Tomas Bata University in Zlín
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In situ polyaniline polymerization on electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers derived from recycled waste filter butts of cigarettes for the enhanced removal of methyl orange and rhodamine
No full textIn this study, waste cigarette butts (CBs) were processed to produce electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibrous membranes modified with polyaniline (PANI) via chemical oxidation polymerization. This cost-effective method of preparing CA coated with PANI was initially investigated by comparing CA, CA-PANI, and CA-dPANI (as deprotonated PANI) for the rapid adsorption of cationic and anionic dyes. The results depicted CA-PANI with the highest dye removal capacity. As the optimum material, CA-PANI was applied to remove methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine chloride (RC) dye from an aqueous phase. Essential factors: contact time, solution pH, initial dye concentration, nanofiber dosage, and temperature of solution were evaluated with maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity and removal percentage achieved for MO as 24.87 mg/g and 99 %, for RC as 6.93 mg/g and 55 %, respectively. The adsorptive experimental data for both dyes best fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic, intraparticle diffusion, and Freundlich models. Moreover, the thermodynamics result indicated the adsorption processes were exothermic and spontaneous in nature. Reusability studies also showed the stable performance of CA-PANI material for up to 7 adsorption-desorption cycles. The high dye removal efficiency suggests that the adsorbent material in the water filtration of azo dyes.Centre of Polymer Systems; DKRVO, (RP/CPS/2022/002, RP/CPS/2022/005); Tomas Bata University in Zlín, TBU; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMTMinistry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic - DKRVO [RP/CPS/2022/005, RP/CPS/2022/002
Business recovery and institutional constraints: evidence from Visegrad countries and Serbia
Get PDFThe current study investigates how institutional constraints and firms’ and entrepreneurs’ characteristics affect business recovery. Some elements have not yet been rigorously examined in the existing literature, especially not concerning the post-communist countries’ business recovery component and the same is the research gap current study intended to address. To evaluate the study model, ordinal logistic regression was used. More than 300 valid questionnaires are collected from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Serbia. The findings show that factors such as firm tenure and size, location, sector, entrepreneurial motivation, product change, etc., have conflicting effects on business recovery. Some of the outcomes of the present study is supported by the existing studies and some requires further research. The study focuses on the less explored independent variables and their association with business recovery, specifically on SMEs, which highlights the paper’s originality. The output of the current study adds to the existing literature of business recovery and institutional constraints. Policymakers interested in removing institutional limitations and promoting a quicker business recovery for SMEs are drawn to the research. The study findings are also helpful from a managerial standpoint because business owners and managers significantly impact decisions about entrepreneur motivation, product change, and other issues
Digitalization and carbon footprint: Building a path to a sustainable economic growth
Get PDFDigitalization is a primary driver of sustainable development. We investigate the impact of digitalization on the carbon footprints of the (national) government sector, households, enterprises, non-governmental organizations, and imported carbon footprints. We use panel data analysis to study the link between digitalization and sustainable economic growth by monitoring digital carbon footprint patterns. Our study results show that digitalization has a positive and statistically significant impact on sustainability development measured by the sustainable development goals (SDG). Furthermore, our results support the hypothesis that advancing total factor productivity, referring to green total factor productivity, is critical for meeting SDGs. Notably, we determine that the ecological footprint across sectors and countries is diverging, or at best, slowly converging at a pace that is not even close to that required to meet the 2030 SDGs. Therefore, policymakers and practitioners must strategically revise sustainability policies to ensure industrial and economic transition and adaptability to climate change and advance economic green growth and sustainable development
A systematic literature review on career commitment, job insecurity, and turnover intentions in the tourism industry
Get PDFThe tourism industry is well-known in the services sector. However, unstable jobs and insecure careers have impacts on career commitment, which are major concerns for the relevant stakeholders. The recent experience of the global pandemic COVID-19 has also exacerbated the jobs situation and reiterated the prevailing uncertainty in the tourism industry. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to carry out a systematic literature review (SLR) for exploring and analyzing the published scientific studies on the specific issue and highlight areas for further research. The systematic literature review based on PRISMA framework was follows, considering criteria of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. Initially, 200 records were identified, ended with 32 included records for detailed review. Results indicates the use of unethical pro-organization behavior (UPoB), anti-social activities, working conditions, relationship between worker and supervisor, and some controllable and uncontrollable factors significantly impact turnover intentions of employees, requires mitigation through certain staff retention policies, particularly under uncertain and crises driven situations. The study provides further research directions for researchers, related to the theoretical and practical aspects. Limitations of the study are discussed in the concluding part of the article.Internal Grant Agency of FaME; Tomas Bata University in Zlín, TBU, (FSR FORD 5-6 /2022-23/FaME/006, IGA/FaME/2023/017, RO/2022/02
