Journal Article
Nachhaltige Resonanzräume in der Lebensmittelindustrie - Analyse betrieblicher Veränderungsprozesse bei den Praxispartnern des Modellversuchs "NaReLe"
Clausen, Lea; Kabitzsch, Robert
2021|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1451

Im Zentrum der 2015 von den Staats- und Regierungschefs der 193 Mitgliederstaaten der Vereinten Nationen verabschiedeten Agenda 2030 stehen die 17 Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs). Bei der Umsetzung der SDGs spielt Bildung eine tragende Rolle, insbesondere auch eine berufliche Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BBNE). Das BIBB fördert Modellversuche, die einen nachhaltigkeitsbezogenen Kompetenzerwerb unter den realen Bedingungen beruflichen Handelns unterstützen und in denen Akteure aus Praxis, Wissenschaft und Politik kooperieren. Hierzu zählt u. a. das Projekt "Nachhaltige Resonanzräume in der Lebensmittelindustrie" (NaReLe). Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, betriebliche Veränderungsprozess der an diesem Modellprojekt mitwirkenden Unternehmen zu erfassen und zu untersuchen. Dabei soll herausgearbeitet werden, inwieweit bei den Praxispartnern durch die Projektteilnahme nachhaltige betriebliche Veränderungsprozesse initiiert wurden.

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Journal Article
Strukturelle Verankerung von Nachhaltigkeit in der beruflichen Bildung – Neue Berufsbildposition „Nachhaltigkeit und Umweltschutz"
Hemkes, Barbara
2021|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1450

Lange Zeit hat die Berufsbildung gezögert, Nachhaltigkeit formal in ihre Ordnungsmittel zu integrieren. Trotz vielfältiger Aktivitäten blieb eine Berufsbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BBNE) in den Betrieben und berufsbildenden Schulen ein eher randständiges Thema. Mit der neuen Standardberufsbildposition (SBP) „Umweltschutz und Nachhaltigkeit“, die am 1. August 2021 in Kraft getreten ist, ist Nachhaltigkeit erstmalig formal in der Berufsbildung verankert. Verbunden sind damit große Hoffnungen, die Leitidee nachhaltiger Entwicklung nun breit in die Praxis der Berufsbildung hineintragen zu können. Im Folgenden wird die neue Standardberufsbildposition „Umweltschutz und Nachhaltigkeit“ vorgestellt und danach gefragt, welche Anforderungen und Chancen daraus für die BBNE in Praxis, Politik und Wissenschaft der Berufsbildung resultieren.

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Journal Article
Feasibility and efficacy of a digital resilience training: A pilot study of the strengths-based training RESIST
Behrendt, Dörte; Boß, Leif; Hannibal, Sandy; Kunzler, Angela M.; Wessa, Michèle; Lehr, Dirk
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1453

Background: Work-related stress is a risk factor for a number of adverse health and work outcomes. Resilience trainings are a promising approach for adequately dealing with work stress and keeping employees mentally healthy. However, results of previous resilience trainings have been heterogeneous, ranging from null findings to large effects. Existing digital resilience interventions show a lack of consistency in terms of an underlying theoretical framework and methods used to foster resilience. Positive Appraisal Style Theory of Resilience offers an innovative conceptualization of resilience. Strengths-based cognitive behavioral therapy is a corresponding therapeutically method reflecting resilience as a resource-oriented process of dealing with stress. Based on this background, a new hybrid web-and app-based digital resilience intervention for employees named RESIST was developed. Objective: The first aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of the newly developed training RESIST regarding its usability, user behavior, user experience and motivation to use. Second, the study sought to explore preliminary effects of the intervention on reducing stress and enhancing resilience by conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods: The feasibility study was conducted in three phases. First, the usability of the app was investigated in a pre-test with five participants using a thinking-aloud method. Second, the preliminary efficacy of the training was examined in a pilot randomized controlled trial. A sample of 30 employees were randomized either to receive the resilience training (n = 15) or to be member of a control group (n = 15). The primary outcome was measuring perceived stress. Secondary outcomes included measures of resilience and depressive symptoms. Third, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with six participants of the resilience training group on training content, motivation for use, and user experience. Results: Overall, results indicate that RESIST can be a feasible training for resilience promotion and stress reduction with high user satisfaction. Analysis of covariance showed that, relative to controls, participants who received RESIST reported significantly lower stress scores at post-intervention (F1,27 = 16.91, p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.57; 95 % CI 0.71–2.43) than controls. Significant differences, with moderate-to-large effect sizes, were also detected for general resilience and various resilience factors. Conclusions: Results are promising and provide hope that a hybrid web- and app-based resilience intervention based on strengths-based cognitive behavioral therapy can have a positive impact on dealing adequately with stress and improve resilience of employees.

