Change the Change Management! Die Kunst der kontinuierlichen Selbsterneuerung von Unternehmen

Given the increasing dynamics in the markets, the possibility to adapt quickly to the changing environmental requirements is regarded as the key competence of corporations. Following the latest empirical findings of strategic and organizational research, those corporations will be successful in the long run that have the ability to continually reinvent themselves. We call this type of change “continuous self-renewal”. Continuous self-renewal is a profound change that proceeds with foresight and is not triggered by an external acute pressure to act. This approach is opposed to the established concepts of Change Management which state that processes of profound change can only be successful if exactly this pressure to act exists. Hence, the question arises whether “continuous self-renewal” is merely a theoretical concept? Based on a case study, the author comes to the conclusion that “continuous self-renewal” is an empirically verifiable type of change. The research results show furthermore that this type of change operates on completely different principles than previously known processes of change. Continuous self-renewal challenges therefore our established thinking about organizational change in a fundamental way, so the central conclusion of the author.     

Sektionen Arbeits- und Industriesoziologie und Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Sektionen Kultursoziologie und Stadt- und Regionalsoziologie

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

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.     

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.     

Kommunikation und Kooperation in Team und Großunternehmen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

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.     

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.     

Zeit und Mediation

The idea to go into the relationship between time and mediation comes from practical experience. (Mediation in industry, commerce and trade ist dealt with here.) As I am a mediator in medium-sized and large companies, I have to trace the often hidden reasons for conflicts and confront the conflicting parties with them. They can then try to overcome them through their own resources expressed in a long-lasting consensus. Both, the process of conflict counselling through mediation as a whole and the causes which create and escalate conflicts in the world of work, depend on and are determined by the time factor in my experience. However, when causes and solutions dealing with the conflict process, mainly, but not only, depend on the time constellation. This being the case then the opposite can apply. Thus, time-management in production and personnel leadership which is based on the human principles of mediation serves to prevent conflict from developing. Furthermore, it operates prophylactically where conflict is pre-programmed when the way people cooperate is sometimes at odds with successful management geared to market conditions not primarily concerned with the human needs of people working in these structure.     

Bindungsdimensionen und Studieneinstellungen

Hazan &; Shaver (1990) relate the emotional attachment and the working attitude of adults to the effects of emotional attachment and exploration experiences in early childhood.The present study analyses this question and relates the emotional attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance (Grau, 1994) to education oriented attitudes, e.g. interest in studies contents, satisfaction and priority in and of studies vs. private life and career orientation. 126 teaching profession and psychology students answered a questionnaire including the following concepts: Attachment dimensions, attachment types, study related attitudes and life-orientation. Attachment dimensions and attachment types showed the expected convergent validity. Results confirm most — bot not all — of the predicted relations between relationship’s dimensions and study oriented attitudes.     

Nachrichten und Mitteilungen

Nachrichten und Mitteilungen

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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.     

Nachrichten und Mitteilungen

Nachrichten und Mitteilungen

Nachrichten und Mitteilungen