Have labour practices and human rights disclosures enhanced corporate accountability? The case of the GRI framework

This paper critically evaluates Transnational Corporations’ (TNCs) claimed adherence to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)´s ‘labour’ and ‘human rights’ reporting guidelines and examines how successful the GRI has been in enhancing comparability and transparency. We found limited evidence of TNCs discharging their accountability to their workforce and, rather, we found evidence to suggest that disclosure was motivated more by enhancing their legitimacy. TNCs failed to adhere to the guidelines, which meant that material information items were often missing, rendering comparability of information meaningless. Instead, TNCs reported large volumes of generic/anecdotal information without acknowledging the impediments they faced in practice

Regieren mittels Unterhaltung - Governing by Fun

Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit zeigt, dass die Fanzonen bei der Euro 2008 ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der sicherheitspolitischen Organisation des Events waren. Fanzonen boten der UEFA nicht nur eine Möglichkeit einzigartige Werbebilder für ihre Events zu schaffen, sondern auch Produkte zu verkaufen. Durch ihr Unterhaltungsangebot sollten die Fanzonen zusätzlich jene Massen und Zuschauer anziehen, die keine Karten für die eigentlichen Spiele ergattern konnten, aber dennoch Teil des Events werden wollten. Fanzonen haben damit die Massen an bestimmten ausgewählten Punkten kanalisiert und so eine wesentliche Kontrolle und Überwachungsfunktion wahrgenommen. Diese Bündelungsfunktion war aber nicht die einzige Aufgabe der Unterhaltung. Durch das Unterhaltungsangebot sollte auch innerhalb der Fanzonen selbst ein friedliches Miteinander der Fans als Konsumenten ermöglicht werden. Um dies zu beweisen wurde eine Reihe von Interviews mit den Designern der Fanzone, dem verantwortlichen Sicherheitspersonal sowie teilnehmenden Unternehmen durchgeführt. Dadurch lässt sich zeigen, wie verschiedene Stationen und Animationsangebote die Fans zum Mitmachen ermuntern sollten, um selbst zwischen Fremden eine kontrolliert-friedvolle Interaktion zu ermöglichen. Aus Sicht der Regierenden ist damit Unterhaltung eine zentrale Kontrollstrategie, die im Gegensatz zu anderen Methoden - wie Überwachung und Repression – auch noch Glauben macht, dass sie zum Nutzen aller Beteiligten eingesetzt werde.In my diploma theses I will show that fan zones played an important role in the security architecture of the EURO 2008. They were not only a mean for UEFA to promote the event, sell merchandise products and generate unique pictures of the tournament host cities. By offering fun and entertainment, fan zones were designed to attract thousands of people, mainly those, who did not have a ticket for one of the games, but still wanted to become part of the Euro-Event. By this the fan zones channelled the flow of football fans into the city centre. This bundling function was not the only specific purpose of fun: The concept was also used to maintained order inside the fan zones. There was a double aspect of fun: on the one hand as a congregational element; and on the other as a specific organising principle. To prove this I have been conduction a number of interviews with the designers of the fane zones, the responsible security forces, participating companies and fan supporters. I will additionally show how a range of devices animated the fans to interact and participate in the vision of a compacted, peaceful European consumer community. Fans were offered different roles so their emotions could be positively channelled and non-violent, friendly relationships between strangers could flourish. From the perspective of those who govern these means, that fun is an important tool and a governmental technique that can be used to control and channel masses. Different from concepts of hard power like surveillance and repression, fun additionally offers the benefit, that people do not feel suppressed when governed by fun

Have labour practices and human rights disclosures enhanced corporate accountability? The case of the GRI framework

