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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of candidates’ perceptions of the attributes of a professional certification scheme based on competences, as well as personal factors, that may influence in the behavioral intentions toward such certification program, i.e. intention to participate in the certification process and willingness to pay for the certificate.

Based on a survey of 2,630 professionals about the “Certified Professional” program in eight European countries, the influence of the perceived attributes of the certification program and the personal characteristics of the potential candidates on their behavioral intentions are analyzed.

Difficulty and fairness of the certification process, credibility, innovativeness, international recognition and future usefulness of the professional certificate influence positively on the candidate’s likelihood of applying for being certified and the willingness to pay. Young professionals not holding a university diploma show high probability to participate in the certification process and intention to pay for the certificate.

Promotional efforts to launch a professional certification scheme should concentrate in creating strong associations of the certificate with the notions of international prestige, credibility and usefulness to enhance employability and professional growth. Segmentation criteria to increase communication effectiveness are defined.

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of professional certification programs in competences, and literature has advocated the need to investigate the perceived value of such systems in terms of benefits and barriers perceived by potential applicants for accreditation. The present paper aims at addressing this research gap.

The German network of leisure and tourism geography is analysing the concept of sustainable development in the field of tourism. This research is directed to point out the conditions for a sustainable tourism with high earnings which is accepted by the residents. Christoph Becker has published with Hubert Job and Anke Witzel an important textbook on sustainable tourism in Central Europe.

Seit Gründung des EUROPÄISCHEN TOURISMUS INSTITUTS GmbH (ETI) an der Universität Trier stellt der Kulturtourismus einen der Forschungs‐ und Beratungsschwerpunkte innerhalb der Institutsarbeit dar. Im Jahr 1992 führte das ETI mit Unterstützung der EG‐Kommission das Forschungsprojekt “Kulturtourismus in Europa/Demonstrationsvorhaben im Bi!dungs‐/Kulturtourismus” durch, dessen Ergebnisse auf dem Internationalen Symposium “Kulturtourismus in Europa: Wachstum ohne Grenzen?” im Juni 1992 in Trier vorgestellt und im weiteren dokumentiert wurden (vgl. Becker/ Steinecke 1993; Steinecke 1993a, 1993b).

Als ich im Jahre 1956 meinen Artikel über “Einige soziologische Aspekte des Fremdenverkehrs” (“Zeitschrift für Fremdenverkehr”, 11. Jg., Nr. 4) schrieb, war es noch reichlich gewagt, den Tourismus konsequent als Erscheinung der industriellen Gesellschaft, und zwar im Zusammenhang mit den Freizeitproblemen, zu behandeln. Ich hielt damals abschliessend die Zeit dafür reif, “dass mit dem ganzen Arsenal der von verschiedenen Richtungen der Soziologie erarbeiteten Begriffe, Methoden und Einsichten der Fremdenverkehr durchleuchtet würde”. Die von mir derart aufgeworfenen Fragen lagen offenbar bereits in der Luft, da nämlich schon im gleichen Jahre 1956 aus dem Seminar für Sozialwissenschaften an der Universität Hamburg, unter der Leitung des bekannten Soziologen Helmut Schelsky (jetzt in Münster in Westfalen), eine Arbeit über “Freizeit in der industriellen Gesellschaft, dargestellt an der jüngeren Generation”, von Viggo Graf Blücher, im Ferdinand Enke Verlag, Stuttgart, erschien und eine Untersuchung von Hans‐Joachim Knebel über “Soziologische Struhturwandlungen im modernen Tourismus“ ihren Abschluss fand, die aber erst im Jahre 1960 vom selben Verlag veröffentlicht wurde, und zwar in der von Jantke, Neundörfer und Schlesky edierten Schriftenreihe “Soziologische Gegenwartsfragen” (Neue Folge). Namentlich diese Schrift hat in den Kreisen der Fremdenverkehrsfachleute Beachtung gefunden und mit Recht zu vielen Diskussionen Anlass gegeben. Sie hat — man mag sich zu Knebels Feststellungen und Folgerungen stellen wie man will — in das touristische Schrifttum eine neue, wertvolle Note gebracht und wesentlich dazu beigetragen, dass man über das reichlich öde gewordene Denken mit Gäste‐ und Logiernächte‐Zahlen hinwegkommt. Die Struktur und Rolle des Fremdenverkehrs treten nun in den Rahmen der modernen Gesellschaft, und die Auswirkungen des sozialen Wandels in dieser Gesellschaft auf den Tourismus werden der Allgemeinheit bewusster. Der Durchbruch in der Betrachtungsweise ist H. J. Knebel gelungen; er hat der Blickrichtung mit seiner Untersuchung einen neuen Winkel gegeben und gezeigt, dass die Soziologie eine Fülle von Tatsachen und Anregungen zu vermitteln vermag, selbst wenn man vielleicht genötigt ist, vom wissenschaftlichen und praktischen Boden aus “keinen Stein auf dem andern zu lassen”. Seit dem Erscheinen der Dissertation hat der Verfasser an einem Meinungsaustausch von sich reden gemacht, indem er ein hypothetisches Bild des modernen Touristen entwarf, “der sich in seinen Milieupanzer einhülle, von ständiger Unrast getrieben werde, in das Vergnügen flüchte und mit sich nichts anzufangen wisse”. Als eines der stärksten Reisemotive des deutschen Touristen erkennt H. J. Knebel die Geltungssucht, die sich unter anderem im Postkartenschreiben, im häufigen Photographieren und im Sammeln von Souvenirs äussere (“Der Fremdenverkehr”, XIII. Jg., H. 1, 1961, S. 29). Die von den Reiseleitern geschilderten Beobachtungen hätten übereinstimmend den meisten der aufgestellten Behauptungen widersprochen (Mobilitätszwang, Vergnügungssucht usw.).