Parents' attitudes to compulsory preschool education in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Get PDFThe issue of compulsory preschool education in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is a topical one as a result of the obligation to educate children prior to the start of basic school (primary education) being introduced over the past five years. The objective of the research whose results are presented in this study is to ascertain what attitude parents in the Czech Republic and Slovakia have in regard to the compulsory education of their children in the year prior to joining basic school. The research was based on two key concepts, specifically the obligation of educating children prior to joining basic school, and attitude as a relatively enduring evaluation of the object to which it relates. We used a scaled questionnaire of our own construction for data collection, administered via a web interface. In applying a Likert scale, a five-point scale was used, with statements separated into five dimensions. After validation, the research tool comprised 36 items. Convenience sampling was used to set up the research sample. Data collection was implemented in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with the sample incorporating 337 respondents, each of whom had to have at least one child of preschool age. In processing the research data, both core statistical characteristics and a non-parametric Friedman Test were made use of. Calculations were made using the STATISTICA and SPSS programs. The surveyed parents assessed compulsory education a year prior to joining basic school as important, they did not see any exceptional change in the life of the family in the implementation of compulsory preschool education, and they appreciated its benefits for the future educational journey of their children. No fundamental differences were recorded between the attitudes of parents in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The research also showed that it would be useful to look at parents who are not in the mainstream and their children who appear disadvantaged upon joining basic school through the approach of their parents for further research on this issue.[IGA/FHS/2020/002
The phenomenon of institutional preschool education from the parents' perspective
Get PDFIn Slovak kindergartens, teachers are increasingly encountering increased diversity from both children and parents. This is due to the introduction of compulsory preschool education from 2021 for all 5-year-old children and the gradual implementation of the vision of inclusive education, which increases the demands on teachers' approach to children and the search for more effective strategies in mutual communication and cooperation with parents. This has received minimal consideration in the research field, despite the fact that it is the parents who can serve as important allies for teachers in the development and progress of children. The purpose of the present study was to explore parents' experiences with institutional preschool education and to discover what kindergarten teachers and directors should know about parents with preschooler. Qualitative research was conducted with 7 parents whose experiences were explored using the methods of constellation with figures, semi-structured interview and researcher's diary. The data collected were analysed and interpreted through an interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results of the research showed that parents' subjective experience of their children's preschool education in kindergarten is linked by 5 common themes, which include (1) selection of kindergarten, (2) the adaptation process, (3) teacher's personality, (4) cooperation with kindergarten, (5) the importance of preschool education, while each theme includes subthemes and quotations that further specify parents' experiences. At the same time, the research results revealed that institutional preschool education has significant relevance not only in the lives of children, but also for the parents.[IGA/FHS/2020/002
Revitalising rural spaces: Lessons learnt from brownfield regeneration in a shrinking region
Get PDFIn the post-socialistic space, old, industrialised regions are not only dealing with problems with the regeneration of industrial brownfields but also with the occurrence of post-agricultural brownfields. The main objective of this paper is to identify and interpret how a successful network of cooperating actors was formed that participated in the process of transforming an agricultural brownfield into a successful rural business zone. From a methodological perspective, the article is based on the findings derived from a set of written memories with ten key actors who were involved in the redevelopment process. The studied regeneration project, which was implemented thanks to the successful cooperation of network of actors both from different hierarchical levels (local, regional and central level) and from the different sectors (public, private and non-profit sector), regenerated an area of 10.4 hectares thanks to both public and private investments of approximately CZK 240 million. Regeneration contributed to the creation of approximately 450 new jobs, and thanks to this project, the population in Třanovice also increased significantly in the transition period (1991–2021), which the studied community positively distinguishes from the shrinking urban centres and rural communities in the post-industrial neighbourhoods
How do commitment-based HRM practices and a developmental culture interact to foster open innovation in SMEs?
