Ergebnisse der Befragungen auditierter Unternehmen und Institutionen:Kurzfassung und Ergänzung zum FFP-Arbeitspapier Nr. 3

<br

Betriebliche Familienpolitik in auditierten Unternehmen und Institutionen

Betriebliche Familienpolitik ist ein junges Forschungsfeld, dessen wissenschaftliche Untersuchung sich aus einer politikwissenschaftlich orientierten und aus einer wirtschaftswissenschaftlich orientierten Perspektive heraus anbietet. Erstgenannte Perspektive ist primär deskriptiver Art und strukturiert den Untersuchungsgegenstand anhand dreier Dimensionen: Polity blickt auf die Rahmenbedingungen betrieblicher Familienpolitik, politics auf das Handeln betrieblicher Akteure; policy ist schließlich auf Inhalte und Ziele betrieblicher Familienpolitik gerichtet. Die wirtschaftswissenschaftlich orientierte Perspektive ist demgegenüber eher analytischer Art und fokussiert auf den betriebswirtschaftlichen Nutzen, der mit der Durchführung familienbewusster Personalpolitik einhergehen kann. Diesbezügliche empirische Studien wirtschaftswissenschaftlicher Ausrichtung liegen aufgrund einer komplexen Variablenstruktur in einem geringeren Ausmaß vor als deskriptive Untersuchungen politikwissenschaftlicher Strukturierung. Vorliegendes Arbeitspapier verbindet beide Untersuchungsperspektiven und betrachtet auf Grundlage zweier empirischer Untersuchungen von 75 erwerbswirtschaftlichen Unternehmen und 72 nicht-erwerbswirtschaftlichen Institutionen betriebliche Familienpolitik sowie betriebswirtschaftliche Erfolge familienbewusster Personalpolitik. Sowohl für Unternehmen als auch Institutionen kann gezeigt werden, dass Familienbewusstsein in sehr vielen Fällen mit positiven einzelwirtschaftlichen Effekten einhergeht. Komparative Analysen legen ferner dar, dass betriebliches Familienbewusstsein in Unternehmen eher zu Erfolg führt als in Institutionen. Die explorativ gewonnenen Erkenntnisse bilden die Ausgangsbasis für weitergehende empirische Untersuchungen der Erfolge und Effekte familienbewusster Personalpolitik. Durchzuführende methodische Vorarbeiten sind auf Konzeptionalisierung und Operationalisierung der Input- und Output-Seite familienbewusster Personalpolitik zu richten.Family policy pursued by enterprises can be scholary analysed by means of political science as well as economic science. Political science has a more descriptive view and structures the object of investigation via three dimensions: polity, focussing on the basic conditions of family policy pursued by enterprises, politics, concentrating on the acting of the managerial players; policy finally considers the contents and purposes of a family friendly management of human resources. Economic science has a more analytical view and examines the operational effects of family friendly human resources management. With regard to the view of political science there are less economic empirical than descriptive studies. This is because economic science has to deal with of a lot of very complex variables which are difficult to structure.The present paper combines the points of view of political science and economic science and considers family policy pursued by enterprises as well as operational effects of family friendly policies. 75 businesses and 72 non-profit companies have been examined. It can be shown that family friendliness leads in both, business and non-profit companies, to positive operational effects. A comparison of both types of enterprises shows that family friendliness is more effective in businesses than in non-profit companies.The conclusions from these explorations are starting points for the further analysis of family friendly human resources management. Within the next step, it will be necessary to conceptualize and operationalize the input and the output of family friendly policies

Betriebswirtschaftliche Ziele und Effekte einer familienbewussten Personalpolitik