Offiziell gibt es in der Schweiz auf Bundesebene kein Programm zur Förderung des Oekotourismus. Es gibt Kantone und Tourismusverbände, welche einen ökologisch orientierten Tourismus anstreben. Einzelne private Anbieter machen Angebote im Segment “Oekotourismus”, z.B. River‐Rafting, Mountain‐Biking usw.

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.

The pressures of globalization in general and the specific fact of declining inward investment represent together a formidable challenge not only to the German political economy itself, but also possibly to the relevance and viability of the “Rhineland” model of capitalism. In particular, growth and changes in financial markets and the role of banks transform these various challenges into potential threats. They exacerbate the problems and difficulties Germany is experiencing in modernising not just industrial structures, procedures and practices, but also indeed its distinctive industrial culture. Two exemplars of the current crisis are examined here in detail: eastern Germany, and the Mittelstand (Germany’s SMEs). The present balance of evidence appears to indicate that successful adaptation is not occurring, with clear indications that it is primarily socio‐cultural factors which are hindering the transformation process.

The object of this research is the reconstruction of the existing legal response by European Union states to the phenomenon of immigration. It seeks to analyse the process of conferral of protection.

One main dimension is selected and discussed: the case law of the national courts. The study focuses on the legal status of immigrants resulting from the intervention of these national courts.

The research shows that although the courts have conferred an increasing protection on immigrants, this has not challenged the fundamental principle of the sovereignty of the states to decide, according to their discretionary prerogatives, which immigrants are allowed to enter and stay in their territories. Notwithstanding the differences in the general constitutional and legal structures, the research also shows that the courts of the three countries considered – France, Germany and Spain – have progressively moved towards converging solutions in protecting immigrants.

The research contributes to a better understanding of the different legal orders analysed.

The article aims at examining the ethical limits and risks of servant leadership. During the Second World War, the German army officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is a loyal servant to his nation and homeland. But when he learns about the Nazis’ mass murders and crimes, he begins to have doubts about whom he should serve. Being confronted with numerous moral dilemmas, he finally decides to join a resistance group. Of course, Stauffenberg's situation as colonel and leader was an extreme case. Time and again, however, managers and leaders are faced with similar dilemmas. Indeed, the current COVID-19-crisis shows that even today’s leaders are repeatedly faced with almost insoluble dilemmas. The recent literature about ethics and leadership suggests a philosophy which is almost portrayed as a panacea to any ethical issues: servant leadership (SL). This study, however, questions the commonly held view that SL is always ethical. The purpose of our historical case study is twofold. First, this study explores the ethical challenges Stauffenberg (and other officers) faced and how they dealt with them. Second, this study elaborates on what responses (if any) SL would provide to these challenges.

The applied method is a historical case study, in which the authors draw on a plethora of secondary literature, including books, reports, and articles.

By analyzing the historical case of “Operation Valkyrie,” this study elaborated and identified risks and limitations of SL and pointed out ways to address these risks. In particular, SL poses risks in the case of a too narrow understanding of the term “service.”

While other leadership styles, e.g. transformational leadership or charismatic leadership, have been extensively studied with regard to ethical risks, in the case of SL possible risks and limitations are still largely unexplored.

This paper seeks to explore the role of virtues in the context of management from a religious perspective. Its objective is to shed some light on the significance of Martin Luther's anthropology and theology of justification for a modern understanding of practical wisdom.

The paper reviews some passages of source literature by Martin Luther and – with side glances to Georg Simmel – reflects on basic structures of personal failure, as implied by Luther's metaphor of the self‐inclined man (homo incurvatus in se ipsum). By developing two theses, the paper proceeds to the question whether a protestant re‐formulation of practical wisdom could be useful to overcome self‐reference, not only on a personal, but also on an organisational level.

Faith and love, reformulated as virtues of practical wisdom for modern management from a protestant perspective can be understood as a receptive attitude and the ability to establish non‐instrumentalised and respectful relationships to humans. Lived by managers, they could help preventing companies and economy at large, to get caught in self‐referential, and inherently instable feedback cycles.

The change of perspective, inspired by Luther's theology of justification, enriches the notion of practical wisdom with new connotations and makes them accessible to the discourse over virtues in management.