Venture capital and risk perception

This study extends the current state of research on venture capital (VC) determinants by introducing a behavioral perspective. We focus on individuals’ risk perception and connect it to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions of individualism and uncertainty avoidance. Individualism is related to overoptimism and uncertainty avoidance is related to overcaution, and hence affect the perception of risk. In a cross-country empirical analysis with 49 countries, we find that individualism is positively associated with VC activity, whereas uncertainty avoidance is negatively associated with VC activity. Our results are robust to controlling for other determinants as well as using other proxies of VC activity, other time periods, and subsamples of countries.     

Imitation with intention and memory: An experiment

The experiment described in this paper analyzes imitation in an individual learning context. It supplements the results obtained for imitation in evolutionary processes.The paper makes three main contributions. First, it provides a clear distinction between intentional imitation and genuine learning. Second, it shows that players consider more than just last period's performance when choosing imitation examples. This contrasts with the assumption in most theoretical and experimental research. Third, since the design makes imitation explicit, it allows a detailed analysis of imitation behavior, showing that players do not imitate rationally.     

„Teamsupervision“ — ein Mythos? Ein kritischer Essay

?Team supervision“ — a myth? A critical essayThe author demonstrates, that team supervision often is highly charged with ideological traditions. She exemplifies this on the one hand by the concept and the significance of “team” and on the other hand by the traditions of team supervision. She recommends, that the involved persons should bring to mind the substantial significance and the function of “team” and of “team supervision”, and they should exactly reconsider the goals of this setting.     

Qualitätsmanagement — alles nur lauwarme Luft? Statt einer Buchbesprechung

Quality Management — idea and dysfunctional effectsThe author discusses the idea and the dysfunctional effects of Quality Management. By means of two books, an older and a newer one, the debate with its historical and its actual basis is delineated. In short, the author comes to the result: Quality Management is important, but you have to be very critical.     

Editorial

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Women’s and men’s negative experience of child birth—A cross-sectional survey

Background

A negative birth experience may influence both women and men and can limit their process of becoming a parent.