Generolo Jono Žemaičio Lietuvos karo akademija

Ensuring the quality of the various processes is essential to the effective functioning of an organisation. One way to achieve this is to assess the quality of the organisation’s performance. This process involves both self-assessment and external evaluation, which are carried out using different methodological approaches to evaluation. It should be stressed that the outcome of the quality assessment also depends on the choice of a methodological approach and its correct use from a methodological perspective. The aim of this paper is to present methodological approaches to assessing the quality of organisational performance. The paper focuses on action research as a methodological approach to evaluation and case studies as a methodological approach to external evaluation, showing how the two are closely interrelated and how they can be used more frequently and successfully in quality management research.

The article analysed methodological scales for measuring intercultural competence. Taking into account the ones presented in scientific literature, SAGE’s scientific publications database was selected as the data collection source. Methodologically validated scales were evaluated from the perspective of management science in order to select the most used ones oriented to management research. Therefore, four most popular measurement scales that have received the most attention in different countries were distinguished. The article also ranked the most popular scientific journals in terms of research on the above mentioned competencies using said methodological scales as well as explored military intercultural competence to determine the possibilities of using methodological scales.

The basis of every state is in its democratic system and ability to defend it. Therefore, a government has legal rights to immediately declare emergency situation, responding to crisis, catastrophes or unforeseen extraordinary events. The topicality of the research is determined by the emergency situation declared by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2019 in the administrative territory of Riga City in regard to waste management, in order to provide the Riga municipality with an opportunity to conclude negotiated procedure without prior publication. Even though state’s democratic system demands to act immediately in any case of such action, it must be legal since the public, whose life, health and property might be endangered, relies on it, as well as budget is spent on it. However, the mutual application of regulatory enactments in practise cause issues because it is not always clear how to identify and separate such situations and which regulatory enactment is applicable in each specific case. The aim of the research is to determine what is included in the definition of unforeseeable extraordinary events in the context of public procurement, when the government has rights to declare an emergency situation, what are the legal consequences of declaring emergency situation and provide suggestions for dealing with the issue highlighted by the research. In order to reach the set goal, the following tasks were defined: carry-out analysis of regulatory enactments, research the judicature of the European Union and Latvia, conclusions of legal scholars and evaluate the practice of legal act application. The research utilizes descriptive, comparative, dogmatic, historical, systemic, teleological method and analytical interpretation of regulatory enactments.

Nuolatinė socialinių tinklų plėtra modernioje žinių visuomenėje kelia naujus iššūkius ir suteikia naujas galimybes. Pastaruoju metu vis daugiau dėmesio skiriama socialinių tinklų naudojimui švietime. Todėl šio straipsnio tikslas – pristatyti socialinių tinklų naudojimo švietime (tiek formaliajame, tiek neformaliajame) galimybes. Straipsnis modeliuojamas remiantis kokybinio tyrimo metodologinėmis nuostatomis. Jame pristatomo tyrimo pagrindiniai metodai – publikuotų tyrimo rezultatų metaanalizė ir kokybinė turinio analizė, leidusios atskleisti pagrindines socialinių tinklų, naudojamų švietimo poreikiams, galimybes, taip pat kai kurias galimas grėsmes. Straipsnyje pristatomi 2017 m. rugpjūčio – spalio mėn. straipsnio autorių atlikto tyrimo rezultatai, kurie leidžia teigti, kad moksliniai tyrimai, susiję su socialinių tinklų naudojimu ugdymo procese, daugiausiai sutelkti į suaugusiųjų švietimo nagrinėjimą. Socialiniai tinklai leidžia studentams tapti aktyviais bendradarbiais, kurti žinias ir keisti savo socialinę padėtį, interaktyviomis priemonėmis plečia įtraukaus mokymosi galimybes. Socialiniai tinklai griauna tradicinio mokymo nustatytas aiškias ribas tarp profesinės ir socialinės erdvės ir verčia kitaip pažvelgti į mokymo ir mokymosi procesus, remia ir palaiko interaktyvius tarpusavio santykius, komunikaciją, bendruomenę ir bendradarbiavimą, kuria edukacines erdves.

This paper has aimed to explore the inter-linkages of economic growth, poverty and inequality in the context of the European Union (EU) countries during the period of 2005 – 2016. Descriptive statistics analysis and econometric methods have been applied for this purpose. Research results have revealed statistically significant interrelationships between growth and poverty in half of the European Union countries. Moreover, in majority of these countries poverty has been elastic of economic growth. It should be noted, that the countries with higher level of economic development have relatively smaller share of population living below the national poverty lines. However, we cannot say the same about the growth – inequality relationships, which have varied across the EU countries. There are economically strong countries with relatively high income inequality and economically weaker countries with lower income distribution coefficients. However, in many cases poverty and income inequality tend to move in the same direction, i.e. as one increases, the other as well and vice versa. Finally, the insights of the research could be useful in developing a common strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and achieving the goals for Europe 2020.

The articles analyses the penetration of social media through personal use into daily life and the relation of this phenomenon to national security. A survey of Lithuanian higher-school students aged 18-29 was conducted according to quantitative research methodology. Young people actively use social networks for various purposes (personal, learning, work, recreation). Statistically, each individual, aged 18-29, has personal profiles on four social networking sites, yet most often does not adequately evaluate and link the use of social networks with possible national security threats and risk factors. Less than two-thirds of young people have heard something of possible threats and risk factors; however, the impact of social media on national security is not considered significant. Thus, it seems that young people lack information about real threats presented by social networks to both personal data storage and national security.

Considering the rapid change of work and life as well as the increasing requirements of professional competences for personnel, this article, based on scientific literature, examines the concept competence and its component parts. Through an integrated multi criteria approach, the authors of this work assessed competences and their deciding factors of the naval officers of the Lithuanian Navy and, respectively, developed a complex assessment model. On the basis of the model development principles, competences and their component parts of any other profession can also be assessed. According to the results, the authors proposed adapted competence building measures for a specific vessel that would develop missing skills and increase officers’ work optimization in the existing work environment.