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Sammelrezension zu: 1) Sanford M. Jacoby: Labor in the Age of Finance. Pensions, Politics, and Corporations from Deindustrialization to Dodd-Frank. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021. 368 Seiten 2) Thomas Prosser: European Labour Movements in Crisis: From decision to Indifference. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2019. 208 Seiten

Innovation and internationalization of small and medium enterprises are widely cited as decisive factors, for the sustainable growth of European economies, which are facing a deep crisis. The European Union launched in March 2010 a European strategy, called Europe 2020, to prepare the EU economy for the future, where growth is based in three dimensions: smart, sustainable and inclusive. In the Portuguese case, these factors become even more relevant, since the country is facing an unprecedented crisis that brought to the surface the vulnerabilities of its economic and financial system. This article is a case study of a small Portuguese technology based firm, where we will examine, in the light of the literature on strategic management, and the evaluation and selection of technologies, its innovation and internationalization processes, which are critical to its survival in a hypercompetitive global industry. The evaluation of new ideas and business concepts is a challenge for companies, especially in its early stages of development where there is not a tangible commercial product. This organization is launching a worldwide pioneering product, as a result of its research and development and innovation activities, and will have, if things go right, a huge successful impact on their competitiveness. The identification of the organizational characteristics that enabled the company to enhance its innovative stance, and to embrace the challenge to internationalize its activities, may help similar organizations improve their innovation and internationalization processes, which are critical to increase their competitiveness. ; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia ...

Transformative Novel Technologies are potential gamechangers for confronting climate change, biodiversity loss, and other elements of the global environmental crisis, allowing us to achieve a more sustainable future. The contemporary and future international governance of these technologies has crucial implications for managing the global transition towards sustainability. This text assesses the impact of these technologies on international politics. Rabitz examines the responses of international institutions to the emergence of these technologies, focusing on three broad domains: climate engineering, biotechnology, and mineral extraction in areas beyond national jurisdiction (the ocean floor or near-Earth asteroids). This book is aimed at a non-specialist, academic audience with interest in the international and environmental politics of sustainability and technology.

Delegating Responsibility explores the politics of migration in the European Union and explains how the EU responded to the 2015–17 refugee crisis. Based on 86 interviews and fieldwork in Greece and Italy, Nicholas R. Micinski proposes a new theory of international cooperation on international migration. States approach migration policies in many ways—such as coordination, collaboration, subcontracting, and unilateralism—but which policy they choose is based on capacity and on credible partners on the ground. Micinski traces the fifty-year evolution of EU migration management, like border security and asylum policies, and shows how EU officials used "crises" as political leverage to further Europeanize migration governance. In two in-depth case studies, he explains how Italy and Greece responded to the most recent refugee crisis. He concludes with a discussion of policy recommendations regarding contemporary as well as long-term aspirations for migration management in the EU.

Delegating Responsibility explores the politics of migration in the European Union and explains how the EU responded to the 2015–17 refugee crisis. Based on 86 interviews and fieldwork in Greece and Italy, Nicholas R. Micinski proposes a new theory of international cooperation on international migration. States approach migration policies in many ways—such as coordination, collaboration, subcontracting, and unilateralism—but which policy they choose is based on capacity and on credible partners on the ground. Micinski traces the fifty-year evolution of EU migration management, like border security and asylum policies, and shows how EU officials used "crises" as political leverage to further Europeanize migration governance. In two in-depth case studies, he explains how Italy and Greece responded to the most recent refugee crisis. He concludes with a discussion of policy recommendations regarding contemporary as well as long-term aspirations for migration management in the EU.

Delegating Responsibility explores the politics of migration in the European Union and explains how the EU responded to the 2015–17 refugee crisis. Based on 86 interviews and fieldwork in Greece and Italy, Nicholas R. Micinski proposes a new theory of international cooperation on international migration. States approach migration policies in many ways—such as coordination, collaboration, subcontracting, and unilateralism—but which policy they choose is based on capacity and on credible partners on the ground. Micinski traces the fifty-year evolution of EU migration management, like border security and asylum policies, and shows how EU officials used "crises" as political leverage to further Europeanize migration governance. In two in-depth case studies, he explains how Italy and Greece responded to the most recent refugee crisis. He concludes with a discussion of policy recommendations regarding contemporary as well as long-term aspirations for migration management in the EU.

: Covid 19 caused a crisis in the relationship between politics and expertise. In the face of the epidemic, the State has naturally set up a scientific advice to inform its management. But why does this epidemic put the usual principles of a science-based government so harsh? ; International audience ; : Covid 19 caused a crisis in the relationship between politics and expertise. In the face of the epidemic, the State has naturally set up a scientific advice to inform its management. But why does this epidemic put the usual principles of a science-based government so harsh? ; Chapô : La Covid 19 a provoqué une crise des rapports entre politique et expertise. Face à l'épidémie, l'Etat a tout naturellement constitué un conseil scientifique pour éclairer sa gestion. Mais pourquoi cette épidémie at -elle mis à si rude épreuve les principes habituels d'un gouvernement éclairé par la science ?

