Healthcare System Types: A Conceptual Framework for Comparison

This article addresses the need to establish a comprehensive conceptual framework for analysing healthcare systems and their transformations. It begins by offering an overview of the current state of the art in the field, pointing to the literature's absence of conceptual robustness in the definition of system types. By exploring the dimensions 'financing', 'provision' and 'regulation' of healthcare, the article then proceeds deductively in line with the 'Weberian method of ideal-types' to establish a taxonomy of 27 healthcare systems, of which three can be identified as 'ideal-types'. When applying this concept, not only can differences between healthcare systems be analysed, but also changes over time. The article concludes by identifying three forms of healthcare system transformation.     

Industrial Relations and Trade Union Effects on Innovation in Germany

ABSTRACT: This paper provides a thoretical and empirical evaluation of unions’effects on innovative activity, focussing on institutional details and country-specific factors. We represent results of an econometric investigation for Germany using data at the industry and establishment level. In contrast to US studies, no statistically significant negative influence of unions on innovative activity shows up from industry-level data. Establishment-level data, however, indicate that the presence of a works council is positive for R & D if union density is not “too high”. This is in line with the more cooperative nature of industrial relations in Germany.     

PREDICTING LOTTO NUMBERS: A NATURAL EXPERIMENT ON THE GAMBLER'S FALLACY AND THE HOT‐HAND FALLACY

We investigate the “law of small numbers” using a data set on lotto gambling that allows us to measure players' reactions to draws. While most players pick the same set of numbers week after week, we find that those who do change, react on average as predicted by the law of small numbers as formalized in recent behavioral theory. In particular, players tend to bet less on numbers that have been drawn in the preceding week, as suggested by the “gambler's fallacy”, and bet more on a number if it was frequently drawn in the recent past, consistent with the “hot‐hand fallacy”.     

Integrating Turkish communities: a German dilemma

The social and economic integration of the Turkish minority into German society reflects a systemic problem to which policy makers have not yet found a response. Marginalized by the larger society and separated by cultural and religious life styles, a significant proportion of the Turkish minority is becoming part of a “parallel society” reinforced by discrimination, restricted educational achievements, and a low socioeconomic status.     

The Wally plot approach to assess the calibration of clinical prediction models

Lifetime Data Analysis - A prediction model is calibrated if, roughly, for any percentage x we can expect that x subjects out of 100 experience the event among all subjects that have a predicted...     

The role of international human resource in leading a company from a domestic to a global corporate culture

One of the biggest challenges facing HR is to help a company move from a domestic corporate orientation to working in a global business environment. Using the international human resource department as an example of where this transformation must occur first, the global paradigm shift is explored from the theoretical (international human resource management models) and practical (global HR competencies) perspectives. The discussion is supplemented with a cross-cultural HR development plan necessary to accomplish this cultural transformation.     

Organisationsaufstellung im Konfliktmanagement

The present article views organisational constellation as approach for conflict resolution. After looking at the basics of communication using the ??Four-dimensional Model of Communication??, we also look at the systemic background of organisational constellation and its procedure. Using a systemic setting, we illuminate certain questioning techniques commonly used in organisational constellation. Finally, we discuss in which way organisational Constellation can be used in conflict management. Additionally, the state of the science is commented upon.     

Clustering of electrical transmission systems based on network topology and stability

A proper understanding and modelling of the behaviour of heavily loaded large-scale electrical transmission systems is essential for a secure and uninterrupted operation. In this paper, we present methods to cluster electrical power networks based on different criteria into regions. These regions are useful for the efficient modelling of large transcontinental electricity networks, switching operation decisions or placement of redundant parts of the monitoring and control system. In alternating current electricity networks, power oscillations are normal, but they can become dangerous if they build up. The first approach uses the correlation between results of a stability assessment for these oscillations at every node for the cluster criterion. The second method concentrates on the network topology and uses spectral clustering on the network graph to create clusters where all nodes are interconnected. In this work, we also discuss the problem how to choose the right number of clusters and how the discussed clustering methods can be used for an efficient modelling of large electricity networks or in protection and control systems.