča svoje poglavje. Načela, ki vodijo lokalno samoupravo in so pomembna za uspešno delovanje in razvoj lokalne samouprave, so načelo avtonomije, načelo subsidiarnosti in načelo regionalizacije. Slovenske občine se vedno bolj vključujejo v skupne občinske uprave za opravljanje posameznih nalog, saj so občinske uprave v manjših občinah kadrovsko nedohranjene. Prav tako se občine vključujejo v združenja občin, saj lahko na ta način bolje zagotavljajo svoj skupni interes na področju lokalne samouprave. Občine med seboj sodelujejo tudi na podlagi sporazumov o pobratenju, ki ima pozitivne učinke na lokalno samoupravo in lokalno okolje, saj gre za stik z mednarodnimi partnerji, izmenjavo izkušenj in pridobitev različnih novih znanj. V nadaljevanju naloge so predstavljene ravni lokalne samouprave v sosednjih državah Republiki Hrvaški in Republiki Avstriji. V drugem, raziskovalnem delu naloge je prikazana primerjava lokalnih skupnosti v dveh izbranih evropskih državah. Na podlagi intervjujev je bila izvedena primerjava odnosov med oblastjo v lokalni samoupravi in politiko. V intervjujih so sodelovali župani in direktorji občinskih uprav manjših slovenskih, hrvaških in avstrijskih občin. V nalogi so predstavljena tudi mnenja županov in direktorjev občinskih uprav o njihovih odnosih v občinah. ; This research work discusses and analyses the relationship between the mayor, as the highest political official and the director of municipal administration as senior civil servant. The first section presents the history of local government in Slovenia and the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, which is the highest general legal act and the local government has its own chapter in the Constitution. Principles that lead local government and are important for a successful operation and development of local self-government is the principle of autonomy, the principle of subsidiarity and the principle of regionalization. Slovenian municipalities are increasingly involved in Joint Municipal Administration to perform specific tasks, as the municipal administration in small municipalities are understaffed. In addition, the municipalities integrate themselves in the Association of Municipalities to ensure their common interests better in the field of local self-government. Municipalities cooperate with each other based on agreements of town, which has a positive impact on local government and the local environment, because of the contact with international partners, exchange of experience and the acquisition of various new skills. In the following part of the work levels of local government in the neighbouring countries, the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Austria are presented. The second part of the research work, a comparison of local communities in the two selected European countries, is presented. A comparison was made about relations between the authorities and the local government policy based on interviews. In the interviews, the mayors and directors of municipal administrations of small Slovenian, Croatian and Austrian municipalities participated. The thesis also shows the opinions of mayors and the directors of municipal administrations of their relations in the municipalities.

Abstract. This research aims to give insight into the processes of public interaction between the police and antigovernment protesters during the Coronavirus Crisis in Poland by evaluating crowd control mechanisms. It addresses the research question: where does the model of anti-government protest policing developed by the Polish Police during the Covid-19 pandemic lie on a continuum of antinomic ideal types of escalated force and negotiated management? The research is embedded in studies on protest policing and draws on an intertextual qualitative analysis of police statements and media news. It shows that the policing of protests was closer to escalated force. However, a hybrid model was involved that combined elements of coercion and negotiation. In terms of protecting the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and police tolerance for community disruption, this particular form of policing is close to escalated force. Still, the communication between the police and the assembly participants, the extent and manner of the arrests closely mirrored both models. One dimension, the extent and nature of the force used, indicated negotiated management. Keywords: protest policing, contention, contentious politics, de-democratisation, Coronavirus Crisis, Poland

