Filtern
Erscheinungsjahr
Dokumenttyp
- Dissertation (257)
- Research Paper (35)
- Bericht (15)
- Bachelorarbeit (14)
- Masterarbeit (14)
- Teil eines Buches (Kapitel) (10)
- Habilitation (7)
- Buch (Monographie) (6)
- Beitrag in Konferenzband (6)
- Diplomarbeit (5)
Sprache
- Englisch (377) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Nachhaltigkeit (27)
- Biodiversität (12)
- Export (10)
- Produktivität (10)
- Entrepreneurship (9)
- Sustainability (9)
- Deutschland (8)
- Exports (8)
- productivity (8)
- Germany (7)
Institut
- Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit (106)
- Fakultät Wirtschaftswissenschaften (66)
- Frühere Fachbereiche (50)
- Institut für Ökologie (IE) (28)
- Nachhaltigkeitsmgmt./-ökologie (19)
- VWL (15)
- Fakultät Kulturwissenschaften (14)
- Institut für Nachhaltigkeitssteuerung (INSUGO) (14)
- BWL (12)
- Institut für Nachhaltige Chemie und Umweltchemie (INUC) (12)
To respond to the challenges of the Anthropocene, scholars from various disciplines increasingly emphasize that a mere outer transformation is insufficient and that we also need an inner transformation that addresses deep leverage points. Yet, the open questions are how the inner and outer dimensions relate to each other and how inner transformation might lead to outer transformation. How we attempt to answer these questions is determined by our dominant paradigm. Paradigms define how we understand and shape the world, and thus, they define how we conceptualize challenges, such as inner and outer transformation. Various authors argue that the dominant paradigm, which is characterized by reductionism, empiricism, dualism, and determinism, might be a root cause for insufficiently addressing sustainability challenges. As an alternative, many argue for a relational paradigm, which understands complex phenomena in terms of constitutive processes and relations. A relational paradigm might offer possibilities to reconceptualize inner and outer transformation in the Anthropocene and might shed new light on how to integrate both in sustainability science. Yet, it is still being determined how a relational paradigm can contribute to the understanding of inner and outer transformations towards sustainability in the Anthropocene. Therefore, this dissertation's overarching scope is to contribute to systems change towards a more social-ecological future by generating insights into and exploring possibilities of a relational paradigm for inner and outer transformation in the Anthropocene. This thesis is divided into three sub-questions. The first research question aims to increase the theoretical understanding of a relational paradigm. The second research question aims to develop a transformative educational case study grounded in a relational, justice-oriented approach. The third research question aims to analyze how a relational paradigm might contribute to policies and practices for sustainable lifestyles. The results indicate that inner and outer transformation in the Anthropocene can be reconceptualized as paradigm-ing relationality in the Ecocene. "Paradigm-ing" as an active verb, reconceptualizes inner and outer transformation into ontologies, epistemologies, ethics, and socialecological realities that are ongoing, nonhierarchical, nonlinear, dynamic, co-creative processes of intra-action. The Ecocene decenters the human and attends to what we might be able to intra-actand become-with. These insights can offer unexplored perspectives to address sustainability challenges and increase our capacities to respond in novel ways.
This dissertation comprises three stand-alone research papers dealing with different aspects of labor market characteristics: bonus payments and the gender pay gap; second job holding; and workers un-covered by collective bargaining. The first paper investigates whether and how non-base compensation in the form of bonus payments, overtime pay, and shift premia contributes to the gender pay gap. Unionization along with collective bargaining coverage has been on the decline on recent decades. Using German administrative data, the second paper examines which workers in firms covered by col-lective bargaining agreements still individually benefit from these union agreements, which workers are not covered anymore and what this means for their wages. The third paper studies the development and persistence of second job holding in Germany after a legislative change in the year 2003 allowed the extensive dispensation of marginal second jobs from taxes and social security contributions. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, the author documents a substantial increase in second job holding in Germany since 2003 and finds in a dynamic panel model setting that there is true state dependence in second job holding.