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Journal Article
Feasibility of orbital friction stir welding on clad pipes of API X65 steel and Inconel 625
Amavisca, Carla; Bergmann, Luciano; de Lima Lessa, Cleber Rodrigo; Schroeder, J. G.; Dornelles Ramos, Fabiano; Lemos, Guilherme Vieira Braga; Reguly, Afonso; Klusemann, Benjamin
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1449

Orbital friction stir welding (FSW) has been applied to clad pipes, which is certainly of interest to the oil and gas industry. In this context, an FSW system capable of performing sound joints in one pass with full tool penetration was developed. Orbital FSW was executed in 6 mm thick API X65 PSL2 steel clad pipes with 3 mm thick Inconel 625 using a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (pcBN) tool. The metallurgical and mechanical properties of the joints were investigated. Sound joints with axial forces of 45–50 kN, tool rotational speeds of 400–500 rpm, and a welding speed of 2 mm/s were obtained, illustrating that the developed system can perform FSW joints without volumetric defects.

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Journal Article
Mismatches in the ecosystem services-wellbeing nexus: a case study for Chilean Patagonia
Benra, Felipe; Nahuelhual, Laura; Felipe-Lucia, María R.; Oh, Rachel R. Y.; Kachler, Jana; Bonn, Aletta
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1448

The supply of ecosystem services (ES) is commonly assumed to be linked to human wellbeing within socio-ecological systems. However, these linkages are seldom assessed using quantitative approaches at large scales and low spatial resolution. Here, we investigated the complex bidirectional linkages between ES supply and material wellbeing (income) using data from 382,199 rural properties in 178 municipalities from Chilean Patagonia. We assessed two model groups using structural equation modeling (SEM), wherein the first group assumed an impact of ES supply on wellbeing and the second postulated the opposite impact, with wellbeing affecting ES supply. For each group we run a separate SEM per ES category (i.e. provisioning, regulating, and cultural), making a total of six SEM analyzed. We found that neither model group was significantly stronger than the other, as the linkage between ES supply and material wellbeing was not significant in any model. Each model differed notably in their significant path coefficients, with models for cultural and regulating ES showing a better fit than for provisioning ES. We therefore assert that previously assumed links between ES and material wellbeing do not necessarily hold at larger spatial scales and in contexts where rural economies are more diverse and less dependent on natural capital. Understanding ES supply-wellbeing dynamics and how they vary across spatial and temporal scales is important for fostering sustainable socio-ecological systems.

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Journal Article
Non-material contributions of nature expressed by former tourists of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Pearson, Jasmine; Gross, Milena; Hofmann, Johanna
2024|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1447

Nature-based tourism provides an outlet for people to experience non-material nature's contributions to people (NCP) and can even promote care for nature. Yet, the literature on NCP is still dominated by studies on regulating and material NCP, with limited research on non-material contributions. Semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation methods were conducted online with 38 former tourists who have hiked Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, to investigate NCP experiences during their hiking journey. Drawing on the guiding principles of the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an interwoven approach was used to link context-specific NCP expressed by tourists to the generalizing perspective. Ten context-specific non-material NCP emerged including Aesthetic experiences; Learning and life-changing perspectives; New and unique experiences; and Social cohesion and bonding. All context-specific NCP were linked back to the generalizing perspective, with most NCP falling under the generalizing category of Physical and psychological experiences. This paper reveals the unique and diverse ways that nature contributes to people's lives, promoting the visibility of multiple perspectives and their incorporation into biodiversity conservation and sustainable management strategies. Through an interwoven approach, NCP can be compared on a universal scale while respecting the context-specificity of human–nature interactions across different social-ecological contexts.

