Zwischen Showbusiness und Galeere: zum Einsatz der DIN EN ISO 9000er Normen in Unternehmen

"Zunehmend mehr Unternehmen können ein Zertifikat vorweisen, das bestätigt, dass ihr Qualitätsmanagementsystem den Forderungen der DIN EN ISO 9000er Normen genügt. Die Normen allerdings stehen in der Kritik; ihre Wirkung im Hinblick auf eine Verbesserung der Effizienz wird massiv bezweifelt. Der wesentliche Grund für ihre Verbreitung scheint zu sein, dass die Kunden ein zertifiziertes Qualitätsmanagementsystem verlangen. Vor diesem Hintergrund drängt sich eine Untersuchung des Phänomens "ISO 9000" aus der Perspektive des Neo-Instutionalistischen Ansatzes auf. Im Neo- Institutionalistischen Ansatz wird die Ausgestaltung der formalen Struktur weniger als Ergebnis eines Bemühens um Effizienz, sondern vielmehr als Anpassung an Erwartungen in der Umwelt der Organisation interpretiert. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse einer empirischen Studie über die Gründe des Erwerbs eines ISO 9000- Zertifikats und über die Auswirkungen der Umsetzung der Normenforderungen auf die formale Struktur und die Arbeitsprozesse von Unternehmen präsentiert. Wichtige Ergebnisse sind, dass die Realisierung der Normenforderungen in den meisten Unternehmen einerseits - wie von der Neo-Institutionalistischen Theorie vorausgesagt - den Aufbau einer Legitimationsfassade zur Folge hatte, dass aber andererseits im Verlaufe der Umsetzung die in einem Qualitätsmanagementsystem nach den DIN EN ISO 9000er Normen steckenden Potentiale für den Aufbau eines Kontrollsystems entdeckt und genutzt wurden." (Autorenreferat)"The number of organizations which are able to boast a certificate confirming that the company's quality system fulfills the requirements of the ISO 9000 standards is continuously growing. However, the standards are under fire from all sides. The efficiency of the standards is often questioned. The main reason why the standards are spreading seems to be that quality systems based on ISO 9000 are demanded by customers. Thus, the neo-institutional approach in organization theory appears to be most suited for the study of the adoption of the ISO 9000 standards. Neo-institutionalists argue that the formal structure is less a result of an endeavor to improve the efficiency of the organization, than a result of adapting the formal structure to expectations in the organization's environment . This article presents the findings of an empirical study of the reasons of the adoption of ISO 9000 standards and of the effects the implementation of a quality system based on the standards has on the formal structure and the work-processes of companies. Important results are that the implementation of the standards leads, as predicted by neo-institutional theory, to the development of facades intended to legitimize the organization in its environment. However, in the process of implementing the standards the organizations discovered and made use of their potential as a system of technocratic control." (author's abstract

Service productivity:what stops service firms from measuring it?

Productivity measurement poses a challenge for service organizations. Conventional management wisdom holds that this challenge is rooted in the difficulty of accurately quantifying service inputs and outputs. Few service firms have adequate service productivity measurement (SPM) systems in place and implementing such systems may involve organizational transformation. Combining field interviews and literature-based insights, the authors develop a conceptual model of antecedents of SPM in service firms and test it using data from 276 service firms. Results indicate that one out of five antecedents affects the choice to use SPM, namely, the degree of service standardization. In addition, all five hypothesized antecedents and one additional antecedent (perceived appropriateness of the current SPM) predict the degree of SPM usage. In particular, the degree of SPM is positively influenced by the degree of service standardization, service customization, investments in service productivity gains, and the appropriateness of current service productivity measures. In turn, customer integration and the perceived difficulty of measuring service productivity negatively affect SPM. The fact that customer integration impedes actual measurement of service productivity is a surprising finding, given that customer integration is widely seen as a means to increase service productivity. The authors conclude with implications for service organizations and directions for research

Führungsverantwortung in der Hochschullehre : Zur Situation in den MINT-Fächern und Wirtschaftswissenschaften an Universitäten in Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz und Thüringen

