Social Diversity,Institutions and Trust: A Cross-National Analysis

This cross-national investigation examines hypotheses derived from two major alternative perspectives on the determinants of trust in contemporary societies. Is a society’s level of generalized trust a function of its ethnic composition, or of its type of governance and political system? The argument that social diversity (ethnic, linguistic, and religious) leads to lower levels of trust, at least in the short run, is assessed with cross-national data (N = 98). Two hypotheses derived from this perspective are not confirmed. The alternative rational governance argument, which holds that trust is a function of rational governance, stable democracy, and civil rights is also assessed. Three hypotheses derived from this political perspective reveal mixed results. The findings highlight the complex interplay of multiple factors in shaping a society’s overall level of generalized trust.     

服务企业的国际化战略

本文分析了打算进入国际市场的服务企业所面临的主要挑战,然后提出了服务企业国际化的五种相互并不完全排斥的战略。它们是：直接出口服务,即最适合于面向产业市场的维修和保养服务;系统出口,指由两家或多家提供互补性解决方案的企业开展的合作出口;直接进入模式,指服务企业在国外市场直接建立子公司;间接进入模式,适用于那些不愿意直接在国外设立拥有全部或部分所有权的子公司的服务企业,通常通过授权协议或特许经营方式由当地企业提供服务;电子营销,这种方式使企业不必局限于某一特定市场。     

Alfred Schütz — Ökonom und/oder Soziologe?

In 1996, Hartmut Esser published a rational choice model of the “Definition of the Situation” in this journal (KZfSS 48, 1996: 1–34). This work is based on his economic interpretation of the theory of Alfred Schutz, a co-founder of interpretative sociology. This paper analyses Hartmut Esser’s attempt to reconstruct the sociological concept of the definition of the situation by means of economic theory. It shows that Esser’s misinterpretations and abridgements of the theory of Alfred Schutz (this is especially true of the interactive aspects) lead to considerable discrepancies between Esser and Schutz in modelling the definition of the situation. In his economic modelling of the definition of the situation Esser fails to conceive the sociological essence of this concept (the construction of sense structures) because he formulates a model of rational behavior in accordance with the economic tradition. Schutz, however, advocates the construction of rational models of human behavior, which also includes “irrational” (not utility-maximizing) or “sense”-directed behavior.     

A study of the properties of Gaussian mixture model for stable isotope standard quantification in MALDI-TOF MS

The quantification of peptides in Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrum analysis coupled with stable isotope standards has been used to quantify native peptides under many experimental conditions. This approach has difficulties quantifying samples containing peptides with ion currents in overlapping (convolved) spectra. In a previous article we proposed a reparametrized Gaussian mixture model based on the known characteristics of the peptides that could also accommodate overlapping spectra. We demonstrated the application of our model in a series of single and overlapping peptides quantification experiments. Here, we focus solely on studying the properties of our approach and examine the characteristics of the GMM approach in convolved peptides using simulated spectra and provide a method for simulating these spectra.     

Servicing the body: placing glasses on the client’s head at the opticians

Various forms of service work rely upon personnel undertaking activities that necessitate close, and in some cases potentially intimate, contact with a client’s body. In this paper, we consider the ways in which opticians place and position glasses on the head of their clients and how they avoid, or at least ameliorate, the problems and sensitivities that might arise in this close encounter with the co-participant. The paper is based on the analysis of a substantial corpus of video-recordings, augmented by field work, undertaken both in UK and Denmark. The analysis draws on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis and contributes to our understanding of the interactional accomplishment of body work and embodied conduct and to the growing corpus of research concerned with ‘multimodality’ and the social organisation of service encounters.     