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Journal Article
The explanatory power of Carnegie Classification in predicting engagement indicators: a multilevel analysis
Gök, Enes; Aydin, Burak
2024|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1446

The study aims to explore the effect of the type of higher education institution on students’ engagement. The meta-analyses of multilevel regression coefficients revealed significant relationships between the type of higher education institution and student engagement indicators across the years from 2013 to 2019. Comparing different types of higher education institutions with the base category, our findings revealed significant differences in effective teaching practices, discussion with diverse others, and student-faculty interaction consistent throughout the years. These findings are expected to provide insights for institutional administrators, policymakers, and researchers given that student engagement in higher education has become an indicator of quality all around the world.

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Journal Article
Drivers of ecosystem service specialization in a smallholder agricultural landscape of the Global South: a case study in Ethiopia
Brück, Maria; Fischer, Joern; Law, Elizabeth; Schultner, Jannik; Abson, David J.
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1445

The global shift toward agricultural specialization in the 20th century led to unprecedented ecological and socioeconomic changes, both positive and negative, in rural landscapes. Economic theory describes comparative advantage and market participation as two important drivers of such changes. Landscapes in the Global South are still often characterized by subsistence agriculture and direct dependence on natural ecosystem processes. Agricultural specialization is part of the structural transformation process from subsistence to market-oriented agriculture. However, comparative advantage and market participation as major drivers for agricultural specialization remain understudied. In this paper, we assess the potential drivers of ecosystem service specialization in an Ethiopian smallholder landscape at the kebele level, the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia. We measured specialization via the concentration of production for a range of locally important provisioning ecosystem services (beef, cattle, coffee, eucalyptus, honey, maize, sorghum, and teff). We measured comparative advantage based on productivity data, and assessed spatial flows of ecosystem services to local, regional, and global markets (i.e., telecoupling). To unpack the relationships between specialization, comparative advantage, and telecoupling, we used hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis, correlation analysis, and linear regression. More telecoupled kebeles (i.e., kebeles that produced more of ecosystem services that flow to broader spatial scales) were more specialized in their ecosystem service production, and the positive relationship between comparative advantage and specialization grew stronger with altitude. Wealthier kebeles and kebeles with higher population density were less specialized. Biophysical drivers, such as altitude and amount of forest cover, influenced the ecosystem services produced and the relationship between comparative advantage and specialization. Policy makers should therefore try to balance potential positive and negative consequences of specialization, and to account for fine-scale social and biophysical drivers underpinning diverse ecosystem service production profiles.

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Journal Article
Resilience principles and a leverage points perspective for sustainable woody vegetation management in a social-ecological system of southwestern Ethiopia
Shumi, Girma; Wahler, Hannah; Riechers, Maraja; Senbeta, Feyera; Abson, David J.; Schultner, Jannik; Fischer, Joern
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1444

Addressing ecosystem destruction and unsustainable development requires appropriate frameworks to comprehensively investigate social-ecological systems. Focusing on woody plant management in southwestern Ethiopia, we combined social-ecological resilience and a leverage points perspective to (1) assess how stakeholders perceive and operationalize resilience principles; (2) investigate resilience challenges and solutions across different levels of systemic depth; and (3) assess how different stakeholder groups noted challenges and solutions at different levels of system depth. Data were collected in focus group discussions with multiple types of stakeholders and analyzed via quantitative content and descriptive analysis. All stakeholder groups identified two principles currently applied in the landscape, while other principles were not currently applied widely. In total, we identified 37 challenges and 44 solutions to resilience, mainly focused on “deeper” systemic change. This trend was noted across stakeholder groups, but particularly by local people. Based on our work, we suggest to foster bottom-up changes in system goals, rules, paradigms, and intent, drawing explicitly on local people and their knowledge. More broadly, we suggest that further research on combining social-ecological resilience and leverage points perspectives could be helpful to better navigate and transform social-ecological systems.

