Mitarbeiterintegration und Mitarbeiterbindung von Organisationen – Wie integrieren und binden Organisationen ihr Personal?

This article in the journal “Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO)” provides a brief overview of a semantic integration mechanism how organizations can succeed in integrating and attach their employees. Every organization has basic assumptions about human behavior. These assumptions or images about people, whether implicitly present or explicitly reflected, essentially determine the behavior of the organization and its personnel management. In terms of research theory, the work is based on the system theoretical considerations of Niklas Luhmann. Organizations are fictitious units that are constructed in communication. The employees of organizations belong to the environment of the organization and are structurally linked to it through their employee role. Structurally coupled means the members of an organization are able to influence the structure of the organization. The central result of this article is the identification of a semantic integration mechanism that functions as a membrane that generates resonance both in the social system of organizations and in the psychological system of structurally coupled employees. In the current changing world of work, this mechanism can help organizations to attach their employees to the organization. The empirical data come from a research project on the identity and functional logic of training organizations.     

Religiöse Identität und Wertbindungen von Jugendlichen in Deutschland

In analysing the religiousness of youth positions vary between the hypothesis that religiousness has decreased and the hypothesis that there is a specific youth religion. In this paper it is assumed that the development of religious identities and convictions depends on social contexts and family environments. The paper analyses different religious interpretative patterns adolescents generate in order to position themselves in relation to concepts of life and meaning in societies who are marked by the pluralization of values, the secularization of social relations and the individualization of life styles. Through case studies of youth from West Germany, East Germany and youth from migrant’s milieus—each group of which are brought up religiously in a different environments—it is shown how the religious identities of youth become established under specific social-historical conditions and conditions of socialisation.     

Religion als religiös-ethnische Gemeinschaft. Das Beispiel der Parsi Zoroastrier in Indien

This paper analyzes a form of religion characterized by a combination of religious and ethnic boundary-making. It discusses the typical properties of this form of religion and asks about its persistence under modern conditions. As an example, the community of the Parsi Zoroastrians in Mumbai is studied, an ethno-religious community that played a major role in the modernization of India and is also overproportionally confronted with the consequences of modernity. Despite the conflicts and challenges the traditional religious and ethnic boundaries of the community in question were facing in the recent past, it did not dissolve or change, but “centripetal” tendencies prevailed and the communal tradition was affirmed. The analysis of these developments allows understanding of the coupling of religion and ethnicity: The membership to such a religious community is primordialized and therefore beyond the reach of individual decisions. Further, because the boundaries are drawn by ethnic practice and not formal organization, institutions implementing collectively binding decisions are missing. This impossibility to cross or change the communal boundaries by individual or collective decision results in a form of community that is by and large impervious to changes occurring in the society surrounding it. The traditional ethnic and ritual practice remains the only legitimate communal point of reference and renders it stable even under conditions of modernity.     

Ein Ansatz zur Förderung von Reflexionskompetenz: Fallarbeit in 7 Schritten

This article describes a didactical model for higher education purposes focusing on the development of theory driven and self driven ‘case reflection competence’. We (Telse Iwers-Stelljes and Renate Luca) have developed this procedure in the last 6 years and formative evaluated it in different investigations. Starting point of this project were the actual results on studies of antinomical conditions of professional teachers and students in the classroom environment and the intention to find a humanistic psychologically-oriented access to handle them. In the following, we are going to describe 1) the theoretical foundations of our researches to explain the context of our model, 2) its methodical implementation and 3) a case reconstruction based on an example reflected by one of our students.     

Religiös-konfessionelle Kultur und individuelle Religiosität: Ein Vergleich zwischen West- und Ostdeutschland

In religious terms, East and West Germany are still two separate societies more than 20 years after reunification. While the large majority of the population in West Germany belongs to one of the two main Christian churches, the proportion of those without a denomination in East Germany is now more than 70 %. Moreover, as far as church involvement, confidence in the church and individual religiosity are concerned, the West Germans have a much stronger religious affiliation to the church than their East German counterparts. The main reason for this difference is the influence of different political systems and legal cultures in East and West during the period when the two parts of Germany were divided. The fact, though, that the process of secularization has continued unabated in East Germany since 1989, and that the religious and ecclesiastical discrepancies between the two parts of the country have, if anything, become stronger rather than weaker since then, would suggest that there are other factors at work here, too. In this contribution, we argue that one of the factors that needs to be considered is the dominant denominational culture that exists in each of the two parts of the country, a culture which is highly persistent, can easily reproduce itself, puts pressure on the respective minority cultures, and is able to diffuse into them. While the dominant denominational culture in West Germany is able to slow down the current processes of secularization, the secular, non-denominational majority culture in the East tends rather to produce effects which accelerate these processes. In this essay, we use a variety of empirical indicators (effectiveness of religious socialization, denominational affiliation, churchly affiliation, faith in God) to demonstrate these effects.     

