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SUMMARYThis article sheds light on a surprisingly persistent gap in economic theory: Economists have extensively studied agency relationships between principals and agents, but economic analysis has traditionally been preoccupied with problems created by agents rather than principals. Principal‐agent theory traditionally neglects opportunism on part of the principals. As a result, economic theory fails to fully explain gaps in economic performance. Even worse, the for decades biased concept of opportunism has shaped generations of students in economics and business and thus has contributed to deficient managerial and economic outcomes.Under the presumption that not only agents but also principals demonstrate opportunistic behavior, the economic definition of opportunism as established by Oliver Williamson is further developed. This contribution extends the concept of opportunism to principals. The principal's illegitimate interference with the autonomy of the agent is discussed which shows that whilst agent opportunism largely rests on information asymmetry, principal opportunism feeds itself off power asymmetries. In an interdisciplinary effort and building on recent research in the area of bullying and mobbing, the economic rationale of principal opportunism is explained with the help of a simple game‐theoretic model. On this basis, it is demonstrated how a more balanced perception of principal agent relationships can contribute to an updated theory of the firm.

Main description: this book brings together a variety of topics, covering the broad range of issues that are associated with deep biosphere exploration. In order to explain our observations from deep subsurface ecosystems it is necessary to develop interdisciplinary approaches, ranging from microbiology and geochemistry to physics and modeling. This volume will be of high interest to biologists, chemists and earth scientists all working on the deep biosphere.

The existence of diverse and active microbial ecosystems in the deep subsurface – a biosphere that was originally considered devoid of life – was discovered in multiple microbiological studies. However, most of the studies are restricted to marine ecosystems, while our knowledge about the microbial communities in the deep subsurface of lake systems and their potentials to adapt to changing environmental conditions is still fragmentary. This doctoral thesis aims to build up a unique data basis for providing the first detailed high-throughput characterization of the deep biosphere of lacustrine sediments and to emphasize how important it is to differentiate between the living and the dead microbial community in deep biosphere studies. In this thesis, up to 3.6 Ma old sediments (up to 317 m deep) of the El'gygytgyn Crater Lake were examined, which represents the oldest terrestrial climate record of the Arctic. Combining next generation sequencing with detailed geochemical characteristics and other environmental parameters, the ...

The increase in atmospheric methane concentration, which is determined by an imbalance between its sources and sinks, has led to investigations of the methane cycle in various environments. Aquatic environments are of an exceptional interest due to their active involvement in methane cycling worldwide and in particular in areas sensitive to climate change. Furthermore, being connected with each other aquatic environments form networks that can be spread on vast areas involving marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Thus, aquatic systems have a high potential to translate local or regional environmental and subsequently ecosystem changes to a bigger scale. Many studies neglect this connectivity and focus on individual aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems. The current study focuses on environmental controls of the distribution and aerobic oxidation of methane at the example of two aquatic ecosystems. These ecosystems are Arctic fresh water bodies and the Elbe estuary which represent interfaces between freshwater-terrestrial and freshwater-marine environments, respectively.

The increase in atmospheric methane concentration, which is determined by an imbalance between its sources and sinks, has led to investigations of the methane cycle in various environments. Aquatic environments are of an exceptional interest due to their active involvement in methane cycling worldwide and in particular in areas sensitive to climate change. Furthermore, being connected with each other aquatic environments form networks that can be spread on vast areas involving marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Thus, aquatic systems have a high potential to translate local or regional environmental and subsequently ecosystem changes to a bigger scale. Many studies neglect this connectivity and focus on individual aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems. The current study focuses on environmental controls of the distribution and aerobic oxidation of methane at the example of two aquatic ecosystems. These ecosystems are Arctic fresh water bodies and the Elbe estuary which represent interfaces between freshwater-terrestrial and freshwater-marine environments, respectively.

Lehrende an Hochschulen sind zunehmend gefordert, fachliche, theoriebasierte Inhalte mit klar erkennbarem Praxisbezug zu versehen, um die Studierenden bei der Entwicklung beruflich bedeutsamer Kompetenzen zu fördern, die deutlich über ein reines Fach-und Methodenwissen hinausgehen. Hierzu bietet sich in vielen Fachbereichen die Anwendung von Fallstudien oder Rollenspielen an. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird ein Modul im Management-Studium vorgestellt und kritisch reflektiert, das eine umfangreiche, über zwölfWochen fortschreitende Großstudie narrativ in einem herausfordernden Praxiskontext verankert. Die bisherigen Erkenntnisse und Erfahrungen werden umfassend evaluiert und analysiert. Konsequenzenund Empfehlungen hinsichtlich einer möglichen Übertragung desmultimedial angelegten Konzeptes auf andere Anwendungsfälle schließen sich an.

This thesis investigates how the permafrost microbiota responds to global warming. In detail, the constraints behind methane production in thawing permafrost were linked to methanogenic activity, abundance and composition. Furthermore, this thesis offers new insights into microbial adaptions to the changing environmental conditions during global warming. This was assesed by investigating the potential ecological relevant functions encoded by plasmid DNA within the permafrost microbiota. Permafrost of both interglacial and glacial origin spanning the Holocene to the late Pleistocene, including Eemian, were studied during long-term thaw incubations. Furthermore, several permafrost cores of different stratigraphy, soil type and vegetation cover were used to target the main constraints behind methane production during short-term thaw simulations. [...]

The Arctic region is especially impacted by global warming as temperatures in high latitude regions have increased and are predicted to further rise at levels above the global average. This is crucial to Arctic soils and the shallow shelves of the Arctic Ocean as they are underlain by permafrost. Perennially frozen ground is a habitat for a large number and great diversity of viable microorganisms, which can remain active even under freezing conditions. Warming and thawing of permafrost makes trapped soil organic carbon more accessible to microorganisms. They can transform it to the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. On the other hand, it is assumed that thawing of the frozen ground stimulates microbial activity and carbon turnover. This can lead to a positive feedback loop of warming and greenhouse gas release. Submarine permafrost covers most areas of the Siberian Arctic Shelf and contains a large though unquantified carbon pool. However, submarine permafrost is not only affected by changes in the thermal ...

The Arctic region is especially impacted by global warming as temperatures in high latitude regions have increased and are predicted to further rise at levels above the global average. This is crucial to Arctic soils and the shallow shelves of the Arctic Ocean as they are underlain by permafrost. Perennially frozen ground is a habitat for a large number and great diversity of viable microorganisms, which can remain active even under freezing conditions. Warming and thawing of permafrost makes trapped soil organic carbon more accessible to microorganisms. They can transform it to the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. On the other hand, it is assumed that thawing of the frozen ground stimulates microbial activity and carbon turnover. This can lead to a positive feedback loop of warming and greenhouse gas release. Submarine permafrost covers most areas of the Siberian Arctic Shelf and contains a large though unquantified carbon pool. However, submarine permafrost is not only affected by changes in the thermal ...