Modellvergleich und Ergebnisinterpretation in Logit- und Probit-Regressionen

In the social sciences logit and probit models are often used multivariate data analysis procedures for binary dependent variables. Both procedures can be thought of as resting on a linear model for an unobserved variable y* from which a nonlinear model for the probability of y?=?1 is derived. We first show that compared to linear models this nonlinearity leads to problems of interpreting results from such analysis. In particular odds ratios (exponentiated logit coefficients) often used in logistic regression are problematic in this respect. Instead we recommend using graphical procedures and reporting (corrected) average marginal effects (AME). Based on a series of Monte-Carlo simulations we next demonstrate that the regression coefficients from logit and probit models should not be compared between nested models. Because model building in the social sciences often employs a stepwise procedure a method allowing valid comparisons of effect sizes between models would be advantageous. Results from our simulation study show that average marginal effects and regression coefficients corrected by a method proposed by Karlson et al. (Sociological Methodology 42, 2012) lead to satisfactory results in many different scenarios. In contrast, y*-standardized coefficients are of limited utility and coefficients from a linear probability model should only be used with normally distributed variables.     

Spielarten des Kapitalismus und Kompetenzen von Hochschulabsolventinnen und -absolventen

The assumption that differences in Higher Education (HE) systems can be related to Varieties of Capitalism (VoC) is the underlying hypothesis of this article. Drawing on the example of skills and competencies of HE graduates in the UK and Germany, complementarities between the educational and economic system are analysed. First, hypotheses about differences in competencies are deduced on a theoretical basis from the VoC-approach. Second, the analysis of data from an international comparative survey (REFLEX) confirms that these differences indeed can be found empirically: German graduates put more emphasis on specific skills, while UK-graduates stress more general competencies. Additionally, the fit between study and later job is closer in Germany. These results show, first, that the complementarities postulated by the VoC-approach can also be found for the field of HE. Second, the recourse on the relationship between economic and educational system can stimulate research in comparative and international education. Third, these findings are also relevant for the current HE reform discourse.     

Mentoring und soziale Netzwerke — Theorie und Praxis

In a permanently changing environment measures for staff development always win more importance. This article demonstrates with theoretical bases first, that mentoring and active networking represent suitable solutions for it. Furthermore the practical realization and the necessity of networking are explained and discussed with the results of an empirical study in the form of expert interviews.     

Stressmanagement und Personalentwicklung

Stress management is a main topic of human resources development. This article discusses therefore characteristics of human resources development by means of stress management and starts by presenting theoretical foundations of stress management, intervention concepts, and evaluation results as well as contexts of intervention and target groups. Demands for interventions in the area of human resources development are then specified. These demands touch neglected target groups like low qualified workers and intervention contexts as well as interventions at the workplace. The further development needs of the intervention process are finally highlighted. The intervention process should systematically consider the motivation for participation and not only the motivation of the employees but also the motivation of the managerial decision-makers. Furthermore the relevance of the analysis and its instruments, the intervention methods, didactics and evaluation methods are pointed-out. A new developed intervention concept for stress and resource management for low qualified workers is presented, in which these demands are seized and used.     

Figuration und Emergenz

The paper reconstructs the methodology of Norbert Elias against the background of his ontology. Thereby Robert van Kriekens thesis will be defended that Elias is a proponent of a “third sociology”. His ontology shows that figurations are integrated wholes. Human beings form the parts of this wholes and necessarily build up social relations based upon their “relational properties”. This model of social wholes builds the finishing part of a mereological ontology of layers of the natural and social world. Physical-chemical wholes can reductively explained, biological and sociological wholes are ontologically and epistemologically irreducible because of phenomena of emergence. This ontology of Elias serves as a background for his methodology which does not favour individualist but moderat holist or relationalist explanations. With a new definition of social emergence it can be shown that relations are central factors of sociological explanations which can be found in Elias’ historical-sociological studies.?Keywords:Norbert Elias ? Ontology ? Methodology ? Third sociology ? Part-whole ? Methodological individualism ? Methodological relationalism ? Relational sociology ? Emergence ? Figuration ? Micro-macro     

Handlungszuschreibung und Situationsdefinition

Action as meaningful behavior and action as an attributional category are usually understood to represent competing concepts of action. In contrast, the present paper argues that the sociological theory of action should include both views. One main reason is that the concept of social action does not only rely on the social actor’s own meaningful behavior but requires him or her to interpret the behavior of the other(s) as action and thus implies the attribution of action. Attributed actions are not just imagined actions. Rather, when attributed actions become the social actor’s reference point for his own actions, they gain a reality of their own. Especially when the attribution of action takes place within the frame of reference of intersubjective definitions of the situation, attributed actions tend to gain such a reality of their own. This effect is connected with two different forms of intersubjective definitions of the situations: those who are commonly shared and those who are effectively enforceable. Additionally, the paper distinguishes between two modes of attributing actions: attribution of reasons and attribution of causation. Using these both distinctions, the paper analyses different ways of how attributed actions come into effect within social action.     

