Lust an der Macht – Frauen in Organisationen

Storyline and analysis of the film “The Devil Wears Prada” provide vivid scenes to derive reflections on organisational culture in globalised companies and women in chief positions. Women come into conflict with leading the company successfully, the dependence on efficient – female – staff and the image as a woman. The article illustrates, how influences of the company’s products fashion und fashion market have a normative effect, especially on female staff members. Theories of organisational culture, careers of women and findings of gender research are shown in connection with complex strategies of women in their determination to succeed, to self-realization and the pressure to adapt oneself. This involves reflected perspectives to leave clichés of gender and to reinforce organisational and personal potentials.     

Resilientes Selbstmanagement – eine Führungsaufgabe der Zukunft

The economic psychological article describes an online study of health-oriented self-management of managers with implications for corporate practice. Resilience and personality factors, subjective leadership success and self-management skills are examined variables. The most important outcome of the study with high relevance for modern working world is that self-confidence and conscience are the best pedictors for the experience of success, but managers still take care too little of their own health.     

Preis-Promotion-Framing – Ein Überblick zum Stand der Forschung

This article reviews published literature and provides an overview on present empirical evidence about the framing of price promotions. Concerning explicit price reductions (discounts, coupons, rebates), the effects of advertised reference prices and different frames of price discounts (relative versus absolute price discount, objective versus tensile price claims) on consumers’ reactions are discussed. Furthermore, the article examines empirical results on implicit price reductions (volume packs, free extra products) as well as on sale signs and restrictions (e.g. purchase limits, time limits) as popular ways of framing a deal. The key findings point out that framing a price promotion in different ways can affect consumers’ perceptions and evaluations of the deal. Based on the reviewed literature, the concluding section provides managerial implications and an agenda for further research.     

Coaching im Mittelstand – Wer ist der Mittelstand?

Medium-Sized companies usually have a specific organizational structure and corporate culture. This has implications for Human Resource Management, which is less systematized in medium-sized companies in comparison to larger organizations. What does ?medium-sized business“ mean and who is meant with that? Which typical values form its culture? What are the specific conditions for coaching in medium-sized businesses? Does a coach need special qualifications for this sector? This paper attempts to answer these questions and stays close to the everyday business of medium-sized companies. Concrete Examples will explain specific topics and coaching solutions for medium-sized businesses.     

Warteschlangen-Modelle in der Produktionsplanung – Möglichkeiten und Grenzen

Production Management often tried to apply queueing models to describe the flow of products and parts. These approaches usually apply very simple queueing models. Due to mathematical problems implied by general waiting line models, an adaptation to real life problems fails often. In this paper, some simple models discussed in production management are presented and it is shown why they failed to be generalized. Afterwards, we try to find a way how to model the simple case of flow shop production using generalized queueing models: First decomposition of serial waiting lines and approximation of the system by a sequence of independent stations. Afterwards the approach of recent literature to consider again the entire system simultaneously is sketched, and it is argued that these approaches are restricted as well to small problems     

Navigationskompetenzen an der Hochschule – Coaching als Bestandteil wissenschaftlicher Qualifikation

A modern scientific qualification encompasses specialised as well as human and communication skills. Hence scientists working with individuals can benefit from coaching to the same extent as other management and teaching staff. Crucial meta-skills are the handling of change and ambiguity, and also a tenor, which can be described as “navigating on drifting islands”. With reference to the current discourse, the authors introduce an integrative concept of coaching learning and explicate how to integrate its elements into scientific education. They also debate concrete attempts at establishing credit points for coaching.     

Die Digitalisierung von Coaching – Gedanken aus der Perspektive teilnehmender Beobachtung

This article focusses on the influence of digitalization on the performance of coaching services. Five relevant aspects are examined with regard to the opportunities and risks: (1) the coaching market, (2) the coaching process, (3) the communication between coach and client, (4) the coaching methods and tools and (5) the coach himself. The considerations make obvious that the future development of coaching depends not only on further technical innovations, but also on the answers of the professional community to the challenges of digitalization described above.     