Stretching is primarily used to improve flexibility, decrease stiffness of the muscle- tendon unit or reduce risk of injury. This cumulative dissertation includes six studies aiming to investigate the effects of long-lasting static stretching training on maximum strength capacity, hypertrophy and flexibility in the skeletal muscle. Before starting own experimental studies, a meta-analysis of available animal research was conducted to analyze the potential of long-lasting stretching interventions on muscle mass and maximum strength. To induce long-lasting stretching on the plantar flexors and to improve standardization of the stretch training by quantifying the angle in the ankle joint while stretching, a calf muscle stretching orthosis was developed. In the following experimental studies, the orthosis was used to induce daily long- lasting static stretching stimuli with different stretching durations and intensities in the plantar flexors to assess different morphological and functional parameters. For this, a total of 311 participants were included in the studies and, dependent on the investigation, the effects of daily stretching for 10-120 minutes for six weeks were analyzed. Therefore, effects on maximal isometric and dynamic strength as well as flexibility of the plantar flexors were investigated with extended and flexed knee joint. The investigation of morphological parameters of the calf muscle was performed by determining the muscle thickness and the pennation angle by using sonographic imaging and the muscle cross-sectional area by using a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging measurement. In animals, the included systematic review with meta-analysis revealed increases in muscle mass with large effect size, muscle cross-sectional area, fiber cross-sectional area, fiber length and fiber number. The thereafter performed experimental studies from the laboratory showed a range of trivial to large increases in maximum strength and ROM dependent on stretching time, training level and testing procedure. Furthermore, significant moderate to large magnitude hypertrophy effects in muscle thickness and trivial to small increases in muscle crosssectional area were demonstrated. The results are discussed based on physiological parameters from animal studies and in the front of knowledge in resistance training, suggesting mechanical tension to be one important factor to induce muscle hypertrophy and maximal strength increases. Further explanatory approaches such as hypoxia and changes in the muscle tendon unit are debated in the following. Since these studies are the first investigations on long-lasting stretch-mediated hypertrophy in humans, further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and confirm the results in different populations to enhance the practical applicability for example in clinical populations when, e.g. counteracting muscular imbalances or sarcopenia in the elderly.
Despite warnings from scientists and from society starting in the 1970s, we have long overshot our planetary boundaries – eroding biodiversity, changing our landscapes, and polluting our soil and atmosphere. Yes, efforts to change the unsustainable trajectories of our Earth system have increased through, for example, the Millennium Goals, the Sustainable Development Goals, or the Aichi Targets, but to no avail. The interventions to increase sustainability are conflicting on local, national and global levels, and often prioritise quick-fixes and short-term solutions instead of tackling the root causes of the “sustainability gap”. We, hence, need to find “places to intervene in complex systems that bring about transformative change” (Meadows 1999) – a premise and concept that Donella Meadows calls “leverage points”. Based on her seminal work, a team from the Leuphana University has identified three “realms of leverage” in which changes may lead to system transformation (Abson et al. 2017). One of these realms is the reconnection of humans to nature. In this habilitation, I focus on this realm of leverage and aim to (1) enhance the understanding of the influence of landscape change on human-nature relations through empirical, place-based research and comparisons across landscapes in different countries and continents; (2) identify and clarify the new concepts of relational values and leverage points; and (3) highlight empirical evidence on leverage points to foster human-nature relations for sustainability transformation, building mainly on empirical work done in six landscapes in Transylvania, Romania and Lower Saxony, Germany, but also including case studies from Ethiopia and India, systematic literature reviews and conceptual pieces. This thesis showed that cultural landscapes are changing with astonishingly comparable trajectories toward unsustainable futures. Our earth’s current environmental and climate crisis will continue to erode the fundaments of sustainability, hence, re-connecting humans to nature is of outstanding significance for transformative change. Identifying leverage points and implementing an intervention to strengthen human–nature relations will be a great challenge in the coming years. One possible leverage point can be strengthening experiential and emotional dimensions, as they specifically shape the connections people have with cultural landscapes. Further, this thesis highlighted the importance of the interlinkages between shallow and deep leverage points. Our results show that structurally complex landscapes and structurally rich social relations mediated by nature are interlinked and strengthening one, may strengthen the other. Moreover, strengthening sense of place and a sense of agency may enable self- and re-organization of cultural landscapes by opening the possibility to renegotiate people’s values for values and the goals of the social-ecological system, which, in turn, may enhance the structural diversity of landscapes and small-scale agriculture. Our results presented in this thesis also lay the ground for the hypothesis that degrading landscapes might also degrade social relations, which, in turn, can lead to contrasts and conflicts between actors and social groups. Although much work is still necessary to foster transformative change, this thesis offers innovative approaches. This thesis created and popularised the “Leverage points perspective”, including “chains of leverage”, as well as producing novel insights on human-nature relations – such as the distinction of human-nature connectedness and relational values, classifying relational value groups and empirically assessing dimensions of human-nature connectedness and relational values concerning landscape change and landscape features. These novel contributions can have wide-ranging impacts on the scientific discussions and societal implementation of interventions for sustainability.
