On the marriage of flexibility and security: Lessons from the Hartz-reforms in Germany

In the context of the ongoing reforms on European labour markets the keyword flexicurity is presently gaining prominence. We therefore want to explore the importance of the flexicurity-concept on the example of the German Hartzreforms. Starting from the frequently used definition as a trade-off between employers demands for flexibility and employees needs for security, different conceptualisations of flexicurity are considered, and criteria for an efficient and equitable flexicurity-nexus are developed. The German debate on flexicurity is briefly looked at. The main part of the paper is devoted to analysing four policy measures which were implemented within the Hartz-reforms: Ich-AG allowance for newly founded businesses, personnel service agencies (PSA) to place unemployed into regular employment, Mini-Jobs and the introduction of Midi-Jobs which were supposed to serve as stepping stones into employment subject to social insurance contributions and wage insurance for elderly workers. It is assessed whether the measures contribute to enhancing the components of flexibility and security and whether the measures are appropriately balanced. The analysis reveals that the measures quality could be improved by strengthening different components of the security dimension. -- Das Schlagwort Flexicurity gewinnt im Rahmen der aktuellen Reformen auf den europäischen Arbeitsmärkten an Bedeutung. Die Tragweite des Flexicurity- Konzepts soll hier am Beispiel der Hartz-Reformen in Deutschland untersucht werden. Ausgehend von der Definition als Zielkonflikt zwischen dem Bedürfnis der Arbeitgeber nach Flexibilität und dem Bedürfnis der Arbeitnehmer nach Sicherheit werden weitere Konzeptualisierungen des Terms erörtert. Darauf aufbauend werden Kriterien für einen sowohl effizienten als auch gerechten Flexicurity-Nexus entwickelt. Nach einem kurzen Überblick über den Verlauf der Flexicurity-Debatte in Deutschland werden vier Instrumente, die im Rahmen der Hartz-Gesetzgebung eingeführt wurden, vorgestellt: Die Ich-AG-Unterstützung für den Übergang in die Selbständigkeit, die Personal Service Agenturen (PSA) für die Vermittlung ehemals Arbeitsloser in reguläre Beschäftigungsverhältnisse, Mini-Jobs und die Einführung von Midi-Jobs, intendiert als Brücke in sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung, sowie die Entgeltsicherung für ältere Arbeitnehmer. An Hand der im Theorieteil entwickelten Kriterien wird gefragt, inwieweit die einzelnen Komponenten von Flexibilität und Sicherheit gestärkt werden und inwieweit die Maßnahmen ausgewogen sind. Die Analyse zeigt dabei auf, dass die Qualität der Maßnahmen durch die Stärkung unterschiedlicher Komponenten der Sicherheitsdimension gesteigert werden könnte.

Migrant Background and Higher Education Participation in Europe: The Effect of the Educational Systems

The main aim of this article is to shed light on the extent to which differences in higher education participation between people with and without a migrant background of low/higher social origin can be explained by two macro-level characteristics of national educational institutions: stratification of the secondary school system and provision of alternative access to higher education. General assumptions are that people with a migrant background of low social origin benefit in low-stratified secondary school systems and in systems that provide alternative access to institutions of higher education more than their native peers in the same social stratum, owing to primary and secondary effects of migrant background. Database is a pooled dataset of the five waves of the European Social Survey. Results of logistic multi-level analyses indicate that a low-stratified secondary school system improves the probability of people with a migrant background/low social origin attaining a higher education degree. On the other hand, a stratified secondary school system reduces their chances regarding this educational stage. The provision of alternative access to an institution of higher education improves their likelihood of becoming higher education graduate

On the marriage of flexibility and security: lessons from the Hartz-reforms in Germany

