Institutional Repository of the General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania
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Initiatives, public trust, and citizen engagement during crises: A comparative analysis across Baltic states /
No full textThe purpose of this study is to investigate the interplay between government initiatives, public trust in government, and citizen engagement within the context of two distinct crisis scenarios: a global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an international security crisis caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine. A two-stage biennial survey methodology is used to collect quantitative data. In the first phase, which took place in the context of a global health crisis, an omnibus survey was conducted, involving a randomly selected sample of 3,175 respondents from three Baltic countries: Estonia (n =c1002), Latvia (n = 1017), and Lithuania (n = 1006). In the second stage, which took place in the context of an international security crisis, a random sample was carried out of 2026 respondents from two Baltic countries: Estonia (n = 1002) and Lithuania (n = 1024). The analysis examined causal relationships in political, rational, and social trust. The findings reveal that the relationship between trust in the government and government initiatives that foster political, rational, or emotional trust is stronger during international security crises than during health crises. This means that citizens perceive government behavior as more credible in the context of external security threats. Research on the interaction between government behavior and citizen participation is more nuanced than on public trust. In general, government initiatives have a greater impact on citizen participation than public trust in both crises. This highlights the positive impact of government initiatives in cooperation with the population
Study of the Patterns of Ozone Transport from Outdoors to Indoors.
No full textSince people spend most of their time indoors, indoor ozone may be one of the main pollutants that have a negative impact on human health. The study was carried out indoors by analyzing ozone transport from outdoors to indoors when the ozone generating devices were not operated. It has been found that a constant value of ozone concentration indoors is reached 5 minutes after opening the window, and the complete decomposition of this pollutant occurs within 90 minutes after closing the window. The indoor ozone concentration is mostly affected by the indoor air at a distance of up to 2 m from the window
Shrews under-represented in fruit farms and homesteads /
No full textShrews are a less studied group of small mammals than rodents. Between 2018 and 2022, we surveyed 23 sites in Lithuania, including natural and anthropogenic habitats, with the aim to assess the proportion of Soricidae in small mammal communities and their diet based on stable isotope analysis. The average representation of Soricidae was 3.1%, about half the long-term average in other habitats in the country. The highest proportions were in meadows and farmsteads, at 4.9% and 5.0% respectively. Shrews were not trapped on farms or in young orchards, and their relative abundance was very low in intensively managed orchards (0.006 individuals per 100 trap days). Neomys fodiens and N. anomalus were unexpectedly found in homesteads, including in outbuildings. Sorex araneus and S. minutus had similar diets. The trophic carbon/nitrogen discrimination factor between invertebrates and shrew hair was 2.74‰/3.98‰ for S. araneus, 1.90‰/3.78‰ for S. minutus in the orchards. The diet of N. fodiens and N. anomalus at the homesteads requires further investigation. We propose that the under-abundance of shrews may be due to contamination by plant protection products and a lack of invertebrates under intensive agricultural practices.vv
Germany Moving in to Keep Russia out: Implications and Challenges of the Bundeswehr’s Permanent Deployment in Lithuania /
No full textThe paper analyses implications and challenges of Germany’s upcoming military deployment in Lithuania. A permanent stationing of brigade-sized military unit on NATO’s Eastern frontier represents a major change in its force posture and a significant shift in Germany’s defence policy. Despite the official German position that the implementation of its military commitments is contingent on Lithuania’s timely improvement of its host nation support infrastructure, the paper suggests that the speed, quantity, and structure of Germany’s deployment also depends on the progress made in rearming the Bundeswehr and its defence policy priorities
The new component of integration in foreign policy in the theory of neofunctionalism: the case of the European Union’s reaction to the pressure of the Peoples Republic of China on Lithuania.
No full textResearchers who apply the theory of neofunctionalism in integration studies, while defining various factors promoting the integration of the European Union (EU) in the field of foreign policy, do not name the factor of direct pressure from third countries on the Community or its individual members. Meanwhile, the EU's reaction caused by China's political, economic and diplomatic pressure on Lithuania indicates the possible existence of such an integrative effect. The research object of this work is integration in the field of EU foreign policy. The aim of the research is to reveal that the Community's response to China's pressure on Lithuania shows signs of strengthening integration in the field of EU foreign policy, and this can be the basis for including an additional factor of integration in developing the theory of neofunctionalism. The research objectives are the following. The first is to analyze the insights of the theoretical perspective of neofunctionalism about EU integration in the field of foreign policy and the factors influencing this integration. The second is to form a specific case study methodology for assessing the impact of external pressure on integration processes in the field of EU foreign policy. The third is to conduct a case study that examines EU integration in foreign policy under the influence of China's pressure on Lithuania. Accordingly, the structure of the thesis consists from three parts. The first is dedicated to the theoretical perspective and the analysis of the scientific problem. The second one presents the methodology of the study of integration in the field of foreign policy, using a specific case. The third presents and interprets the results of the case study. The study uses a qualitative methodology, document analysis method is used for data collection. The theoretical part mainly uses the studies of integration in foreign policy and related case studies carried out by neofunctionalists in the period of the last ten years. The empirical part examines publicly available primary and secondary sources of information related to the EU's reaction to China's pressure on Lithuania from year 2021 to 2023. Qualitative document analysis and process tracking data analysis methods are applied. The theoretical and empirical analysis yielded the following main results. First, in the studies of the processes of EU integration in foreign policy, the theory of neofunctionalism misses a significant exogenous factor of integration – the direct pressure of a third state. Secondly, such pressure applied by China to Lithuania acted as a catalyst for the manifestation of various signs of integration in the EU's foreign policy, so this pressure can reasonably be considered as a trigger for integration in foreign policy
