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Wood modification : enhancing the functionality of wood products /
Čermák, Petr
The overall aim of this habilitation thesis is to improve the physical, mechanical and biological properties of native wood. This has been accomplished by thorough analysis of the current state of knowledge in the field of chemical and thermo-hygro-mechanical modification, as a basis for (a) optimising current methods; and (b) developing a new chemical and thermo-hygro-mechanical wood modification processes. The present work is focused mainly on the use of European beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.), one of the most widespread and important broad-leaf tree species in Europe; however, other wood species presented herein are also of interest.
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Udržateľnosť veľmi malých obcí na južnej Morave
Lešková, Andrea
The work deals with the sustainability of very small municipalities on the example of municipalities in the South Moravian Region. The first part of the research analyses the demographic characteristics and population development of very small municipalities in the Czech Republic, marginally in Slovakia and more specifically in the South Moravian Region. The second part of the research examines the sustainability of selected very small municipalities in the South Moravian Region as perceived by their own mayors and the third part of the research examines the sustainability as perceived by their own inhabitants through a questionnaire survey. While in the Czech Republic 70% of very small municipalities have been growing since 2000 and there is a decrease of municipalities in this size category every year, in Slovakia there is an increasing number of municipalities in this category every year. The region with the worst demographic characteristics of very small municipalities is the South Moravian Region. Despite the fact that most mayors of selected very small municipalities in the South Moravian Region perceive the increasing administration and infrastructure costs as the biggest problem, they are not interested in merging municipalities. The positive demographic characteristics of very small municipalities are closely related to the social aspect of sustainability and the quality of interpersonal relations between the inhabitants.
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CSR activities of Tesco Stores Czech Republic a.s. in 2009-2010
Jílková, Kristýna ; Köppl, Daniel (advisor) ; Hejlová, Denisa (referee)
The thesis focuses on social responsible activities of Tesco Stores Czech Republic in 2009 - 2010, puts them into context of marketing communication and analyses them, using three basic pillars of CSR - economic, social and environmental. First the concept of CSR and its establishment is described along with the parts it includes and the instruments it provides for a corporation - also from the standpoint of marketing. The key terms needed for following description of activities are defined and the thesis doesn't avoid the topic of critics of CSR. In the next part, Tesco Stores Czech Republic is introduced to be the subject of a case study. Only years 2009 and 2010 were selected for this purpose, nevertheless, this period is rich for a wide range of CSR activities. Described activities will be separately evaluated using the three pillars of CSR and will be a subject of a critique. External communication of topics of corporate social responsibility is analyzed separately. The final chapter summarizes conclusions from previous analyses, evaluates them in the context of actual state of affairs, trends in the field of CSR and also the market on which Tesco acts.
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Investigating alternative carbonaceous materials for cost-effective anodes for sodium-ion batteries
Šimek, Antonín ; Čech, Ondřej ; Kazda, Tomáš
This study explores the potential of alternative carbonaceous materials as cost-effective candidates for sodiumion anodes. As the demand for energy storage solutions continues to grow, the search for affordable and sustainable battery components is becoming increasingly important. Carbon-based materials appear promising due to their abundance, low cost and favourable electrochemical properties. In this investigation, various carbon-based materials sourced from Czech Republic, including pitch coke, petroleum coke and dry quenched coke, are evaluated for their suitability as anode materials. The results of this study contribute to ongoing efforts to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy storage solutions based on sodium-ion battery technology.
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Sustainability communication in the coffee indrustry
Mičolková, Martina ; Koudelková, Petra (advisor) ; Klabíková Rábová, Tereza (referee)
This bachelor thesis deals with the analysis of sustainable communication in the coffee industry, focusing on the brands Nespresso and Starbucks, and examines how these initiatives are perceived by consumers. The theoretical part of the thesis focuses on green marketing and the coffee industry, identifying specific challenges within sustainability in this sector. The practical part of the thesis combines two main research methods: content analysis of social media and quantitative research in the form of a questionnaire survey. The content analysis monitors the sustainable communication of the Nespresso and Starbucks brands on the social network Instagram, aiming to identify the topics and key words through which the brands communicate sustainability and the users' reactions to these posts. The quantitative research then examines public attitudes and engagement towards sustainability in the coffee industry and the communication initiatives of the Starbucks and Nespresso brands. The results of this research can provide brands with data on consumer preferences and expectations regarding sustainability and its communication in this field.
