Zur Bedeutung von Faultlines als Grenzen bei der Teamarbeit

This report focuses on the divisions within and between teams. Such research is often associated with the phenomenon of “diversity”. Empirical evidence regarding the effects of diversity on teamwork is inconsistent, partly due to methodological limitations. We propose to use the concept of “faultlines” as hypothetical lines that divide teams into homogenous subgroups. Measuring faultlines as an objective indicator of team composition represents an innovative method for integrating several diversity attributes (e.?g., age, gender, and ethnicity). We provide an overview of the current research on faultlines and show detrimental effects of faultlines on team performance. Additionally, we present the results of two studies from the automotive industry, focusing on the relation between faultlines and organizational outcomes such as employee health, team performance and team identification. Finally, we conclude that the analysis of objective faultlines offers relevant implications for research and practice. Future research should also consider the role of subjectively experienced faultlines.     

Enttraditionalisierung und Traditionalisierung der Arbeitsteilung im Haushalt. Beide Seiten sind wichtig

With this contribution we reply to the constructive feedback of Johannes Kopp. In doing so, we clarify that our paper “How does the division of labor change in the course of marriage” (KZfSS 58 (1), 2006) was the theoretical starting point for further longitudinal analyses of the division of housework. In a second study, though, we already conducted the analyses requested by Kopp.     

TZI: Das ist der Knochen, unsere Themen sind das Fleisch

The first author has been running a ?TZI and self-experience“ workshop for eight years. Participants were undergraduates following educational studies with a family and leisure education bias. The authors try to systematically evaluate this course and to discover structures. A relatively standardized framework with a set content proved to be successful. Added to it are personally relevant topics based on biographical and current experience, questions evolving from the ongoing interaction in the group and work with individual persons in front of the group. How to handle the theme is discussed. Typical and particular difficulties and how to cope with them are presented.     

Demontage oder Revitalisierung?

The controversial assessments of the German employment model in the literature are generally based on analyses focused on individual pillars of the model, such as the production system, or the welfare state. The present paper suggests an alternative view which takes into account the interactions between various elements of the employment model. We argue that, by the implementation of what we call a German variety of lean production, the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry has been boosted over the last few years. However, in contrast to earlier decades, the success of the export machine does not entail a more general employment dynamic. That is, the cranks between manufacturing and the rest of the employment system has been damaged substantially. Most importantly, the state has reduced its anchor role for the whole of the employment model and the potentials for its revitalisation.     

Kompensation oder Konflikt?

Xenophobia is a central element of “modern right wing extremism”. Different approaches try to give reasons for this. In the perspective of an empirical theory comparison the explanatory impact of these different approaches is discussed. An important component of negative attitudes toward immigration are xenophobic motives. Two mechanisms are distinguished as basic processes for the mobilization of these xenophobic attitudes: conflict and compensation. Approaches that are concerned with the impact of competition for resources or status like deprivation or intergroup concepts stress the aspect of conflict. Other mechanisms are addressed by approaches that deal with aspects of anomia or authoritarism — they stress indirect processes and see xenophobia as a consequence of compensation processes. In this context individuals use rassist ideologies to compensate their own feelings of personal or social insecurity, disorientation and disintegration. The impact of both explanatory factors is examined on the basis of a representative population survey (ALLBUS) conducted in Germany in 1996.     

Wertesynthese-Funktional oder dysfunktional?

Der Beitrag knüpft an den Kommentar zu einem Artikel von Sigrid Ro?teutscher durch Helmut Thome an (vgl. der Beitrag „‚Wertesynthese’: Ein unsinniges Konzept?” in KZfSS 57: 333–341). Er setzt der Grundsatzkritik Sigrid Ro?teutschers an der „Wertesynthese” (vgl. die Beitr?ge „Von Realisten und Konformisten — Wider die Theorie der Wertesynthese” in KZfSS 56: 407–432 und „Kein unsinniges Konzept, sondern traurige Realit?t” in KZfSS 57: 543–549) eine Beschreibung der Entstehungsgeschichte des Konzeptes der Wertesynthese und ihrer theoretischen Grundlagen entgegen. Weiterhin erfolgt eine Darstellung des aktuellen Erkenntnisstandes zur Wertesynthese. Es soll gezeigt werden, dass Konzept und Realit?t der „Wertesynthese” eine aussichtsreiche Forschungs-und Gesellschaftsperspektive er?ffnen.     