Leverage points to foster human-nature relations for sustainability transformation
The emergence of sustainability as a guiding principle for tourism development came along with needs to introduce instruments that can monitor the actual impacts of tourism. Sustainability assessments in tourism (SAT) have gained popularity in recent years with a range of measurement schemes being introduced for national and subnational tourism destinations. With the help of sustainability indicators these schemes intend to guide decision-makers in making better evidence-informed decisions and to improve the overall sustainability performance of tourism. With this dissertation, the author aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the implementation and performance of sustainability assessments, by linking transformative needs of tourism with necessary assessment approaches that can serve as effective instruments for a shift towards a more sustainable tourism development. Thus, the research is part of recent efforts to establish profound and effective measurement approaches for sustainable tourism. The author employs a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative, quantitative, set-theoretic, and review methods, with the aim of maximising the validity of results. First, he explores the general progress and current state of research on sustainability assessments in tourism, with the intention to identify patterns, key elements and research gaps within assessment approaches This is followed by subsequent detailed analyses that examine specific environmental and socio-economic sustainability issues with the aim of providing conceptual, methodological and empirical solutions for assessing them in detail. The dissertation highlights that concrete assessment tools are needed for evidence-informed decision-making and the establishment of effective actions in destination management. The findings indicate that assessments will be more successful in terms of serving as tools for decision-making, if they tackle main drivers of change and encourage management or policymakers to take decisions that affect multiple sustainability issues. It also reviews different concepts and accounting principles and rises awareness of a cautious selection of methods and measurement approaches, as this may affect overall results. The thesis empirically evaluates and applies different measurement approaches in specific destinations, with the help of quantitative and qualitative data collection methodologies. In general, my thesis provides further clarification about key environmental and socio-economic measurement methodologies, which supports ongoing debates about sustainability impacts of tourism. Thus, the research contributes to knowledge, frameworks, methodologies and practical application for tourism governance and tourism sustainability science.
Artificial intelligence, most prominently in the form of machine learning, is shaping up to be one of the most transformational technologies of the 21st century. Auditors are among the professions forecasted to be the most affected by artificial intelligence, as the profession encompasses many highly structured and repetitive tasks. Automating such tasks would naturally increase the efficiency of financial statement audits. By allowing auditors to focus on higher value-added tasks, and the capability to analyze large volumes of data at a fracture of the time a human would need, artificial intelligence would also benefit the effectiveness of auditing. Despite these benefits, to this day, the actual adoption of artificial intelligence in the audit domain remains rather limited. The audit profession is highly regulated and has to consider requirements regarding, e.g. the application of professional standards, codes of conduct, and data protection obligations. Hence, the question arises of how audit firms can be supported in their efforts to adopt artificial intelligence and how machine learning systems can be designed to comply with the specific demands of the audit domain. The goal of this dissertation is to better understand the adoption of artificial intelligence in the audit domain and to actively support the adoption of artificial intelligence in auditing based on this understanding. To this end, we employ a mixture of research methods. On the one hand, the research presented here adopts a qualitative approach, examining the adoption of artificial intelligence and other advanced analytical technologies of the audit domain through taxonomy development and grounded theory. The findings of these studies inspire the second stream of work within this dissertation, which adopts a quantitative and design-oriented approach: It focuses on using machine learning to extract information from invoices for tests of details. Tests of details are essential substantive audit procedures used in nearly every audit. This dissertation proposes a new machine learning model architecture for information extraction from invoices, compares different machine learning models, and proposes design principles for machine learning pipelines for an audit application addressing the test of details through action design research.
Since its establishment, the African Union (AU) has assumed an important role in matters of peace and security on the continent. This doctoral dissertation is dedicated to its conflict and crisis interventions and seeks to identify as well as subsequently explain the broader patterns that have emerged. The dissertation posits that neither the AU's regime-serving roots, which emphasize the primacy of incumbents' parochial interests, nor the AU's problem-solving commitment, which emphasizes the pursuit of its declared organizational mission, can convincingly explain these patterns on their own. Instead, we should understand the AU as being driven by two different logics of cooperation at the same time: a problem-solving and a regime-serving logic. Across its three constitutive articles, the dissertation makes empirical as well as theoretical contributions to the existing literature. Empirically, it offers a broad and systematic analysis of AU interventions over time, across different intervention types, and without bias towards high-profile cases. The novel dataset, on which the dissertation builds, constitutes the hitherto most comprehensive effort to capture the AU's responses to crises and conflicts. Theoretically, the dissertation develops a set of testable theory-driven expectations based on the notion of two different logics of cooperation. While identifiable in the literature on the AU and linking to broader existing debates on international cooperation, the dissertation breaks ground by clearly outlining the implications of each logic and bringing them together under a single theoretical framework. Jointly, the articles provided strong evidence that the AU is indeed driven by both a problem-solving and a regime-serving logic of cooperation, and that this serves as the foundation for explaining the AU's broader intervention patterns. This contributes not only to a better understanding of AU interventions but also has a chance to enrich other important debates, including the debates on African regionalism, comparative regionalism, and multilateral interventions.