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Journal Article
Applying Thematic Analysis to Analyse Press Coverage in Cross-Country Comparative Research: A Qualitative Study Protocol
Herzog, Christian; Kelly, Peter
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1443

The aim of this exploratory study is to investigate similarities and differences in how the press report on school education and policy in England and Germany. For the purpose of analysing relevant regional and national press coverage, we will create four data sets. Inspired by Bourdieu’s theories of the state and work in relation to news media, and applying thematic analysis, we will investigate which specific contents are reported and how issues are covered. To provide contextual information we will also survey who is given voice in the data and which article types are prevalent. Time frame and sample size for this study are determined by balancing the partly conflicting goals of (a) paying due attention to the exploratory ethos of the investigation, (b) analysing a relatively large number of articles, and (c) working with a manageable size of the data set. On the basis of the empirical findings, we will draw conclusions about the relationship between educational policy and the press, adopting a cross-country comparative perspective.

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Journal Article
Existential insecurity and deference to authority: the pandemic as a natural experiment
Foa, Roberto Stefan; Welzel, Christian
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1442

Introduction: The global coronavirus pandemic offers a quasi-experimental setting for understanding the impact of sudden exposure to heightened existential risk upon both individual and societal values. Methods: We examined the effect of the pandemic on political attitudes by comparing data from eight countries surveyed before and after the worldwide spread of COVID-19 in March 2020 with continuous weekly polling tracker data from the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2021. Multilevel models were used to explore the drivers of change, and the results indicated that reported emotions of fear and stress were positively associated with institutional approval during periods of greater pathogen risk. Results: Our findings revealed that support for political and technocratic authority, as well as satisfaction with political institutions, rose significantly above long-term historical baselines during the pandemic. Discussion: The results support the hypothesis that exposure to existential risk results in greater support for authority and that individual feelings of insecurity may be linked to less critical citizen orientations.

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Journal Article
Toward spatial fit in the governance of global commodity flows
Coenen, Johanna; Sonderegger, Gabi; Newig, Jens; Meyfroidt, Patrick; Challies, Edward; Bager, Simon L.; Busck Lumholt, Louise Marie; Corbera, Esteve; Friis, Cecilie; Pedersen, Anna Frohn; Laroche, Perrine; Parra Paitan, Claudia; Qin, Siyu; Roux, Nicolas; Zaehringer, Julie Gwendolin
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1441

Global commodity flows between distally connected social-ecological systems pose important challenges to sustainability governance. These challenges are partly due to difficulties in designing and implementing governance institutions that fit or match the scale of the environmental and social problems generated in such telecoupled systems. We focus on the spatial dimension of governance fit in relation to global commodity flows and telecoupled systems. Specifically, we draw on examples from land use and global agricultural commodity governance to examine two overarching types of governance mismatches: boundary mismatches and resolution mismatches. We argue that one way to address mismatches is through governance rescaling and illustrate this approach with reference to examples of three broad types of governance approaches: trade agreements, due diligence laws, and landscape approaches to supply chain governance. No single governance approach is likely to address all mismatches, highlighting the need to align multiple governance approaches to govern telecoupled systems effectively.

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Journal Article
Earnings less risk-free interest charge (ERIC) and stock returns: ERIC’s relative and incremental information content in a European sample
Griskaite, Aurelija; Lueg, Rainer
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1440

This study tests the information content of earnings less risk-free interest charge (ERIC) and analyses its ability to explain fluctuations in market-adjusted stock returns. Following Biddle et al. (1997) study design, we perform relative and incremental information content tests. Relative information content tests reveal that mandatory reporting metrics — such as earnings before extraordinary items (EBEI), cash flow from operations (CFO), and total comprehensive income (TCI) — are more highly associated with stock returns and firm values than ERIC or residual income (RI). A number of sensitivity analyses support our findings. To test incremental information content, we split ERIC into five components. Primary results indicated that components specific to ERIC — changes of net assets, after-tax interest expenses, and capital charge — do not add relative information content. Yet, sensitivity tests suggest that some ERIC components add incremental information, especially when accounting for market expectations. However, these findings are not economically substantial compared to CFO and EBEI. Overall, we conclude that mandatory metrics generally outperform ERIC and residual income. Our unique contribution lies in applying the established methodology of measuring economic value added (EVA’s) relative and incremental information content to ERIC.

