The world capital markets’ perception of sustainability and the impact of the financial crisis

in Journal of Business Ethics (2014), 122(3), 475-500

Using a unique dataset provided by the international rating agency GES®, we investigate the effects of corporate sustainability and industry-related exposure to environmental and social risks on the ... [more ▼]

Using a unique dataset provided by the international rating agency GES®, we investigate the effects of corporate sustainability and industry-related exposure to environmental and social risks on the market value of MSCI World firms. The results show a negative relationship in the earlier years of our sample period. However, the analysis reveals that the capital market perception of sustainability has changed owing to the financial crisis. Looking at the height of the crisis in September 2008, the month in which Lehman Brothers shocked the world’s capital markets by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, we find that the previously negative perception of corporate sustainability across its various dimensions was positively affected and offset. In addition, as a moderated regression analysis shows, the crisis led to a positive perception of corporate sustainability in industries that are exposed to higher environmental and social risks. Our study has the practical implication that executives, in particular in industries with high environmental and social risks, should increase their commitment to corporate sustainability due to the changes in the institutional setting triggered by the financial crisis. [less ▲]

The World Economic History in 4 Figures, 1 Photo, and 1 Table

Conference given outside the academic context (2020)

A World of Difference? Domain-Specific Views on Aging in China, the US, and Germany

in Psychology and Aging (2018), 33(4), 595-606

Research on cross-national differences in views on aging has often focused on a comparison between Asian and Western countries. However, the results are mixed showing either more positive views in Asia ... [more ▼]

Research on cross-national differences in views on aging has often focused on a comparison between Asian and Western countries. However, the results are mixed showing either more positive views in Asia, no difference at all, or even more positive views in Western countries. A potential moderator of country differences that might explain some of the heterogeneity is the fact that views on aging differ in their content and valence depending on life domains such as health versus family relations. Therefore, our aim was to systematically address domain-specific views on aging in a cross-national study, also considering that cross-national differences are age group-specific. We examined differences in views on aging between China, the United States, and Germany in eight life domains using samples with a broad age range. For most of the domains, cross-national differences indicated more negative views on aging in China compared with the Western countries and more positive views among the American compared with the German participants. Intriguingly, the differences between China and the United States or Germany were absent or even reversed in the domains friends, personality, and finances. Cross-national differences also varied by age group. Our results show that explanations of cross-national differences in views of aging probably do not apply uniformly across all life domains or age groups. They underline the importance of acknowledging the domain-specific nature of views on aging in cross-national research. [less ▲]

The World Social Forum on Migrations 2012: Consolidating efforts towards an equitable society

in Regions & Cohesion (2013), 3(3), 146-154

This report examines the conduct of resistance and activism by social movement actors on migrations and refugee movement through the body World Social Forum on Migrations. Specifically focusing on a ... [more ▼]

This report examines the conduct of resistance and activism by social movement actors on migrations and refugee movement through the body World Social Forum on Migrations. Specifically focusing on a meeting held in Manila in 2012, the article interrogates the issues, problems, analytical frameworks by which migration discourses are discussed today. In particular, the article gives attention to international migration governance, or the so-called 'migration management' and how this takes central position in contemporary understanding of mobility. [less ▲]

World Wide Web caching: the application-level view of the Internet

in IEEE Communications Magazine (1997), 35(6), 170-178

The World Young Leaders in Dementia Network - Goals and Activities

Speeches/Talks (2016)

Worries and career employment attitudes: the role of social inequalities of master’s degree students.

in Promotion of Mental Health (2015)

University students' mental health is affected by worries about the employment of their future. Our purpose is to analyze the relationships between traits of worry and career attitudes, happiness and ... [more ▼]

University students' mental health is affected by worries about the employment of their future. Our purpose is to analyze the relationships between traits of worry and career attitudes, happiness and autonomy in their quality of life among postgraduates. Method: Independent of their socioeconomic status, all students obtained financial aid from the government of Luxembourg. A link to an online questionnaire was sent to their home address. The instrument assessed: Penn-State-Worry scale, Career dimensions (adaptability, optimism, knowledge and planning), Happiness and Quality of Life Autonomy scores, and sociodemographic characteristics. Bivariate-tests, correlations and multiple linear regression models were used for analysis. Results: A majority of the 481 volunteers (26.4 years; SD=5.5) were women and unemployed. Sociodemographical factors such as European or non-EU nationality (vs. Luxembourgish), possession of an internship employment contract (vs. fixed-term and permanent contract) and being a part of social and humanity sciences domain were related with high worries. Lower adaptability (β= -2.271; p< 0.001) and optimism career attitudes (β= -2.162; p= 0.002), low happiness (β= -1.518; p= 0.039) and autonomy in their quality of life (β= -0.669; p= 0.004), respectively, were affected by higher worry score. Conclusion: Worry indicator could be observed routinely to monitor students’ career adaptability and optimism. University career employment workshops may help to increase the individual capabilities to improve and/or to maintain their well-being. Nationality, employment contract status and chosen academic field had generated mental health inequalities that must be considered in consultations, counseling and implementation of prevention and promotion programs. [less ▲]

Worst-case Scheduling of Software Tasks: A Constraint Optimization Model to Support Performance Testing

in International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming (2014, September)

„Das Wort ‚Realismus‘ hat für den Konservativen einen guten Klang“. Ideologische Funktionalisierung neurealistischer Konzeptionen bei der Neuen Rechten

in Fauth, Soeren R.; Parr, Rolf (Eds.) Neue Realismen in der Gegenwartsliteratur (2016)

"Die Wörter dürfen nicht das sein, was sie meinen." Yoko Tawadas Beiträge zu einer interkulturellen Kritik der Sprache

in Gutjahr, Ortrud (Ed.) Hamburger Gastprofessur für interkulturelle Poetik: Yoko Tawada, Fremde Wasser. Vorlesungen und wissenschaftliche Beiträge. (2012)