Russia’s war against Ukraine: a Lithuanian perspective /
No full textIn this essay, we present the Lithuanian perspective on Russia’s war against Ukraine. We discuss the facts on the ground, the attribution of responsibility, and touch upon the potential ways forward. In Lithuania’s view, it is clear that Russia is responsible for the war and all of the associated outcomes, including first and foremost the loss of life and other forms of suffering in Ukraine, the destruction of Ukraine’s economy and civil infrastructure, but also the wider repercussions for the world regarding higher prices, increased instability, and heightened political/military tensions. We refute the argument that the enlargement of NATO/EU in any way provoked or posed a threat to Russia and instead argue that this process created conditions for economic growth and stability in the admitted countries. Finally, on both moral and practical grounds, we suggest that the best course of action for creating long-lasting conditions for peace and stability is to support Ukraine in its struggle against the illegal and unprovoked invasion
An application of creative problem-solving approach in forming public management competencies /
No full textModern bureaucratic competencies, such as creativity, innovative problem-solving, and critical thinking, have become essential in contemporary public management due to complex challenges in a wide range of areas, including the economy, social welfare, and the environment. This has led to a greater focus on developing these competencies, through innovative methods like creative problem-solving (CPS) in the training of public management specialists. The aim of this study is to identify specific competencies among public management professionals that can be cultivated through the CPS approach and to explore the critical conditions for its successful implementation. The analysis was conducted at the Military Academy of Lithuania, where CPS techniques have been consistently integrated into public management-related subjects for several years, forming a stable foundation for the in-depth investigation. First, the study examines Lithuania’s legal framework for public management and public management education to implement CPS. Second, a qualitative data analysis of open-ended feedback (n = 199) highlights practical application. The findings reveal that the Lithuanian legal context underscores the importance of fostering creativity and innovation among public managers. Furthermore, the practical integration of CPS into public management curricula promotes modern bureaucratic qualities such as teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, innovation, and leadership. However, effective CPS implementation requires additional curriculum time, a supportive and creative learning environment, and strong teacher and student commitment. These findings underscore CPS’s potential as a valuable tool for cultivating public management competencies
Tarpinstitucinio bendradarbiavimo valdant migrantų krizę gerosios patirtys.
No full textIn 2021, Lithuania faced the challenge of managing the crisis of new type of migration across the Belarusian border, which threatened the security of the country and its citizens. A broad set of inter-institutional collaboration strategies and methods were used among the public institutions to address this crisis. Such inter-institutional collaboration has been a multifaceted and complex process, involving both known and new good practices. The aim of this article is to provide insights into good collaborative practices between the Lithuanian national defence and internal affairs systems in managing the migrant crisis. Following the expert interview results, the study identified three good practices of inter-institutional collaboration: (i) the creation of a single dissemination channel for the crisis response services, which ensured that all actors were in the same information field; (ii) the delegation of representatives of the institutions to teams at strategic, operational and tactical levels; and (iii) inter-institutional information sharing ensured good situational awareness at an early stage of emergency management. Lessons learned from the collaboration between the institutions of the national defence and internal affairs systems can be applied to improve inter-institutional collaboration in other areas. The research results can be used to enhance the process of such collaboration in addressing current emergency management issues and serve as a basis for effective and smooth emergency preparedness and response where inter-institutional synergy is needed
Remapping cybersecurity competences in a small nation state /
No full textThe impact of cybersecurity (CS) on public well-being is increasing due to the continued digitisation process of all industry sectors. The protection of information systems rests upon a sufficient number of CS specialists and their competences. A cyber-competence map describing the capacity and trends of the CS workforce is an essential element of the workforce development strategy. Large enterprises tend to have narrowly specialised employees with clearly identifiable roles. Still, most enterprises in small countries are SMEs. Therefore, the tasks and responsibilities of many CS-related specialists overlap the functions of several roles. This paper aims to develop a small-state cybersecurity competence map consistent with the standards of professional organisations. The work applies a combined qualitative and quantitative methodological approach to collect data using questionnaires and expert interviews in the CS field organisations. The study includes a representative public survey, a large-scale survey of company executives, an exploratory CS expert survey, and a comprehensive job posting analysis. Finally, a national CS competence map is presented and verified using two qualitative semi-structured interviews with field professionals. Even though the map reflects a status of a small nation state, it is activity-based and might be applicable in any country. As a future research direction, we will investigate the impact of early and late exposure to cybersecurity competences in education and framework applicability
The design of a multi-period and multi-echelon perishable goods supply network under uncertainty /
No full textThe value of superior supply network design is becoming increasingly important, especially in the perishable supply chain. Due to the recent developments in perishable products, perishable product supply chain (PPSC) management has attracted many researchers. The purpose of this study was to present a multi-period and multi-echelon perishable supply chain with regards to procurement time, cycle cost, and customer satisfaction. This study presented a new form of location-routing in a supply chain network for perishable products, accounting for environmental considerations, cost, procurement time, and customer satisfaction, such that the total costs, delivery time, and the emission of pollutants in the network were minimized while customer satisfaction was maximized. We formulated the problem as a multi-objective, nonlinear, mixed-integer program and the hybrid approach was proposed to solve the model. The mean error of the proposed algorithm for the objective function compared to the exact method in solving the sample problems was less than 3.4%. The computational results revealed the efficiency of the proposed algorithm for a wide range of issues of various sizes