Tiltai

The journal Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken is devoted to the social sciences, and is published by Klaipėda University (founded in 1991). It publishes articles on current issues in economics, management, demographics, social geography, geopolitics, politics, culture, education, religion, land management, and other social problems. In pursuing academic dialogue, the journal publishes articles in the humanities and biomedical sciences that explore social phenomena from an interdisciplinary point of view. Articles on Lithuania’s regional policy, and the economic and cultural development of border and cross-border regions, are particularly welcome. Since science does not recognise borders, scientific cooperation is a strategy that aims at the progress of the global community. For this reason, scientists from various countries are invited to participate in the work of the editorial board, and to publish articles as authors. Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken is a scientific journal that the Lithuanian Research Council recognises as a forum for defending doctoral dissertations and for obtaining pedagogical and research positions.

The article examines the ‘precariatisation’ of society. It focuses on the contradiction between the cultural and economic care of socially weak members of society. A distinction is made between the traditional precariat, which lacks cultural and economic capital, and the neo-precariat, which has accumulated cultural capital but lacks economic capital. Within the latter, the academic precariat is identified. The article seeks to answer how the academic precariat is transforming society’s social structure and the state’s political order.

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in contemporary management is transforming production processes, decision-making, and the symbolic frameworks through which managers interpret organisational reality. In Venezuela, this transformation is particularly complex, due to economic crises, institutional fragility, environmental volatility, and the need for rapid managerial decisions amid uncertainty. This article analyses the impact of AI from a postmodernist perspective, based on a survey of Venezuelan managers (N=150) from the industrial, commercial and service sectors, selected through convenience sampling due to infrastructural constraints. The findings show primarily the instrumental adoption of AI, oriented towards decision support and operational optimisation, but they also reveal persistent tensions between human intuition and algorithmic recommendation. Ambivalent perceptions regarding dashboards, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and AI’s capacity to faithfully represent organisational reality are identified. From a postmodernist perspective, these results suggest that AI not only automates tasks but also reconfigures the legitimacy of knowledge, managerial subjectivity and power relations within the organisation. The study concludes that the use of AI in Venezuelan management expresses a transition towards hybrid forms of decision-making, where human rationality, algorithmic calculation and adaptation to crisis conditions coexist.

This article analyses the role of the European Union’s LIFE Clean Energy Transition (CET) programme in shaping patterns of small and medium-size enterprise (SME) participation in the green transition. The study applies a comparative approach, examining CET projects implemented in Lithuania and Germany during the period 2021 to 2024. The analysis focuses on project distribution, funding volumes, institutional composition, thematic scope, and SME involvement. The findings reveal significant differences between the two countries. Germany demonstrates a larger and more diverse project portfolio, with SMEs actively participating in technologically oriented and governance-related initiatives. In contrast, Lithuania’s participation remains more limited, and is concentrated primarily in capacity-building activities, with SMEs playing a more indirect role. The results indicate that the effectiveness of EU green policy instruments depends on national institutional capacity, innovation infrastructure, and administrative experience. The study contributes to the literature by providing a comparative empirical analysis of the LIFE CET programme, and highlighting uneven outcomes of EU green policy implementation across Member States.

This paper explores theoretical studies and the state of the art of the Montessori approach applied to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, with a particular focus on intergenerational projects between nursing homes and schools to promote autonomy, dignity and biopsychosocial well-being. This is in connection with the meaning making of the surrounding environment: the societal framework as well as the organisational context in relation to the individual’s capacity. The paper is case-based, showing the interplay between the individual, organisational and societal level of understanding as important to learning. The paper is inspired by challenge-based learning (CBL), which underlines intentions to present students with aspects of problems connected to ageing societies. The case has enriched the Montessori approach to education. The paper concludes that the Montessori approach applied to age-related frailty, in an intergenerational framework, is not only a technical response to Alzheimer’s disease, but also a proposal for cultural reform. It teaches us that care is not a unilateral act of support, but a reciprocal interaction in which the giver and receiver are interchangeable.

