When workfare fails: post-crisis activation reform in the Czech Republic

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 86-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Sirovatka
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Final Phase ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Work First

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse Czech’s activation reforms enacted since 2006 which culminated in 2010-2012 as radical workfare-like reforms. It also aims to explain which factors have influenced their development. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is the case study of activation reforms in one country interpreted within the theoretical framework of the “activation models” and discussion of the factors influencing activation reforms. The design and implementation of the reforms of activation policies are in focus. Institutional analysis is combined with secondary statistical data and survey data. Findings – The author distinguish three phases of the activation reforms: the initial phase of activation (work first), the radical phase (workfare) and the failure of radical workfare as the final phase. The key argument is that the main factors leading to the radical workfare version of activation were the political factors combined with institutional factors, particularly, the specific model of policy making (the so-called “compost model”). Ironically, this model which has enabled fast and radical workfare-like reforms was also the main reason why the reforms failed. Originality/value – The paper is innovative since it explains the specific features of the activation reforms in the Czech Republic, distinguishing workfare from other models of activation, and identifying the factors which have played a role in shaping these features. The in-depth case study of one country provides the evidence on the role of the specific factors and helps the author to understand the motives, the design and the implementation of activation reforms in their mutual relationships. The specific role of the institutional legacy in the new circumstances is emphasized.

Public leadership and strategies of Czech municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic – municipal activism vs municipal passivism

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Plaček ◽  
David Špaček ◽  
František Ochrana
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Strategic Behavior ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Capital City ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Leadership

PurposeThis paper discusses the role of public leadership and the strategic response of local governments to the external shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors examine the typical Czech response with regard to how the leadership of municipalities in the Czech Republic responded to this extremely negative external stimulus.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use qualitative research methods for this investigation. They have chosen the case study method (see Yin, 2009; Stake, 1995; Klonoski, 2013). The general case is the Czech Republic. Mini-cases consist of municipalities from the Znojmo region, municipalities of the Central Bohemian region and the municipal districts in the capital city of Prague. Furthermore, the method of participant observation was used.FindingsThe authors’ analysis of the problem of local government responses to the pandemic crisis shows that municipal leaders responded with a variety of (non-)adaptation strategies. It appears that certain framework factors influenced the various local governments' behavior.Originality/valueThe article examines the strategic behavior of Czech municipal leaders regarding the pandemic crisis based on the observation of the reactions of local governments in the Czech Republic to the pandemic crisis and strives to define their basic strategies.

Privatisation and the Development of Tourism in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: Property Rights, Firm Performance, and Recombinant Property

2000 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan M Williams ◽  
Vladimir Baláž
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Neoliberal Reforms ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Level Performance

Privatisation is one of the key elements of the package of neoliberal reforms in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe which collectively constitute the ‘sharp shock’ strategy. In this, privatisation is ascribed the role of redistributing and clarifying property rights, which is an assumed precondition for efficiency improvements in individual firms. In practice, the transformation is characterised by path dependency, cultural and political legacies, and uneven and partial reform of market institutions and of regulation. We contribute to the debate on the link between property rights and firm-level performance in three main ways. First, we analyse the tourism sector as a counterbalance to the emphasis in the existing literature on manufacturing and financial services; particular emphasis is given to the roles of ‘operators’ and the ‘nomenklatura’, and to complex, nonlinear shifts in property rights. Second, we assess the performance of tourism firms created by different forms of creative and distributive privatisation; this emphasises the diversity of property rights, market segmentation, and the capital and debt structures of firms. Third, the value of the concept of ‘recombinant’ property for analysing the complex and changing forms of property rights is critiqued. These arguments are illustrated through a case study of tourism in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

On theoretical engorgement and the myth of fair value accounting in China: a reply

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Bewley ◽  
Cameron Graham ◽  
Songlan Peng
Keyword(s):  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Fair Value Accounting ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research

PurposeThis article is a reply to “On theoretical engorgement and the myth of fair value accounting in China” Nobes (2019) from the authors of “Adaptability to fair value accounting in an emerging economy: A case study of China's IRFS convergence” (Peng and Bewley, 2010) and “The Winding Road to Fair Value Accounting in China: A Social Movement Analysis” (Bewley et al., 2018).Design/methodology/approachThis article engages directly with the arguments of the criticism.FindingsThis article argues that the author of the commentary misunderstands the purpose, content and findings of both papers. By providing only a narrowly focused technical analysis of the new Chinese accounting standards, the author fails to see that their qualitative research approach reveals important, complex social and political factors at play in China's attempts to adopt modern international accounting principles. The commentary expresses a view that accounting is a neutral technology that needs only to be clearly defined and enumerated to be correctly implemented, whereas this research takes a much broader and deeper perspective. The authors seek to understand how China was able to successfully adopt fair value accounting standards in 2006, whereas an earlier attempt to introduce fair value in 1998 had led to abuse of fair value measurements and the eventual repeal of fair value regulations in 2001.Practical implicationsThis article helps clarify the purpose of qualitative accounting research, the role of theory in such research and the usefulness of theory in describing and explaining empirical case facts related to changes in accounting standards, particularly in an international context.Originality/valueThis article contributes to a better appreciation of qualitative accounting research.

