Abbau ethnischer Grenzen durch Nationensport. Eine Analyse von Internetforen über willkommene und unwillkommene Zuwanderer

Sport-stars of foreign descent are sometimes role-models for integration of immigrants in a wider sense. Those kind of sport-stars are perceived as representatives of a new kind of national we-image that no longer stresses the ideal of a constitutive ethnic group. However, it is not clear, yet, that sport-stars are role-models in this sense, at all. The paper argues that parts of the main population just perceive those athletes as one of them because they are helpful in increasing national pride and prestige. Thus, this paper will discuss the concept of the ‘topos of benefits’ that is related to the process of dismantling ethnic boundaries. The paper is based on an analysis of discourses about immigrants in sport and outside of sport in internet-fora.     

Alles ist gut

All is good — wisdom’s use in managementIn crisis periods the demand for orientation knowledge grows. Everybody is looking for the answers to the fundamental questions of life. For over 2000 years philosophy has such a knowledge: wisdom. But what is wisdom and what is its use for the management? On this question the essay with Kant gives the answer: Wisdom is the way of self-knowledge. And self-knowledge is the very source of each vision, without which there is no successful entrepreneurship.     

Führung — der unterschätzte Beruf

Leadership — an underestimated profession. From a greenhorn of leadership to a qualified manager The author presents an empirical inquiery, basing on interviews with 10 recently appointed managers. She demontrates, that managers hardly ever are prepared for her job in advance. This may lead to several problems, up to a demotivation of all persons envolved. The author proposes a procedure of personal development with three elements: seminars to impart knowledge, employment of internal mentors and of external coaches.     

Is Poker a Game of Skill or Chance? A Quasi-Experimental Study

Due to intensive marketing and the rapid growth of online gambling, poker currently enjoys great popularity among large sections of the population. Although poker is legally a game of chance in most countries, some (particularly operators of private poker web sites) argue that it should be regarded as a game of skill or sport because the outcome of the game primarily depends on individual aptitude and skill. The available findings indicate that skill plays a meaningful role; however, serious methodological weaknesses and the absence of reliable information regarding the relative importance of chance and skill considerably limit the validity of extant research. Adopting a quasi-experimental approach, the present study examined the extent to which the influence of poker playing skill was more important than card distribution. Three average players and three experts sat down at a six-player table and played 60 computer-based hands of the poker variant “Texas Hold’em” for money. In each hand, one of the average players and one expert received (a) better-than-average cards (winner’s box), (b) average cards (neutral box) and (c) worse-than-average cards (loser’s box). The standardized manipulation of the card distribution controlled the factor of chance to determine differences in performance between the average and expert groups. Overall, 150 individuals participated in a “fixed-limit” game variant, and 150 individuals participated in a “no-limit” game variant. ANOVA results showed that experts did not outperform average players in terms of final cash balance. Rather, card distribution was the decisive factor for successful poker playing. However, expert players were better able to minimize losses when confronted with disadvantageous conditions (i.e., worse-than-average cards). No significant differences were observed between the game variants. Furthermore, supplementary analyses confirm differential game-related actions dependent on the card distribution, player status, and game variant. In conclusion, the study findings indicate that poker should be regarded as a game of chance, at least under certain basic conditions, and suggest new directions for further research.     

责任的哲学基础

责任分为“事后责任”与“事前责任”,“事后责任”是作为对某一过去行为“负责”的责任,而“事前责任”则是作为将来关心某人某事的道德性或法律性义务的责任。说一个人在事前或事后负有责任,这要涉及到哲学中的一些老话题,这些话题包括自由意志、积极和消极的责任、团结是否原则上受个人或群体契约之限制等问题。一个社会中责任的分配,是一个利己主义和利他主义相互矛盾运动的复杂变化过程。     

Understanding the Relationship Between Egalitarianism and Affective Bias: Avenues to Reducing Prejudice Among Adolescents

In an era during which affirmative action in education is in jeopardy, it is important to understand how the ideologies of high-status ethnic group members maintain (or reduce) social inequality. We examine the extent to which the relationship between egalitarianism and prejudice among European American and Asian American adolescents can be explained by outgroup orientation (i.e., how much one values interacting with members of other ethnic groups) and strength of identification with one's ethnic group. Using structural equation modeling, we tested whether these two variables mediate the relationship between egalitarianism and intergroup prejudice. Results revealed that outgroup orientation was a mediator, but ethnic identity was not. Implications for mutual acculturation theory, prejudice-reduction programs, and affirmative action in education are discussed.