Die Analyse betriebswirtschaftlicher Ziele und Effekte einer familienbewussten Personalpolitik stellt vor dem Hintergrund eines nicht zuletzt demografiebedingten Bedeutungszuwachses der betrieblichen Familienpolitik ein zentrales Forschungsdesiderat dar. Vor der konzeptionellen Folie eines Input-Output Modells wird in vorliegendem Arbeitspapier zunächst gezeigt, dass mit dem berufundfamilie-Index ein dienliches Instrument zur Quantifizierung betrieblichen Familienbewusstseins vorliegt, es jedoch bisher an einer Systematik fehlt, welche die Output-Seite konsistent erfasst. Diese Forschungslücke wird im ersten Teil vorliegender Arbeit geschlossen, indem theoretische Ansätze und metaanalytische Befunde hinsichtlich der Ziele familienbewusster Personalpolitik in einem Zielsystem konzentriert werden. In dessen Zentrum stehen Mitarbeiterbindung und Mitarbeitergewinnung als überlagernde Ziele, welche hinsichtlich aktueller Beschäftigter in Wirkungsbeziehungen zu deren Arbeitszufriedenheit und Motivation, zu Fehlzeiten, Humankapitalakkumulation, Kundenbindung, Kostensenkung und Mitarbeiterproduktivität stehen; hinsichtlich potenzieller Mitarbeiter lassen sich die Wirkungsbeziehungen in Bezug auf den Bewerberpool, die Bewerberqualität sowie die Senkung von Opportunitätskosten unbesetzter Stellen beschreiben. Aufbauend auf dieser Systematik wird im zweiten Teil der Arbeit ein empirisches Forschungsdesign entwickelt und in einer Betriebsstättenbefragung in Deutschland (n=1.001) angewandt. Quantitative Datenanalysen zeigen einerseits, dass familienbewusste Personalpolitik bei allen beschriebenen Zielbereichen einen signifikant positiven Beitrag leistet. Andererseits führen Untersuchungen der Wirkungsintensität familienbewusster Personalpolitik zu dem Ergebnis, dass Unternehmen mit einem hohen betrieblichen Familienbewusstsein die beschriebenen Ziele zum Teil deutlich besser erreichen als die Vergleichsgruppe nicht familienbewusster Unternehmen.Due to the increasing relevance of demographic developments for human resources management, the analysis of goals and effects of corporate family-consciousness has become a central field of research. The concept of an input/output analysis presented in the paper shows that the berufundfamilie-index offers a quantification of corporate family-consciousness but also reveals that the output has not yet been conceptualized consistently. The first part of this paper closes this gap of research by issuing a system of goals of corporate family-consciousness. Central goals are employee loyalty and recruiting. With regard to current employees these goals relate to job satisfaction and motivation, absenteeism, accumulation of human capital, customer loyalty, cost reduction and efficiency of labour. With regard to potential employees they relate to the pool and quality of applicants as well as to the reduction of opportunity costs caused by vacancies. The second part of the paper describes the survey of 1001 companies in Germany based on the construction mentioned before. It shows that corporate family-consciousness significantly contributes to achieving the goals. Furthermore it proves that the more family-conscious a company is, the better the goals mentioned can be achieved. The empirical findings indicate that family friendly human resources management constitutes an important parameter in managerial decision making

Der berufundfamilie-Index – ein Instrument zur Messung des betrieblichen Familienbewusstseins

Angestoßen durch die demografische Entwicklung und deren absehbaren volkswirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Folgen ist die Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie in den vergangenen Jahren in Deutschland von einer eher randständigen Position ins Zentrum der deutschen Reformdiskussion gerückt. Unternehmen nehmen sich hierbei zunehmend als eigenständige Akteure wahr, die durch betriebsinterne Vereinbarkeitsmodelle dazu beitragen, die Elternschaft respektive die Pflege Familienangehöriger mit dem Berufsleben ihrer Mitarbeiter zu harmonisieren – unabhängig von staatlichen Reglementierungen und Steuerungsmodellen. Die in diesem Zusammenhang vertrauten Schlüsselbegriffe wie Familienbewusstsein, Familienorientierung oder Familienfreundlichkeit werden zwar häufig – und scheinbar synonym – verwendet, eine semantische Abgrenzung sowie eine detaillierte Betrachtung bleiben jedoch aus. Darüber hinaus fehlen valide Messinstrumente, die Aussagen darüber ermöglichen, ob und inwiefern Unternehmen familienbewusst sind. Vor diesem Hintergrund erscheint es von zentraler Bedeutung, Familienbewusstsein grundlegend zu konzeptualisieren und zu operationalisieren. Der vorliegende Beitrag soll zur Schließung dieser Forschungslücke beitragen.Due to the demographic development in Germany, the importance of reconciling work and family is constantly increasing. Companies progressively more perceive themselves as independent players, who contribute to the reconcilability of work and family by the use of family-friendly policies, independent from governmental regimentations and steering models. The keywords which are familiar in this context – Familienbewusstsein, Familienorientierung, Familienfreundlichkeit – are often and seemingly synonymously used but neither differentiated from each other nor in detail filled with meaning and content. Furthermore, attempts to state whether or not and in how far companies are family-friendly – in other words attempts to measure family consciousness – are missing. Taking this deficiency into account, it is of vital importance to conceptualise and operationalise family consciousness. This article aims at closing this gap

Rapidly progressive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in an infant with Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines: Palliative treatment with a rapamycin analog

Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (NSML) frequently manifests with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Recently, it was demonstrated that mTOR inhibition reverses HCM in NSML mice. We report for the first time on the effects of treatment with a rapamycin analog in an infant with LS and malignant HCM. In the boy, progressive HCM was diagnosed during the first week of life and a diagnosis of NSML was established at age 20 weeks by showing a heterozygous Q510E mutation in PTPN11. Immunoblotting with antibodies against pERK, pAkt, and pS6RP in fibroblasts demonstrated enhanced Akt/mTOR pathway activity. Because of the patient's critical condition, everolimus therapy was started at age 24 weeks and continued until heart transplantation at age 36 weeks. Prior to surgery, heart failure improved from NYHA stage IV to II and brain natriuretic peptide values decreased from 9,600 to <1,000 pg/ml, but no reversal of cardiac hypertrophy was observed. Examination of the explanted heart revealed severe hypertrophy and myofiber disarray with extensive perivascular fibrosis. These findings provide evidence that Akt/mTOR activity is enhanced in NSML with HCM and suggest that rapamycin treatment could principally be feasible for infantile NSML. The preliminary experiences made in this single patient indicate that therapy should start early to prevent irreversible cardiac remodelling

