Aquaculture: an emerging issue for public concern

The present paper reviews the literature on the risks and benefits of aquaculture. By bringing together sources from both natural sciences and social sciences, we provide a synthesis of perspectives on the relatively novel activity of modern aquaculture. This review consists of three parts: first, a background to aquaculture; second, an overview of the scientific risks and benefits; and third, an introduction to the related public perception issues. We establish five main risk‐related areas: human health, environment, organizational, fish welfare, and social issues and utilize these to highlight potential divergences in expert and lay perceptions. Drawing on findings from the risk perception literature, particularly those related to previous food‐related controversies, it is argued that aquaculture incorporates a range of issues, which have already been shown to be a catalyst for public concern. As such, we conclude that, in addition to natural science studies, aquaculture requires a social science approach in order to be able to anticipate and address future controversies in a timely and efficient manner. However, to date, only few articles address aquaculture from a social science perspective, and the present paper is offered as a step in this direction.     

Prämienanpassungen im Risikoklassenmodell der Privaten Krankenversicherung

In Zähle (Blätter DGVFM 31:39–64, 2010), a risk class model for the portability of the reserves for increasing age in Germany’s private health insurance system was introduced. In the present article, this model is extended in such a way that also successive premium adjustments are taken into account. In our model, the current risk class of an insurant does not play any role for a premium adjustment. In fact, only the risk class, to which the insurant belonged at the beginning of the contract, matters for a premium adjustment. From a mathematical point of view, our model provides a neat solution for the problem of the portability of the reserves for increasing age. In particular, the presented model is a real extension of the conventional model of Germany’s private health insurance system insofar as the conventional model can be recovered by restricting to a single risk class. So the well-tried premium calculation principle will basically remain.     

Local environmental quality and life-satisfaction in Germany

Hitherto the task of valuing differences in environmental quality arising from air pollution and noise nuisance has been carried out mainly by using the hedonic price technique. This paper proposes a different approach to derive information on individual preferences for local environmental quality. It analyses data drawn from the German socio-economic panel in an attempt to explain differences in self-reported levels of well-being in terms of environmental quality. Mindful of existing research a large number of other explanatory variables are included to control for socio-demographic differences, economic circumstances as well as neighbourhood characteristics. Differences in local air quality and noise levels are measured by how much an individual feels affected by air pollution or noise exposure in their residential area. The evidence suggests that even when controlling for a range of other factors higher local air pollution and noise levels significantly diminish subjective well-being. But interestingly differences in perceived air and noise pollution are not capitalised into differences in house prices.     

Distributed Visual Language Environments for Cooperation and Learning: Applications and Intelligent Support

An increasing number of collaborative learning environments is based on shared workspace systems using two-dimensional graph-structured visual representations such as argumentation networks and concept maps. We propose an integrated framework that allows for flexibly specifying a wide range of visual languages and plugging in components for operational semantics, adequate feedback and intelligent support. The generic application CardBoard provides card-based user interaction and collaboration by means of different languages in shared workspaces. To enhance modifiability, the interfaces between the distributed heterogeneous system components, particularly between intelligent components and user interfaces, have been standardised.     

The influence of images on organizational attractiveness: comparing Chinese,Russian and US companies in Germany

In developed markets, Emerging Market Multinational Enterprises’ (EMNEs) organizational attractiveness may crucially depend on applicants’ country and corporate character images (CCIs). Applying image and signaling theory, this study compares the influence of these images on the organizational attractiveness of Chinese, Russian and US companies in Germany. Employing data from 287 German business students, findings show that applicants prefer US over Chinese and Russian companies as future employers, confirming the existence of the liability of emergingness. Moreover, findings indicate gender differences in applicants’ attraction toward EMNEs. In particular, female applicants are less attracted to EMNEs with a bad CCI than male applicants are.     

Cost Liability and Residential Space Heating Expenditures of Welfare Recipients in Germany*

Within the German welfare system, recipients’ heating expenditures are generally fully covered by the government. This paper empirically tests the hypothesis that households receiving welfare payments turn to overconsumption of residential space heating. We use micro‐data from two different data sources to explore whether the conditional heating expenditures of these households differ significantly from those of other households. Our empirical findings suggest that even when controlling for a range of other factors, this is indeed the case, as their heating expenditures lie about 7–8 per cent above those of other households. These results are fairly robust to sensitivity analyses. Comparing the results with those for a control group, expenditures for heating are still more than 5 per cent higher. Our results imply that there is potential scope for cost savings if this policy is changed.     

Öffentlichkeitsorientierung in der Ernährungswirtschaft: Eine empirische Studie zum Umgang mit kritischen Anspruchsgruppen

Summary  Corporate social responsibility has been an area of economic research for a long time. The contribution presented here empirically deals with this issue. The German agribusiness is analysed, given their relative lack of experience with opposing groups. The objective is to analyse the level of corporate sensitivity towards public demands. The study reveals general weaknesses of the agribusiness sector with regard to its responsiveness towards vigilant stakeholders. Taking into consideration the growing relevance of this group, the necessity for a professional management of public issues will further increase. The concept of public orientation offers a starting point for this purpose.

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Zusammenfassung  Die gesellschaftliche Verantwortung von Unternehmen ist in der Managementlehre seit langem Forschungsgegenstand. Der vorliegende Beitrag setzt sich empirisch mit dem Themenfeld auseinander. Exemplarisch wird dafür die deutsche Ern?hrungswirtschaft herangezogen, die bislang über nur begrenzte Erfahrungen mit kritischen Stakeholdern verfügt. Ziel ist es, den Grad der Sensitivit?t von Unternehmen gegenüber Ansprüchen der Gesellschaft zu untersuchen. Die Studienergebnisse zeigen eine eher gering ausgepr?gte ?ffentlichkeitsorientierung des Agribusiness. Aufgrund der zunehmenden Relevanz gesellschaftlicher Stakeholder wird eine Professionalisierung der PR-Arbeit jedoch immer relevanter. Das im Weiteren entwickelte Konzept der ?ffentlichkeitsorientierung bietet hierfür hilfreiche Ansatzpunkte.

Katrin J?ckel

     

100 Jahre Federal Reserve System

The Federal Reserve System (Fed) was created in December 1913 when the Federal Reserve Act was signed. Since then, the Fed has become the most influential central bank in the world. This article gives an overview of the Fed’s history and its structure before evaluating the Fed’s monetary policy over the last 100 years. The main findings are that the last 100 years have shown that a central bank is useful for solving economic problems but that sometimes the central bank has created its own problems.     

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Hygienema?nahmen im Heim — Im Rahmen der Qualit?tssicherung hat Hygiene einen hohen Stellenwert. Sie dient sowohl dem Schutz der Bewohner als auch dem Schutz der Mitarbeiter. Werden Hygienerichtlinien nicht eingehalten, drohen Strafanzeigen – beispielsweise wegen K?rperverletzung.