Modernisierung und Demokratisierung

Most social scientists agree that democracy is essentially a product of modernity: As soon as a society follows the path of modernization, especially by implementing economic reforms, a democratic transition seems inevitable. As the complexity of society increases, the demands on the governmental performance of the state rise. Accordingly, authoritarian developmental regimes will be replaced in the long term by liberal democracies. But the causes and mechanisms between modernization and democratization are still unclear. While most studies are based on functionalist concepts, this article explores the subject from a constitution theoretical perspective. The argument is developed in four steps: In the first step, I will discuss the contributions of Parsons and Luhmann to the explanation of democratization processes. In the second step, I will give an overview of recent non-functionalist concepts for the analysis of differentiation processes. In the third step, these concepts are used in order to investigate the relation between modernization and democratization on the case of South Korea (1979–1987). This empirical study focuses on structures of inequality in the social subsystems, the carriers and motives of pro-democratic protests, and finally the temporal patterns of interaction between the South Korean democratization movement and the authoritarian regime. In the fourth step, the explanatory potential of non-functional differentiation theories for the analysis of democratization processes will be discussed.     

Supervision und Gruppendynamik

In continuing education and in counselling the application of supervision and group dynamics, which go back to different origins, meet and, with a view to the problems that have to be solved in the various fields of work, produce considerable synergy effects. Starting out from the possible reasons for a cooperation between supervision and group dynamics, the lines of intersection, the problem solving capacities as well as the limits of both methods are described. It is only when you look at the distinction between the structural characteristics and the intervention concepts of group training and team supervision as important work settings that the differences as well as the things they have in common are highlighted. The author is advocating an integration of both methods because they can solve both interaction as well as organisational problems.     

Arbeitsmarktsegregation und Einkommen

What mechanisms link horizontal labour market segregation and the gender gap in wages? One explanation is based on the cultural devaluation of typically ‘female’ skills and work contents which are held responsible for lower earnings in these occupations. In the present study the idea of devaluation of ‘female’ work is contrasted with other possible explanations such as occupational differences in specialized human capital requirements or unpleasant work conditions. Based on a large sample of employed persons in Germany (IAB-Beschaeftigtenstichprobe 1975–1995) and on a survey on work conditions (BIBB/IAB-Erhebung 1991/92), the influence of ‘female’ work contents and other occupational variables on individual earnings is modeled for East and West Germany separately. The results of multilevel analyses accounting for the embeddedness of individuals in occupations and industries show that some ‘female’ work contents — typing, cleaning and selling — decrease income, and thus are culturally devalued. In contrast, occupational differences in specialized human capital requirements and work conditions do seemingly not affect individual wages. In East Germany the results in regard of devaluation are less pronounced. In both parts of the country there is an unabatedly strong effect of individual sex on earnings which cannot be explained by the introduced occupational characteristics.     

Dyaden,Gruppen und Teams: Die Rahmungen von Coachings und Supervisionen

This article examines what impact three different framings of personal oriented consulting interactions – dyads, groups and teams – have on the consulting situation. Intuitively consultants are aware that it makes a difference if a client is consulted in a face-to-face-interaction “under four eyes”, in the framework of a group which just started to know each other or in a team which is working together on regular basis. However, what are exactly the mechanisms which are working in the three different settings? And what exactly are their impacts on the consulting situation? This article provides first interpretations.     

Lebensstile und Wohnstandortwahl

Life style research and various disciplines dealing with regional studies argue that life styles are explanatory relevant for decisions in different behavioral areas, in particular for residential choices. However, the results of previous research are rather mixed. To specify the conditions for the explanatory relevance of life style based preferences for locational choices, this article ties in with a parsimonious decision theoretic model, which has been applied both in the sociology of the city and in life style research. Based on this theoretical framework an empirical study is presented, which tests the explanatory relevance of life styles for residential choices. The study is based on neighborhood survey data from Leipzig, representing a context, in which a strong impact of life styles may be expected. However, even in this context the empirical study shows rather limited explanatory power of life style based preferences for residential choices, whereas household arrangements and economic resource endowments of persons show much more explanatory power.     