Applying the rescaling bootstrap under imputation: a simulation study

Resampling methods are a common measure to estimate the variance of a statistic of interest when data consist of nonresponse and imputation is used as compensation. Applying resampling methods usually means that subsamples are drawn from the original sample and that variance estimates are computed based on point estimators of several subsamples. However, newer resampling methods such as the rescaling bootstrap of Chipperfield and Preston [Efficient bootstrap for business surveys. Surv Methodol. 2007;33:167–172] include all elements of the original sample in the computation of its point estimator. Thus, procedures to consider imputation in resampling methods cannot be applied in the ordinary way. For such methods, modifications are necessary. This paper presents an approach applying newer resampling methods for imputed data. The Monte Carlo simulation study conducted in the paper shows that the proposed approach leads to reliable variance estimates in contrast to other modifications.     

Foreign trade barriers and jobs in global supply chains

This article uses ILO global supply chain job estimates to study the impact on domestic jobs of foreign barriers to trade in goods and services. Empirical analysis largely confirms predictions derived from a theoretical model calibrated to WIOD data for 2000 and 2011. Barriers to trade in manufacturing and services are both found to have a cross‐border impact on jobs in their own sector and spill‐over effects in other sectors, the latter becoming stronger over time. This article shows the labour market consequences of the increased interconnectedness of countries and sectors through global supply chains, which suggests that trade policy can have significant external effects on foreign labour markets.     

The Efficacy of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Behavioral Couples Therapy: A Meta‐Analysis

Behavioral couple therapy (BCT) and emotionally focused couples therapy (EFCT) are well‐established treatments to reduce couple distress. This meta‐analysis summarizes the current state of knowledge on the efficacy of these two therapy methods by focusing on randomized controlled trials only. A literature search revealed 33 suitable primary studies (2,730 participants in total), all of them measuring relationship satisfaction. Robust‐variance random‐effects meta‐analysis revealed medium effect sizes at post‐test (overall: g = 0.60; BCT: g = 0.53; EFCT: g = 0.73) and small effect sizes of 6 months after treatment (overall: g = 0.44; BCT: g = 0.35; EFCT: g = 0.66), but these gains were not maintained after 12 months (BCT only: g = 0.06). Between the two therapy methods, no significant effect size differences could be found. Results have to be interpreted with caution due to potential publication bias.     

Perceptions of Caucasian users about avian resources and beach restoration following hurricane <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sandy</Emphasis>

Hurricane Sandy resulted in massive destruction of many coastal ecological and human communities in the Northeastern United States in 2012. Beach-nesting and migrating birds are vulnerable to loss of essential habitat as a result of storms. In this paper we report the perceptions of beach users about avian use of the beaches, conservation measures to protect birds, and recent restoration efforts at Stone Harbor Point (New Jersey) to provide beach habitat for birds. Nearly all the visitors to the beach were Caucasian (N = 555), and reported their activity as walking (93 %), birding (19 %), biking (7 %), and lounging, boating, fishing or photographing (5 % or less for each). Visitors mainly came to this beach because of aesthetics, exercise, and vacation or to visit friends. Subjects rated protecting endangered species and the environment, restoring the beach, and designating off-limit areas to protect birds the highest. They rated conservation measures for birds the highest, and allowing dogs on the beach and providing more opportunities for jogging the lowest. The results suggest that protecting endangered species and habitat for nesting birds is a slightly higher goal than restoring dunes and marshes for flood control, which provides evidence for public support of restoration projects that protect both ecological and human communities. Providing more space for their own recreational activities was rated much lower, again supporting community good over personal uses. This information supports the restoration efforts following Sandy, and the importance of restoration projects that integrate ecological and human health goals in urban environments.     

Energy transition on the rise: discourses on energy future in the German parliament

In this paper we describe energy policy discourses and their story-lines in German parliamentary debates, and trace their evolution over the past decades. Through content analysis and coding with MAXQDA, changes in the discourses and in the use of story-lines by different political parties are analyzed. Our study shows that while the concept of a transition towards a nuclear-free, renewables-based energy system became hegemonic within three decades, the discourse itself underwent major changes. Energy Transition was de-radicalized and became part of a discourse of Ecological Modernization, thus aligning with mainstream economic logic. There are still considerable differences in the story-lines narrated by parliamentarians about pathways to Energy Transition and its effects. Discursive struggles into the meaning and the means of the transition project continue, suggesting that discourse structuration is far from complete.