|
|
Non-equity Crowdfunding: Funding Success and Dynamics on Hithit
Machová, Veronika ; Gregor, Martin (advisor) ; Švarcová, Natálie (referee)
Non-equity Crowdfunding: Funding Success and Dynamics on Hithit Veronika Machová Abstract Non-equity crowdfunding, as an innovative way of financing new ideas, has been growing enormously over recent years. Crowdfunding projects are often characterized by a predetermined monetary goal and the length of the campaign. Furthermore, potential contributors can observe the level of funding provided by others, which suggests that details of previous contributions play an essential role in funding behavior. We obtain data from the Czech crowdfunding platform Hithit, which allow us to empirically analyze the determinants of success and the funding dynamics of crowdfunding projects. Outcomes from several probit regressions indicate that shorter campaigns and campaigns offering private rewards of lower value are more likely to be successful-but these results do not demonstrate causality. A short campaign signals confidence; this positive signaling effect outweighs the marketing- opportunities effect of a long campaign. Applying fixed effects model to panel data, we show that the amount of contributions is negatively associated with the level of funding already achieved, providing evidence of free-riding effect. However, the effect of past contributions is reversed in the final phase of the campaign as the risk of...
|
|
|
Manipulation through Evaluative Voting in the State Cinematography Fund
Pham, Petr ; Gregor, Martin (advisor) ; Adam, Tomáš (referee)
The goal of this thesis is to examine the use of evaluative voting in the Board of the Cinematography Fund, which is responsible for the public subsidies in the film industry. A dataset covering results of calls for support in the period of 2013-2017 is used. A logistic regression model is constructed to assess the probability to succeed in such a call. Potential extent of manipulation among members of the Board is analysed with game theoretic approach, where agents misreport their true preferences. The results of this thesis are in line with the literature on social choice theory and suggest a great susceptibility to exploitation in the committee.
|
|
|
Numerical fiscal rules and fiscal institutions in an economy with a dynamic common pool problem
Janásek, Lukáš ; Gregor, Martin (advisor) ; Hejlová, Hana (referee)
1 Abstract The focus of this bachelor's thesis is fiscal policy of a fragmented government that represents symmetric socio-economic groups. For the analysis of fiscal policy, I develop the model of a dynamic common pool. In the model, the fiscal choices of interest are 1) a level of tax revenue, 2) a level of public productive spending and 3) an intertemporal choice of a level of group's consumption spending. For each of the fiscal decisions, I describe a distortion associated with the fiscal choice stemming from the decentralized decision making. Next, I examine the impact of a deficit ceiling and fiscal institutions that centralize separate fiscal choices of groups on the three distortions. Due to the symmetry of groups, the analysis abstracts from the efficiency-equity trade-off. Among the key results is that three fiscal frameworks can attain the socially desirable fiscal policy: 1) centralization of the productive spending and the tax revenue combined with a deficit ceiling, 2) centralization of the consumption spending, 3) centralization of a budget size and the productive spending.
|
|
|
Penzijní reformy v Evropské unii: Můžeme se poučit?
Peroutková, Hana ; Schneider, Ondřej (advisor) ; Gregor, Martin (referee)
This diploma thesis tries to provide an overview of pension systems and pension reforms in the EU countries. To describe characteristics of pension systems together with latest reform steps more comprehensively, a comparative typology of pension systems and reforms was performed. Moreover, this analysis brings interesting findings about a link between pension reform strategies and characteristics of pension systems together with demographic situation of European Union countries. The analysis is based on principal component analysis of qualitative data and preference mapping (multidimensional preference analysis). The pension system characteristics include variables describing a pension generosity, a development of private pension schemes, and a labor force participation of older workers. To provide a compact overview of pension reforms in the European Union, at first the reasons for implementing necessary pension reforms are listed, followed by description of the first and second tier of pension systems, pension eligibility ages, several economic indicators of pension entitlements, and expenditures on public pension systems. Comparison of two main ways of financing the pension system (PAYG and funded) is important background for examination of main reform strategies of pension reforms that is also...
|
|
|
Determinants of Web-Based CSR Disclosure in the Retail Sector of the Czech Republic
Mjartanová, Viktória ; Gregor, Martin (advisor) ; Poláková, Nikol (referee)
A b s tra c t Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an engaging, momentous aspect of current business practices. Firm s may build and reinforce stakeholder relationships by taking part in CSR projects. Companies, operating in the retail trade sector, may be of special interest as they aim to communicate w ith the general public, as potential customers. One may thus concentrate on observing their corporate social responsibility disclosure from commonly available inform ation. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, only few studies document the corporate social responsibility efforts of firm s in the Czech Republic. More research w ith this regard can hence provide new insights. We thus investigate the determinants of web-based CSR effort disclosure of retailing firm s in the Czech Republic. The linear probability model, probit as well as logit are used in the analysis, together w ith a set of sub-sector, organizational, legal and financial explanatory variables. We find evidence of a positive relationship between the probability of CSR effort disclosure and E B IT . We also find some evidence th a t net debt, net profit, RO A as well as firm age are positively related to firm CSR effort reporting.
|
|
|
Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal transition by the ERK pathway.