Die Bedeutung von Introvision für die Gestaltung von Veränderungsprozessen in Gruppen und Organisationen

The ability of mental self regulation is becoming more and more important to shape change processes. Change agents often experience, especially in potentially difficult situations, limits of self regulation by volition. Imperating oneself as an effort of self control by unconditional commandments has a blocking impact on mental self regulation. Introvision supports mental self regulation in a mode of calmness, which can be described as operating effortless and deliberately. In an attitude of calmness it is possible not to slide into inner conflicts, even when facing difficult situations. Instead it is possible to make use of one‘s whole action repertoire and include the context of change processes. calmness also has a positive impact on group dynamics. The atmosphere becomes more relaxed, dialog ability and the capability of problem solving is supported.     

?Ein bisschen wie ein Au?erirdischer“: subjektive imperative und mentale Blockaden von Frauen in technisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Berufsfeldern

Women are still gravely underrepresented in technical and engineering professions. So far there is few research regarding psychological barriers and especially mental blocks of women in technical fields. This study investigates mental blocks of women that might hinder their career advancement in technical professions. To this end, a secondary analysis of 19 qualitative interviews with women from technical fields was conducted. The analysis was based on the theory of mental interference and the respective text analysis method proposed by Wagner (Gelassenheit durch Aufl?sung innerer Konflikte. Mentale Selbstregulation und Introvision. Stuttgart, Kohlhammer, 2007). The analysis shows that numerous so-called subjective imperatives could be identified that might interfere with women??s career advancement. They were grouped in three main categories: Work-life balance, gender stereotypes, and career advancement. Practical implications are discussed.     

Introvision als Entspannungsverfahren – Auflösung von chronischen Nackenverspannungen durch Konstatierendes Aufmerksames Wahrnehmen und Introvision –

According to current research, chronic back tensions – in contrast to other tensions – cannot be reduced permanently and significantly by existing relaxation techniques like for instance the “Progressive Muscle Relaxation” technique. The goal of the presented pilot study called “Eine empirische Untersuchung zur Auflösung von muskulären Dauerverspannungen durch Introvision als Methode der pädagogisch-psychologischen Intervention” was to show, based on a first survey, whether muscle tension, especially in the neck area, could be dispersed permanently or at least clearly reduced by another intervention process namely the “Konstatierende Aufmerksame Wahrnehmen” (attentive establishing perception) and introvision. A control group design with measuring repetitions (N = 17) and with pre-, post- und follow-up measurements could show that, during a five week introductory course, in combination with three individual consultations, a significant reduction (EMG and questionnaire) of neck tensions could be achieved.     

Religiöse Diversität und Sozialintegration im internationalen Vergleich

Following Robert D. Putnams (2007) thesis that ethnic diversity weakens social cohesion, this study addresses the social consequences of religious diversity. Instead of contrasting social-psychological mechanisms it takes a macro-sociological perspective that focuses on different structural forms of religious diversity and relates them to the trust relations within a population. The empirical results based on a cross-national comparison of 41 European and Non-European societies show that religious macro-structures are indeed related to social trust. But contrary to Putnam’s “hunkering down” thesis religious diversity does not lead to social anomia and isolation but has different effects on social trust toward religious in- and out-groups. Key is the result that different macro-structural forms of religious diversity have different consequences for social cohesion. The question, whether religious diversity poses a threat or opportunity for the social integration of society, therefore crucially depends on its concrete form.     

Lösung von mentalen Konflikten und Steigerung von Achtsamkeit in Entscheidungsprozessen

Decisions are connected with actions and changes of different complexity. In personally relevant situations it can even be possible to decide for a change of one?s life or to create a new self-image by new experiences which are coming along with decisions and who are linked with a new identity and a particular different environment. This complexity of decisions and problem solving is studied from different perspectives in a long research tradition. This paper applies a new perspective by focusing on a theory of the formation of inner conflicts and their consecuences, which lend to mental blocs. We examined inner blocs in decision-making situations and we show how they can be regulated by awareness and mindfulness.     

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.     

Auswirkungen von Macht auf das ��berleben in Extremsituationen: Ein Vergleich der Titanic und Lusitania Schiffskatastrophen

Comparing the Titanic and Lusitania disaster the impact of financial and physical power as well as the emergence of social norms on survival during life-and-death situations is analyzed. Despite the fact that some maritime disasters have become famous, a quantitative understanding of survival in life-and-death situations is still lacking. In a quasi-natural experiment multivariate probit estimations are conducted based on publicly available data. The paper suggests that in life-and-death situations differences in time restrictions are crucial. When time is scarce individual self-interested fight-or-flight behavior will predominate and result in a stronger competition for survival. In contrast, altruism and adherence to social norms emerge when there is sufficient time to reflect on the event and circumstances: Social norms require time to evolve, and they loose against physical strength in a shorter window of opportunity.     

Verteilungskoalitionen und Demokratische Staatsstrukturen als Determinanten der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung?

This comment critically focuses upon Volker Kunz’s (KFfSS Vol. 52, 2000: 195–225) empirical findings concerning the political and institutional underpinnings of economic development in the OECD world. It is argued that a most similar systems design is inappropriate to explore the political sources of economic growth. Reanalyzing the determinants of economic growth rates in a cross-section of 21 OECD countries provides little evidence for a political dimension of economic development. More specifically, I cannot replicate his findings that consensus democracy and distributional coalitions hamper economic growth. It is shown that long-term economic growth rates first and foremost are determined by economic catch-up resulting from differentials in initial levels of economic development.