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Analysis of real and nominal convergence of the Visegrad Group in the years 2000-2015
Wikturna, Jan ; Strejček, Ivo (advisor) ; Zamrazilová, Eva (referee)
This Bachelor thesis is focused on a macroeconomic analysis of the process of the real and nominal convergence of the Visegrad Group countries to the old member states of the European Union, called EU-15 during the period of 2000-2015. The objective of the analysis is to confirm or disprove the hypothesis that in the selected period there is a convergence of the economically backward V4 countries with the advanced EU-15 countries and to highlight the factors that are behind the narrowing of the gap in economics and price levels. The theoretical part deals with the ways in which we measure and compare the economic performance and economic level, and explains the different approaches of the problem of economic growth and the subsequent catching up effect. The practical part is focused on a comparison of elected macroeconomic indicators and reference is made to the selected factors to determine whether, and for what reasons, the economic convergence of these selected countries made towards the developed countries of the EU-15. The analytical part confirms the ongoing process of the real and nominal convergence throughout the period, but its course is varied during different times of the period. In conclusion, it is found that the rate varied by the convergence processes and in fact positively affected the V4 countries, that joined the European Union. The incoming dynamics of the convergence, especially the prices, were significantly disrupted by the economic crisis.
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The Value of CSR for Czech Consumers
Faradji, Elise ; Štěrbová, Ludmila (advisor) ; Seror, Patricia (referee)
Nowadays consumers purchasing behavior is influenced by new factors such as the social and environmental implication of companies. This is why Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a growing trend which companies need to look after carefully. However implementing an efficient CSR strategy is a complex process for corporations; especially since the core concept of CSR remain quite blurry. The goal of this study is to analyze the perception of consumers towards CSR to find out about the value creation that CSR produce for consumers and its impact on their purchasing behavior. This paper will ultimately help companies to implement their CSR strategy more efficiently. This study aims to contribute by conducting an in-depth analysis of consumers attitudes and behavior towards CSR. If most of researchers are using a quantitative approach this study means to deal with the issue with a qualitative perspective. Indeed twelve semi-structured interviews will support the findings. On top of those practical and physical interviews some theoretical knowledge will be added to the construction of the argument especially to bring a framework that shows the importance of all types of value creation (functional emotional and social). The findings of the thesis emphasize the facts already proven by other researchers; value creation is fundamental to make consumers care about CSR. However the study will show how much skepticism towards CSR can impact negatively consumers purchasing behavior. The research will help companies implementing more successful CSR strategy and develop new solutions to reach customers and influence their purchasing behavior through the creation of value for them.
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Differences and similarities on the approaches of buyers from X and Y generations regarding sustainable procurement
Lacour, Maxime ; Štěrbová, Ludmila (advisor) ; Geniaux, Isabelle (referee)
Responsible procurement has become a real challenge for companies following the current trends of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and more and more ethic-oriented customers. Differing from the concept of green procurement this concept of responsible procurement supports the willingness of companies to have ethic and sustainable supplies. The usual criteria in procurement such as price performances innovation terms and time of payment have increasingly been coupled with more ethic-oriented ones. These criteria related to ethics combine both social and environmental responsibilities of suppliers and stakeholders such as energetic savings and the possession of a particular certification. Currently many call for tenders set ecological requirements for suppliers or subcontractors even in non-strategic procurement activities. The goal of this thesis is about comparing this approach to responsible procurement between buyers from the X and Y generation: do they share the same ideas and priorities concerning responsible procurement? For both of these generations are the advantages and drawbacks of responsible procurement similar?
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On possible approaches to detecting robotic activity of botnets
Prajer, Richard ; Palovský, Radomír (advisor) ; Pavlíček, Luboš (referee)
This thesis explores possible approaches to detecting robotic activity of botnets on network. Initially, the detection based on full packet analysis in consideration of DNS, HTTP and IRC communication, is described. However, this detection is found inapplicable for technical and ethical reasons. Then it focuses on the analysis based on network flow metadata, compiling them to be processable in machine learning. It creates detection models using different machine learning methods, to compare them with each other. Bayes net method is found to be acceptable for detecting robotic activity of botnets. The Bayesian model is only able to identify the botnet that already executes the commands sent by its C&C server. "Sleeping" botnets are not reliably detectable by this model.
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Segmentation of the detergent market
Bulantová, Barbora ; Koudelka, Jan (advisor)
This Masters Thesis is focused on detergent market in the Czech Republic and its market segmentation. The goal of this thesis is to find differences and similarities between consumers and to uncover the segments which are internally homogeneous and externally heterogeneous, and to suggest a marketing approach for each segment. Theoretical part of this thesis is about theoretical explanation of the market segmentation process, different approaches to segmentation and methods of segmentation. There is also a description of the detergent market in the Czech Republic. The analytical part is focused on segmentation process itself. The segmentation is based on both primary and secondary data. The revealed segments are then described in detail. There is a suggested marketing approach how to effectively address each segment.
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Analysis and design of intranet structure
Novák, Miroslav ; Pour, Jan (advisor) ; Šedivá, Zuzana (referee)
Nowadays, Intranet is an inseparable part of every company, notwithstanding of their size or field of activity. Both, in my work and personal life, I often come across different intranets that usually do not get a positive response. But they usually have the same source of the problem, which is based on their wrong structure. This is why is chose this topic for my thesis. The goal of my thesis is to perform an analysis of an existing intranet of a particular company and subsequently create a design of the intranet new structure using the card-sorting method. This thesis primarily represents a generalized method of how to proceed during such realization and which areas to look into. Theoretical part of this thesis covers the topics of information architecture and also the term intranet itself, where the most frequent issues I came across in the intranets are pointed out. Practical part covers the analysis itself, where I focus on the structure of the existing intranet, categorization of its content, connections with other systems, customization, permission management, surveys of contentment, and intranet usage. The analysis is performed manually by scanning through the existing intranet of the company, since other methods or approaches could not be applied due to technical limitations or insufficient permis-sions. Based on the outputs of the analysis, web categorizations and the card-sorting method, a design of a structure of the new intranet has been proposed. The design itself is a demonstration of the method how to approach the new intranet design.
