Proxemic and haptic behavior in three European countries

The influence of culture, gender, and age on proxemic and haptic behavior was investigated in this observational field study. Video recordings of 253 naturally-occurring dyadic interactions in the Netherlands, France, and England were analyzed by trained coders. Contrary to expectations, Hall's hypothesis regarding the proxemic and haptic norms of contact and noncontact cultures was not well supported. Among seated interactants, Dutch dyads maintained greater distances than French and English dyads, but French dyads were less proximate than were English dyads. The body orientation of French dyads was more direct than it was for Dutch or English dyads. In addition, with the exception of limited data on touch, neither the gender-composition of the dyad nor the gender of the individual affected the distances or body orientations of the interactants as would be expected according to traditional sex-role socialization processes. Age, as well, did not influence proxemic or haptic behavior. Results are discussed, primarily with respect to the research methods used in this and in previous investigations.     

Stolpersteine weiblicher Karrieren Was Frauen hindert,erfolgreich zu sein

Stumbling blocks of female careersBased on numerous coaching situations with female executives and, above all, with women who were just about to become an executive (or maybe rather not?), the author discusses some systematic thoughts which seem to be crucial in inhibiting female careers. They emerge in coaching situations again and again and a solution has to be provided. The psychoanalytic background of the author is a most helpful instrument in the diagnosis of “typical stumbling blocks”, which is of course in a coaching situation used in a different way than in a analytical setting.     

Der Börsengang als Krise — Zur Psychodynamik zwischen Gründerpersonen

Based on our long-time advisory services in different start-up companies in the new economy field, the IT domain and in companies dealing with medical technology we consider going public as a “critical company event’. Foreground phenomena are triumph, success and wealth.Experience shows that already after a short time considerable difficulties in the communication within the management team often result in ruinous effects. It is aim of this contribution to analyze systematically the affective processes in connection with going public and to develop consequences for the advisory service of companies going public. Based on reflecting our experiences our intention is to support and help companies in keeping their solidness in the sensitive phase after going public.     

Transition to university and vigorous physical activity: implications for health and psychological well-being

The authors investigated vigorous physical activity and psychological well-being during transition from high school to first-year university in a sample of 145 Canadian undergraduates. Participants completed retrospective measures assessing vigorous physical activity during their first 2 months at university and their last 2 months at high school as well as measures assessing psychological well-being. According to nationally recommended (US Department of Health and Human Services) standards, two thirds (66.2%) of students reported adequate levels of vigorous activity in high school, whereas significantly fewer (44.1%) met the standard during their first 8 weeks at university. One third of students were active in high school but became insufficiently active once at university; 33% were active at both times; 23% consistently fell short of recommended levels; and only 11% became active once at university. Students who had become insufficiently active reported higher levels of fatigue and lower levels of vigor compared with those who continued to be active.     

Einsatz eines Assessment-Centers im Rahmen von Unternehmensnachfolge

The succession process in family enterprises is a complex and potentially difficult challenge. The retiring boss and his or her junior successor have to negotiate family ties, potentially different entrepreneurial plans, and their feeling of responsibility for the company’s welfare. Such inter-generational tensions, influenced by different attitudes, might cause massive conflicts. To make a succession process within families successful, economic, legal, and psychological factors need to be addressed. Psychological methods could help to estimate the successor’s rating on established personality criteria of entrepreneurial success. The result of a suitable psychological diagnostic assessment demonstrates their strengths and weaknesses. This enables the successors to overcome or to develop strategies to compensate for their weaknesses. Such a process has the potential to increase their entrepreneurial fitness and to calm the retiring person’s worries. This paper describes the application of a Single-Assessment Centre on the basis of a case study in the context of entrepreneurial succession planning. The results from the Single-Assessment case study highlight the successor’s low self confidence and lack of social skills. These outcomes are interpreted within the framework of a psychodynamic model. On a more abstract level the results lead to the conclusion that, regarding the intra-familial succession planning process, it is necessary to solve the successors’ oedipal conflicts.     

A Joint Stakeholder Learning Process in Participatory Environmental Ethics: A Case Study

There is a growing need to study the dynamic interdependence between business and society as a reciprocal relationship which ought to be supported and not constrained by refocusing on ethical values. Instead of describing how economic institutions impact society, the new view attempts to analyze how stakeholders‘ views and concerns affect business corporations‘ strategy assessment and formation processes. These processes can be enhanced by a renewed awareness of the moral issues at stake. The case describes the Norwegian aluminium industry‘s collective effort to gain not only deeper scientific insight into their impact on the environment but also increase their understanding of their stakeholders‘ concerns. As the analysis shows the process was definitely strengthened through what the author calls the principle of participative dialogue with stakeholders. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determinants of mental health treatment seeking among soldiers who recognize their problem: implications for high-risk occupations

Although research has documented an increased risk of mental health problems among employees in high-stress occupations, little attention has been devoted to the process by which employees seek treatment for these problems. Using components of the Stages of Change Model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982), this study examined the correlates of considering and receiving treatment for such problems among active-duty military personnel in the U.S. Army. A multidimensional assessment of determinants of treatment seeking was administered to 1725 military personnel, along with measures of mental health symptoms and treatment seeking. These determinants were examined as predictors of considering and receiving treatment among a sub-sample of 466 personnel who recognized having a current mental health problem. Multinomial logistic regressions indicated that attitudes towards treatment and a preference for self-reliance distinguished those considering treatment from those who had not sought treatment. A larger number of factors distinguished soldiers considering treatment from those who had actually received treatment, with operational barriers and self-reliance being the strongest and unique correlates. The discussion focuses on the importance of what organizations can do to facilitate treatment seeking among employees in high-risk environments.     

Supply chain strategies for speciality foods: a Norwegian case study

Despite strong market interest in speciality foods, producers find market access and distribution challenging. This exploratory research includes a literature review and five case studies of supply chains relating to shellfish, cheese, meat, potato and miscellaneous speciality foods in the mid-Norway region. The study identifies key supply chain configuration parameters from the extant literature, and these are used to analyse the cases. The study makes three main contributions to the literature: an analytical framework for analysing the supply chain characteristics of speciality foods; important supply chain factors for accessing the conventional food supply chain; and five propositions for improving market access. We argue that the speciality foods supply chain should be configured according to these propositions to ensure responsiveness to customer needs and to strengthen market access.     

Supervision in der Gesundheitsförderung

Supervision in mental-health A brief outline of supervision as such is followed by a specification of supervision in the pretherapeutic field of mental-health. Here, supervision has an identity promoting function as well as a didactic one for the leaders of workshops and seminars. Using short sequences of group supervision, the psychoanalytic method is demonstrated. In the course of the supervisory process mirror phenomena of the participants’ psychodynamics can be observed as well as the dynamic of the employing institution (open questions and conflicts) and their interference become visible. Supervision in mental-health is useful for securing the quality of the standards of the work, serves the mental hygiene of the leaders, and promotes the development of the organisation.