Reporter in der Organisation – Systemisches Storytelling für Journalisten

This article describes a storytelling method, which combines the craft of journalism with premises of systemic organizational development. It transfers the model of press freedom to the organization. Companies hire reporters to be free to cover the everyday life and culture inside the organization. Part of the method are storytelling-events where the reporters present their investigation to an internal public. The radical independence sets the systemic storytelling apart from other formats of corporate communications. The benefit is reliability. This opens new opportunities for companies to deal with itself and defines new turfs for journalists.     

Humankapitalbewertung bei der BASF Coatings AG – Eine anwendungsorientierte Modifizierung und Operationalisierung der Saarbrücker Formel mit dem Schwerpunkt der Wissensbewertung

The present paper describes the concrete application of an integrated Human capital measurement at BASF Coatings AG. For this purpose the Saarbrücker Formula has been broaden by factors that are of practical relevance. The resulting necessary adjustments in terms of definitions, delimitations and calculation logics of the Saarbrücker Formula lead to the extension and development of the approach. The so generated extended formula enables other companies to evaluate their human capital in a sensible way and to derive personnel-politically measures and therefore to overcome the gap between theory and praxis.     

Messung der Qualität in Dienstleistungscentern – am Beispiel eines Flughafens

The study shows that customers’ perception of overall quality in services centers is driven by two components: the service encounter quality and the quality of the servicecape. Thus, customers’ overall evaluation of service quality in a services center is a function of n service encounter qualities (k?=?1…n) and the quality of the servicecape. Furthermore, it is of great importance for the quality management of a services center that there could be (1) direct effects between the quality dimensions and the overall service quality as well as (2) direct effects between the quality dimensions themselves. The above mentioned study had been carried out exemplarily at the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg. The survey results suggest that servicecape quality has a significant effect both on the overall service quality and on the service encounter qualities. Moreover, the study shows that key quality indicators of the service center apply to the perception of security as well as to the service environment (for instance, arrangement of check-in/security desk, comfort of seats, ambience of waiting area).     

Doppelspitzen in der öffentlichen Verwaltung – Unterstützung durch Coaching

In this article I describe aspects of coaching concerning dual leadership in public administration. I will discuss organisational culture in public administration. Afterwards I emphasize on challenges for leaders and managers who will deal with change of corporate culture. At last I present a map of concepts dealing with coaching of dual leadership which will create insight for the clients for the challenges of their daily work.     

Qualifikation von Ausbildungssupervisoren in der Sozialen Arbeit – Kontexte,Methoden und Erfahrungen

This article moots the issue of how to support students of social work and social pedagogy to develop the prerequisites for a professional exercise within their future vocational role by dint of supervision. Academical training has to offer spaces for reflecting the relationship between clients and their assistants and for the student’s self-development as well. Methodical settings are reflected for the vocational training of students. Of what kind are the relationships between knowledge transfer, practical guidance and supervision? This article pleads for supervision as an educational program and specifies the qualifications for supervisors.     

Determinanten des Informationsgehalts von Managementprognosen – eine empirische Untersuchung anhand der DAX und MDAX-Unternehmen

In this article the characteristics and determinants of the information content of management earnings forecasts of the German DAX and MDAX companies between 2002 and 2005 are analyzed. As proxy for the information content I use the precision of the wording of a forecast. I can show that the forecasts of MDAX companies are more precisely formulated than those of DAX companies. Furthermore forecasts are formulated more precisely, when companies have, (1) a lower percentage of intangible assets, (2) lower market capitalization, (3) lower volatility of earnings and (4) a higher need for external financing.     