AbstractIn December 2015, the African Union (AU) took the unprecedented step of threatening to use military force against the government of Burundi's wishes in order to protect civilians caught up in the country's intensifying domestic crisis. This article traces the background to this decision and analyses the effectiveness and credibility of the AU's use of coercive diplomacy as a tool of conflict management. After its usual range of conflict management tools failed to stem the Burundian crisis, the AU Commission and Peace and Security Council tried a new type of military compellence by invoking Article 4(h) of the Union's Constitutive Act. We argue that the threatened intervention never materialised because of (1) the Burundian government's astute diplomacy and (2) several African autocrats' resistance to setting a precedent for future interventions where concerns about civilian protection might override state sovereignty.

This reflexive essay focuses on personal aspects of leadership, management, communication, and family experiences while chairing a U.S. social work program in higher education during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Management and leadership in context of the pandemic were also shaped by the author's research and practice perspectives, as well as personal identities and experiences. The essay explores learning some of the emotional boundaries in taking care of self, family, and a social work program during the novel coronavirus crisis.

The paper reviews the evidence on household strategies for coping with famine in Africa and identifies some distinctive patterns in these strategies which can be used to examine household objectives at times of crisis, the management of resources to meet these objectives and limits to the effectiveness of coping strategies. In particular it examines the role of asset management and trade-offs between maintaining current food consumption levels and protecting the future income generating capacity of the household. (DSE)

Times of crisis and reforms denote a first source to a better understanding of knowledge processes of political advice. The author of the volume, Paul Cairney, Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of Stirling (Scotland/UK), seizes the opportunity, retrospects existing phase models in policy process research, and analyses new developments when evidence is being used in policymaking. The volume is meant as "art and craft" advice on policy analysis for university lecturers. It provides a collection of classic policy analysis concepts and a reflection on techniques needed to a policy analysis profession facing an overcomplex environment where facts and truth are highly contested.

Israel's first response to the Covid-19 crisis demonstrated a security-based approach to a non-military national crisis. Faced with a first-of-its-kind non-military crisis of national magnitude, the government reactivated a pre-established, well-rehearsed policy protocol. It assigned the security community with the operational management of the crisis and responsibility over key strategic roles. Israel's reliance on this community is an outcome of both the health system's weakness as well as an overarching mind­set - shared by both the leadership and the public - that perceives the security community as the optimal manager of national crises. This approach curtails the development of civilian crisis capacities and enhances future dependency on the security community in national crises. It bears consequences on Israel's performance in future civilian crises: first, on its ability to devise an optimal response, second on its level of readiness to confront security threats during such crises, and third on public transparency.