Manche Studierende sind die Chefs von morgen. Sie müssen Unternehmensziele erreichen und Gewinn erwirtschaften. Gleichzeitig führen sie Mitarbeiter und Mitarbeiterinnen und müssen ihrer Verantwortung gerecht werden. Doch Universitäten bereiten kaum auf eine spätere Führungsverantwortung vor, das ist eines der zentralen Ergebnisse der empirischen Studie „Führungsethik als Ethik in den Wissenschaften“. An der von der Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung geförderten Studie waren die Universitäten Tübingen, Mainz und Jena beteiligt. Gut eineinhalb Jahre lang forschten Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aus Philosophie, Politikwissenschaft, Soziologie und Wirtschaftswissenschaft gemeinsam zur Frage: Inwiefern bereiten Universitäten ihre Studierenden im Rahmen eines Fachstudiums auf spätere Führungsverantwortung vor? Untersucht wurden über 600 mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche, ingenieurwissenschaftliche und wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Bachelor- und Master-Studiengänge. Interviews mit Expert_innen aus dem Hochschulbereich ergänzten die Untersuchung. Auch Führungskräfte aus der freien Wirtschaft brachten ihre Expertise ein

Attraction of the Invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to Traps Baited with Semiochemical Stimuli Across the United States

A recent identification of the two-component aggregation pheromone of the invasive stink bug species, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), in association with a synergist, has greatly improved the ability to accurately monitor the seasonal abundance and distribution of this destructive pest. We evaluated the attraction of H. halys to black pyramid traps baited with lures containing the pheromone alone, the synergist methyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate (MDT) alone, and the two lures in combination. Traps were deployed around areas of agricultural production including fruit orchards, vegetables, ornamentals, or row crops in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia from mid-April to mid-October, 2012 and 2013. We confirmed that H. halys adults and nymphs are attracted to the aggregation pheromone season long, but that attraction is significantly increased with the addition of the synergist MDT. H. halys adults were detected in April with peak captures of overwintering adults in mid- to late May. The largest adult captures were late in the summer, typically in early September. Nymphal captures began in late May and continued season long. Total captures declined rapidly in autumn and ceased by mid-October. Captures were greatest at locations in the Eastern Inland region, followed by those in the Eastern Coastal Plain and Pacific Northwest. Importantly, regardless of location in the United States, all mobile life stages of H. halys consistently responded to the combination of H. halys aggregation pheromone and the synergist throughout the entire season, suggesting that these stimuli will be useful tools to monitor for H. halys in managed system

"Outroduction":A research agenda on collegiality in university settings

Collegiality is the modus operandi of universities. Collegiality is central to academic freedom and scientific quality. In this way, collegiality also contributes to the good functioning of universities’ contribution to society and democracy. In this concluding paper of the special issue on collegiality, we summarize the main findings and takeaways from our collective studies. We summarize the main challenges and contestations to collegiality and to universities, but also document lines of resistance, activation, and maintenance. We depict varieties of collegiality and conclude by emphasizing that future research needs to be based on an appreciation of this variation. We argue that it is essential to incorporate such a variation-sensitive perspective into discussions on academic freedom and scientific quality and highlight themes surfaced by the different studies that remain under-explored in extant literature: institutional trust, field-level studies of collegiality, and collegiality and communication. Finally, we offer some remarks on methodological and theoretical implications of this research and conclude by summarizing our research agenda in a list of themes

