Drivers of the lifecycle - the example of the German insurance industry

Lifecycles have been accepted widely as a matter of fact in business. Existing literature focuses on their theoretical implications for product managers and cor¬po¬rate strategists. There are major shortcomings of the research in that field concerning the populations covered (if at all, mostly hardware) and the theo¬retic¬cal as well as empirical analysis of the drivers of the lifecycles in the various industries. Based on the research of Menhart et al. (2003), we chose a population of service organizations to analyze the drivers of the lifecycle. Biological lifecycles describe the development processes of an individual from birth to death. Economic life cycle concepts assume, that in analogy to bio¬lo¬gical organisms, economic systems also experience typical phases of develop¬ment in their evolution. In the economic literature, life cycle concepts were used to explain the development patterns of single products, organizations, techno¬logies and whole industries. In the standard model of the life cycle concept, specific characteristics of the unit of analysis such as sales volume, turnover or number of competitors first increase to a maximum, then decrease sig¬nificantly and finally reach a level of stability, or they are discontinued com¬pletely. We have developed a concept for an insurance specific industry life cycle with a non-typical matu¬ration and degeneration phase, and discuss to what extent the concept of Mas¬low's pyramid of needs can have explanatory power regarding the pattern of density dynamics.Lebenszyklen sind in der wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Forschung inzwischen ein etabliertes Konzept, wobei der Großteil der vorhandenen Literatur auf Normstrategien in Produktmanagement oder auf Unternehmensebene abstellt. Industriepopulation wurden bislang dagegen ebenso wenig untersucht (und wenn, dann ausschließlich im Sachgüterbereich) wie die theoretische oder praktische Triebkräfte für Veränderungen von Industriepopulationen. Basierend auf den Forschungsergebnissen von Menhart et al. (2003) untersuchen wir die Treiber des Lebenszyklus für eine Population von Dienstleistungsunternehmen. Biologische Lebenszyklen beschreiben das Leben eines Individuums von der Geburt bis zum Tode. Ökonomische Lebenszyklen liegt die Annahme zugrunde, dass – analog zu den biologischen Organismen – auch ökonomische Systeme typische Evolutionsphasen in ihrer Entwicklung durchlaufen. In der Literatur werden Lebenszykluskonzepte zur Erklärung der Entwicklungsverläufe einzelner Produkte, von Organisationen, Technologien und ganzen Industrien genutzt. Im Standardmodell des Lebenszyklus wachsen spezifische Charakteristika des Untersuchungsgegenstands wie z.B. Absatz, Umsatz oder Anzahl der Mitbewerber zunächst auf ein Maximum an, um dann signifikant zurück zu gehen und sich schließlich auf ein stabiles Maß einzupendeln. In extremen Fällen endet der Lebenszyklus auch abrupt. Wir haben ein spezifisches Konzept für Industrielebenszyklen in der Versicherungsbranche entwickelt, das einen untypischen Verlauf in der Reife- und Degenerationsphase zeigt. Weiter diskutieren wir, inwieweit die Maslowsche Bedürfnispyramide ein möglicher Erklärungsansatz für Veränderungen in der Populationsdichte ist

Product Innovation and Population Dynamics in the German Insurance Market

Empirical research in organizational ecology has mainly focused on analyzing founding and mortality rates using life history data of the organizations. We try to extend this approach in our study in a number of ways. In contrast to most empirical studies in organizational ecology, we chose a population of service organizations, in particular the German insurance companies, the development dynamics of which are rather obvious in the innovative activities of existing organizations than in founding activities. We further discuss the points of contact between the organizational ecology approach and the theory of industry life cycles and extend the analysis to the relationship between innovative activities and population dynamics. The study examines the effects of population density, former events, and organizational size and age structure in the population of property & casualty insurance companies on the number of product innovations generated. We will further develop a concept for an insurance specific industry life cycle with a non-typical maturation and degeneration phase.service industries; population ecology; industry life cycles

Spin label EPR structural studies of the N-terminus of α-spectrin

AbstractSpectrin, a vital component in human erythrocyte, is composed of α- and β-subunits, which associate to form (αβ)2 tetramers. The tetramerization site is believed to involve the α-spectrin N-terminus and the β-spectrin C-terminus. Abnormal interactions in this region may lead to blood disorders. It has been proposed that both termini consist of partial structural domains and that tetramerization involves the association of these partial domains. We have studied the N-terminal region of a model peptide for α-spectrin by making a series of double spin-labeled peptides and studying their dipolar interaction by electron paramagnetic resonance methods. Our results indicate that residues 21–42 of the N-terminus region exhibit an α-helical conformation, even in the absence of β-spectrin