"Das Schlagwort „Flexicurity“ gewinnt im Rahmen der aktuellen Reformen auf den europäischen Arbeitsmärkten an Bedeutung. Die Tragweite des Flexicurity- Konzepts soll hier am Beispiel der Hartz-Reformen in Deutschland untersucht werden. Ausgehend von der Definition als Zielkonflikt zwischen dem Bedürfnis der Arbeitgeber nach Flexibilität und dem Bedürfnis der Arbeitnehmer nach Sicherheit werden weitere Konzeptualisierungen des Terms erörtert. Darauf aufbauend werden Kriterien für einen sowohl effizienten als auch gerechten Flexicurity-Nexus entwickelt. Nach einem kurzen Überblick über den Verlauf der Flexicurity-Debatte in Deutschland werden vier Instrumente, die im Rahmen der Hartz-Gesetzgebung eingeführt wurden, vorgestellt: Die „Ich-AG“-Unterstützung für den Übergang in die Selbständigkeit, die „Personal Service Agenturen“ (PSA) für die Vermittlung ehemals Arbeitsloser in reguläre Beschäftigungsverhältnisse, "In the context of the ongoing reforms on European labour markets the keyword 'flexicurity' is presently gaining prominence. We therefore want to explore the importance of the flexicurity-concept on the example of the German Hartz-reforms. Starting from the frequently used definition as a trade-off between employers' demands for flexibility and employees' needs for security, different conceptualisations of flexicurity are considered, and criteria for an efficient and equitable flexicurity-nexus are developed. The German debate on flexicurity is briefly looked at. The main part of the paper is devoted to analysing four policy measures which were implemented within the Hartz-reforms: 'Ich-AG' allowance for newly founded businesses, 'personnel service agencies' ('PSA') to place unemployed into regular employment, 'Mini-Jobs' and the introduction of 'Midi-Jobs' which were supposed to serve as stepping stones into employment subject to social insurance contributions and 'wage insurance' for elderly workers. It is assessed whether the measures contribute to enhancing the components of flexibility and security and whether the measures are appropriately balanced. The analysis reveals that the measures' quality could be improved by strengthening different components of the security dimension." (author's abstract)"Das Schlagwort 'Flexicurity' gewinnt im Rahmen der aktuellen Reformen auf den europäischen Arbeitsmärkten an Bedeutung. Die Tragweite des Flexicurity-Konzepts soll hier am Beispiel der Hartz-Reformen in Deutschland untersucht werden. Ausgehend von der Definition als Zielkonflikt zwischen dem Bedürfnis der Arbeitgeber nach Flexibilität und dem Bedürfnis der Arbeitnehmer nach Sicherheit werden weitere Konzeptualisierungen des Terms erörtert. Darauf aufbauend werden Kriterien für einen sowohl effizienten als auch gerechten Flexicurity-Nexus entwickelt. Nach einem kurzen Überblick über den Verlauf der Flexicurity-Debatte in Deutschland werden vier Instrumente, die im Rahmen der Hartz-Gesetzgebung eingeführt wurden, vorgestellt: Die 'Ich-AG'-Unterstützung für den Übergang in die Selbständigkeit, die 'Personal Service Agenturen' (PSA) für die Vermittlung ehemals Arbeitsloser in reguläre Beschäftigungsverhältnisse, 'Mini-Jobs' und die Einführung von 'Midi-Jobs', intendiert als Brücke in sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung, sowie die 'Entgeltsicherung für ältere Arbeitnehmer'. An Hand der im Theorieteil entwickelten Kriterien wird gefragt, inwieweit die einzelnen Komponenten von Flexibilität und Sicherheit gestärkt werden und inwieweit die Maßnahmen ausgewogen sind. Die Analyse zeigt dabei auf, dass die Qualität der Maßnahmen durch die Stärkung unterschiedlicher Komponenten der Sicherheitsdimension gesteigert werden könnte." (Autorenreferat

Measurement of Fiber Optic Couplers with Two Counter Propagating Laser Beams

Import 05/08/2014Diplomová práca sa zaoberá novou aplikáciou, ktorá má za úlohu overiť, či je možné ovládať vlastnosti jedného zdroja svetla iným zdrojom svetla. Vzájomné ovládanie svetelných zväzkov je základom budúcich celo-optických spínačov v telekomunikačných a dátových sieťach. Vzhľadom k ich vzájomnému ovplyvňovaniu možno očakávať zmeny v ich intenzitách. Teoretická časť má za úlohu čitateľovi priblížiť problematiku laserových diód (LD). Táto problematika sa zaoberá hlavne charakteristikou, typmi a štruktúrou použitých LD. V druhej časti diplomovej práce popisujem postup a spracovanie jednotlivých meraní. Meranie sa uskutočňovalo v laboratórnych podmienkach niekoľkými metódami. Namerané údaje sú zaznamenané v tabuľkách a grafoch. Výsledok práce je zahrnutý v záveru.This thesis deals with a new application that is to verify whether it is possible to control the properties of a single light source to other sources of light. Mutual control of light beams is the foundation for future all-optical switches in telecommunications and data networks.. Relative to their effect can be expected to change in their intensities. The teoretical part of the reader's task to bring the issue of laser diodes (LD). This issue is mainly concerned with the characteristics, types and structure of the LD. In the second part of the thesis describes the procedure and processing of individual measurements. Measurements are taken in the laboratory by several methods. Measured values are recorded in tables and graphs. Result of this work is included in the conclusion.440 - Katedra telekomunikační technikyvelmi dobř

