Mechanisms of resilience in uncertain times: crisis management, social entrepreneurship, and human capital development : collective monograph

Social business solves problems that traditional businesses, government agencies and traditional NGOs cannot. The object of the research is social business. The aim of the research is to analyse the transformation of social business. Study objectives: to introduce the concept of social business, arguing for an integrated approach; clarify the concept of social business; identify the external and internal drivers of social business; identify social business entities in Lithuania; and to show how the transformation of social business has taken place.

In modern organizations, environmental changes require various reactions from organizational employees trying to achieve their strategic goals. A sceptical attitude of employees towards strategic change management can destroy effective strategic plans, and only a clear strategic change process can reduce resistance by developing human resource management strategies that focus on solving current problems. Therefore, this chapter presents the concept of human resource management strategy, debatable aspects of its connection with strategic management, the significance of human resource management policy, and the necessity and possibilities of its development and implementation. The purpose of the chapter: to reveal the concept of human resource management strategy and debatable issues in the development and implementation of human resource management policy, presenting the assumptions for the implementation of human resource management strategic decisions in the organization, taking into account their impact on society and the environment.

This monograph examines the discursive construction of economic security in Lithuanian media between 2020 and 2024, highlighting thematic, emotional, semantic, and visual narratives that shape public understanding of economic threats, stability, and resilience. The study draws on the theoretical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), including M. Foucault’s power/knowledge paradigm, N. Fairclough’s view of discourse as social practice, R. Wodak’s discourse-historical approach, T.A. van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model, and the poststructuralist theory of hegemony by E. Laclau and Ch. Mouffe. These approaches enable an analysis of how the concept of economic security is constructed in the public sphere through media, and what ideological functions are performed by dominant narratives. The research focuses on both public (LRT) and commercial (Delfi, 15min) media outlets. Using qualitative content and discourse analysis methods, more than 100 articles were analysed, identifying key discursive fields such as inflation, energy security, support for Ukraine, migration, and domestic political stability. The findings reveal that economic security is not portrayed as a neutral or technical indicator; rather, it acquires normative and ideological content shaped not only by expert reasoning but also by emotional metaphors, visual devices, and narrative patterns. Results indicate that media not only inform the public about economic processes but also actively interpret them, influencing citizens’ perception of security, social attitudes, and political choices. The economic security discourse in the media functions as a powerful structuring tool of public communication, shaping not only awareness, but also collective interpretations of threats. It operates through metaphors, frames, and emotional cues that reinforce both cognitive and affective responses to economic phenomena. Framing strategies - such as threat narratives, individual responsibility, and state paternalism - determine how society perceives risks, evaluates institutional actions, and chooses behavioural strategies. Economic security in public discourse is both an objective condition and a discursively constructed concept that transforms structural challenges into moral, ideological, and emotional evaluations. Thus, discourse becomes a mechanism for behavioural norms and collective identity formation, exerting long-term influence on democratic decision-making and security policies. This monograph contributes to a deeper understanding of how economic security is shaped not only through policy documents or macroeconomic indicators, but also through discursive practices produced and circulated by media. The study is relevant to public policy researchers and communication specialists interested in the intersections of security, media, and ideology.

This paper investigates how economic insecurity is discursively produced and affectively circulated in Lithuania’s public sphere, with a particular focus on young people’s epistemic and emotional exposure to these narratives. Drawing on qualitative content analysis of digital news media and expert-authored Facebook discourse, the study approaches economic discourse not merely as a reflection of macroeconomic facts but as an affective infrastructure that shapes the interpretive environment in which individuals assess risk and agency. The research design is inductive, allowing discursive patterns to emerge from the data without pre-imposed categories. The central research objective is to identify what types of public messages provoke the feeling of economic insecurity; how media and social media narratives reinforce or contradict each other; which broader discursive models emerge from these patterns; and how a more ethically grounded economic discourse could be articulated. The findings suggest that messages combining technocratic information with emotional or moralised framings are particularly potent in producing a sense of vulnerability. Although the genres differ, traditional media and social media tend to reinforce each other’s affective load, generating a feedback loop of institutional delegitimation, systemic exposure, and fatalistic affect. The study identifies four dominant discursive formations — structural delegitimation, systemic exposure, affective ambivalence, and conditional resilience — each shaping economic subjectivity in distinctive ways. These formations do not merely communicate uncertainty; they structure the limits of future-oriented thinking and constrain perceived economic agency, especially for younger audiences. The paper concludes by proposing a set of communicative principles for epistemically responsible and affectively sustainable public discourse, emphasising tonal proportionality, generational inclusiveness, and narrative pluralism.

This study explores the role and impact of advertising communication on consumer behaviour and purchasing decisions in the context of modern, digitally driven society. Communication plays a central role in shaping consumer choices, especially as advertising becomes increasingly emotional, sensory, and interactive. With technological development, globalization, and rising consumption, advertising has evolved beyond informational content to deeply influence subconscious decision-making processes. The goal of this study is therefore to analyse the significance of advertising communication in shaping consumer behaviour and influencing their purchasing decisions. To achieve this goal, the following objectives were set:1) to discuss the theoretical aspects of consumer behaviour and its connection with the decision-making process to buy; 2) to evaluate the impact of advertising communication on consumer behaviour; 3) to review the significance of neuromarketing research in the context of advertising communication; 4) to analyse the practical connections of advertising communication elements with consumer behaviour. Marketing communication, particularly advertising, interacts with consumers on rational, emotional, and sensory levels, forming values, attitudes, and actions. The research emphasizes the complexity of consumer behaviour, influenced by psychological, social, cultural, and economic factors, and highlights how advertising appeals to consumer motivation and emotional triggers. The study identifies advertising communication as a major marketing tool that shapes consumer attitudes and behaviour. Emotional elements such as imagery, music, colours, and narratives are more memorable and effective than purely rational content. Neuromarketing, a growing interdisciplinary field combining neuroscience, psychology, and marketing, offers insights into subconscious consumer reactions. An empirical quantitative survey with 359 respondents showed that while many consumers claim advertising does not influence them, their behaviour suggests otherwise. A significant portion admitted to impulsive buying and being influenced by emotional advertising or influencer recommendations. Visual elements had the highest impact, while auditory cues were largely unnoticed, despite their potential subconscious effect. This dissonance reflects the hidden impact of advertising on consumer decision-making.