Medieninhalte aus der Netzwerkperspektive

If (media) debates are treated as more than a treasure trove of isolated topics, actors and positions, a systematic connection of relational content and empirical network analysis is needed. Such a combination reveals the interrelations and the argumentative structure in debates. The article therefore investigates how data can be collected by means of relational content analysis, more specifically claims analysis, and how these data can be analysed by employing instruments of network analysis. Taking the debate on EU enlargement in two German quality newspapers as an example, it is shown how this combination of methods reveals the structure of debates (lines of communication, conflict lines and discourse coalitions) as well as the position of single actors (their framing, prestige and agenda setting).     

Can a positive mood counterbalance weak arguments in personal sales conversations?

In a personal sales conversation between a customer and a salesperson, the salesperson usually presents arguments for purchase alternatives to the customer. In addition to the quality of the presented arguments, the customer's mood is also expected to have effects on the customers’ product evaluation. In order to analyze mood and argument strength effects, we develop a theoretical model and conduct an empirical study based on a 2×2 experimental design. The results of the study show that the customers’ mood has both a direct and an indirect effect through the customers’ perception of the strength of the arguments provided by the salesperson on product evaluation.     

Structural change in the West German agricultural sector

This article explains regionally differentiated patterns of structural change based on a theoretical framework dealing with strategic interaction of farms on the land market. The main research question focuses on the causes of regionally persistent structures. An empirical Markov chain model is defined for the West German agricultural sector. The model is used to explain the probabilities of farm growth, decline, or exit in terms of the current and former regional farm size structure. Further, the impact of variables describing the regional farm structure, thereby indicating market power of the large, the potential of high competition for land within a region, and possibly high rents of the status quo in combination with sunk costs, is quantified. The results confirm the relevance of strategic interaction as a crucial determinant of persistent regional differences in the farm size structure over time.     

Food risk perceptions by different consumer groups in Germany

This paper presents an analysis of the changing food risk perceptions of German consumers over the period 1992 to 2002. We analyse the respondents' general risk attitudes and their specific perceptions of food risks. Using cluster analysis we generate a typology of four consumer types. One group is worried about natural food risks, the second does not worry about any types of food risks, the third is concerned about technical food risks and the fourth is concerned about all food risks. A multinomial logit analysis identifies factors that describe the classification of households in this grouping. General risk attitudes and knowledge about food risk are significant variables in the explanation.     

What happens after working part time? Integration, maintenance or exclusionary transitions in Britain and western Germany

We address the issues raised by Günther Schmid's proposalto develop transitional labour markets, by examining theoreticalexplanations and empirical evidence affecting transitions throughpart-time work. By analysing British and German Household Paneldata, we outline the changing characteristics of part-time employmentand employees in the early 1990s. We show that only a tiny numberof women were able to use part-time work as a bridge back intoa full-time job. A substantial proportion ends up dropping outof employment, especially in Germany. Having previous employmentexperience is more likely to hinder exclusionary transitionpatterns, whereas the presence of more than one child, especiallyin Germany, is associated with dropping out. We conclude byassessing the implication of these findings for both policyreform and theoretical developments.     

A political-economy perspective on social expenditures: corruption and in-kind versus cash transfers

This paper presents a novel political-economy perspective on the composition of social expenditures. We take into account the possibility that institutions are weak, i.e. there is corruption, and analyze how this affects the government’s choice between cash and in-kind transfers. Our results show that the share of in-kind transfers (e.g. basic health care, public housing or food stamps), whose appropriation by corrupt politicians is more easily observed than in the case of cash transfers, increases with corruption. This positive relationship exists, however, only in highly democratic countries. We argue that voters use their political influence in democratic countries to ensure that a higher share of transfers is provided in kind thereby shielding transfers from appropriation by corrupt politicians.     

The European Commission’s new NAIRU: Does it deliver?

The non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU) is a key component of potential output and as such critically affects output gap estimates. In May 2014, the European Commission changed its specification of the NAIRU for several countries and lowered its NAIRU estimates – in the case of Spain from 26.6% to 20.7% for 2015. To test the dependence of the new NAIRU on unemployment versus structural factors, we run counterfactual simulations applying 1SD shocks to actual unemployment and to the structural variable – real unit labour costs. We find that the NAIRU in its new specification is still largely determined by actual unemployment. This calls in question both the interpretation of potential output estimates as barriers to more vigorous inflation-stable economic activity and the accuracy of structural deficit figures.