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Journal Article
Robust and Optimal Control Designed for Autonomous Surface Vessel Prototypes
Dos Santos, Murillo Ferreira; Dos Santos Neto, Accacio Ferreira; de Mello Honório, Leonardo; da Silva, Mathaus Ferreira; Mercorelli, Paolo
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1439

It is well known that activities in running water or wind and waves expose the Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) to considerable challenges. Under these conditions, it is essential to develop a robust control system that can meet the requirements and ensure the safe and accurate execution of missions. In this context, this paper presents a new topology for controller design based on a combination of the Successive Loop Closure (SLC) method and optimal control. This topology enables the design of robust autopilots based on the Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller. The controllers are tuned from the solution of the optimal control problem, which aims to minimize the effects of model uncertainties. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller, a numerical case study of a natural ASV with 3 Degree of Freedom (DoF) is investigated. The results show that the methodology enabled the tuning of a PID controller capable of dealing with different parametric uncertainties, demonstrating robustness and applicability for different prototype scenarios.

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Journal Article
Staying physically active during the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the roles of motivation, basic psychological needs, goal orientation and anticipatory sport persistence
Loerbroks, Lotta; Kersten, Louisa Joyce; Freund, Philipp Alexander
2023|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1438

Nationwide barriers to public and private sport institutions were implemented during COVID-19 lockdowns. Autonomous motivation, perceived fulfillment of basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy, and relatedness) and goal orientation coincide with higher persistence rates in physical activity. The aim of this study is to investigate which factors are related to anticipatory sport persistence, a specific form of sport persistence. We conducted an online survey with N = 208 (74% female) participants. Correlation analyses showed that higher anticipatory sport persistence coincides with autonomous motivation (r = 0.314, p < 0.01), basic psychological needs (competence r = 0.528, autonomy r = 0.446, relatedness r = 0.315; all p < 0.01), and goal orientation (intrinsic r = 450, extrinsic r = 0.146; all p < 0.01). Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that anticipatory sport persistence can be predicted through intrinsic goal orientation (B = 0.465, p < 0.01) and the need for competence (B = 0.418, p < 0.01). The importance of anticipatory sport persistence when expecting external barriers to physical activity, its relationship toward sport persistence and possible implications for the planning and perseverance of physical activity plans are being discussed.

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Journal Article
Management control terminology: An English German dictionary
Lueg, Rainer; Wobst, Janice; Schuster, Mario
2024|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1437

The paper aimed to develop a specialized English-German management control dictionary, addressing linguistic and conceptual differences in management control systems (MCS) to enhance understanding and communication in international business contexts. The research involved a systematic review of existing management control literature and dictionaries, followed by a detailed translation process. Key management control terms were identified from prominent English and German textbooks. The translations were collaboratively reviewed and refined by experts in the field to ensure accuracy and contextual relevance. The study presents a comprehensive dictionary containing 393 English-German management control terms. It revealed significant linguistic idiosyncrasies and challenges in direct translations, necessitating non-literal translations to capture the nuanced meanings accurately. The dictionary serves as a valuable resource for both academic and practical applications. It aids students in understanding case studies and management control concepts in their studies, particularly in international contexts. For practitioners, it enhances cross-country communication and the application of management control practices. The study also underscores the need for ongoing updates to the dictionary to reflect evolving management control terminology and practices.

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Journal Article
‘I can show you; here’s the video’ – video-supported student-led debates in game-based approaches
Diekhoff, Henrike
2024|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1436

The utilization of devices like iPads for video feedback has become increasingly popular and is now acknowledged as a valuable asset in PE. Nevertheless, existing research and implementation of video feedback have been primarily concentrating on particular skills. This study explores students’ perceptions of video-supported debates in game-based approaches. For this purpose, a football unit was taught using the instructional approach of Teaching Games for Understanding. Students were presented with football in the context of three-versus-three games and one child on each team tagged game situations with an app. The research approach involved qualitative methods, specifically using grounded theory methodology (Corbin & Strauss, Citation2008), to analyse semi-structured interviews conducted with students. Based on the interview analysis, the phenomena that students experienced in visualised student-led debates were classified as: 1) beneficial video analysis (with the subcategories of visible assessment of game performance and facilitating images for the discussion of (certain) game situations), and 2) collaboratively developed game plans (with the subcategories of strategic tactical considerations and efficient technical hints). The outcomes of the study reveal beneficial impacts on student conversations and interactions. The findings suggest that collectively watching videos can have a positive impact on debates of ideas, even at the primary school level.