Raziskovalno delo se ukvarja z analizo financiranja lokalnih samouprav v Sloveniji in Makedoniji ter njihovo primerjavo. Sistem financiranja lokalnih samouprav je ključni stabilizacijski dejavnik, ki je bistvenega pomena za zagotavljanje učinkovitega sodelovanja državnega in zasebnega sektorja v zvezi z zagotavljanjem nujno potrebnih sredstev državljanom. Bistvenega pomena so lokalne javne dobrine in javne storitve. Sodobna lokalna samouprava bi morala zagotavljati javne službe, kot so oskrba z vodo, elektriko, plinom, telekomunikacijami, zdravstvom, šolstvom, javni prevozi, odvoz smeti ter zagotavljati nadzor in vpliv na te javne službe. Zagotavljala naj bi tudi zdravstvene prostore, stanovanja, predšolske ustanove, osnovne šole, domove za starostnike itd. Da bi lokalne oblasti zadovoljile povpraševanje in želje njihovih občanov, iščejo nove vire financiranja. V raziskovalnem delu smo analizirali lokalne samouprave, njihove prihodke in odhodke, strukturo in vire. Lokalne samouprave v Sloveniji in Makedoniji smo primerjali tudi z ostalimi članicami Evropske unije in na podlagi analize in smo ugotovili, da je Slovenija na področju sistema financiranja lokalne samouprave primerljivejša z članicami Evropske unije kot Makedonija. Na podlagi analize smo ugotovili tudi, ali so lokalne samouprave v obeh državah ustrezno in zadostno financirane. V skladu s predvidenimi pričakovanji je bilo ugotovljeno, da je v obeh državah zelo pomemben vir financiranja obveznih lokalnih nalog občine proračun države. To pomeni, da imajo lokalne samouprave premalo sredstev oziroma, da niso finančno samostojne, saj obseg primerne porabe občin ni skladen z njihovimi lastnimi prihodki. Posledično so potrebne finančne izravnave, ki jih lokalne samouprave prejemajo iz proračuna države. ; The research work deals with the analysis of the financing of local self-governments in Slovenia and Macedonia and their comparison. The system of financing local self-governments is a key stabilizing factor, which is essential for ensuring effective cooperation between the state and the private sector in terms of providing essential resources to citizens. Local public goods and public services are of paramount importance. Modern local self-government should provide public services such as water supply, electricity, public transport, garbage collection, gas, telecommunications, health, education and others, and to ensure control and influence on these public services. It should also provide health facilities, housing, pre-school institutions, primary schools, homes for the elderly, etc. In order for local authorities to meet the demand and wishes of their citizens, they are looking for new sources of financing. In the research paper we analyzed local governments, their revenues and expenditures, their structure and resources. We also compared the local self-governments in Slovenia and Macedonia with other members of the European Union and on the basis of our analysis, and found that Slovenia is more comparable with the members of the European Union, such as Macedonia, in the field of local government funding. Based on the analysis, we also found out whether local governments are adequately and sufficiently financed in both countries. In accordance with the anticipated expectations, it was found that a very important source of financing of mandatory tasks of local municipalities was the state budget, in both countries, which means that the local self-government are not financially independent. The extent of adequate spending by municipalities is not in line with their own revenues, which requires financial balancing that municipalities receive from the state budget.

