A Comparative Study of Institutionalizing Public Plant Breeding

Public–private partnerships are merely defined as an institutionalized cooperation between the public administration and private companies, but may take very different settings. This paper uses the case of partnerships in the plant breeding sector to study the institutional evolution of such linkages. It is shown how corporatist exclusivity can enter such partnerships, as their setting can have different purposes and be used to transfer subsidies from the public to companies or professional associations through low prices for resources transferred to the sector. The inefficiencies connected with such rents and possible alternatives are outlined and conclusions are drawn for the institutional theory of organizations.     

The gender longevity gap: explaining the difference between singles and couples

This paper studies the respective gender longevity gap in favour of women among singles, utilitarian and altruistic couples. The following hypotheses are derived: (1) the gender longevity gap is smaller within couples than among singles; (2) marriage increases longevity of men but decreases longevity of women; and (3) the gender longevity gap decreases with an increase in wealth. The hypotheses are tested using a complete data set of the Swiss deceased at the age 65+ in 2001 and 2002, with information on the individuals’ age at death and their average earnings over the life cycle.     

Split‐Award Procurement Auctions—Can Bayesian Equilibrium Strategies Predict Human Bidding Behavior in Multi‐Object Auctions?

We analyze if and when symmetric Bayes Nash equilibrium predictions can explain human bidding behavior in multi‐object auctions. We focus on two sealed‐bid split‐award auctions with ex ante split decisions as they can be regularly found in procurement practice. These auction formats are straightforward multi‐object extensions of the first‐price sealed‐bid auction. We derive the risk‐neutral symmetric Bayes Nash equilibrium strategies and find that, although the two auction mechanisms yield the same expected costs to the buyer, other aspects of the two models, including the equilibrium bidding strategies, differ significantly. The strategic considerations in these auction formats are more involved than in single‐lot first‐price sealed‐bid auctions, and it is questionable whether expected utility maximization can explain human bidding behavior in such multi‐object auctions. Therefore, we analyzed the predictive accuracy of our equilibrium strategies in the laboratory. In human subject experiments we found underbidding, which is in line with earlier experiments on single‐lot first‐price sealed‐bid auctions. To control for regret, we organize experiments against computerized bidders, who play the equilibrium strategy. In computerized experiments where bid functions are only used in a single auction, we found significant underbidding on low‐cost draws. In experiments where the bid function is reused in 100 auctions, we could also control effectively for risk aversion, and there is no significant difference of the average bidding behavior and the risk‐neutral Bayes Nash equilibrium bid function. The results suggest that strategic complexity does not serve as an explanation for underbidding in split‐award procurement auctions, but risk aversion does have a significant impact.     

Ein Ansatz zur Verbesserung der Steuerung des Zahlungsausfallrisikos im E-Commerce (B-to-C)

In recent years, the situation of e-commerce in Germany especially in the retail sector has not only been characterized by a sustained growth in sales but also by an increase in deficits in payment. Companies considering a general exclusion of risky payment methods to be suboptimal are challenged by an adequate assessment of their prospective customers’ risk of payment default. Thereby, inability and unwillingness to pay has to be considered as possible reasons on a transactional basis and in real-time. This paper presents a new approach combining common methods for risk identification and assessment. Case studies show that a more sophisticated risk control can be achieved by applying the approach presented.     

Unfreiwillige Helfer von Selbstmördern

Using participant observation and interviews the article examines the social context of emotional stress experienced by railway drivers who are confronted with railway suicides. A consequence of activities around railway suicides is a lack of resources for drivers, to control their body and definition of the self. Whereas the view of dead bodies may be delegated to others, railway drivers are routinely made suspects of involuntary manslaughter. There are various strategies railway drivers have developed to cope with a suicide accident. It is stated a change in the emotional culture of engine drivers: in earlier times it was considered appropriate (and typical male) to bear the consequences of such an incident and not to talk about it, whereas today the naming and expression of emotions, most of the time in the course of psychological treatment, is a legitimate strategy. The authors argue, that coping with railway suicides mainly focuses on techniques to manage emotional stress, whereas activities that produce emotional stress in the first place are not appreciated.     

Kognitive Balance und Arbeitsplatzwechsel. Der Einfluss informeller Sozialbeziehungen auf Vertrauensverluste und Anschlusskündigungen kritisch-loyaler Mitarbeiter

This article uses a concrete example of an employee–s notice of employment termination which lead to another notice of termination of his colleague, to explore the factors which lead to such extremely un-satisfactory working conditions. The balance theory of Fritz Heider is used as an explanatory basis. Using a model, the effects of a resignation of an employee on the attitude and behavior of a colleague, with whom a positive emotional relation exists, are described. This colleague resigned after a while although he had a normal relationship to the company and although the company did not in any way violate his existing contract. Modeling this situation we can show that an imbalanced relationship structure between the two colleagues and the company can entail a notice of termination given by a loyal and well-educated employee, who has no direct conflicts with his company.     

On geometry of the set of admissible invariant quadratic estimators in balanced two variance components model

Two variance components model for which each invariant quadratic admissible estimator of a linear function of variance components (under quadratic loss function) is a linear combination of two quadratic forms,Z ₁,Z ₂, say, is considered. A setD={(d ₁,d ₂)′:d ₁ Z ₁+d ₂ Z ₂ is admissible} is described by giving formulae on the boundary ofD. Different forms of the setD are presented on figures.     

Necessary sample sizes for categorial data

This paper deals with the problem how to determine the necessary sample size for the estimation of the parameter π=(π1,...,πk) (πj ≥ 0, Σjπj=1) based on the vector f=(f1,...,fk) of relative frequencies with sample size n. The vector n-f has a multinomial distribution. For a given precision c, 0≤c≤1, and a given confidence number β, 0≤β≤1, there exists a smallest positive integer N⁰=N⁰(β, c, k) with P{|fj−πj|≤c; j=1, ...,k}≥β for all sample sizes n≥N⁰ and for all π. As results are given in this paper exact upper bounds for N⁰ and an improved asymptotical upper bound for N⁰ which is derived from the asymptotical multinormal approximation for the distribution of f.