Get PDFThis paper aims to bring new insights into the role of commitment-based human resource management practices in open innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises. Additionally, the goal is to enhance comprehension of the aforementioned interactions by considering the mediating effect of developmental culture. Data were collected from owners and managers of 131 small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the service and manufacturing sectors in Albania. The study employed a quantitative research instrument, namely online surveys. To yield results and extract figures, the study applied partial least squares-structural equation modeling, examining the interrelationships among constructs. The empirical results highlight the direct effects of commitment-based human resource management practices and developmental culture on open innovation. Specifically, the study reveals that commitment-based human resource management practices have a significant role in promoting open innovation (O = 0.598, t = 10.057, p = 0.000). Additionally, the findings indicate that developmental culture serves as a complementary factor by mediating the connection between commitment-based human resource management practices and open innovation (O = 0.136, t = 1.789, p = 0.037). This study draws the attention of business owners and strategy developers circumnavigating the Albanian small and medium-sized enterprises environment. Barring certain limitations, it enthralls their propensity toward innovation, aligning it with an enabling business culture.FaME TBU, (IGA/FaME/2023/012); Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně, UT
Society's attitudes towards people released from prison
No full textBackground: The release of individuals from imprisonment represents a significant obstacle for them, as they are often rejected by society and simultaneously face substantial stigmatization.
Methods: The subject research was conducted from December 2021 to January 2023. The goal of the research was to establish the respondents' attitude towards individuals released after serving a term in prison or being remanded in custody. The primary theoretical basis method was analysis of the attitude towards individuals in the process of penitentiary and post- penitentiary care. The quantitative strategy method was mapping, which used a questionnaire as the main tool for obtaining data.
Results: The results of the presented research on a sample of 926 respondents show the persistent labelling of individuals who have been released after serving a term in prison and the distinctly negative attitude of the younger generation.
Conclusion: In order to contribute to changing society's attitude towards individuals released from imprisonment, it is possible to effectively utilize tools of social policy at the level of practical application that would integrate these persons released into the labour market and at the same time, these activities would help them improve their social function in society. The intention of these initiatives is to perceive released persons holistically, with support and respect for their dignity, without any negative labelling
Hybrid electrolyte based on PEO and ionic liquid with in situ produced and dispersed silica for sustainable solid-state battery
Get PDFThis work introduces the synthesis of hybrid polymer electrolytes based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) and electrolyte solution bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt/ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI/EMIMTFSI) with in situ produced and dispersed silica particles by the sol–gel method. Conventional preparation of solid polymer electrolytes was followed by desolvation of lithium salt in a polymer matrix of PEO, which, in some cases, additionally contains plasticizers. This one-pot synthesis is an alternative route for fabricating a solid polymer electrolyte for solid-state batteries. The presence of TFSI- reduces the crystallinity of the PEO matrix (plasticizing effect), increases the dissociation and solubility of LiTFSI in the PEO matrix because of a highly delocalized charge distribution, and reveals excellent thermal, chemical, and electrochemical stability. Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) was chosen due to the slow reaction rate, with the addition of (3-glycidyoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GLYMO), which contributes to the formation of a silica network. FTIR studies confirmed the interactions between the silica, the polymer salt, and EMIMTFSI. Impedance spectroscopy measurements were performed in a wide range of temperatures from 25 to 70 °C. The electrochemical performance was explored by assembling electrolytes in LiCoO2 (LCO), NMC(811), and LiFePO4 (LFP) coin half-cells. The HPEf15 shows a discharge capacity of 143 mA/g for NMC(811) at 0.1 C, 134 mA/g for LCO, and 139 mA/g for LFP half-cells at 0.1 C and 55 °C. The LFP half-cell with a discharge capacity of 135 mA/g at 0.1 C (safety potential range of 2.8 to 3.8) obtained a cyclability of 97.5% at 55 °C after 100 cycles. Such a type of electrolyte with high safety and good electrochemical performance provides a potential approach for developing a safer lithium-ion battery.Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Research, (CZ.005)Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport of the Czech Researc