Klassenlage und Bildungsentscheidungen

This empirical study seeks to contribute to the explanation of class differences in educational opportunities in the transition from primary to secondary education. According to recent theoretical explanations the social inequality in education results — apart from the historical conditions and institutions of the educational system — from rational choices of parents about the continuation of their children’s education. There is a nexus between class specific evaluation of costs and benefits of higher education and educational choice, which depends on the parents’ resources and the selection and allocation function of the educational system. This interrelationship results in unequal educational attainment among the children of different social classes. These hypotheses are tested by employing a two-step model of the dynamics of choices and actual transition. Using panel data and logistic regression as well as considering the children’s social origin the rise of educational aspirations and the following transition to higher education tracks are analyzed. The results lend support to the mechanisms and processes assumed by the subjective expected utility approach. However, there is an open question about the historical persistence of class differences in education in spite of educational expansion and school reforms.     

Coaching und Salutogenese

Coaching and Salutogenesis are two concepts which have got in the last 20 years an increasing and in the last years an exploding amount of interest. Both have their source in social sciences and both deal with the question of intentional behavioral changes. But their inter-relationship has never been studied neither conceptually nor theoretically or methodologically. This shall be started in this study with first provisional thoughts.     

Soziale Schicht und Körpergrösse in Ost- und Westdeutschland

The average height of a population can be used as a measure for its health or for its “biological wellbeing”. If during their period of growth people regularly receive enough healthy and high-calorie food and are given medical treatment, their body height will profit from that. The development of body heights in Germany is surveyed by the Federal-Health-Survey 1998. According to our results men and women from Western Germany are taller than men and women from Eastern Germany. Since the German unification men from Eastern Germany seem to be catching up with their western counterparts; but women from Eastern Germany do not gain a push in growth. Effects of the degree of urbanization and of the social status are discussed in addition.     

Kunst und Preise

How are prices established in the market for contemporary art? Buyers in this market are confronted with fundamental uncertainty since “quality” is only difficult to determine and the development of prices is non-predictable. Since the emergence of a market for contemporary art presupposes at least the possibility for intentional rational decision-making, this uncertainty must be reduced. We argue that the value of a piece of art or an artist is established in an intersubjective process of granting reputation by experts and institutions in the field of art. This is achieved primarily through the institutions of the art market and the training of artists, i.e. through galleries, curators, critics, art dealers, journalists, collectors, and art schools. They participate jointly in the making of artistic reputation of the artist’s work that provides, in turn, the basis for the determination of its economic value. For testing this hypothesis we assembled and analyzed two datasets with data on the biographies of artists and prices for their works.     

Fremdheit und Unterschied als Hürde und Chance

This paper is based on the personal experience of persons who have been strangers themselves and discusses the effect of (actual and attributed) strangeness on a person’s identity within a group, the subjective perception people have of others who are different, and also the way groups handle this strangeness. The attempts to explain these experiences and the observed social phenomena within groups serve to introduce the issue of what role ‘difference’ plays in organizational development. Difference is perceived both as barrier and opportunity, a window to self-knowledge, learning and further development.     

Sektionen Arbeits- und Industriesoziologie und Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Macht und Gegenmacht

The paper starts with a social discourse on innovation and organizational learning, which seems to be unrelated to the dimension of power. Following Bourdieu, the paper then develops a practice-theoretical perspective of organizational power and countervailing power. Power dynamics in organizational fields and symbolic orders are discussed and described as ??bureaucracy??, ??clan?? and ??market??. The paper finally concludes with an outlook on habitus (and field-) reflexive organizational consultancy.     

Hochschulentwicklung und Bürgerrechte in der BRD und der DDR

The universities in the Federal Republic of Germany are expanding more or less continuously since the 1950s; the expansion of those in the German Democratic Republic, by contrast, stagnated since 1971. The two patterns of educational development are due to different normative concepts of the social order. Educational policy in socialist East Germany gave institutional expression to the belief in objective laws of social development and hence in an objective demand for highly qualified manpower. In this normative context higher education took on a particular meaning and functions, provoked serious social conflicts and was finally reduced by political decree. In the Federal Republic, by contrast, freedom of educational and occupational choice prevailed, and the former elitist academic education was popularized. At the same time the culture of professionalism expanded in the world of work. In this process higher education turned into a matter of universal social interest.     

Über Macht und Ehre in Vereinen und Verbänden: Ein Rückblick auf Forschung und Politik

Cultural and professional associations are the expression of the modern society with structured organisations. The 19th century was the marking epoch of the constitution of associations in Germany. The involvement of associations in the political live, specially the professional ones, is typical in Germany. While political sciences focus on the analyses of interest representation and mediation functions of organisations, sociology research covers the full range of social, psychological, political and economical functions of organisations. Management and especially human resource management topics are presently gaining a growing importance within the research community which focuses on the cultural and professional organisations.