The article examines classic technology acceptance models such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), which allow the relatively accurate prediction of technology use intentions, but do not always explain why some technologies, despite their perceived usefulness, remain unaccepted or are used differently than expected. The article assumes that this limitation is related to the logic of instrumental rationality underlying classic technology acceptance models. The study employs conceptual analysis by reconstructing the main constructs of technology acceptance models and interpreting them through Erich Fromm’s distinction between having and being. The analysis has revealed that classic technology acceptance models predominantly reflect a relationship with technology characteristic of the ‘having’ orientation, grounded in the logic of functionality, control and efficiency. The article contributes to technology acceptance theory by offering an interpretative extension of classic models and a conceptual foundation for a future methodology of analysing life orientations in gerontotechnology research.

Employee loyalty is defined as a positive attitude of employees towards their employing organisation, implying favourable emotional and rational evaluations, as well as a commitment to achieving maximum work performance within the organisation. Loyalty strengthens the organisation’s image, through employees’ behaviour, stability, engagement, and the development of long-term relationships. As an organisational attribute, employee loyalty requires consistent managerial efforts to create a motivating work environment, ensure employee satisfaction, and reduce turnover. Pastoral care is understood as holistic support provided to individuals, oriented towards their spiritual, emotional and social needs, and is broadly associated with the promotion of spiritual well-being. It is often linked to Christian values, and includes support for individuals experiencing spiritual difficulties. The aim of the study is to determine the level of organisational loyalty among pastoral care employees, and to assess the significance of employee motivation and organisational management factors to this loyalty. The research method employed is a questionnaire-based survey of pastoral care employees.

The article aims to analyse dolphin-assisted therapy as a form of sensory integration through the experiences of parents raising children with mental and behavioural disorders. These experiences were collected one month after the dolphin-assisted therapy in which their child participated. In recent years, attention to therapeutic human-animal interaction and the diversity of methods for children with mental and behavioural disorders has been increasing in Lithuania. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is increasingly applied as a complementary method of physical, psychological and social rehabilitation, during which animals are involved for therapeutic purposes. One of the most extensively studied forms of AAT is dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT). Although dolphin-assisted therapy is increasingly used as a complementary health-promoting method for children with various developmental, emotional and psychosocial disorders, qualitative scientific research has revealed parents’ subjective experiences, indicating that dolphin therapy has a positive effect on the sensory functioning of participating children with mental and behavioural disorders. Nevertheless, dolphin therapy as a method of sensory integration remains insufficiently analysed. Scientific research into parents’ perspectives is highly important in the field of dolphin therapy research, and provides opportunities for a wide range of future studies.

Animal-assisted therapy involves the use of various animals; however, dogs are the most commonly used, while cat-assisted therapy (felinotherapy) remains a relatively new and under-explored field. Felinotherapy is considered a complementary method that supports conventional treatment approaches, and may have a positive impact on children’s mental health by enhancing emotional well-being, social skills and the child-animal bond, particularly in work with autistic children. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of this therapy. The aim of this article is to present the first results of pilot felinotherapy sessions conducted in Lithuania. The study involved 12 children of different ages with various emotional and behavioural difficulties. Data were collected through the analysis of parental feedback after the therapy, using a questionnaire consisting of open-ended and closed questions about the child’s condition before, during and after the therapy, as well as observed changes and overall evaluation of the therapy. In summary, based on parental feedback following cat-assisted therapy, this intervention has a positive impact on children experiencing various behavioural and emotional difficulties. Parents noted that after the therapy, their children experienced reduced anxiety, anger and tension, and began to interact more. According to the parents’ responses, this therapy fosters self-control skills and reduces social isolation. Cat-assisted therapy stands out as a gentle, child-friendly approach that helps children relax and engage more easily in the therapeutic process. However, due to the limited sample size, these results cannot be broadly generalised. Felinotherapy is a promising but under-researched area of animal-assisted therapy. Further systematic and comprehensive scientific research is necessary to substantiate its effectiveness.

This article examines how personality traits of members of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union (LRU), based on the Big Five personality model, can influence training effectiveness and the learning process. Compared to the general population, members of the LRU are characterised by particularly great conscientiousness and extroversion, greater agreeableness and openness to experience, and lower neuroticism. Additionally, their personality traits are more homogeneous, suggesting a more uniform learning style across the organisation. Considering these characteristics, training programmes can be optimised to enhance learning outcomes. The results support the continuation of structured and disciplined training environments, while emphasising team-based learning, decision-making under stress, and innovative training methods tailored to LRU members’ cognitive and behavioural tendencies. These insights contribute to a broader discussion of the interplay between personality and learning, and provide practical recommendations for improving military and paramilitary training programmes.