Publikationen

This chapter presents the findings of the European “LSP Teacher Training Summer School” project (TRAILs) which aims to develop an innovative LSP teacher training curriculum based on identified gaps between existing and required LSP teacher training. The paper introduces a methodological approach to collect relevant information on such programmes and provides an overview of existing training programmes in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). By synthesising the research activities carried out, the data presented relate to entry requirements, teaching and learning methods, use of information and communications technology (ICT), and credit points granted in the framework of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The results of the survey have shown that in some countries higher education institutions do not offer any LSP teacher training programmes and, where such programmes are provided, their number varies considerably. The programmes differ in terms of teaching format as well as the teaching and learning methods used. On the other hand, it seems that ICT tools are commonly used by both LSP teacher trainers and students.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a central backbone of (most) national economies. Research shows, that due to their smaller size, SMEs not only have comparatively less formalized, less complex, and less specialized organizational structures, but a somewhat different social character as well. It is in particular the interplay of these structural and cultural peculiarities of SMEs that is difficult to impart perceptibly in regular university courses on Small Business Management. From a managerial science perspective, the structural as well as social characteristics of small non-profit organizations are quite similar to the above-mentioned features of SMEs. Both types of organizations usually function in a less bureaucratic and more personal way, while also being a bit more chaotic sometimes. In addition, both are often facing the challenges of severe resource scarcity as well as a lack of management competencies. In view of these fundamental similarities between SMEs and small non-profit organizations, the practical seminar Service Learning Project was designed to provide management students at Europa-Universität Flensburg with the opportunity of experiencing typical small business work realities. Here, student teams support local non-profit organizations in meeting typical management challenges ranging from the conception and implementation of fundraising or image campaigns to internal consultancy projects. In this way, the seminar offers the possibility to deal with real-world practical management issues while concurrently strengthening students’ civic societal awareness, fostering empathy, and overcoming the oftentimes overly pronounced distance between science and life-world practice.

Within the past ten to fifteen years the concept of Employer Branding (EB) has established itself as a widely known and highly regarded concept especially among Human Resource Management practitioners. In many organizations the development, implementation and communication of a distinctive and unique employer brand is meanwhile considered an important building block for gaining a competitive advantage in the so called “war for talent”. The paper at hand aims at critically exploring the conceptual foundations of employer branding by reviewing an extensive body of EB-literature consisting of standard references, scientific journal articles, textbooks as well as practitioner-oriented literature. This review reveals several general weaknesses, discrepancies and “blind spots” which cannot simply be attributed to some few single publications but rather call for a skeptical look upon the whole concept of employer branding itself. In conclusion the authors assert that the employer branding concept widely lacks innovative novelty as well as content-related persuasiveness. It should therefore be regarded as neither more nor less than a contemporary remake of what is and has for quite some time been well known as “Internal Marketing” or “HR Marketing”.

Der Anteil von Unternehmensgründungen von Frauen im Gesundheitssektor ist in Relation zu anderen Branchen mit ca. 48 % relativ hoch. Es darf vermutet werden, dass ein Grund hierfür in dem ohnehin hohen Beschäftigungsanteil von Frauen in diesem Sektor liegt, welcher 87 % beträgt. Es darf jedoch auch angenommen werden, dass die Entscheidung für eine Gründung darin bestehen könnte, eine persönliche Verbesserung der Erwerbsarbeit zu erlangen. Diese Annahme führt zu der Frage, ob unternehmerisch selbstständige Frauen im Gesundheitssektor zufriedener mit ihrer Arbeits- und Lebenssituation sind als angestellt erwerbstätige Frauen. Auch interessiert die Frage vor dem Hintergrund eines Geschlechtervergleichs. Es wurden diesbezüglich Daten zu Arbeitszeit, Arbeitsform und Einkommen erhoben und deren Effekte auf Job- und Lebenszufriedenheit analysiert sowie abschließend diskutiert.

This chapter considers societal gender mechanisms in an effort to shed light on the antecedents of women’s entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). While numerous studies have repeatedly assessed the relevance of ESE for developing entrepreneurial intentions, making clear that women tend to express significantly lower levels of ESE, there are hardly any contributions dealing with the antecedents of ESE. Social mechanisms resulting from national cultural attitudes appear significant when it comes to this topic. By integrating gender as a category into this investigation, a major focus lies upon the analysis of societal processes of doing gender and its effect on the construction of women’s ESE. A better understanding of this construction process is an important step towards a more gender-sensitive entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports women. The following investigation of German and Danish women entrepreneurs showed that despite a higher rate of gender egalitarianism in their country, Danish women face obstacles similar to those found in Germany on their path towards becoming self-employed. In addition, founding their own business appears to be the result of an overall emancipatory process. The relation between societal processes and the construction of ESE is presented in the model of entrepreneurial self-efficacy in patriarchal structures.