Raziskovalni problem primerjalne analize je preveriti, ali je stopnja razvitosti e-uprave povezana z izbranimi kazalniki razvitosti države ter kakšen je vpliv zgodovine razvoja e-uprave v Sloveniji na povezanost med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in izbranimi kazalniki razvitosti države. Trije izbrani kazalniki razvitosti države so: indeks bruto domačega proizvoda na prebivalca, odstotek posameznikov z doseženo terciarno izobrazbo in odstotek posameznikov, ki uporabljajo internet za interakcijo z javnimi organi. V primerjalno analizo sem vključila podatke v obdobju od 2014 do 2017 za 28 držav članic Evropske unije. Pri primerjalni analizi za Slovenijo sem uporabila podatke v obdobju od 2004 do 2017. Uporabila sem metodo linearne regresije in Pearsonov koeficient korelacije. Ugotovitve analize nakazujejo, da glede na Pearsonov koeficient korelacije nimajo vse države članice Evropske unije pozitivne povezanosti med razvitostjo e-uprave in izbranimi kazalniki razvitosti države. Pri linearni regresiji po državah članicah Evropske unije med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in indeksom bruto domačega proizvoda na prebivalca ter med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in odstotkom posameznikov z doseženo terciarno izobrazbo je povezanost med spremenljivkama neizrazita. Povezanost med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in odstotkom posameznikov, ki uporabljajo internet za interakcijo z javnimi organi, je zmerna. Slovenija ima pri vseh izbranih kazalnikih razvitosti države negativno moč linearne povezanosti s stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave. Zmerno povezanost za Slovenijo opazujemo med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in indeksom bruto domačega proizvoda na prebivalca ter med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in odstotkom posameznikov, ki uporabljajo internet za interakcijo z javnimi organi. Neizrazita povezanost je med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in odstotkom posameznikov z doseženo terciarno izobrazbo. ; Research goal of comparative analysis is to check if there is any connection between level of e-government maturity and selected indices of country development and what impact of history of e-government maturity in Slovenia is on connection between level of e-government maturity and selected indices of country development. Three selected indices of country development are: index of gross domestic product per capita, percentage of population with tertiary education and percentage of population using the Internet to interact with public authorities. In comparative analysis I included data for 28 member states of European Union from years 2014 to 2017. In comparative analysis for Slovenia I used data from years 2004 to 2017. I used linear regression method and Pearson correlation coefficient. Result of analysis, according to Pearson correlation coefficient, shows that not all member states of European Union has positive correlation between level of e-government maturity and selected indices of country development. For member states of European Union is linear correlation weak or relatively low between level of e-government maturity and index of gross domestic product per capita and also between level of e-government maturity and percentage of population with tertiary education. Correlation is moderate when compared level of e-government maturity with percentage of population using the Internet to interact with public authorities. Slovenia has negative linear correlation at all selected indices of country development compared to level of e-government maturity. Moderate correlation for Slovenia is noticed between level of e-government maturity and index of gross domestic product per capita and between level of e-government maturity and percentage of population using the Internet to interact with public authorities. Relatively low correlation is between level of e-government maturity and percentage of population with tertiary education.

Namen magistrskega dela je razumeti razlike med epidemiološko uspešnostjo ukrepov za zajezitev Covid-19 v različnih državah in ugotoviti nabor dejavnikov, ki pojasnijo te razlike. Zato smo razvili ogrodje za analizo uspešnosti ukrepov, ki sloni na primerjalni analizi opazovanih epidemioloških podatkov. Uporabili smo ga za enostavno primerjavo podatkov v 133 državah z vseh celin, med katerimi je 41 evropskih držav. Nadalje smo predstavili rezultate podrobne primerjave epidemioloških ukrepov v enajstih evropskih državah izbranih na osnovi različnih evropskih socialnih modelov. Našo raziskavo smo izvedli s pomočjo Spearmanove korelacijske analize nad dejavniki, ki vplivajo na epidemiološko uspešnost ukrepov (število umrlih in okuženih s Covid-19, število ukrepov, uspešnost glede na gostoto prebivalstva idr.). Za končno analizo posameznih sprejetih epidemioloških ukrepov smo nato uporabili še izračune njihovih vplivov na trende uspešnosti po zastavljeni petstopenjski