Engendering Government Budgets in the Context of Globalization(s)

This article considers the strengths and weaknesses of attempts to 'engender' government budgets in the context of globalization, drawing on my own personal engagement in such attempts, and on the work of many gender budget initiatives (GBIs) all around the world. GBIs have sought to improve the distribution, adequacy and impact of government budgets at national, regional and local levels; and to secure greater transparency in the use of public money; and greater accountability to women as citizens. Their spread has itself been an example of globalization, in this case the globalization of action for gender justice; facilitated by e-mail, the Internet and air travel; supported by international foundations and international development cooperation funds. But, it may be argued, GBIs have begun to engage with government budgets just at the time when governments, especially in the South, have less and less control over public finance decisions, due to other aspects of globalization. This article considers whether there is any point in GBIs if economic power lies in international markets, rather than in the Ministry of Finance, and draws on examples from a wide variety of countries.     

Skill and education effects on earnings in 18 Countries: The role of national educational institutions

This study investigates whether the mechanisms why education is rewarded vary across countries. Do educational institutions affect the likelihood that support for a particular mechanism is found? Combining IALS survey data and OECD statistics on educational institutions, it was shown that the effect of measured skill on earnings - controlled for educational attainment - is lower in countries where educational institutions produce skills relevant for work through the vocational system. This indicates that the human capital perspective on education works particularly well in vocationally oriented educational systems, as the skills generated in education are strongly overlapping with the skills that are rewarded. An alternative mechanism sees education as a means for social closure through credentialization. Under the credentialization model, education is not primarily rewarded for the productivity-enhancing skills it entails, but rather for reasons unrelated to productivity. Following this theory education is used for selection into the organization, after which directly observable skills are determining wages. Assuming that a strongly differentiated educational system creates boundaries between social groups, it is hypothesized that strongly differentiated systems lead to stronger measured skill effects. We do not find support for this hypothesis.     

Charisma,Macht und Narzissmus

Charisma, power and narcissism. On the diagnostics of an ambivalent leading qualityManagers are often obviously narcissistic personalities with “charismatic qualities”. The author discusses the background of these qualities and their ambivalence, because behind the brilliance of a successful manager may be a hidden narcissistic problem as the actual motive power. Nevertheless a constructive narcissism is to be distinguished from a destructive one. Charismatic constellations as well as narcissistic dynamics are to be understood not only as an individual problem but as an interactional phenomenon, involving both sides of a relationship. In order to explain these dynamics, the author presents the concepts of “narcissistic collusion” and “expanded self”. It is of great importance to the coach, to be able to analyse and to deal with these relational patterns — and also to preserve oneself from being involved in such narcissistic dynamics.     

Coaching von Unternehmern Erfahrungen und Wirkungen

Coaching of owner-entrepreneurs — experiences and effectsThe author argues that the kind of coaching which owner-entrepreneurs require differs in fundamental ways from the kind of coaching for hired top managers. The difference is rooted in the higher level of complexity of the decision problems of owner-entrepreneurs, which needs to be reflected in a more complex approach chosen by the coach. In this context, the ability to make himself better understood by others turns out to be a very essential key capacity which some owner-entrepreneurs lack and which a qualified coach can help them to regain.     

Philosophie als Einübung des Perspektivenwechsels am Beispiel von Platon und Nietzsche

Philosophy as exercising the shift of perspectives, exemplified with Plato and NietzscheIn professional counselling a shift of perspectives is useful to develop new options of thinking and of action in the case of seemingly hopeless situations. Philosophy presents a great variety of concepts and also of models of change processes, which may offer a resource to counsellors. With regard to Plato’s “cave metaphor” and to Nietzsche’s “transvaluation of all values” the author presents a structure of change in three stages. Concerning the practice of counsellors some relevant aspects are derived from these discussions.     

Erfolgsfaktoren beim Einzel-Coaching

Success factors of executive coaching. A screening of the coaching scenery from the client’s point of viewThis survey, based on questionnaires, examines the success factors of one-to-one coaching from the client point of view. Firstly, ten success factors in coaching were established by means of factor analysis. Secondly, more extensive analysis shows that, contrary to previous research in this field, the “professional system” is not necessarily a determining success factor in coaching. As an exclusive instrument of staff development, coaching seems to be effective even without support from the professional system. The analysis also indicates that the clients perceive their coach as an advisor and confidant as regards role expectations. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis discloses the predictive effects of the two success factors “the coach’s qualification” and “the coach’s involvement” for the overall success of coaching from the client’s point of view. The overall success of coaching itself is established through three items: the clients’ attitudes towards coaching, their attitude concerning further coaching, and the extent to which their objectives were met in coaching.     

Braucht Coaching eine philosophisch begründete Ethik?

Does coaching need a philosphically substantiated ethics? On the foundation of a systemic value oriented imperative for coachingThe general claim that coaches have to take responsibility for their clients is in contrast to the low interest in scientific discussion about ethics in coaching. One of the reasons for that seems to be the fact that this discussion is dominated by systemic thinking and its conviction that ethical aspects should be discussed as matter of contingency. From a philosophical point of view we can realize that this statement contains many ethical implications. Concerning a further development of coaching theory the author discusses these implications with regard to philosophical concepts of Kant, Habermas, Prange, Heidegger, Bauman and the Dalai Lama leading to the suggestion that systemic thinking should be more based on value orientation. On this theoretical grounds an ethical coaching imperative can be formulated with regard to the “categorical imperative” of Kant.     

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.