Dynamic Bonus Pools

We analyze a two-period agency problem with limited liability and nonverifiable information. The principal commits to a dynamic bonus pool comprising a fixed total payment that may be distributed over time to the agent and a third party. We find that the optimal two-period contract features memory. If the agent succeeds in the first-period, second-period incentives are weakened whereas higher-powered incentives are provided if he fails. The two-period bonus pool offers a complementary reason for why third-party payments are not commonly observed in practice

Symbolic struggles over solidarity in times of crisis: trade unions, civil society actors and the political far right in Austria

As a consequence of the recent financial and economic crisis, social cohesion and integration are in jeopardy all over Europe. In this context, scholars also speak of decreasing solidarity, which is defined as a normative obligation to help each other and to make sacrifices to reach common goals. By taking the empirical example of Austria, we argue that the meaning of solidarity is increasingly being contested. Various collective actors such as trade unions, civil society actors, but also right-wing populist parties are engaged in symbolic struggles over solidarity. To show this, we examine the different concepts and foundations of solidarity and analyse where and why they conflict with each other, referring to recent debates on political issues, such as the needs-based minimum benefit system and the access to the labour market for refugees

Signatures in the Planck regime

String theory suggests the existence of a minimum length scale. An exciting quantum mechanical implication of this feature is a modification of the uncertainty principle. In contrast to the conventional approach, this generalised uncertainty principle does not allow to resolve space time distances below the Planck length. In models with extra dimensions, which are also motivated by string theory, the Planck scale can be lowered to values accessible by ultra high energetic cosmic rays (UHECRs) and by future colliders, i.e. M f approximately equal to 1 TeV. It is demonstrated that in this novel scenario, short distance physics below 1/M f is completely cloaked by the uncertainty principle. Therefore, Planckian effects could be the final physics discovery at future colliders and in UHECRs. As an application, we predict the modifications to the e+ e- to f+ f- cross-sections

Identifying Factors of E-Government Acceptance – A Literature Review

The digital revolution has arrived in the halls of public administrations. E-Government, which has been a buzzword for all kinds of computer usage in the governmental context for several years, has started to become an ordinary way for public administrations to organise their work. Document and workflow management systems as well as process reorganisation in the backend and electronic taxation systems or digital ID cards on the frontend side all belong to the portfolio of concepts summarised by e-Government. However, in spite of the advantages that go along with these developments, adoption of e-Government services is still rather low both on the citizens’ side as well as by the employees of public administrations. We conducted a literature review identifying the factors that influence the acceptance of e-Government services by different stakeholders and provide a framework of future research needs

Interoperabilität bei IT-Systemen im hochschulübergreifenden Kontext: Entwicklung und Validierung eines Referenzmodells für hochschulübergreifendes elektronisches Prüfungsmanagement

Based on a case study the author prepared solutions for grading and examination management which is shared between two or more universities. The objective was to develop a reference model to structure the complex processes and to provide solutions for grading and examination management. The reference model has been evaluated by experts in order to improve coherence and consistency. Based on the evaluation results the author revised the reference model and indicated future work on implementation and maintenance issues

Thermophysical Properties of an Fe_(57.75)Ni_(19.25)Mo₁₀C₅B₈ Glass‐Forming Alloy Measured in Microgravity

Iron‐based metallic glasses are among the lowest‐cost form of amorphous metals and have numerous potential applications, such as wear‐resistant coatings, cutting tools, and gears. There is an increased interest for using this novel alloys as protective coatings and to produce structural elements by additive manufacturing. If an accelerated process development is desired, computer‐based process simulations are nowadays a vital tool. As a consequence, high‐quality measurements of the thermophysical properties in the solid and liquid phases are essential for developing numerical simulation models and suitable processing parameters. Due to the high melt reactivity of liquid metals at high temperatures, measurements using conventional containers are challenging, hence containerless methods have to be used. Herein, the thermophysical properties of an Fe‐based metallic glass‐former have been measured in the liquid phase using the electromagnetic levitator ISS‐EML on‐board the International Space Station (ISS)