Role of railways in empowering travelers: A case study from the Czech Republic

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radhika Jade ◽  
Tatiana Molková ◽  
Martin Kvizda
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
The Czech Republic

scholarly journals The Role of Entrepreneur´s Gender, Age and Firm´s Age in Autonomy. The Case Study from the Czech Republic

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmila Kozubíková ◽  
Sergej Vojtovič ◽  
Ashiqur Rahman ◽  
Luboš Smrčka
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
The Czech Republic

Journalistic discourse of freedom: A study of journalists’ understanding of freedom in the Czech Republic and Serbia

Journalism ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 146488491986807
Author(s):  
Verica Rupar ◽  
Alice Němcová Tejkalová ◽  
Filip Láb ◽  
Sonja Seizova
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Political Pluralism ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Small Influence ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Recent Developments

The idea of freedom plays a strong and important role among journalists in countries that have recently moved to democracy. In this article, we explore the relational nature of freedom and put forward an argument for more clarity in defining its meaning. We examine the values and experiences inscribed in journalistic discourses of freedom assuming that the ways of articulating freedom hold a key for understanding journalism practice. The article revises the question of freedom by focusing on the intersection between political and journalistic fields in two countries that moved from a one-party political system to political pluralism: the Czech Republic and Serbia. It seeks to give a perspective on understanding how concepts of freedom and autonomy work in Czech and Serbian journalistic discourse. The Worlds of Journalism Study’s data on journalists’ perception of political influences were used as a starting point, then a case study analysis of significant clashes between journalistic and political fields in recent years in both countries was applied. In 2014, both Czech and Serbian journalists declared that political factors had small influence on their daily work, but the situation has changed. Our case studies of recent developments in Serbia and the Czech Republic, show a striking discrepancy between what journalists perceive and what they know.

scholarly journals Who really acts as an entrepreneur in the science commercialisation process: the role of knowledge transfer intermediary organisations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Szulczewska-Remi ◽  
Hanna Nowak-Mizgalska
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Intermediary Organisations

Purpose Consistent with the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to recognise the complementary entrepreneurial role of knowledge transfer intermediary organisations in the context of two Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries: Poland and the Czech Republic. Design/methodology/approach The aim was achieved through empirical studies relying on multiple-case study methodology and cross-case analysis covering 21 cases of commercialisation intermediary institutions. It was assumed that institutional and geographical conditions can impact the knowledge-based opportunity exploitation between different national economies. Findings Research confirmed that scientists in Poland and the Czech Republic are the central figures of the commercialisation process in terms of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition; however, they need support from intermediary organisations in many other entrepreneurial activities. The history of knowledge commercialisation and its intermediating entities in these countries is relatively young and spin-off company creation is not a common practice. Expertise knowledge, creativity and self-confidence admitted, by the respondents in both countries, can be an optimistic sign for the future efforts in fostering innovativeness of CEE countries. Stronger support of formal institutional framework and policies in those countries is expected. Originality/value Science commercialisation has lately attracted much attention, but only a few studies have tried to develop conceptual frameworks considering knowledge-based entrepreneurship and knowledge commercialisation in their relations and subsequential roles. Also, over the past couple of years literature in this area has expanded mainly relying on observations in the USA and Western European countries. Hence, this study allowed to collect findings from CEE countries for which data are still insufficient but can significantly contribute to the theory development. Also, some recommendations for policymakers arise from this study. Further research could validate the results in an extensive quantitative study.

The perception of risk in the flood-prone area: a case study from the Czech municipality

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan Kumar Bera ◽  
Petr Daněk
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
River Bank ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the risk perceptions and activities of people to reduce impacts of disaster. Design/methodology/approach Case study research has been conducted in village Podhradí nad Dyjí in the Dyje river basin in Czech Republic. Villagers from different age groups, experts, NGO members have been interviewed to understand people’s perceptions of flood risks and their actions. Findings The research has found that changing flood insurance policy influenced people’s risk perception. There is also increasing self-dependency among people to reduce impacts of disaster. They come together to support each other and develop collectivities in managing disaster. People’s actions and willingness to participate in disaster management activities change with distance from the river bank. Research limitations/implications The village identified for the case study research has been affected by floods after implementation of the Crisis Management Act No. 240/2000 Coll. The findings of the study are influenced by geographical location of the municipality and cannot be generalised in the Czech Republic. Practical implications The research has listed physical as well as socio-economic and cultural indicators of risk perception in the Czech Republic. These indicators and outcomes should help to assess and identify the gaps in reducing impacts of floods. Originality/value The study has revealed the interconnection between physical, socio-economic, and cultural factors of risk perception after implementing the Crisis Management Act No. 240/2000 Coll. and changing strategies in disaster management in the Czech Republic.

Comparison of remuneration in family and non-family firms in the Czech Republic

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-276
Author(s):  
Ondřej Hradský
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governing Body ◽  
Personnel Costs ◽  
Executive Remuneration ◽  
Significant Difference

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse 100 of the largest family firms and their personnel costs and employee numbers compared to non-family firms in the Czech Republic and confirm if there exist differences between personnel costs for family and non-family firms.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of 100 family firms and 97 non-family firms from the Czech Republic for the comparison. Four hypotheses about relation between personnel costs for family and non-family firms and their governing body were set. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and t-tests and Kruskal–Wallis test for confirmation of set hypothesis were used.FindingsSales volume and production consumption results are used as variables, which were compared between family and non-family firms to achieve the most relevant possible conclusions. Based on our results, it can be stated that differences between personnel costs, which, in this study, comprise employee wages, are not statistically significant in the largest Czech family firms. There are significant differences in personnel costs for company boards. In comparing employee numbers and the number of members of statutory bodies, however, no significant difference was ascertained.Originality/valueThis study responds to a gap in the literature, by exploring the differences between personnel costs (for employees and governing body) in the area of the Czech Republic. This study also contributes to the understanding of the remuneration within family firms, by assessing the role of executive remuneration in family firms.

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