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Outlines the quality management process employed by BASF in manufacturing its 8,000 products (from chemical feedstocks to clothing). The process involves integrating the efforts of employees to meeting the demands of the market as effectively and efficiently as possible.

The purpose of this paper is to propose an enhanced conceptual model for the integrated public service (IPS) functionality of the European interoperability framework (EIF). The enhanced model incorporates co-creation within the three stages of the IPS cycle. While co-creation can provide innovative routes to overcome interoperability challenges, how co-creation can be a part of the EIF has not been tackled before (Casiano Flores, et al., 2021).

A preferred Reporting Items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses scoping literature review was used to develop the model and identify decisive aspects of co-creation, service users and service providers. Next, a purposive snowball sampling of grey literature comprising primarily of official documentation produced by the European Union was then undertaken to further inform the central argument. Finally, the subsequent validation of the model and derived conclusions was undertaken both internally and externally by peers and experts.

Relationships between key sets of actors during co-creation are bi-directional. Furthermore, different sets of actors are, in turn, service providers and service users depending on the service provided and the stage in the public service cycle under consideration. Understanding these bi-directional interrelationships can help improve public services provided by governmental actors through collaboration with users.

Most public service delivery models see relationships between key stakeholders as unidirectional and one-dimensional. By contrast, this study proposes a shift in paradigm where IPS users are not passive actors and mere consumers of services but instead are key stakeholders actively participating in IPS provision.

The purpose of this paper is to ask what role robustness plays in current medicine and in how far medical practices influence human robustness and thus the ability to be adapted and survive under changing conditions.

In order to do this Bateson's concepts of learning and network pathologies are applied to the medical topic of immune reaction.

Current medical research does not take sufficiently into account that natural stimuli and therapeutic interventions might lead to a large‐scale of changes. This is mainly due to the lack of related epistemological tools.

This lack leads to a restricted validity of many medical findings. There is even some evidence that the current therapeutic approach might lead to a decline of human robustness.

This paper shows how systemic concepts can contribute to a deeper understanding of the therapeutic processes.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possible advantages of applying prediction markets to supply network management. Are the same encouraging results possible as in the election application of prediction markets?

This is a paper focused on the requirements and the possible results of the application based on the literature for supply network management and prediction markets. It discusses the potential of prediction markets to improve information management in supply networks.

The paper finds that prediction markets are a new instrument to collect the diverse information among the supply chain members, and to publish this information to the other members.

Prediction markets are able to improve the information basis for decision making in supply chains.

This paper shows the application of prediction markets in a supply network management case and the possibilities and limitations of prediction markets to collect, and publish information within the supply chain.

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.

Focusing on symbolic brands, this paper aims to re-test whether perceived â€∼fit’ between the personality of the parent brand, and the brand extension causes consumers to the feel increased affect towards the brand extension. The contention is that high brand personality fit causes consumers to like the brand extension more because, like the parent brand, consumers can use the brand extension to maintain and project a desirable self-identity. This relationship is obscured because consumers process brand personality fit as part of the overall brand image fit; therefore, the potential mediating role of brand image is tested. Consumers differ in their self-monitoring disposition as well, which may explain differences in response to perceived personality fit. Therefore, the potential moderating role of self-monitoring is tested.

Using an experimental design, respondents viewed an advertisement for a brand extension that showed either congruent, moderately incongruent or incongruent personality fit with the parent brand. This was completed for four symbolic brands: two watch brands and two motor vehicle brands.

The results indicate that brand personality fit between the brand extension and the parent brand is causally related to affect felt towards the brand extension, but that this relationship is fully mediated by image fit for the BMW brand and partially mediated for Volkswagen Beetle, Omega and Swatch. For BMW and Swatch, the relationship between the independent variable personality fit and the mediator variable image fit is positively moderated by the self-monitoring disposition of the consumer.

