„Wir mussten Coaching erstmal salonfähig machen“

In this study coaching culture is defined as a part of organizational culture that reflects the patterns of assumptions and actions concerning coaching, as well as the perception and evaluation of results and modes of effects. A qualitative study with 15 experts from six large companies revealed that positive and negative cultures concerning coaching can be differentiated. The results show a trend towards a positive culture, which needs active support. It is assumed that the coaching culture is a relevant impact factor for the efficacy of coaching.     

Negative Effekte von Coaching und ihre Ursachen aus der Perspektive der Organisation

Negative effects of business-coaching and their causes have been barely addressed in research so far. In this qualitative pilot-study the perspective of organisations is being addressed for the first time. The most frequently stated negative effects were a too strong development of clients in the perception of the interviewees, a termination of the job by clients, a lack of sustainability of the results and an insufficient return on investment. As influencing factors e.?g. the attitude of the organisation towards coaching, imprecise clarification of coaching assignments, lack of motivation of the client or the working methods of coaches were reported.     

Computer Use and Employment Status of Older Workers — An Analysis Based on Individual Data

Abstract. This paper analyses the determinants of computer use by male employees and estimates the impact of computer use on the employment status for older workers, based on individual data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel. In line with previous research on the diffusion of new technologies, a strong and negative relationship between the age of workers and computer use is found. The correlation of educational level and occupational status on computer use is significantly positive. However, the estimated impact of computer use on the change in employment status of older workers becomes insignificant when controlling for individual and firm‐specific characteristics.     

Optimal designs for non-competitive enzyme inhibition kinetic models

In this paper, we present a new method for determining optimal designs for enzyme inhibition kinetic models, which are used to model the influence of the concentration of a substrate and an inhibition on the velocity of a reaction. The approach uses a nonlinear transformation of the vector of predictors such that the model in the new coordinates is given by an incomplete response surface model. Although there exist no explicit solutions of the optimal design problem for incomplete response surface models so far, the corresponding design problem in the new coordinates is substantially more transparent, such that explicit or numerical solutions can be determined more easily. The designs for the original problem can finally be found by an inverse transformation of the optimal designs determined for the response surface model. We illustrate the method determining explicit solutions for the D-optimal design and for the optimal design problem for estimating the individual coefficients in a non-competitive enzyme inhibition kinetic model.     

Subjective well-being and exercise in the second half of life: a critical review of theoretical approaches

Research has shown repeatedly that the ??feeling better?? effect of exercise is far more moderate than generally claimed. Examinations of subgroups in secondary analyses also indicate that numerous further variables influence this relationship. One reason for inconsistencies in this research field is the lack of adequate theoretical analyses. Well-being output variables frequently possess no construct definition, and little attention is paid to moderating and mediating variables. This article integrates the main models in an overview and analyzes how secondary analyses define well-being and which areas of the construct they focus on. It then applies a moderator and/or mediator framework to examine which person and environmental variables can be found in the existing explanatory approaches in sport science and how they specify the influence of these moderating and mediating variables. Results show that the broad understanding of well-being in many secondary analyses makes findings difficult to interpret. Moreover, physiological explanatory approaches focus more on affective changes in well-being, whereas psychological approaches also include cognitive changes. The approaches focus mostly on either physical or psychological person variables and rarely combine the two, as in, for example, the dual-mode model. Whereas environmental variables specifying the treatment more closely (e.g., its intensity) are comparatively frequent, only the social support model formulates variables such as the framework in which exercise is presented. The majority of explanatory approaches use simple moderator and/or mediator models such as the basic mediated (e.g., distraction hypothesis) or multiple mediated (e.g., monoamine hypotheses) model. The discussion draws conclusions for future research.     

Maternal morbidity and mortality

The following interview with Dr. Yves Bergevin on the consequences of maternal morbidity and mortality in developing countries was conducted in November 2007. Dr. Bergevin, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FCFP, is Senior Program Advisor for Reproductive Health at the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) Africa Division. He provides the overall program leadership for reproductive health programs in Africa for UNFPA, including HIV Prevention, Maternal Health, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health Commodity Security. Dr. Bergevin has held several senior level positions in global health, including Chief of Health at UNICEF, where he fostered a renewed focus on child survival. Prior to this, he was Principal Advisor for Health, Population, and Nutrition at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). He is the author of over 100 papers, abstracts, and reports. He has also served as a Member of the Board on Global Health, National Academies of Sciences (USA), a Member of the STOP TB Coordinating Board and of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership Board.     

Sexual Abuse Allegations by Children with Neuropsychiatric Disorders

All Swedish court cases from 2004 and 2006 concerning alleged child sexual abuse (sexual harassment excluded) were identified through criminal registers. Fourteen cases (one boy) concerned a child with a neuropsychiatric disorder. The diagnostic groups were mental retardation (10 cases), autism (three cases), and ADHD (one case). Psychiatric experts were engaged in only two cases. When experts were involved, the courts focused on credibility issues. When the courts applied neuropsychiatric arguments in the absence of an expert, they used developmental arguments. When the authors found that significant neuropsychiatric issues were not discussed by the court it concerned interpretations of symptoms and developmental standpoints. The results illustrate the complexity and pitfalls of drawing conclusions about associations between symptoms and personality characteristics on one side and accuracy of sexual abuse allegations on the other. Moreover, the results highlight the importance of a high quality system for providing courts with adequate neuropsychiatric knowledge.     

Inquiry

The following interview with Dr. Denise Johnston was conducted in October 2005. Dr. Johnston is a child development specialist and the founding director of the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents, which has served more than 20,000 clients and is staffed almost exclusively by formerly incarcerated parents and children of prisoners.