lestvici. V raziskavi ugotavljamo, da pri uspešnosti vladnih epidemioloških ukrepov igra pomembno vlogo zaupanje državljanov v javne institucije. Posledično so v državah z visokim zaupanjem pogosto zelo uspešni že preventivni (epidemiološki) ukrepi. Na našem naboru podatkov ugotavljamo tudi, da epidemiološka uspešnost ni odvisna od gostote prebivalstva in števila sprejetih epidemioloških ukrepov v državi. Potrdimo lahko, da epidemiološki ukrepi niso vsi enako uspešni in da so enaki ukrepi bolj uspešni v državah z višjim zaupanjem v javne institucije. Odločevalcem je tako na voljo orodje za analizo sprejetih epidemioloških ukrepov, ki jih lahko nato enostavno primerjajo glede na predstavnike sorodnega evropskega socialnega modela. Izdelano orodje ponuja dejavnike, na katere morajo biti pozorni, da bi srednjeročno povečali zaupanje v javne institucije ter tako še izboljšali uspešnost države pri prebijanju skozi epidemijo tega ali katerega od prihodnjih virusov. Državljanom pa raziskava ponuja odgovor, kako dobro so se v epidemiji odrezali njihovi odločevalci in ali so opravičili njihovo zaupanje. ; The purpose of this Master's thesis is to understand the differences in the epidemiological success of the measures for mitigating the Covid-19 epidemics in various countries and identify factors that explain the differences. To this end, we design a framework for the analysis of the government interventions' success from epidemiological data. The analysis is based on a basic comparison of the epidemiological data from 133 countries worldwide, including 41 European countries. We also perform a more advanced, detailed comparison of data on government interventions in eleven European countries selected with resect to different European social models. Our research was conducted using Spearman's correlation analysis using the factors influencing the epidemiological success of measures (number of deceased and infected by Covid-19, number of measures, population density, etc.). For the final analysis of the individual adopted government interventions, we have used the calculations of the interventions' impact on the trends of epidemiological performance using a predefined five-level scale. The research finds that the trust of the people towards their public, governmental institutions has a very large impact on the success of the governments' interventions. Consequently, in all the countries with high trust, simple preventive measures show high rates of success. Our analysis also shows that the success of the epidemiological measures does not depend nor is connected on the density of population nor the number of interventions in a country. We can finally confirm that not all measures are equally successful and that the same measures are more successful in countries with a higher trust in public institutions. The Master thesis gives the decision-makers a tool they can use to analyze their epidemiological interventions and simply compare them with the suitable representative from the European social models. The developed tool identifies elements that must be taken into account to increase the trust of the people to the public institutions in the medium term, and hence help improve the country's performance to overcome the epidemic of this or any other new viruses that may appear in the future. To the citizens, the tool offers an answer on how well the decision-makers in their country performed and whether they have justified their trust.

This study is focused on a small village in Tuscany and explores how citizens
evaluate the actions and communication strategies applied by the local government during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study adopted a combination of
qualitative and quantitative methods: semi-structured interviews with local administrators, and a survey with a representative sample of the local population.
The findings show a limitedly articulated yet meaningful relationship between
the central administration and the local one, a positive evaluation by citizens
of the local government's management of the emergency and, generally, good
social cohesion, albeit not fully supported by the engagement of civic cultures
that were heavily restricted by the socially restrictive measures imposed during
the pandemic.

