Inventura hodnot [Taking Inventory of Values]

The research team under the direction of Libor Prudký, Ph.D., compiled, analyzed and interpreted the fundamental issues addressed empirical social surveys of values undertaken on representative samples of the Czech society. The surveys take values as something that is, regardless of any relation to particular values in the social context. In this regard, it book takes a genuine inventory of values in this country from the 1970s to present.

As the first publication on this topic, the book will be followed by others that will address values as something that should be (something desirable) and as one of the factors behind social structure.

The publication is intended for social science instruction; as a basis for research studies on a multitude of topics mentioned in it; and for the work of experts in other disciplines, including journalism, public relations, marketing analysis, education, politics and governance.

Strategic Governance and the Czech Republic

This book discusses the conceptual foundations of strategic governance and the possibilities of analysing it through the use of indicators. The book summarises the history of attempts to apply strategic governance within the contexts of globalisation and European integration in the Czech Republic after 1989. Furthermore, the roles of elites, the general public, political parties, the media, and public budgets in strategic governance are examined. The final chapter contains brief exhibits of selected strategic documents that were realised at the national, regional, and local levels. Avenues of initiating and/or improving the processes of strategic governance have been identified, in particular, for the central level of public administration.

BOOKSCzech Republic – Trends, Threats, Opportunities

The publication identifies important, empirically recordable developmental trends of the Czech society and its external environment. In the first part, identification of trends is presented within a broader methodological framework of creating visions and strategies for the Czech state and society. This part characterizes a modular approach in which findings about these trends come to the fore as pre-requisites of the other elements of the forecasting process. The analysis of four important global trends with a long-term impact follows. Environmental degradation, the non-Western face of globalization, global inequality as a global threat, and the new multipolarity – these are the four main external trends that will have significant impact on the future of the Czech Republic. The inner trends are split into ten areas seen as an important component part of explaining the nature of societal developments. The publication focuses on the development dynamics of law, economics, political system, education, innovations, population curve, nature and its environment, raw materials, security or indeed values. In addition to delineating the area and its development prospects, the authors examined each trend for its rapport with the criterion of quality and sustainability of life.

In conclusions the authors offer the reader with a brief meta-reflection on current and future social dynamisms and how they project into formulating strategic goals for Czech society as a whole.