A Narrative Review of Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out

Lack of physical activity is a global public health problem causing not only morbidity and premature mortality, but it is also a major economic burden worldwide. One of the cornerstones of a physically active lifestyle is Motor Competence (MC). MC is a complex biocultural attribute and therefore, its study requires a multi-sectoral, multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary approach. MC is a growing area of research, especially in children and adolescents due to its positive association with a plethora of health and developmental outcomes. Many questions, however, remain to be answered in this field of research, with regard to: (i) Health and Developmental-related Associations of MC; (ii) Assessment of MC; (iii) Prevalence and Trends of MC; (iv) Correlates and Determinants of MC; (v) MC Interventions, and (vi) Translating MC Research into Practice and Policy. This paper presents a narrative review of the literature, summarizing current knowledge, identifying key research gaps and presenting questions for future investigation on MC in children and adolescents. This is a collaborative effort from the International Motor Competence Network (IMCNetwork) a network of academics and researchers aiming to promote international collaborative research and knowledge translation in the expansive field of MC. The knowledge and deliverables generated by addressing and answering the aforementioned research questions on MC presented in this review have the potential to shape the ways in which researchers and practitioners promote MC and physical activity in children and adolescents across the worl

Targeting Huntingtin expression in patients with Huntington's disease

Background Huntington’s disease is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in HTT, resulting in a mutant huntingtin protein. IONIS-HTTRx (hereafter, HTTRx) is an antisense oligonucleotide designed to inhibit HTT messenger RNA and thereby reduce concentrations of mutant huntingtin. Methods We conducted a randomized, double-blind, multiple-ascending-dose, phase 1–2a trial involving adults with early Huntington’s disease. Patients were randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive HTTRx or placebo as a bolus intrathecal administration every 4 weeks for four doses. Dose selection was guided by a preclinical model in mice and nonhuman primates that related dose level to reduction in the concentration of huntingtin. The primary end point was safety. The secondary end point was HTTRx pharmacokinetics in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Prespecified exploratory end points included the concentration of mutant huntingtin in CSF. Results Of the 46 patients who were enrolled in the trial, 34 were randomly assigned to receive HTTRx (at ascending dose levels of 10 to 120 mg) and 12 were randomly assigned to receive placebo. Each patient received all four doses and completed the trial. Adverse events, all of grade 1 or 2, were reported in 98% of the patients. No serious adverse events were seen in HTTRx-treated patients. There were no clinically relevant adverse changes in laboratory variables. Predose (trough) concentrations of HTTRx in CSF showed dose dependence up to doses of 60 mg. HTTRx treatment resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in the concentration of mutant huntingtin in CSF (mean percentage change from baseline, 10% in the placebo group and −20%, −25%, −28%, −42%, and −38% in the HTTRx 10-mg, 30-mg, 60-mg, 90-mg, and 120-mg dose groups, respectively). Conclusions Intrathecal administration of HTTRx to patients with early Huntington’s disease was not accompanied by serious adverse events. We observed dose-dependent reductions in concentrations of mutant huntingtin. (Funded by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and F. Hoffmann–La Roche; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02519036.

Assessing quality of care for the dying from the bereaved relatives’ perspective: using pre-testing survey methods across seven countries to develop an international outcome measure

Background: The provision of care for dying cancer patients varies on a global basis. In order to improve care, we need to be able to evaluate the current level of care. One method of assessment is to use the views from the bereaved relatives. Aim: The aim of this study is to translate and pre-test the ‘Care Of the Dying Evaluation’ (CODETM) questionnaire across seven participating countries prior to conducting an evaluation of current quality of care. Design: The three stages were as follows: (1) translation of CODE in keeping with standardised international principles; (2) pre-testing using patient and public involvement and cognitive interviews with bereaved relatives; and (3) utilising a modified nominal group technique to establish a common, core international version of CODE. Setting/participants: Hospital settings: for each country, at least five patient and public involvement representatives, selected by purposive sampling, fed back on CODETM questionnaire; and at least five bereaved relatives to cancer patients undertook cognitive interviews. Feedback was collated and categorised into themes relating to clarity, recall, sensitivity and response options. Structured consensus meeting held to determine content of international CODE (i-CODE) questionnaire. Results: In total, 48 patient and public involvement representatives and 35 bereaved relatives contributed to the pre-testing stages. No specific question item was recommended for exclusion from CODETM. Revisions to the demographic section were needed to be culturally appropriate. Conclusion: Patient and public involvement and bereaved relatives’ perceptions helped enhance the face and content validity of i-CODE. A common, core international questionnaire is now developed with key questions relating to quality of care for the dying