Visoka kakovost upravljanja storitev v posamezni občini pomeni zagotavljanje kakovostnega življenjskega okolja za bivanje. Namen naloge je obravnavati kakovost upravljanja v slovenskih občinah in s pomočjo statistične analize ugotoviti morebitno povezanost z indikatorji uspešnosti občin. V okviru raziskovalne naloge sem opravila anketno raziskavo o kakovosti upravljanja v 31 občinah v Sloveniji. Preverjala sem tri javne storitve: izobraževanje, zdravstvo in redarstvo v primerjavi s kakovostjo, nepristranostjo in korupcijo teh storitev. Naredila sem analizo povezanosti kakovosti upravljanja v občinah z indikatorji uspešnosti občin in pri tem uporabila kot statistično metodo za obdelavo podatkov standardizacijo, metodo rangov in Pearsonov koeficient korelacije. Najpomembnejša ugotovitev raziskovalne naloge je, da so občine iz osrednjeslovenske regije dosegle najboljše rezultate v kakovosti raziskovanih storitev in tudi, da je kakovost upravljanja povezana z indikatorji uspešnosti občin. Dobljeni rezultati kažejo na to, da obstajajo velike razlike glede kakovosti upravljanja znotraj države. Več kot polovica obravnavanih občin ima kakovost upravljanja na področjih izobraževanja, zdravstva in redarstva pod povprečjem. Analiza povezanosti kakovosti upravljanja z indikatorji uspešnosti občine je pokazala, da občine, ki so imele visoko kakovost upravljanja, so imele tudi najboljše vrednosti indikatorjev uspešnosti. Moja analiza lahko služi vsaki obravnavani občini za pregled stanja kakovosti storitev na področju izobraževanja, zdravstva in redarstva in pojasnilo kje iskati vzroke za takšne rezultate. ; High quality of service governance in single municipality means providing a quality living environment. The purpose of the research study is to address the quality of governance in slovenian municipalities and to identify, through statistical analysis, a possible connection with the performance indicators of municipalities. As part of the research study, I conducted a survey on the quality of governance in 31 municipalities in Slovenia. I checked three public services: education, health and city constabulary in comparision with the quality, impartiality and corruption of these services. I made an analysis of the correlation between the quality of governance in municipalities with the performance indicators of municipalities. I used as a statistical method for data processing standardization, ranking method and Pearson coefficient of correlation. The most important finding of the research paper is that municipalities from the central slovenian region have achieved the best results in the quality of the services explored, and also that the quality of governance is related to the indicators of the performance of municipalities. The results obtained show that there are big differences in the quality of governance within the country. More than half of the municipalities discussed have the quality of governance in the fields of education, health and city constabulary, below average. The analysis of the connection between the quality of governance and the performance indicators of municipalities showed that municipalities that had high quality governance also had the best values of performance indicators. My analysis can serve every municipality to review the situation of the quality of services in the fields of education, health and city constabulary, and an explanation of where to find the reasons for such results.

The choice of an effective government form is one of the most important issues facing a state that has embarked on the path of democratic development. A comprehensive study of the issues, like mechanism of parliamentary formation, mixed and proportional-majority electoral systems within the framework of parliamentary government model deserves special attention. In this case, the example of the leading countries, particularly Germany is essential that have created a stable basis for the development of the country. Germany's successful experience can be useful also for the Republic of Armenia (RA), which has adopted a new parliamentary form of government. The study of foreign experience can contribute to the development and enhancement of the role of parliament in the RA. ; Պետական կառավարման արդյունավետ ձևի ընտրության հարցը ժողովրդավարական զարգացման ուղին որդեգրած ցանկացած պետության առջև ծառացող կարևորագույն հիմնախնդիրներից է։ Դրա բազմակողմանի ուսումնասիրությունը՝ մասնավորապես խորհրդարանական կառավարման մոդելները, խորհրդարանների ձևավորման կառուցակարգերը, խառը, համամասնական և մեծամասնական ընտրակարգերը մեծ ուշադրության են արժանի, որոնք հիմք են հանդիսանում առավել թափանցիկ և արդյունավետ կառավարման համար։ Այս համատեքստում, չափազանց կարևոր է առաջատար երկրների՝ հատկապես ԳԴՀ-ի օրինակը, որը զարգացման կայուն հիմք է ստեղծել երկրի առաջընթացի համար։ ԳԴՀ – ի հաջողված փորձը կարող է օգտակար լինել նոր խորհրդարանական կառավարման մշակույթ որդեգրած ՀՀ-ի համար, որն էլ կարող է նպաստել ՀՀ-ում խորհրդարանի դերի զարգացմանը և կատարելագործմանը։ ; Выбор эффективного государственного строя один из важнейших вопросов, стоящих перед государством, вставшим на путь демократического развития. Всестороннее исследование вопроса, в частности модели парламентского управления, структуры парламентского формирования, смешанные, пропорционально-мажоритар­ные избирательные системы, заслуживает большого внимания, которые являются основой для более прозрачного и эффективного управления. В этом контексте очень важен пример ведущих стран, которые создали стабильную основу для развития страны, в частности ФРГ. Успешный опыт ФРГ может быть полезен для Республики Армения (РА), принявшей новую парламентскую форму правления. Исследование зарубежного опыта может способствовать развитию и повышению роли парламента в РА.