Comparison of total parathyroidectomy without autotransplantation and without thymectomy versus total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation and with thymectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism: TOPAR PILOT-Trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) is common in patients with chronic renal failure. Despite the initiation of new therapeutic agents, several patients will require parathyroidectomy (PTX). Total PTX with autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue (TPTX+AT) and subtotal parathyroidectomy (SPTX) are currently considered as standard surgical procedures in the treatment of sHPT. Recurrencerates after TPTX+AT or SPTX are between 10% and 12% (median follow up: 36 months).</p> <p>Recent retrospective studies demonstrated a lower rate of recurrent sHPT of 0–4% after PTX without autotransplantation and thymectomy (TPTX) with no higher morbidity when compared to the standard procedures. The observed superiority of TPTX is flawed due to different definitions of outcomes, varying follow up periods and different surgical treatment strategies (with and without thymectomy).</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Patients with sHPT (intact parathyroid hormone > 10 times above the upper limit of normal) on long term dialysis (>12 months) will be randomized either to TPTX or TPTX+AT and followed for 36 months. Outcome parameters are recurrence rates of sHPT, frequencies of reoperations due to refractory hypoparathyroidism or recurrent/persistent hyperparathyroidism, postoperative morbidity and mortality and quality of life. 50 patients per group will be randomized in order to obtain relevant frequencies of outcome parameters that will form the basis for a large scale confirmatory multicentred randomized controlled trial.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>sHPT is a disease with a high incidence in patients with chronic renal failure. Even a small difference in outcomes will be of clinical relevance. To assess sufficient data about the rate of recurrent sHPT after both methods, a multicentred, randomized controlled trial (MRCT) under standardized conditions is mandatory.</p> <p>Due to the existing uncertainties the calculated number of patients necessary in each treatment arm (n > 4000) makes it impossible to perform this study as a confirmatory trial. Therefore estimates of different outcomes are performed using a pilot MRCT comparing 50 versus 50 randomized patients in order to establish a hypothesis that can be tested thereafter.</p> <p>If TPTX proves to have a lower rate of recurrent sHPT, no relevant disadvantages and no higher morbidity than TPTX+AT, current surgical practice may be changed.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Registration (ISRCTN86202793)</p

“Outroduction” : a research agenda on collegiality In university settings

Collegiality is the modus operandi of universities. Collegiality is central to academic freedom and scientific quality. In this way, collegiality also contributes to the good functioning of universities’ contribution to society and democracy. In this concluding paper of the special issue on collegiality, we summarize the main findings and takeaways from our collective studies. We summarize the main challenges and contestations to collegiality and to universities, but also document lines of resistance, activation, and maintenance. We depict varieties of collegiality and conclude by emphasizing that future research needs to be based on an appreciation of this variation. We argue that it is essential to incorporate such a variation-sensitive perspective into discussions on academic freedom and scientific quality and highlight themes surfaced by the different studies that remain under-explored in extant literature: institutional trust, field-level studies of collegiality, and collegiality and communication. Finally, we offer some remarks on methodological and theoretical implications of this research and conclude by summarizing our research agenda in a list of themes

Das Konzept der Vertrauensorganisation : eine theoriegeleitete Betrachtung

Recently, management literature frequently mentions the ''organization by trust'' - supervision in organizations is to be replaced by trust. In light of the more negative view of human behavior that has so far dominated classic management theory, this talk of an ''organization by trust'' appears to be surprising. The paper on hand will analyze the concept of trust in an ''organization by trust'' based on various theories. The aim is to find out how the about-turn in recent management theory can be explained. Firstly, the concept of the organization by trust will be confronted with various theoretical approaches, each of which conceptually grasps trust in a different way. By contrasting the term trust in the concept of organization by trust to concepts of trust in economic, sociological, and psychological theories it becomes clear, on the one hand, that the approach of the organization by trust is based on a naive understanding of trust. On the other hand, presenting the various theoretical positions clearly shows the extent to which the opinions of various authors not only differ regarding their understanding of trust and how it develops, but also regarding its usefulness and its necessity in economic relations. Based on the discussion of the various concepts of trust, the literature on organizations by trust, which mainly targets practitioners, will be critically reflected again, but this time from a different perspective. The results of these reflections are possible explanations that make clear, to differing degrees, why the concept of the organization by trust is currently so popular

2. Vorlesung (30.09.2020): Wozu brauche wir Organisationstheorien?

Vorlesungsinhalt: Organisationstheorie