Suchergebnisse

In addition to changing ways of doing business and managing work, the new economy has affected the way that (generally) highly qualified employees participate in company decision-making processes. The research project entitled "Changing forms of labor regulation?" focused on the relationship between individual and collective forms of representation, as well as between regulation at the state, collective bargaining and company levels. It also investigated the possibility of applying new economy modes of representation in more traditional lines of business. Building on established industrial relations theory, this article will first propose three extensions to this conceptual framework and argue that a wider concept of labor regulation is needed. This will be demonstrated using empirical research conducted in new media companies. Economic developments in recent years and a growth in personnel in the companies studied point towards a professionalization of company structures which will have a lasting effect on forms of participation. In the companies studied, it is evident that mixed forms of labor regulation have evolved out of the traditional ideal types of representation (self-representation, alternative forms and works councils). In this context, two tendencies can be identified. First, as far as company structures are concerned, and regarding the rise of collective forms of representation in general, the new forms of regulation seem to be conforming to patterns found in old economy companies. Second, as far as the constellation of individual and/or collective forms of regulation is concerned, the new forms seem to be diverging from those found in the old economy. Trajectory, contingency and innovation effects all influence the specific patterns of labor regulation in the new media companies.

AbstractAlthough psychopathy is widely conceptualised as a mental disorder, some researchers question the maladaptive nature of psychopathy, and argue that it might be advantageous from an evolutionary point of view. According to this view, psychopathy can be seen as an evolutionary adaptative strategy that relies on deception and manipulation to gain short-term reproductive benefits. Psychopathy is also identified as a fast life strategy in response to early life stress and an adaptation to harsh environments. This paper investigates the evidence that psychopathic traits are adaptive, while also addressing the limitations of current evolutionary models of psychopathy based on frequency-dependent selection and life history theory. We review recent studies on the fitness correlates of psychopathy and find that psychopathic traits present potential adaptive trade-offs between fertility and mortality, and offspring quantity and quality. On a proximate level, individual differences in stress reactivity and environmental risk factors in early development predispose to psychopathy through gene–environment interactions. We propose that environmental, developmental, social and cultural factors can mediate the relationship between psychopathic traits and fitness and therefore should be considered to make accurate predictions on the adaptive potential of psychopathy. We end by outlining gaps in the literature and making recommendations for future evolutionary research on psychopathy.