By invoking scientific doctrine, legal regulations and official statistics, the paper aims at assessing the actual position of females and males in labour relations in Lithuania as well as identifying the problems of the legal regulation of gender equality. The survey conducted among MRU Public Security Academy students was dedicated to disclosing the perceptions of individuals first entering the labour market about (in)equality in labour relations and experiences in the course of professional practice. To attain these objectives, certain goals were set: analysis of multiple layers of the concept of equality, legal regulation of the principle of gender equality and its inclusion in labour relations and statutory service. Furthermore, the present paper considered various trends and patterns in the implementation of the gender equality principle in labour relations, based on the analysis of the data of the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson. Empirical research was carried out to assess the experience of students who had their professional practice in police headquarters in terms of gender inequality. Based on the performed survey that involved the students of MRU Public Security Academy, it should be concluded that the majority of students did not understand the different behaviours that could violate an individual’s rights in terms of the equality of men and women. When responding to certain questions, the majority of respondents indicated that gender inequality in Lithuania existed only to the extent it occurred naturally; however, when responding to other questions, the majority stated that there were numerous situations during their practice when they experienced discrimination (i.e. preferential treatment of one of the genders, abuse due to gender etc.). This can lead to the conclusion that violations of gender equality committed on certain grounds are perceived as a natural phenomenon resulting from natural differences between the sexes and because of this, certain flawed behaviour is justified. This results in fewer opportunities for individuals to report violations to responsible institutions and thus ensure the protection of their rights as well as to share their experiences with other individuals and, as a result, educate them.

In this research organizational mechanism is analysed through the approach to the system of integrated control of the open system of social and economic integration (based on the interests of the stakeholders and interdepartmental cooperation) in the rural areas, where the stakeholders formulate the common objectives of the sustainable development of the rural areas. Aim of the research – to substantiate the conceptual organizational mechanism of development in rural areas, where one of the most important factors with the strongest effect on functionality, i.e. the driving force, is institutional environment of the region. The aim of the research was achieved using the following methods: logical, abstraction, comparison, content analysis, collation. The results of the research revealed, that organizational mechanism of rural areas development is advisable to analyse as a particular organizational form, where functions and activity processes are connected to each other, creating the following chain: aim – sustainable development of rural areas – functions of rural areas – process – preparation and implementation integrated development strategies of the rural areas – result – social welfare. The exceptional feature of the organizational mechanism is the stakeholders (subjects) and their actions. Stakeholders perform certain roles, which affect the change of environment, in seeking the specific result. Stakeholders with a specific aim seek results by performing respective functions and processes. In the organizational mechanism of rural areas development stakeholders affect the pursuit of the organizational mechanism’s aims.

The study of the partnership organization mechanism (POM) aims to answer the question of how an organization manages the mechanical operation of the partnership and how the partnership system shapes itself in order to achieve a fairer balance across all junctions of the POM, through shafts connected into a single mechanism. The study has led to a deeper understanding of the empirical operation of the POM and has led to the identification of 20 POM configuration principles, the harmonization of which, in accordance with the principle of coherence, enables sustainability to be achieved and managed. The study is exploratory and therefore empirical facts supporting theoretical insights were sought. The information database of the study consists of 5-year observation data of Lithuanian local action groups, exploratory survey data and in-depth interviews for verification of the phenomenon. The empirical study allowed us to verify the theoretical operation of the POM and helped us to determine the content and purpose of the relationships between different groups of stakeholders in the region. A total of 10 POM empirical models have been detected, which confirmed the fundamental thesis of the study that sustainability can be managed by ensuring the harmonious operation of the system and by controlling the level of system coherence.

Proces rozwoju obszarów wiejskich staje się bardziej otwarty i złożony. Wpływ zainteresowanych stron jest coraz wyraźniejszy i przejrzysty w przypadku decyzji i działań podejmowanych na obszarach wiejskich. Sukces i skuteczność inicjatyw rozwojowych zapewniających cele interesariuszy, które muszą być powiązane z celami rozwojowymi organizacji wiejskich, są realizowane w partnerstwie. Mechanizm organizacyjny partnerstwa synchronizuje działania i interakcje interesariuszy oraz innych elementów mechanizmu, zmiany organizacyjne, a także łączy interesy zainteresowanych stron i motywu je ich do angażowania się, jak również uczestnictwa w inicjatywach rozwoju obszarów wiejskich w celu rozwiązania istniejących problemów. Cel tego artykułu to zdefiniowanie mechanizmu organizacyjnego partnerstwa i określenie interesariuszy związanych z funkcjonowaniem tego mechanizmu. W trakcie badania przeanalizowano ewolucję koncepcji mechanizmu, która stworzyła wstępne warunki dla koncepcji partnerstwa mechanizmu organizacyjnego w rozwoju obszarów wiejskich. Analiza misji 51 strategii rozwoju lokalnych grup działania Litwy (lata 2007-2013) pozwoliła zidentyfikować interesariuszy, którzy związani są z funkcjonowaniem mechanizmu organizacyjnego partnerstwa w rozwoju obszarów wiejskich.

Aleksandro Stulginskio universitetas (Lietuva) ANOTACIJA Kaimo vietovių vystymosi procesas tampa vis labiau atviras ir kompleksiškas. Aiškesnis ir skaidresnis suinteresuotų veikėjų poveikis kaimo vietovėse priimamiems sprendimams ir atliekamiems veiksmams. Vystymosi iniciatyvų sėkmę ir efektyvumą garantuoja suinteresuotų veikėjų tikslai, neatsiejami nuo kaimo organizacijų vystymosi tikslų. Kaimo vietovių vystymosi organizacinis mechanizmas sinchronizuoja suinteresuotų veikėjų ir kitų mechanizmo elementų veiksmus, jų sąveiką, organizacinius pokyčius: derinami suinteresuotųjų interesai ir motyvuojama prisidėti prie kaimo vietovių vystymosi iniciatyvų, siekiant spręsti esamas problemas. Šio straipsnio tikslas-apibrėžti kaimo vietovių vystymo organizacinį mechanizmą ir nustatyti jo funkcionavimu suinteresuotas šalis. Atliekant tyrimą išanalizuota mechanizmo sąvokos raida, kuri sudarė prielaidas sukurti kaimo vietovių vystymo organizacinio mechanizmo sąvoką. Išanalizuotos Lietuvos 2007-2013 m. vietos plėtros strategijose numatytos 51-os vietos veiklos grupės misijos, leidusios identifikuoti kaimo vietovių vystymo organizacinio mechanizmo funkcionavimu suinteresuotus veikėjus.