Interstellar Sodium and Calcium Absorption toward SN 2011dh in M51

We present high-resolution echelle observations of SN 2011dh, which exploded in the nearby, nearly face-on spiral galaxy M51. Our data, acquired on three nights when the supernova was near maximum brightness, reveal multiple absorption components in Na I D and Ca II H and K, which we identify with gaseous material in the Galactic disk or low halo and in the disk and halo of M51. The M51 components span a velocity range of over 140 km s^-1, extending well beyond the range exhibited by H I 21 cm emission at the position of the supernova. Since none of the prominent Na I or Ca II components appear to coincide with the peak in H I emission, the supernova may lie just in front of the bulk of the H I disk. The Na I/Ca II ratios for the components with the most extreme positive and negative velocities relative to the disk are ~1.0, similar to those for more quiescent components, suggesting that the absorption originates in relatively cool gas. Production scenarios involving a galactic fountain and/or tidal interactions between M51 and its companion would be consistent with these results. The overall weakness of Na I D absorption in the direction of SN 2011dh confirms a low foreground and host galaxy extinction for the supernova.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, emulateapj style, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Evolving Diversity II: Participation of students with an immigrant background in European Higher Education

EQUNET is a 3-year project researching the state of equity in Higher Education in Europe. The project aims to create an evidence-based policy advocacy network, so as to promote its conclusions as a way to promote better-informed policy making on equity issues in Europe. This is the second of three reports, and is dedicated to improving the picture of equity in access to Higher Education in Europe for persons of immigrant origin. The report provides a theoretical framework for discussion of the topic, a statistical cross-country analysis of access-figures, as well as detailed country-studies for Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. It is the result of a year of research conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers originating from across Europe. (DIPF/Orig.

Migrant Background and Higher Education Participation in Europe. The Effect of the Educational Systems

The main aim of this article is to shed light on the extent to which differences in higher education participation between people with and without a migrant background of low/higher social origin can be explained by two macro-level characteristics of national educational institutions: stratification of the secondary school system and provision of alternative access to higher education. General assumptions are that people with a migrant background of low social origin benefit in low-stratified secondary school systems and in systems that provide alternative access to institutions of higher education more than their native peers in the same social stratum, owing to primary and secondary effects of migrant background. Database is a pooled dataset of the five waves of the European Social Survey. Results of logistic multi-level analyses indicate that a low-stratified secondary school system improves the probability of people with a migrant background/low social origin attaining a higher education degree. On the other hand, a stratified secondary school system reduces their chances regarding this educational stage. The provision of alternative access to an institution of higher education improves their likelihood of becoming higher education graduates

The Progenitor Mass of SN 2011dh from Stellar Populations Analysis

Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry, we characterize the age of the stellar association in the vicinity of supernova (SN) 2011dh and use it to infer the zero-age main sequence mass (M_{ZAMS}) of the progenitor star. We find two distinct and significant star formation events with ages of <6 and 17^{+3}_{-4} Myrs, and the corresponding M_{ZAMS} are >29 and 13^{+2}_{-1} M_{Sun}, respectively. These two bursts represent 18^{+4}_{-9}% (young) and 64^{+10}_{-14}% (old) of the total star formation in the last 50 Myrs. Adopting these fractions as probabilities suggests that the most probable M_{ZAMS} is 13^{+2}_{-1} M_{Sun}. These results are most sensitive to the luminosity function along the well-understood main sequence and are less sensitive to uncertain late-stage stellar evolution. Therefore, they stand even if the progenitor suffered disruptive post-main-sequence evolution (e.g. eruptive mass loss or binary Roche-lobe overflow). Progenitor identification will help to further constrain the appropriate population. Even though pre-explosion images show a yellow supergiant (YSG) at the site of the SN, panchromatic SN light curves suggest a more compact star as the progenitor. In spite of this, our results suggest an association between the YSG and the SN. Not only was the star located at the SN site, but reinforcing an association, the star's bolometric luminosity is consistent with the final evolutionary stage of the 17 Myr old star burst. If the YSG disappears, then M_{ZAMS}=13^{+2}_{-1} M_{Sun}, but if it persists, then our results allow the possibility that the progenitor was an unseen star of >29 M_{Sun}.Comment: 5 pages in emulateapj, 2 figures, accepted by ApJL. Comments are welcom