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Empirical analysis of Okun’s law in Iceland
Zajíček, Zdeněk ; Slaný, Martin (advisor) ; Chytilová, Helena (referee)
This thesis deals with empirical analysis of Okuns law in Iceland. Okuns hypothesis of negative relationship between real GDP and the rate of unemployment is being tested on two models, difference and gap, using OLS estimation. Also there are two filtration methods used (Hodrick-Prescott and Baxter-King) for gap model estimation. The results of all models showed weak relationship of variables, but proved the hypothesis. In the following part, the same procedure is being used on Finlands data, to get comparison of coefficients. Results for Finland showed weaker bond of variables than in Iceland, but the Okuns hypothesis still holds. Last part is focused on finding the sensitivity of rate of unemployment to changes in added value of each economical sector in Iceland using the production approach model. This model gave inconclusive results due to insufficient data available.
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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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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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Chytrá a udržitelná města v kontextu vědecké a inovační strategie EU
Horniecká, Marie ; Žamberský, Pavel (advisor) ; Procházková Ilinitchi, Cristina (referee)
The thesis explores how the EU support to research and innovation towards urban sustainability is designed, what the existing EU intiatives striving for achieving smart and sustainable cities are. The analysis of theoretical approaches forms the basis for developing the definition of smart and sustainable city for the purpose of this thesis. An overview of the principal EU strategic documents which address urban sustainability together with European networks is provided in order to demonstrate the linkage to the research Framework Programmes. A separate chapter is devoted to the analysis of the most pressing challenges European cities face nowadays. Database of EU funded research and innovation calls and projects is examined (E-CORDA). Calls and projects related to urban areas are identified and juxtaposed with the urban problems. Final recommendations concern with social aspects of sustainability which should be, in the author's opinion, addressed in future EU research Framework Programmes with a particular attention.
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Content Marketing for Lead Generation in B2B Educational and Consulting Services
Nykodýmová, Barbora ; Zamazalová, Marcela (advisor) ; Pospíchal, Tomáš (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to acquaint the reader with the issue of content marketing for generating leads and information about potential customers, then to analyze and offer some recommendations for its further use among B2B suppliers of educational and consulting services. The theoretical part discusses three key topics: the specifics of the services and B2B sector; content marketing and the reasons for its inclusion in marketing strategy; and the issue of lead generation as a possible metric of content marketing and sales tool. The practical part of the thesis approaches this topic from the perspective of four representatives of service suppliers, complemented by a point of view of the mediate company IVITERA. This company brings together one of the largest B2B communities in the services sector on the Czech market within its (especially online) media projects. Research was conducted through individual interviews with representatives of all five companies and by an analysis of secondary data, leads and keywords provided by the mediate company.
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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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Use of Interest Rate Models for Interest Rate Risk Management in the Czech Financial Market Environment
Cíchová Králová, Dana ; Arlt, Josef (advisor) ; Cipra, Tomáš (referee) ; Witzany, Jiří (referee)
The main goal of this thesis is to suggest an appropriate approach to interest rate risk modeling in the Czech financial market environment in various situations. Three distinct periods are analyzed. These periods, which are the period before the global financial crisis, period during the financial crisis and in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and calming subsequent debt crisis in the eurozone, are characterized by different evaluation of liquidity and credit risk, different relationship between financial variables and market participants and different degree of market regulations. Within this goal, an application of the BGM model in the Czech financial market environment is crucial. Use of the BGM model for the purpose of predicting a dynamics of a yield curve is not very common. This is firstly due to the fact that primary use of this model is a valuation of interest rate derivatives while ensuring the absence of arbitrage and secondly its application is relatively difficult. Nevertheless, I apply the BGM model to obtain predictions of the probability distributions of interest rates in the Czech and eurozone market environment, because its complexity, direct modeling of a yield curve based on market rates and especially a possibility of parameter estimation based on current swaptions volatilities quotations may lead to a significant improvement of predictions. This improvement was also confirmed in this thesis. Use of swaptions volatilities market quotations is especially useful in the period of unprecedented mone- tary easing and increased number of central banks and other regulators interventions into financial markets that occur after the financial crisis, because it reflects current market expectations which also include future interventions. As a consequence of underdevelopment of the Czech financial market there are no market quotations of Czech koruna denominated swaptions volatilities. I suggest their approximations based on quotations of euro denominated swaptions volatilities and also using volatilities of koruna and euro forward rates. Use of this approach ensures that predictions of the Czech yield curve dynamics contain current market expectations. To my knowledge, any other author has not presented similar application of the BGM model in the Czech financial market environment. In this thesis I further predict a Czech and Euro area money market yield curve dynamics using the CIR and the GP models as representatives of various types of interest rates models to compare these predictions with BGM predictions. I suggest a comprehensive system of three criteria, based on comparison of predicti- ons with reality, to describe a predictive power of selected models and an appropria- teness of their use in the Czech market environment during different situations in the market. This analysis shows that predictions of the Czech money market yield curve dynamics based on the BGM model demonstrate high predictive power and the best 8 quality in comparison with other models. GP model also produces relatively good qua- lity predictions. Conversely, predictions based on the CIR model as a representative of short rate model family completely failed when describing reality. In a situation when the economy allows negative rates and there is simultaneously a significant likelihood of their implementation, I recommend to obtain predictions of Czech money market yield curve dynamics using GP model which allows existence of negative interest rates. This analysis also contains a statistical test for validating the predictive power of each model and information on other tests. Berkowitz test rejects a hypothesis of accurate predictions for each model. However, this fact is common in real data testing even when using relatively good model. This fact is especially caused by difficult fulfilment of test conditions in real world. To my knowledge, such an analysis of the predictive power of selected interest rate models moreover in the Czech financial market environment has not been published yet. The last goal of this thesis is to suggest an appropriate approach to obtaining pre- dictions of Czech government bonds risk premium dynamics. I define this risk premium as a difference between government bond yields and fixed rate of CZK IRS with the same length. I apply the GP model to describe the dynamics of this indicator of the Czech Republic credit risk. In order to obtain a time series of the risk premium which are necessary for estimation of GP model parameters I firstly estimate yield curves of Czech government bonds using Svensson model for each trading day since 2005. Resulting si- mulations of risk premium show that the GP model predicts the real development of risk premiums of all maturities relatively well. Hence, the proposed approach is suitable for modeling of Czech Republic credit risk based on the use of information extracted from financial markets. I have not registered proposed approach to risk premium modeling moreover in the Czech financial market environment in other publications.
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The capacity of the European Union to form a common foreign policy: The approach towards Russia during the crisis in Ukraine
Grycová, Adéla ; Rolenc, Jan Martin (advisor) ; Cibulková, Petra (referee)
The thesis deals with the issues of framing and europeanization of the foreign policy of the European Union in the context of an actorness of the EU. These two theoretical concepts are applied on the case of an approach of the Czech Republic and European Union towards Russian Federation during the crisis in Ukraine. The aim of this thesis is to find out if the European Union is capabble of affecting the behaviour of a member state in order to create unified and operational foreign policy. The first chapter deals with teoretical definition of the two concepts and detailed description of the stances of Czech Republic and European Union follows in the second one. On the basis of these chapters the assessment is conducted. The last part firstly concludes if any attempt of influecing is present and secondly the success rate of the attempt is evaluated.
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