The implication is that, while marketers can communicate a wide range of attributes when advertising brand extensions, marketers of symbolic brands should clearly demonstrate brand personality fit as an important component of brand image fit. This is even more important for consumers with a high self-monitoring disposition.

The study conclusively tests the importance of personality fit for symbolic brands, the mediating role of brand image and the interaction effect of self-monitoring on personality fit. These findings contribute to the research literature and help marketers to manage the level of personality fit that should be emphasized in their marketing communications.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the empirical research on project management (PM) maturity assessments, specifically based on a maturity model.

The empirical data are based on a case study including in-depth interviews with a semi-structured approach, followed by a focus group interview. A survey was distributed within a project-based organisation (PBO) and to client and stakeholder representatives, and then analysed. The organisation in the case study is a project department within a Swedish mining company.

Careful considerations are needed when choosing a PM maturity model (PM3) as the model structure can influence the assessment’s focus. It is also important to include both internal and external project stakeholders in the assessment to achieve an efficiency and effectiveness perspective when analysing PM capabilities. Valid information from an assessment is crucial, therefore, clear communication from management is important in order to motivate the participants in the assessment.

Improved understanding for implementing and applying a PM3 contributes to the increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles when assessing PM maturity, which also creates a basis for further research initiatives.

An increased knowledge of drivers, enablers and obstacles should be valuable for practitioners introducing and applying a PM3.

Projects are a common way of working in many businesses. Activities which aim to improve PM capabilities should contribute to more effective and efficient project performance.

This case study gives an in-depth insight into the implementation of a PM3 within a PBO. Through conducting a literature review, it was found that this type of empirical research is rare.

According to the German penal code, offenders can basically be sanctioned to a prison sentence or (in cases of misdemeanours) to a fine. If an offender is sentenced to a fine, but is not able or willing to make the payment, then the German state can administer a custodial sentence as a replacement. This is called an “Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe” (EFS). The proportion of EFS prisoners accounts for 10% of the German prison population and thus appears to be strikingly high considering the consequences of an imprisonment for the detainee. It has been considered that this is due to high levels of mental disorders in the population of EFS prisoners. This article thus aims at delineating the prevalence of mental disorders in EFS prisoners according to socio‐demographic data and ICD‐10 diagnoses of two recent German studies. Results of these studies indicate that EFS prisoners indeed are for the most part socially and economically deprived and show a high prevalence of mental disorders. It is argued that their resulting lack of social competence may lead to incapability of avoiding their fee being converted into a prison sentence. As a consequence EFSs have to be seen as supporting social stigmatization and risking a further exclusion from society.

So far, sustainability reporting in higher education is in a very early stage – partly, because of the lack of an established and widely recognized sustainability reporting framework for higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, a modification of the sustainability code for the use in the higher education context was recently developed in Germany. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate this modification from an academic point of view.

The evaluation of the sustainability code is based on selected reporting principles drawn from frameworks of sustainability and financial reporting.

The evaluation shows that to a large extent, the modification of the sustainability code for HEIs contributes to the fulfillment of the selected reporting principles. However, it also became evident that there is still room for improvement, especially in terms of clarity and the inclusion of material aspects.

The need for an implementation manual regarding the modified HEI-specific sustainability code is emphasized, as the sustainability code requires further clarification to be manageable for HEIs.

This paper provides suggestions for the further development of a sustainability reporting guideline for HEIs to enhance its alignment with both sustainability reporting principles and the needs of HEIs.

The objective of this paper is to assess the effect of the socio‐economic status (SES) on long‐term outcomes of a family‐based obesity treatment intervention in prepubertal children. A total of 52 overweight and 26 normal weight children were investigated. Nutritional status, intake of fruit, vegetables and low fat foods, in‐between meals, sports club membership, frequency of exercise and daily television viewing were measured before intervention (t₀ and after a mean period of 1.3 years (t₁. The result obtained indicate that a low SES may serve as a barrier against family‐based intervention. The data provide evidence for the idea that there is need for social stratification of future measures of health promotion within families.