Entrepreneurial Marketing in Online-Netzwerken

A growing number of professionals use online social networks (e.g., Xing or LinkedIn) for business reasons by specifically promoting themselves. Especially executives and entrepreneurs use business social networks as a marketing tool in order to manage their business contacts and, thus, positioning themselves as a brand. Using on Keller’s (1993) customer-based brand equity model, we focus on the special behavior of entrepreneurs in such social networks. Based on the a large data set from a leading social network, we empirically analyze whether entrepreneurs act differently than other users and whether this strategy pays off. Based on a SUR model, we determine what the drivers for entrepreneurs’ profile views and contacts are. The results show that entrepreneurs focus on communicating their intentions and competencies and engage actively in the community. Especially participating in user groups and attending community events are key drivers for success.     

LAYERED MEANINGS

Recent sociological inquiry into the family has focused on the decline of the male breadwinner family and the increasing diversity of family forms. Yet the term ‘family’ remains vague and assumes different meanings. This paper discusses the meanings of the term ‘family’ as it is used by interviewees in qualitative, in-depth interviews on family and kinship networks. The interviews were conducted as part of ethnographic fieldwork in a study of family and kinship in Swansea. Three contrasting areas of Swansea were selected, an affluent, popular area, one of the most deprived council estates and an inner-city area with a relatively high proportion of minority ethnic families. In the paper we draw out differences and similarities in the meanings given to the term ‘family’ by interviewees in the three areas. Differing meanings emerge, but what is striking is the layering of meanings. People refer to varying groups of relatives when they speak about their family but ‘family’ refers to a set of norms and practices about bringing up children, staying in contact or giving support. In the interview situation, the interviewees use these varying meanings in different contexts.     

ON A STOCHASTIC MODEL FOR AN IRREVERSIBLE SYSTEM OF COMPARTMENTS

A continuous time stochastic model for an irreversible system of kcompartments with nonhomogeneous Poisson inputs is considered. The model allows an arbitrary residence time for each of the compartments. Individuals may enter the system through any compartment and may depart from the system via any compartment.     

Nonparametric Inference for a Partially Observed Compartmental Process

Methods of nonparametric inference are proposed for a process with two transient and three absorbing states. It is assumed that the time of transitions between the transient states are unobservable. One area of applications is in epidemiology where the transient states correspond to healthy and ill, while the absorbing states correspond to types of death. It is the onset of illness which is not observable. An estimate is given for a cumulative hazard rate between the transient states, the exit hazard rates are estimated at a specific point in time and a statistic for comparing exit rates from the transient states is given.     

Soziale Schichtung Und Delinquenz

The frequently posited relationship between social class and criminal behaviour is dubious in theory and lacking empirical evidence. Based upon the economic theory of crime by Gary S. Becker we present an extended model which integrates the effects of the individuals’ class position on their subjective evaluations of costs, utility, and the probability of being caught. Additionally, we take into account selective incentives (social opportunities) and the internalization of social norms concerning conformity (framing of the social situation) depending on social class. We test the model for two offences: shop-lifting and tax-evasion. The source of data is the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) for the years 1990 and 2000. The empirical results support the theoretical model. There is no general relationship between the individuals’ social status and their incentives for criminal behaviour. However, the types of offences committed are affected by the social status. Subjective expected probability of failure or success is more important than fear of punishment or the expected utility. Internalized norms decrease the probability of committing a crime.     

Freshman English For Graduate Students: A Memoir and Two Theories

Sociologists typically have trouble writing. Experience in a seminar devoted to writing suggests that these troubles and the obscurity of much sociological prose arise from the social organization of colleges, graduate schools, and the discipline. The seminar experimented with ways of dealing with these problems.     

Self-regulation and the etiology of sexual deviance: evaluating causal theory

Recently introduced theories of sex offending, including the self-regulation model and the multimodal self-regulation theory, have implicated self-regulatory deficits as a key variable in the development of sexually inappropriate interests and behaviors. While dysregulation has been considered an important component of a variety of behavioral, emotional, and interpersonal disorders, sexual behaviors have rarely been conceptualized within this context. In this study, we have examined a number of variables linked to self-regulation and dysfunctional outcomes in a sample of 95 sex-offending men. Results of a path analysis demonstrated that self-regulatory deficits were significantly predictive of paraphilic and antisocial behaviors in this group. Implications for our understanding of the etiology of sexual deviance and future research in this area are discussed.     

Improving community health through evaluations

There has been an increasing emphasis on sustainable communitydevelopment in recent years, which is linked to community healththrough quality of life and intergenerational considerations.Evaluations are one of the basic tools to improving communityhealth with the most effective evaluations being those thatare meaningful to the community itself, and which provide tangiblefeedback and incentives for improved performance. Drawing onwell-known methods, this paper illustrates four important componentsof community evaluations. Although each method incorporatessome or all of these components, their achievements to datehave been limited. The reasons for this, as well as how evaluationscan play a more effective role in improving community health,are discussed.