Von der Kundenintegration 1.0 zur Kundenintegration 2.0 – Implikationen für Praxis und Forschung

Customer integration has become an established topic in management research with specific attention given by marketing researchers. The term refers to a new definition of a customer’s role in market exchange. While previously the customer was considered a merely passive recipient of goods and services only he now takes over the function of active supplier of input before, while and after a market transaction. Currently, four different research lines on the topic can be identified: Each of these research lines also mirrors a distinct manifestation of practical application: (1) the business of solutions, (2) mass customization, (3) service co-creation and (4) value co-creation. For the future we expect more stimulation for both the practical and the conceptual advancement of customer integration particularly to stem from new technologies to be summarized under the label of web 2.0. For web 2.0 we distinguish between moderator centered approaches such as crowdsourcing, swarm creativity and open innovation on the one hand and community centered approaches such as social network sites on the other hand. In order to advance and substantiate our understanding of the new implications from web 2.0 on customer integration we propose to resort to the theory of social capital and the concept of the borderless organization.     

Ist Marktorientierung ansteckend? Der Transfer der Marktorientierung über Hierarchieebenen – Eine empirische Mehrebenenuntersuchung

It is generally accepted that market orientation as a well-established marketing phenomenon influences the performance of companies. However, work investigating how market oriented behaviours of customer-contact employees can be influenced is conspicuous by its absence. This article is the first empirical multilevel study in this area, which simultaneously examines intralevel-effects (effects within the level of customer-contact employees, e.g. length of work experience, job satisfaction) as well as crosslevel-effects (effects which come from superordinate managers). Based on a large-scale three-level study, the results show that the transfer of top-managers’ market orientation via sales managers down to customer-contact employees is definitely not an automatism. In fact this market orientation cascade particularly succeeds, if the market orientation of superordinate managers comes along with intense charismatic leadership. All in all, the entire impact of crosslevel-variables on the market orientation of customer-contact employees is at least as comprehensive as the influence of intralevel variables.     

Auf den Rangplatz kommt es an – Wirkung der Rangfolge von Produkten auf das Entscheidungsverhalten

Customers often search for and choose from ordered sets. E. g., online shops present their product assortments as lists; very often the products are listed according to criteria as defined by the customers. Based on theoretical explanations it can be assumed that the rank of a product in a list effects its demand. An empirical study run in the market for used cars shows the importance of that effect. The study also reveals the most preferred rank and provides further insights for an optimal ordering of products. Furthermore, the understanding of individual decision about rank ordered products can be deepened.     

Besteuerung multinationaler Unternehmen in der EU – eine vergleichende Analyse ausgewählter Reformvorschläge

The European Commission is currently finalizing a tax system based on a Common Consolidated Tax Base (CCCTB), which multinational corporations throughout the European Union will be able to use to determine their tax burden in accordance to this system. Besides the CCCTB, we present and analyze an alternative tax reform proposal, the European Tax Allocation System (ETAS). Our analysis is based on a dynamic capital budgeting model. The effects of the underlying European tax concepts on marginal investment of multinational groups are investigated by determining the influence of taxation on the required minimum rate of return and herewith the pre-tax cost of capital. Performing analyses for different scenarios enables us to draw more detailed conclusions about whether implementing ETAS and CCCTB can foster or discriminate real investments. Our investigation shows which tax concept and which of the analyzed parameter particularly affects the multinational’s tax burden. E.g., we find that a CCCTB can foster real investments particularly by means of retention policy and profit shifting, whereas ETAS can foster real investments effectively exploiting the Member States’ tax rate differentials and taking advantage of differing national tax regulations.     

Qualifikationsanforderungen und Schulungsansätze für Ausbildungssupervisoren im Bereich der Psychotherapie – ein Überblick

Supervision is a central domain of professional education and clinical practice. Supervisiors features for qualification as well as formal training and standards have been largely neglected. In this article, the proposals of different psychotherapeutic societies concerning the features for qualification were discussed. Additionally some training concepts were presented. Suggestions for future development in this area are addressed, including the need to refine further and operationalized competences, develop expectations for accreditation and lizensure regarding supervision competencies.