The work for this thesis was done during the period 2010 to 2016, after the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and in the immediate wake of the Eurozone debt crisis that has casted doubts on European integration. With the crisis largely blamed on bank excessive risk-taking and supervisors' inability to contain it, and with the aim to prevent similar crises in the future, much of the policy discussions and regulatory actions have focused on ways to address both of these failures of market economies. One way concerns the strengthening of market discipline, i.e., strengthening the incentives and capacity of external stakeholders (depositors, shareholders and other holders of bank liabilities) to induce more prudent risktaking behavior by bank managers. Thus motivated, this thesis focuses on the channels and effectiveness of market discipline. Said differently, it explores whether, and how, market forces could be trusted to do a better job in containing risk-taking behavior by banks and thus effectively support and supplement supervisors' efforts. From a policy-making point of view, the thesis explores whether market discipline can promote financial stability. The thesis comprises of three empirical papers. The first explores whether the expected government support of banks, implicit or explicit, weakens market discipline. The second explores whether the intrusive external monitoring by knowledgeable and influential external stakeholders fosters more prudent loan-loss provisions and, hence, more prudent accounting practices by banks. The third paper extends the second, taking into account the role of the institutional and social environment in an international setting. The results from all three papers are supportive of the notion that market discipline can promote financial stability. Details follow. The first paper explores whether expected government support weakens market discipline by bank shareholders, especially after the eruption of the global financial crisis in 2008. Two counter-veiling forces are at work. On the one hand, as it is suggested by the related literature, the expected support may give banks greater leeway to undertake risks, for it reduces the monitoring incentives of depositors and other bank creditors. Shareholders, recognizing the resultant higher probability of default as well as the possibility that they might be wiped out in case of bank default, have an incentive to intensify monitoring and exercise stronger market discipline. On the other hand, the expected support may also reduce the possibility of a bank run, weakening as a result the need for monitoring by bank shareholders and, hence, market discipline on their part. Expected support is measured as the difference of two bank credit ratings from Moody's: an all-in rating, which encompasses expected support, and a stand-alone rating, which does not. We estimate a model in which a forward-looking measure of shareholder value, the market-to-book ratio, is the dependent variable and the measure of expected support is one of the explanatory variables. A negative coefficient of the expected support would be consistent with market discipline for it would indicate that shareholders are willing to pay less for banks with higher expected support The results, from a sample of about 250 banks worldwide, indicate that, far from weakening market discipline by shareholders, the expected support strengthens it, and more so for the riskier banks – i.e., those with lower stand-alone rating. The results also highlight the two counter-veiling effects of the expected support on market discipline. Specifically, as the size of the expected support increases, its negative effect on the market-to-book ratio decreases. The second paper sheds light on earnings management via loan-loss provisions (LLPs) and the associated trade-off between financial-statement transparency and financial stability, by exploiting time and cross-sectional variation. The time variation pertains to the welldocumented shift towards more forward-looking LLPs after the crisis of 2008. The working hypothesis is that the rules concerning LLPs effectively shifted in favor of forward-looking provisions. This shift is expected to be associated with stronger income smoothing and signaling, and more so for banks subject to weaker market discipline. The cross sectional variation pertains to the intrusive external monitoring by funds that are members of the US Sustainability Investment Forum (USSIF). The working hypothesis is that this process amounts to stronger monitoring and, hence, stronger market discipline. Thus, it is expected that income smoothing and signaling will be weaker for the banks in which USSIF funds invest relative to the remaining banks. Moreover, after the said shift in supervisory and regulatory preferences, income smoothing and signaling will increase by less for banks in which USSIF funds invest. The results, from a sample of more than 300 publicly-held US bank holding companies, over the period 1999 – 2014, confirm that the banks under the intrusive monitoring exhibit less earnings management. Since, however, this differential behavior got more pronounced after the regulatory shift, the results further suggest that USSIF funds induce provisioning behavior that goes well beyond the stricter application of the existing accounting and supervisory rules, thus ameliorating the aforementioned trade-off. The third paper explores whether the inclusion of a bank in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) reduces bank managers' incentives for earnings management through loan-loss provisions. The inclusion in the DJSI depends on a rigorous bank assessment, conducted each year. The working hypothesis is that being included in the DJSI constitutes a credible signal to outside stakeholders of prudent behavior. An aspect of such behavior is less earnings management through loan-loss provisions. The results from a sample of 297 banks around the globe, over the period 2004 – 2010, indicate that banks included in the DJSI engage in less earnings management relative to the banks that were assessed but not included. This more prudent provisioning behavior persists when we control for the strength of private sector monitoring with country-level indices for private sector monitoring and the quality of external audits. Yet, it largely diminishes when we control for the strength of supervisory power and capital regulation. The last result poses an interesting question: Is stronger supervision a substitute of market discipline? Or, is the DJSI assessment process geared towards accepting more banks from countries with stronger supervision; All in all, the papers in this thesis highlight the important and decisive role market discipline plays in the financial system. They suggest that shareholders, probably driven by the objective difficulty of accurately assessing banks' true condition and prospects, appreciate credible signals of prudent behavior. The results are also supportive of the power of external monitoring as a restraining factor in bank-managers' risk-taking.

Una de las principales causas para la liquidación total de una empresa son una incorrecta administración financiera y el mal manejo de flujo de caja; en el caso del transporte aéreo esto no es la excepción. En este trabajo se presenta un estudio de caso de tres aerolíneas: Lufthansa, Avianca y Mexicana de Aviación. Tres empresas de transporte aéreo que se han enfrentado a diferentes crisis a lo largo de su historia, lo cual ha permitido cotejar su reacción ante estas crisis y los resultados en cuando a su liquidez. Para realizar esta comparación se analizaron los diferentes factores externos, ambientales, sociales, políticos y económicos que influyeron en el flujo de caja de las compañías, así como un análisis de diversos indicadores económicos que permitirían medir los niveles de liquidez. Por un lado, los resultados de este estudio denotan el nivel de preparación de cada una de estas empresas ante los cambios cíclicos de la industria y la capacidad para sostenerse en las diferentes externalidades que se puedan presentar en el tiempo. Por otro lado, las comparaciones presentadas evidencian que tanto los factores externos y las variables del mercado son fundamentales para la estabilidad de las empresas aeronáuticas; sin embargo, es menester centrarse en el estudio del comportamiento del flujo de caja, ya que el mal manejo y la reducción de este es el principal factor de la liquidación de una empresa, como fue el caso de Mexicana de Aviación y su sobreendeudamiento. ; Incorrect financial management and poor cash management are the main causes for the total liquidation of a company, and in the case of air transport this is no exception. The paper presents a case study of three airlines, Lufthansa, Avianca and Mexicana de Aviación. They have faced different crises throughout their history, which has made it possible to compare their reaction to the crises and their results in terms of liquidity. For this comparison, the different external, environmental, social, political and economic factors that impacted the cash flow of the companies were analyzed, as well as different economic indicators that allow measuring liquidity levels. The results of this study show the level of preparation of each one of these companies in the face of cyclical changes in the industry and the ability to sustain themselves against the external factors that may have occurred over time. On the other hand, the comparisons presented show that both, external factors and market variables, are fundamental for the stability of aeronautical companies, however, it is necessary to focus on the study of the cash flow, since this is the main source to guide us over the liquidation of a company, as it was the case of Mexicana de Aviación and its over-indebtedness.