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Journal Article
Identity Framing as Resilience in Selected Nicknames of Nigerian Street Children
Olajimbiti, Ezekiel Opeyemi
2024|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1435

Street children who are forced onto the streets due to oppressive experiences use a variety of strategies, including nicknaming, to cope with street adversities. Previous studies have not adequately considered street children’s nicknames as resilience enablers. This study fills this gap by unpacking identity frames in street children’s nicknames as resilience enablers in southwestern Nigeria. Using the unstructured interview method, 65 nicknames of street children in the six southwestern states of Nigeria were sampled and subjected to discourse analysis with insights from social identity theory and the concept of frames. Findings reveal that the sampled names manifest Yorùbá and English with five syntactic patterns. Yorùbá nicknames are characterised by animal metaphors, food/body-parts/virtue-related terms, while the English forms indicate force, weather, and political-related terms, with meanings oriented to street culture. The nicknames configure the identity frames associated with ingroup norms and attributes of self-enhancement. Given the complexity of street life, the children adopt nicknames for discursive functions such as evasive mechanisms, reinforcement of an ingroup affiliation, group management, and bestowal of preferences. This study concludes that full-time street children in southwestern Nigeria use nicknames as adaptations to street culture, routine communication, and psychological strength boosters to withstand the adversities of street culture.

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Journal Article
Embarrassment as a public vs. private emotion and symbolic coping behaviour
Soliman, Meikel
2024|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1434

In dealing with embarrassment, individuals engage in symbolic coping behaviours (e.g., hiding one’s face by wearing sunglasses). Research investigated these behaviours when embarrassment is experienced as a public emotion (e.g., others present). Contrary, there is emerging evidence showing that embarrassment can be experienced as a private emotion (e.g., no others present) as well. This is why the present research seeks to enhance previous work on symbolic coping behaviours and investigates to what extent symbolic coping behaviours differ when embarrassment is experienced in public and private. First, the present study finds that individuals experience embarrassment as a private as well as a public emotion. Second, both types of embarrassment relate to symbolic coping behaviours. Third, while both types of embarrassment experience a preference for face-hiding products there are differences in symbolic coping behaviours. Fourth, the study transfers extant research to a different cultural context.

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Journal Article
A Universal Digital Stress Management Intervention for Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial with Health-Economic Evaluation
Freund, Johanna; Smit, Filip; Lehr, Dirk; Zarski, Anna-Carlotta; Berking, Matthias; Riper, Heleen; Funk, Burkhardt; Ebert, David Daniel; Buntrock, Claudia
2024|DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-1433

Background: Stress is highly prevalent and known to be a risk factor for a wide range of physical and mental disorders. The effectiveness of digital stress management interventions has been confirmed; however, research on its economic merits is still limited. Objective: This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit of a universal digital stress management intervention for employees compared with a waitlist control condition within a time horizon of 6 months. Methods: Recruitment was directed at the German working population. A sample of 396 employees was randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=198) or the waitlist control condition (WLC) group (n=198). The digital stress management intervention included 7 sessions plus 1 booster session, which was offered without therapeutic guidance. Health service use, patient and family expenditures, and productivity losses were self-assessed and used for costing from a societal and an employer’s perspective. Costs were related to symptom-free status (PSS-10 [Perceived Stress Scale] score 2 SDs below the study population baseline mean) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. The sampling error was handled using nonparametric bootstrapping. Results: From a societal perspective, the digital intervention was likely to be dominant compared with WLC, with a 56% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of €0 per symptom-free person gained. At the same WTP threshold, the digital intervention had a probability of 55% being cost-effective per QALY gained relative to the WLC. This probability increased to 80% at a societal WTP of €20,000 per QALY gained. Taking the employer’s perspective, the digital intervention showed a probability of a positive return on investment of 78%. Conclusions: Digital preventive stress management for employees appears to be cost-effective societally and provides a favorable return on investment for employers.

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