This paper critically evaluates Transnational Corporations’ (TNCs) claimed adherence to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)´s ‘labour’ and ‘human rights’ reporting guidelines and examines how successful the GRI has been in enhancing comparability and transparency. We found limited evidence of TNCs discharging their accountability to their workforce and, rather, we found evidence to suggest that disclosure was motivated more by enhancing their legitimacy. TNCs failed to adhere to the guidelines, which meant that material information items were often missing, rendering comparability of information meaningless. Instead, TNCs reported large volumes of generic/anecdotal information without acknowledging the impediments they faced in practice

Columbus Payloads Flow Rate Anomalies

The Columbus Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) is the main thermal bus for the pressurized racks working inside the European laboratory. One of the ATCS goals is to provide proper water flow rate to each payload (P/L) by controlling actively the pressure drop across the common plenum distribution piping. Overall flow measurement performed by the Water Pump Assembly (WPA) is the only flow rate monitor available at system level and is not part of the feedback control system. At rack activation the flow rate provided by the system is derived on ground by computing the WPA flow increase. With this approach, several anomalies were raised during these 3 years on-orbit, with the indication of low flow rate conditions on the European racks FSL, BioLab, EDR and EPM. This paper reviews the system and P/Ls calibration approach, the anomalies occurred, the engineering evaluation on the measurement approach and the accuracy improvements proposed, the on-orbit test under evaluation with NASA and finally discusses possible short and long term solutions in case of anomaly confirmation

Tyrosinemia Type 1 and symptoms of ADHD: Biochemical mechanisms and implications for treatment and prognosis

Hereditary tyrosinemia Type 1 (HT‐1) is a rare metabolic disease where the enzyme catalyzing the final step of tyrosine breakdown is defect, leading to accumulation of toxic metabolites. Nitisinone inhibits the degradation of tyrosine and thereby the production of harmful metabolites, however, the concentration of tyrosine also increases. We investigated the relationship between plasma tyrosine concentrations and cognitive functions and how tyrosine levels affected enzyme activities of human tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2). Eight Norwegian children between 6 and 18 years with HT‐1 were assessed using questionnaires measuring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)‐symptoms and executive functioning. Recent and past levels of tyrosine were measured and the enzyme activities of TH and TPH2 were studied at conditions replicating normal and pathological tyrosine concentrations. We observed a significant positive correlation between mean tyrosine levels and inattention symptoms. While TH exhibited prominent substrate inhibition kinetics, TPH2 activity also decreased at elevated tyrosine levels. Inhibition of both enzymes may impair syntheses of dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin in brain tissue. Inattention in treated HT‐1 patients may be related to decreased production of these monoamines. Our results support recommendations of strict guidelines on plasma tyrosine levels in HT‐1. ADHD‐related deficits, particularly inattention, should be monitored in HT‐1 patients to determine whether intervention is necessary.publishedVersio

Structure of the ALS Mutation Target Annexin A11 Reveals a Stabilising N-Terminal Segment

The functions of the annexin family of proteins involve binding to Ca2+, lipid membranes, other proteins, and RNA, and the annexins share a common folded core structure at the C terminus. Annexin A11 (AnxA11) has a long N-terminal region, which is predicted to be disordered, binds RNA, and forms membraneless organelles involved in neuronal transport. Mutations in AnxA11 have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We studied the structure and stability of AnxA11 and identified a short stabilising segment in the N-terminal end of the folded core, which links domains I and IV. The crystal structure of the AnxA11 core highlights main-chain hydrogen bonding interactions formed through this bridging segment, which are likely conserved in most annexins. The structure was also used to study the currently known ALS mutations in AnxA11. Three of these mutations correspond to buried Arg residues highly conserved in the annexin family, indicating central roles in annexin folding. The structural data provide starting points for detailed structure–function studies of both full-length AnxA11 and the disease variants being identified in ALS.publishedVersio

Ökonom: "80 Prozent der Einkommenskluft macht Mutterschaft aus"

Mehr Kindergartenplätze helfen Frauen nicht, in den Job zurückzukehren, sagt Josef Zweimüller. Wer mehr Gleichstellung will, müsse bei Betrieben ansetze