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Exploring the Impact of ESG Ratings in Banking: A Study of European Banks
Bošňáková, Gabriela ; Teplý, Petr (advisor) ; Sivá, Soňa (referee)
This thesis examines the impact of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) factors on the financial performance of European banks, focusing on the Weighted average cost of capital and abnormal (WACC) returns during regulatory changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from 2014 to 2022, the study employs fixed e ects models and event study methodologies to analyze the relation- ship between ESG scores and financial metrics. The findings reveal a complex nonlinear relationship between ESG scores and WACC, suggesting an optimal ESG threshold that minimizes WACC. The study also finds weak correlations between ESG scores and ROE, indicating limited direct e ects on financial outcomes. The results of periods of regulatory change and the COVID-19 cri- sis show inconsistent patterns in abnormal returns without clear evidence that higher ESG scores provide financial resilience. These insights challenge the assumption that higher ESG scores consistently correlate with better financial performance, highlighting the need for more research in di erent conditions and longer periods of time. Keywords Profitability, ESG, Sustainability, Bank Title Exploring the Impact of ESG Ratings in Bank- ing: A Study of European Banks Author's e-mail gabriela.bosnakova@fsv.cuni.cz Supervisor's e-mail petr.teply@vse.cz
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Edible insect in nutrition
Lampová, Barbora ; Chrpová, Diana (advisor) ; Pánek, Jan (referee)
The world's human population is rapidly growing and is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, leading to increased demand for food. One of the major global challenges is the lack of high- quality proteins. The consumption of edible insects, known as entomophagy, is a promising solution to this problem, providing a new source of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This alternative may be more environmentally friendly than traditional food production methods, contributing to meeting the growing needs of the population. The aim of this bachelor's thesis was to assess the attitudes and approach of Czech consumers towards edible insects, as well as to determine the availability of edible insect products in the Czech market. Within this research, it was found that a significant part of respondents had prior experience with consuming edible insects. Almost 90% of respondents in this evaluation had tried edible insects, with the majority willing to repeat insect consumption. Consumers generally preferred hidden forms of edible insects, followed by culinarily prepared visible forms of insects. An important finding was that none of the surveyed respondents had encountered edible insect products in brick-and-mortar stores, a fact confirmed by market research indicating the absence of these products in...
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Development and implementation of green marketing in the watch indrustry from 2019 to the present
Donnerová, Denisa ; Koudelková, Petra (advisor) ; Zavadilová, Tereza (referee)
The thesis on the development and implementation of green marketing in the watch industry from 2019 to the present aims to find out how much watch brands are using green marketing and how they are implementing it in their strategy. It also aims to find out whether the social class of a brand's target audience has an impact on the amount of green marketing usage by a brand. In the theoretical part, the thesis explains the concept of green marketing which is crucial for the whole research. Furthermore, it links it to the concept of corporate social responsibility. The remaining chapters are devoted to the relationship of consumers with sustainable behaviour and to the introduction of the watch industry, its development and the environmental issues associated with it. Among others, the brands Citizen, Oris and IWC are introduced and further explored. The research itself was carried out through quantitative content analysis, using keywords on the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram as well as on the website to determine how much brands communicate green marketing. The thesis concludes by discussing not only the results of the research, but also its limitations and opportunities for future research.
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The impact of social media microtrends on sustainability within the fashion industry
Janoušková, Barbora ; Schneiderová, Soňa (advisor) ; Zavadilová, Tereza (referee)
This bachelor thesis examines the impact of social media microtrends on sustainability within the fashion industry. It begins with a description of the current state of the fashion industry in the digital environment and an analysis of how social media trends work. It then focuses on the issue of sustainability in the fashion industry and examines how the popularity of microtrends may be related to the negative environmental impacts of fast fashion. Through quantitative research, the aim of this thesis is to identify the impact of these microtrends on the purchasing behaviour of Generation Z and to deduce from the data how this behaviour affects sustainability within the fashion industry. The research was conducted through a questionnaire survey. In the discussion, the research results are analysed, then placed in a theoretical context and used to answer the research question. Based on the results, it was found that fashion inspired by microtrends often carries the characteristics of fast fashion, which has a negative impact on sustainability within the fashion industry. This was complemented by the finding that members of Generation Z show a desire for sustainable practices when dealing with microtrend-inspired fashion.
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