Controlling-Schwerpunkte prozessorientierter Unternehmen

Zur Beurteilung von Prozessen werden von Unternehmen unterschiedliche Kriterien herangezogen. Die beschriebene Untersuchung zeigt u.a., dass die Kundenzufriedenheit am h?ufigsten als Beurteilungskriterium verwendet wird. Oft gebraucht werden auch Prozesskosten und die Prozesszeit.     

Auswirkungen von betrieblichen Work-Life Balance Maßnahmen auf Unternehmen: Stand der empirischen Forschung

Business practice is generally of the opinion that measures for increasing the employees’ work life balance (WLB) are useful for all parties, i.e. also for the companies. This paper analyzes empirical studies which investigate operational effects of WLB measures in companies. Except of the result of one study, researchers revealed only positive effects of WLB for companies. This statement, however, is insufficient to verify the actual operational effects of WLB measures due to methodical and content deficits. Considering this background, the paper develops implications for future research.     

Use of a Markov Model to Estimate Long-Term Insured Lives’ Mortality Risk Associated With BRCA1 and BRCA2 Gene Mutations

Abstract

There is uncertainty regarding the degree of insurance risk associated with BRCA1/2, the gene mutations associated with breast cancer. Most reports to date have been based on high-risk populations selected from families with multiple and/or early-onset cancers; more favorable data have been reported in studies without this selection bias.

This paper discusses use of a Markov model to estimate mortality risk associated with BRCA1/2 gene mutations in female life insurance applicants. The goal is to derive a range of risk estimates based on different assumptions of breast and ovarian cancer incidence. A particular strength of the model is that transition probabilities after cancer diagnosis vary with age and cancer stage, as do excess hazard rates.

Data calculated by the model indicate that no single mortality curve characterizes risk for all life insurance applicants with a BRCA1/2 mutation. Rather, mortality risk depends on breast and ovarian cancer incidence rates and subsequent mortality rates, and on the method used to deal with competing breast and ovarian cancer incidence and mortality rates. Further refinement of risk estimates will depend on better incidence data and on resolution of complex statistical problems, such as informative censoring.

Widespread use of genetic information by insurance consumers could have important economic implications. For companies that sell individually underwritten products, profitability might decrease. Consumers might find higher prices and reduced availability, with a corresponding decrease in quantity of insurance purchased. Insurance and consumer ramifications would vary by cover, with living-benefit products, such as critical-illness insurance, most adversely affected. Societal choices are limited. Given assumptions in the cited scenario, it is likely premiums would rise and quantity of insurance purchased would decrease even with no change in existing social policy; attempted legal or regulatory remedies would further accentuate price increases and reductions in quantity purchased.     

AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE ALONG SEVERAL DIMENSIONS OF RISK

This research operationalizes several supply chain risk sources and investigates their relationships with supply chain performance. The responses of 760 executives from firms operating in Germany reveal that demand side and supply side risks do have a negative impact on performance whereas regulatory, legal and bureaucratic risks, infrastructure risks, as well as catastrophic risks do not. The analysis and results augment previous research regarding the impact of supply chain risks on the operational performance of firms and shareholder value and provide a detailed analysis of supply chain risk sources as contextual variables in strategic decision‐making.     

Versteckte Effekte

Effects of product placements on attitudes have rarely been the subject of scientific research so far. Furthermore, existing findings are partially contradictory??a fact that has been explained with the impact of intervening variables both on the side of the stimulus and of the recipient. Especially the design of the placement is said to have an influence on whether the intended effect shows up or not. In this context the prominence/salience of the placement is of importance. The following study is based on an experiment (n?=?221) testing how the prominence of placements affects the attitudes of recipients. For this, we measure attitudes not only by explicit questioning using a semantic differential, but also with the help of an implicit association test. In doing so we react to criticism of the methodological one-sidedness of past examinations of the effects of product placement, most of them solely relying on self-reports to measure attitudes. The experiment shows that the implicit measurement of attitudes uncovers effects that would have remained in the dark if only explicit questioning had occurred. The study also reveals that the presentation of subtle placements results in more positive brand attitudes; this relation is moderated by recipients?? programme assessment.     

Wirtschaft Online: Zweitverwertung oder publizistischer Mehrwert?

The present study analyzes the relevance and structure of business journalism in the internet aiming at a systematic analysis and evaluation of journalistic diversity in online business news coverage. Based on a multi-step procedure, 16 websites with high relevance for internet users were identified. In a subsequent communicator survey, the providers of these internet platforms were interviewed to derive insights into the structure and quality evaluation of online business journalism. Results indicate that internet-only business news coverage has not been able to establish itself yet. Further, the importance of traditional media brands for online communication could be confirmed. In spite of a judicial and organizational autonomy of the majority of the internet platforms, no provider generates his content independently of the umbrella brand. These facts may be attributed to limited personal manpower as well as differentiated and topic-oriented content recycling strategies aimed at the exclusivity of topics in general rather than content specific to certain channels.