Die Enquetekommission als soziales System — oder was sie als Gruppe mit der Bürgergesellschaft zu tun hat

A board of inquiry ot the German Bundestag investigated the future of citizens in Germany. The possibilities and abilities of citizens to more democratic participation and responsibility in the community were part of the subject-matter. The author was member of the commission and describes his observations about how the commission has Organised and developed its work and its affiliation as a social group. He follows the idea that demanding political plans are also subject to daily patterns and reach the limits of what people are ready and able to do. Taking the work of the commission as an example the contribution gives an impression of how politics works and how it is made by people.     

Arbeitslos oder erwerbsunfähig?

An international comparison of unemployment rates suggests a poor performance of the German labour market. Based on comparative analyses for Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, the UK and the United States the paper tries to show that a more sophisticated picture can be drawn by taking additional forms of non-employment (e.g. disability, retirement or out of labour force) into account. For this purpose data from the “European Social Survey” (ESS) and the survey “Citizenship, Involvement and Democracy” collected in 2004 and 2005 is analysed. While “unemployment” plays a dominant role in Germany, people with comparable demographic characteristics and similar health status are increasingly classified as “permanently disabled” in the other countries. The results stress that an international comparison of labour market performance and especially a comparison of the effectiveness of labour market and social policy reforms should not only rely on employment and unemployment rates. Taking alternative forms of non-employment into account can increase our knowledge and understanding of functional differences of labour markets in Europe and the United States.     

Parteineigung als Fakt oder Parteineigung durch Fakten

Textbooks in empirical research of voting behavior usually distinguish between the sociological approach, the social psychological approach and the rational choice approach. The distinction is based on the component of explanation on which each approach is focused. In doing so, it is neglected that the logic of explanation changes in accordance to the main determinant of voting behavior. This paper points out this difference between the three approaches, while concentrating on party affiliation and issues as components of explanation. With reference to the “Retrospective Voting” approach of Fiorina and attitude theories of Fishbein, Ajzen and Fazio an integrative model is presented in which the specific relevance of one of the two components of explanation depends on the mode of decision making. The mode of decision making again also determines the logic of explanation.     

Befristete Beschäftigung: Chance oder Risiko?

The paper investigates whether increased labor market flexibility leads to a reinforcement of the existing segmentation of the labor market or whether it is dismantling the barriers in the labor market. Using spell data (employment and unemployment periods) from the German Socio-economic Panel (GSOEP, time period: 1984–1999) both determinants of fixed-term contracts and their consequences (renewed temporary employment, unemployment) are investigated with the help of random-effects logit-models. The results show that respondents’ characteristics (amount and type of human capital, formerly experienced periods of unemployment), structural variables (branch, firm size), and occupational characteristics (position, marginal employment) are influencing the risk of getting a temporary job. Furthermore it becomes evident that fixed-term contracts are increasing the risk of getting a temporary job again or of becoming unemployed after termination of the temporary job. These results show that fixed-term contracts above all are part of the secondary labor market, and that they especially have negative consequences for the employees in this segment. On the other hand fixed-term contracts can be seen as a chance in the way that they offer at least an alternative to unemployment. Hence, a too narrow evaluation of temporary employment would be too simplistic.     

Die „Zweite Moderne“: Realität oder Fiktion?

Ulrich Beck’s theory of reflexive modernization is based upon the assumption of an epochal change taking place since the 1970s, from the “First” toward the “Second Modernity”, and tries to explain this epochal change with the development dynamics of unbounding. The “linear” modernization of the “First Modernity” is replaced with the “reflexive” modernization of the “Second Modernity”. This essay keeps a systematic and critical view to the fundamental assumptions of the theory of reflexive modernization in view of its empirical strength. In particular, the question is being dealt with as to whether time diagnosis is suitable as a foundation of modernization theory, whether the “Second Modernity” differs in fact from the “First Modernity” by an increased risk production, namely as regards science, technology and private life, whether the “Second Modernity” is distinguished by an increased risk awareness and an increase in plurality, whether unbounding is the cause of the afore established epochal change, and whether a reliable risk control is possible on the paths of modernization or whether it requires, instead, an epochal change of institutions.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Karl Otto Hondrich</Emphasis>: Weniger sind mehr. Warum der Geburtenrückgang ein Glücksfall für unsere Gesellschaft ist

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Supervisionsausbildung als Lernende Organisation oder: Wie weit ist es nach Teplá?

People are changed by organisations and people change organisations. Supervisors are active with their consultancy work on this interface. Organisation is therefore a central topic and learning field which is handled on different levels (systemic-structural, personal-biographic, phenomenal) in the counsellingsupervision training, which the author has been practicing since 20 years. This is not done in a theoretical way but through a concrete approach.