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Řízení IS/ICT se zaměřením na sourcing služeb informačního systému
Šebesta, Michal ; Voříšek, Jiří (advisor) ; Havlíček, Zdeněk (referee) ; Příklenk, Oldřich (referee) ; Král, Jaroslav (referee)
Research on outsourcing has been around for several decades, while recent evolution in the information systems discipline towards ICT service commoditization significantly changes the context of decision-making. Services that are available on-demand via the Internet allow organizations implementing functions they demand in a fraction of time. This trend represents a chance for organizations seeking to use advanced ICT services without a need of major investments. Problem is the current lack of guidelines and tools for managing ICT services and their outsourcing. Given the trends on the ICT service market, it is expected that much of the IT management in the future will encompass the ICT services and utilize service-level structures. Methods currently available are either too broad or encompass only small part of the whole problem. Ad-hoc or unsound decisions in this area might cause major complications in terms of quality, usability, integration, and consequently influence total cost of organizational IT. Organizations need to either revise existing models or propose and implement completely new models to manage their IS/ICT. This thesis deals with the management of IS/ICT with focus on the ICT services outsourcing. It discusses available sourcing models in the literature and links them to the various interconnected areas. Based on these areas, it presents an integrated view on IT outsourcing strategies. Most importantly the thesis proposes an original concept for decision-making about outsourcing of ICT services named the SOURCER framework. This approach utilizes the presented outsourcing strategies, and introduces a complex methodology and decision-making criteria that will assist organizations with selection of ICT services in order to maintain and manage a most suitable ICT service portfolio. The decision-making is based on four essential viewpoints: function, costs, time, and quality. These viewpoints are discussed, individually analyzed, and serve as a basis for further research. The whole framework is developed and validated according to Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM). Individual components are evaluated using a survey among a group of selected IT managers. Proof of concept is then established by a case study on framework use in a real organization. This case study covers strategy specification, business--IT alignment, specifying service architecture and its interconnections, outsourcing, and management of the ICT service portfolio.
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Clustering and regression analysis of micro panel data
Sobíšek, Lukáš ; Pecáková, Iva (advisor) ; Komárek, Arnošt (referee) ; Brabec, Marek (referee)
The main purpose of panel studies is to analyze changes in values of studied variables over time. In micro panel research, a large number of elements are periodically observed within the relatively short time period of just a few years. Moreover, the number of repeated measurements is small. This dissertation deals with contemporary approaches to the regression and the clustering analysis of micro panel data. One of the approaches to the micro panel analysis is to use multivariate statistical models originally designed for crosssectional data and modify them in order to take into account the within-subject correlation. The thesis summarizes available tools for the regression analysis of micro panel data. The known and currently used linear mixed effects models for a normally distributed dependent variable are recapitulated. Besides that, new approaches for analysis of a response variable with other than normal distribution are presented. These approaches include the generalized marginal linear model, the generalized linear mixed effects model and the Bayesian modelling approach. In addition to describing the aforementioned models, the paper also includes a brief overview of their implementation in the R software. The difficulty with the regression models adjusted for micro panel data is the ambiguity of their parameters estimation. This thesis proposes a way to improve the estimations through the cluster analysis. For this reason, the thesis also contains a description of methods of the cluster analysis of micro panel data. Because supply of the methods is limited, the main goal of this paper is to devise its own two-step approach for clustering micro panel data. In the first step, the panel data are transformed into a static form using a set of proposed characteristics of dynamics. These characteristics represent different features of time course of the observed variables. In the second step, the elements are clustered by conventional spatial clustering techniques (agglomerative clustering and the C-means partitioning). The clustering is based on a dissimilarity matrix of the values of clustering variables calculated in the first step. Another goal of this paper is to find out whether the suggested procedure leads to an improvement in quality of the regression models for this type of data. By means of a simulation study, the procedure drafted herein is compared to the procedure applied in the kml package of the R software, as well as to the clustering characteristics proposed by Urso (2004). The simulation study demonstrated better results of the proposed combination of clustering variables as compared to the other combinations currently used. A corresponding script written in the R-language represents another benefit of this paper. It is available on the attached CD and it can be used for analyses of readers own micro panel data.
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Analysis of the decision-making factors in freight forwarder selection process
Šrámková, Eva ; Novák, Radek (advisor) ; Cempírek, Václav (referee) ; Průša, Bohumil (referee)
The thesis analyses the factors of customer decision-making process by choosing a freight forwarder in the Czech Republic market. While applying factors by other relevant research studies dealing with the decision-making process of customers in non-European countries, the research examines factors characteristic for the Czech customers. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews as research methods are applied. Within the research, a new service quality instrument TARRQUAL was developed. The TARRQUAL was proved on a survey including 250 customers of freight forwarder Kühne+Nagel Czech Republic. As service quality measurement, TARRQUAL is supposed to be applied particularly in logistics business field. The project aims at providing input for empirical research in the field of service quality in container shipping, which is lacking in the Central and East European countries.
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