Die verborgenen Gruppenmoderatorinnen: Evolution und soziale Repräsentation.

This article discusses the by the evolution genetically preformed behavior of human beings in group settings and the socially valued acting in small groups (a social representation) as naturally given and socially desirable. This is the individual behavior in groups which is automatically facilitated by evolution and culture. These guidelines known as normative influences are successful under specific tasks (selection advantage), other tasks with different aims than the reproduction success are hindered by the same internal facilitation leading to the well-known effects of losses of group performance. Against this natural behavior in groups (internal facilitation) group facilitation methods, which are task oriented, have to be developed (external facilitation) to avoid the losses and reach the expected advantages. Theoretical and practicable hints are given.     

Strukturen ungleichen Erfolgs. Winner-take-all-Konzentrationen und ihre sozialen Entstehungskontexte auf flexiblen Arbeitsmärkten

How does success accumulate? While the winner-take-all phenomenon has been viewed as a process of accumulating demand that results from a huge number of consumers making the same purchase decision, the conditions and interactions on the supply side have received scant attention in the literature. This paper investigates six ways sociology could contribute toward shedding light on the winner-take-all phenomenon, all of which seek to explain unequal success by examining the social structures of the labor market in which the actors are embedded. The author takes a preliminary, exploratory look from a sociological perspective at an aspect of inequality that is socially significant, yet poorly understood. The approaches presented open the way for future empirical study.     

Gestaltpädagogische Konzepte und Praxen von Beratung und Förderung sozialer und personaler Kompetenzen in der Aus- und Fortbildung von Erwachsenenbildnern und -bildnerinnen

The article describes pedagogical Gestalt concepts of consultancy and professional development of adult educators. The focus change of the adult educators from teachers to consultants is outlined at the beginning. The changed role demands concepts of consultancy and professional development that can reflect and strengthen the self and social competence of the actors. It is shown that the design pedagogical concepts are particularly suitable because the promotion of the conscious perception of one owns’ body, needs, feelings and imagination and their integration into the self image of the learning person (client) are in the center of such approach. The concept and practice of ‘role-playing’ as part of the course instructors’ further professional training related to the design pedagogical concepts are documented in details using case-studies. It is furthermore detailed where the learning opportunities lie, related to the perception, self reflection and enhancement of one owns’ action potential for teaching and consultancy activities. The summary emphasizes one of the most important axioms of the design approach: It is not about a somehow newly defined nice person but about the paradox of change through precise perception of the actual situation.     

Teamarbeit und Gesundheit – Der Einfluss von Teammerkmalen auf Stressbewältigung und Gesundheit bei Un- und Angelernten

To date, research on teamwork and health is sparse. This accounts for teams with low-qualified workers in particular. In this paper a work psychological model for resource and stress management in teams and a study with teams of low-qualified workers are presented (N?=?265 in 33 teams). Results of multi-level analyses show, that team resources in the social work system and understaffing in teams as a team stressor have significant influence on collective coping and explain team differences. Further, team resources in the technical work system, i.e. the quality of teamwork design have significant influence on psychosomatic complaints. These influences go beyond the influences of socio-demographic variables and individual job stressors and job resources.     

Neue Arbeitswelt,Führung und organisationaler WandelNew Economy,Leadership and Organizational Change.

This article of the journal “Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation.” analyzes and discusses current changes in the working environment with regard to the associated opportunities and risks. Due to the growing dynamism of the markets, digitization, the demographic change and the change of values the importance of flexibility and changeability as central prerequisites for organizational survival is rising constantly. At the same time organizations and employees make higher demands on each other. This shift in the “psychological contract” between employees and organization is discussed in the light of the characteristics of “generation Y”. The article concludes by summarizing consequences of these developments for work in organizations, leadership, change processes and consulting.     

Verbindliche und unverbindliche Grundschulempfehlungen und soziale Ungleichheiten am ersten Bildungs��bergang

While the influence of numerous individual and family characteristics on social disparities in educational achievement is examined in several studies, the relevance of institutional conditions on the attainment of different social groups is comparatively unclear. The present study adds to this debate and analyses the effect of mandatory and non-mandatory teacher recommendations on social disparities in educational participation after primary school. This is done by using unique data from North Rhine-Westphalia, where the degree of obligation of the teacher recommendation varied in terms of a natural experiment. Two transition cohorts are considered, one before and one after the change of a non-mandatory to a mandatory setting of the teacher recommendation in 2006. The results reveal that a mandatory teacher recommendation reduces the influence of social origin on the transition from primary to secondary school. This effect is especially apparent when families choose between the medium and the highest track in the German educational system, the Realschule and the Gymnasium.     

Kommunikation in E-Learning-Veranstaltungen. Erfahrungen der Studierenden und ihre Präferenzen für Online- oder Face-to-Face-Kommunikation

Altogether, 2,196 students from 29 Austrian universities took part in an empirical investigation on learning and communication in e-learning courses. The students completed a questionnaire on their experiences in an actual e-learning course, on their perceived learning achievements, and their enjoyment of the course. Furthermore, they expressed their preferences for online or face-to-face communication. All in all, students were satisfied with their course. They did not prefer one communication setting over another. They preferred online-communication for the distribution of information but advocated face-to-face communication when joint learning and cooperation are important or when socio-emotional relations are to be developed. The results of the study advocate blended-learning designs and give recommendations for which communication purposes online and for which face-to-face settings are more adequate.     

Deutsch-polnisches Training: Persönliche und professionelle Erfahrungen mit Bikulturalität und Interkulturalität – Anspruch und Wirklichkeit

This report contains several experiences and authentic examples taken from highly professional German-Polish and Polish-German coaching groups. Accordingly, ideas are in part presented from a very personal point of view. Running “Intercultural activities” is very much praised in a world that becomes more and more globalized. But how do these activities work out in practice? The author’s goal is to explain the cultural differences in order for managers to be able to work effectively in international projects. The author illustrates her method and her goals by giving characteristic examples. She talks about demands as far as the personality of the coach is concerned, as well as about interferences within the coaching situation. A prevailing common culture in Europe does not (yet) exist which makes it even more important to talk about differences openly so that they can be understood and be overcome. Useful experiences are shared which shall help to build a ‘working’ trust level between representatives of different cultures. Cultural factors of power usage are described which show how power can be applied in different ways. The influence of language problems is also analyzed in detail. Finally, this paper shows that the most important is to keep an atmosphere based on cooperation: only when such an atmosphere is accepted as a natural daily routine can contacts among participants of different cultures be established as among equals and it is then possible to overcome the challenges related to differences of cultures.