Differentiated Thyroid Cancer—Treatment: State of the Art

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a rare malignant disease, although its incidence has increased over the last few decades. It derives from follicular thyroid cells. Generally speaking, the prognosis is excellent. If treatment according to the current guidelines is given, cases of recurrence or persistence are rare. DTC requires special expertise by the treating physician. In recent years, new therapeutic options for these patients have become available. For this article we performed a systematic literature review with special focus on the guidelines of the American Thyroid Association, the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, and the German Society of Nuclear Medicine. For DTC, surgery and radioiodine therapy followed by levothyroxine substitution remain the established therapeutic procedures. Even metastasized tumors can be cured this way. However, in rare cases of radioiodine-refractory tumors, additional options are to be discussed. These include strict suppression of thyroid-stimulating hormone (also known as thyrotropin, TSH) and external local radiotherapy. Systemic cytostatic chemotherapy does not play a significant role. Recently, multikinase or tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of radioiodine-refractory DTC. Although a benefit for overall survival has not been shown yet, these new drugs can slow down tumor progression. However, they are frequently associated with severe side effects and should be reserved for patients with threatening symptoms only

Weaving the literary quilt : the layering of narrative in Thomas King's Truth & Bright Water

This thesis explores the ways in which Thomas King layers levels of textual and symbolic narrative in order to show that truth is a relative concept that cannot be strictly bound by conventional, essentialist beliefs. In Truth & Bright Water, Helen creates a quilt that tells a continually re-interpreted version of both her, and her community's history. It is only when the reader looks closely at the details of the quilt in conjunction with the textual details of the novel that the reader is able to come to any understanding of the novel. In keeping with King's theory of associational literature, the quilt provides the reader with 'snapshots' of history; each time the reader looks at the quilt, different 'snapshots' are considered and the reader's perspective necessarily changes. Truth therefore becomes a wholly individual concept. The ever-changing versions of truth are represented in the novel by the convergence of the novel's two communities on the banks of the Shield River. It is here that the concrete and abstract concepts of truth are brought together to create flowing, multiplicitous versions that are more analogous to First Nations traditions

US-Schuldenkrise: Droht den USA ein Vertrauensverlust?

Angesichts der ungelösten Schuldenkrise in Europa geht Harm Bandholz, UniCredit Bank, New York, davon aus, dass die Investoren weiterhin auf Altbewährtes setzen und ihr Vertrauen in US-Staatsanleihen behalten müssen. Für Michael Menhart, Munich RE, bleiben Zweifel an der langfristigen Tragfähigkeit des amerikanischen Wachstumsmodells. Allerdings greife eine Fokussierung der Diskussion auf die USA in jedem Fall zu kurz. Für Josef Braml, Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP), Berlin, werden die gesellschaftlichen und politischen Konflikte die wirtschaftlichen Probleme der USA verschärfen, während Bernd Weidensteiner, Commerzbank, Frankfurt am Main, trotz steigender Belastungen in den USA keine Schuldenkrise sieht. Nach Ansicht von Eckhard Janeba, Universität Mannheim, steckt hinter den Vertrauensproblemen in den USA eine ökonomische Schieflage, die das Vertrauen in die USA weiter schwinden lassen könnte.Öffentliche Schulden, Krise, Vertrauen, Wachstumstheorie, Vereinigte Staaten

Domain structure dynamics of amorphous Fe64Co21B15 and Co77B23 ribbons studied by three-dimensional neutron depolarization

Relaxation phenomena related to domain structure dynamics in amorphous ferromagnetic Fe64Co21B15, and Co77B23 samples were studied by time-resolved three-dimensional neutron depolarization and a conventional magnetic induction technique. Different initial domain structures were induced either by applying external stresses or by stress annealing. A theoretical model was developed to describe the observed time dependence of neutron depolarization upon passage through such samples. It is shown that the domain structure approaches the equilibrium state with stable domain wall positions at a rate that depends essentially both on the sample composition and on the induced magnetic anisotropy. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)01402-4].8521043104