Čáslavský, Josef ; Vomastek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Brábek, Jan (referee) ; Gregor, Martin (referee)
Typical epithelium is uniformly polarized solid structure defined by the presence of cell-cell contacts that are connected to well-organized network of actin cytoskeleton. While epithelium is considered to be rather static, during embryogenesis or cancer development epithelial tissues undergo considerable dynamic changes in their integrity that are characterized by loss of epithelial polarity, disruption of cell-cell adhesions and gaining mesenchymal or mesenchymal-like migratory phenotype. These changes, collectively termed as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), allow cells to effectively invade surrounding tissues and are considered to be a main factor underlying the formation of metastatic cancer. The MAPK/ERK cascade, comprised of protein kinases Raf, MEK and ERK, induces the breakdown of epithelial integrity and cell autonomous migration in various cell lines. In the ERK pathway, ERK is an effector protein kinase which, depending on the cellular context, phosphorylates a number of different substrates. Spatiotemporal phosphorylation of specific constellation of ERK substrates drives specific biologic outcome. The question arises whether, during conversion of multicellular epithelium to autonomously migrating cells, ERK regulates a "master" controller or whether the ERK regulatory function...
|
|
|
Optimal tax modeling - The case of alcohol
Mikolášek, Jakub ; Janda, Karel (advisor) ; Gregor, Martin (referee)
This project focuses on modeling the optimal alcohol tax for the Czech Republic, based on microeconomic findings on consumer's behavior. After stating the key statistical facts on alcohol consumption in the Czech Republic, problems of abusive alcohol consumption are identified and an estimate of costs arising from its consumption is calculated. From these costs we identify that part, which is external to the alcohol abuser (e.g. which affects the other members of society). Using the methodology by Anderson and Baumberg (2006), together with macroeconomic data on local alcohol production, we estimate the net external costs of alcohol consumption. The next step focuses on theoretical modeling of optimal alcohol tax for various alcoholic beverages, using an analogy to a method developed by Pogue and Sgotz (1989) and Saffer and Chaplupka (1994). Analyzing several scenarios, we get an insight view to the problem and we state the requirements on empirical data necessary for numerical calculation of optimal tax. Therefore in the next part, we analyze microeconomic behavior of alcohol consumers in the Czech Republic and estimate demand elasticities using AIDS (Almost Ideal Demand System) estimate on data from Household Budget Statistics by Czech Statistical Office. Then, using the results of microeconomic...
|
|
|
Effect of expectations on civil-war and its recurrence
Kořánová, Barbora ; Gregor, Martin (advisor) ; Mareš, Jan (referee)
The goal of this thesis is to shed light on the efect of expectations on the civil war and its recurrence. We use a dataset that covers over 90 countries over the period of 1970-2014. First, we introduce proxy-variables of expectations about the future presence of civil war into an econometric model of occur- rence of civil conlict. Using the logistic regression, we ind that expectations have a signiicant inluence on the onset of civil conlict. Thereafter, we ex- amine the impact of these expectations in post-conlict situations, which is smaller but non-negligible. Subsequently, we compare the features of post- conlict countries, where civil war has repeated within 10 years and where it has not, via the Welch test. Finally, we describe conlict as a game with complete information and as a Bayesian game. In these we identify the role of expectations about opponent's action and the role of changes in payofs. JEL Classiication D74, C21, D84, C72 Keywords civil war, post-conlict, cross-section, noncoop- erative games, expectations Author's e-mail bara.koranova@seznam.cz Supervisor's e-mail gregor@fsv.cuni.cz
|
|
| |
|
|
Role of CCH domain in localization and signaling of an adaptor protein CAS
Braniš, Jaroslav ; Rösel, Daniel (advisor) ; Gregor, Martin (referee)
Focal adhesions are cell structures that are formed between cell and the surrounding environment. The cell receives through focal adhesions important information about the chemical composition of the surrounding environment. In addition, focal adhesions are crucial for the transmission of forces that are generated inside the cell and the forces that affect the cell from the outside. CAS is the focal adhesion protein, which has been shown to regulate the actin cytoskeleton and the ability of the cells to generate forces needed for the surrounding environment deformation and cell migration. CAS is additionally molecular mechanosensor which senses mechanical forces and convert them into biochemical information, which is transmitted further into the cell. Localization of CAS in focal adhesions is necessary for its functioning. For this work, we have prepared a set of variants of CAS protein which was mutated in regions where are situated the N-terminal SH3 domain and a C-terminal CCH domain, which play the role of so-called anchoring domains. CAS protein variants were used to elucidate the role of anchoring domains for the localization and dynamics of CAS in focal adhesions and for the ability of the cells to generate traction forces. Keywords: CAS, SH3 domain, CCH domain, FAT domain, focal adhesions,...
|
guest ::
RSS feed.