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Background: Technology can support healthy aging and empower older adults to live independently. However, technology adoption by older adults, particularly assistive technology (AT), is limited and little is known about the types of AT used among older adults. This study explored the use of key information and communication technologies (ICT) and AT among community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 in southern Germany using a paper-based questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on the three domains sociodemographic aspects, health status, and technology use. Technology use was considered separately for key ICT (smartphone, computer/laptop, and tablet) and a range of 31 different AT. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, univariate analyses, and Bernoulli Naïve Bayes modelling. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 616 participants (response rate: 24.64%). ICT were used by 497 (80.68%) participants and were associated with lower age, higher level of education, living together with someone, availability of internet connection, higher interest in technology, and better health status (p <.05). No association was found with sex and size of the hometown. The most frequently owned AT were a landline phone, a body scale, and a blood pressure monitor. Several AT related to functionality, (instrumental) activities of daily living- (IADL), and morbidity were used more frequently among non-ICT users compared to ICT-users: senior mobile phone (19.33% vs. 3.22%), in-house emergency call (13.45% vs. 1.01%), hearing aid (26.89% vs. 16.7%), personal lift (7.56% vs. 1.61%), electronic stand-up aid (4.2% vs. 0%). Those with higher interest in technology reported higher levels of benefit from technology use. Conclusions: Despite the benefits older adults can gain from technology, its use remains low, especially among those with multimorbidity. Particularly newer, more innovative and (I)ADL-related AT appear underutilized. Considering the potential challenges in providing adequate care in the future, it may be crucial to support the use of these specific AT among older and frailer populations. To focus scientific and societal work, AT with a high impact on autonomy ((I)ADL/disease-related) should be distinguished from devices with a low impact on autonomy (household-/ comfort-related). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade in services has increased significantly in recent decades, mainly due to innovations in information and communication technology. This development has also increased the importance of service offshoring, as companies spread their production processes across several countries. This paper examines the intensity of offshoring of specific tasks of occupations, which in turn leads to higher imports, and explores the impact of such substitution on wages in the home economy. We use micro‐level data from the Occupational Information Network and the Socio‐Economic Panel in Germany and draw on the OECD's Input–Output Database. In total, we used data from about 62,000 person‐years in 45 industries in Germany during 2014–2018. A particular focus of our study is on the interaction between service offshoring and the tradability as well as skill levels of workers. Our main findings suggest that service offshoring itself exerts downward pressure on workers' wages. This effect is amplified by the degree of tradability of the occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One feature of 'flexibilisation' concerns the growth of more individualised employment arrangements and career trajectories less connected to employing organisations. Informed by the Varieties of Capitalism approach, which emphasises the embeddedness of employment practices within discrete types of capitalist market economy, and based on rich qualitative data from interviews with 32 self‐employed and directly employed ICT professionals in the United Kingdom and Germany, we investigate comparative variation in their experience of flexibilisation. The research findings not only indicate some commonality, particularly in respect of perceptions of independence, but also highlight notable differences with regard to work pressures and insecurity. The paper advances theory by characterising two discrete varieties of flexibilisation, a 'liberalised' form evident in the United Kingdom and a more 'regulated' type apparent in Germany, contributing to a better understanding of comparative differences in flexibilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As in many countries worldwide, as part of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown schools in Germany closed in March 2020 and only partially re-opened in May. Teachers were confronted with the need to adapt to online teaching. This paper presents the results of a survey of early career teachers conducted in May and June 2020. First, we analysed the extent to which they maintained social contact with students and mastered core teaching challenges. Second, we analysed potential factors (school computer technology, teacher competence such as their technological pedagogical knowledge, and teacher education learning opportunities pertaining to digital teaching and learning). Findings from regression analyses show that information and communication technologies (ICT) tools, particularly digital teacher competence and teacher education opportunities to learn digital competence, are instrumental in adapting to online teaching during COVID-19 school closures. Implications are discussed for the field of teacher education and the adoption of ICT by teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the role that vocational education and training (VET) in ICT subject areas plays in contributing to the gender and social class structuring of ICT occupations, focusing in particular on education and employment data from the UK. The paper also makes reference to similar data about ICT VET in Germany and Japan to argue that the new areas of 'soft' ICT skills - in education and in occupations - have become feminised, and channel women into low skilled and low paid work. Unlike university level ICT education, which has opened opportunities for women and students coming from families with no experience of higher education, sub-degree level ICT VET seems to be continuing to reproduce gender and socio- economic class within and through ICT occupations. I argue that those concerned with gender equity research and interventions in ICT need to work with an analysis that disaggregates what are now appearing to be quite different skills sets, and different career opportunities often misleadingly conflated under the umbrella term 'ICT'. I also argue for better analytical models for the gendering of ICT than those offered by the 'leaky pipeline' or 'critical mass' models, and for new analyses that would incorporate both a structural analysis and new ways of looking at women's choices, such as Hakim's 'orientation to work'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper aims to explore trends in the use of internet-supported sustainability reporting for German DAX30 companies. Particular focus is to be given to the question of the extent that these companies use the more effective internet-specific methods of provision, accessibility, comprehensibility and dialogue compared to print-based reporting systems in the dissemination of information to, and communication with, stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on data from three studies in 2004, 2005 and 2007. The research is based on quantitative content analysis from these studies and on an additional e-mail survey in 2005. Findings – Analysis shows an overall increase in the use of internet-specific approaches on sustainability web sites between 2004 and 2007. Particular attention has been paid to developments to improve the access and comprehensibility of information on sustainability. There remains a great deal of potential for improvement in the use of tools for stakeholder dialogue, in the introduction of customised reporting elements and in the use of other internet technologies to improve the dissemination of past and present information. It seems that companies increasingly consider internet features to be useful for reducing information costs for companies and stakeholders but not for enhancing corporate value through more intensive and credible dialogue. The findings also indicate a shortfall in communicating trade-offs and conflicts between environmental, social and economic impacts of businesses. Originality/value – The paper is the first to outline trends in the use of corporate sustainability reporting via the internet. The paper also extends previous empirical research in Germany that focused on printed sustainability reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an exploratory investigation of the perceptions of information and communication technology (ICT) as a field of study and work in German secondary schools. A total of 160 students from five secondary schools in Lower Saxony participated in the study in February 2007, and four teachers of the students were interviewed. The investigation is part of the research carried out by the authors within the Griffith University Women in Information Technology (WinIT) project, which has been studying the problem of low female participation since 1995. In this paper we discuss German school students' (male and female) and their teachers' views of ICT, its use at school and home, their influences in using technology, and their ideas about working with technology in the future. We drew on the challenges faced and opportunities available to teachers in the study to put this in context. We found that many senior secondary students have not decided what they want to do when they finish school, suggesting that the environment is ripe for them to receive relevant and useful information that may help them to choose to study tertiary ICT courses. By dispelling negative ICT perceptions and allowing students to make an informed choice as to whether to take up a career in ICT, we can hopefully encourage more students into this ever-growing and exciting industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to identify the basis of regional competence in industry sectors that are not key performers at the national level. The paper examines the ICT sector in two regions: Dresden (Germany) and Adelaide (Australia). The performance of Australia and Germany in ICT is not high by OECD standards. However, both Dresden and Adelaide have some competence in parts of the ICT sector that departs from national patterns. In Dresden the development of the ICT sector is more advanced than in Adelaide. In both regions, there are distinctive institutional features and policies that explain the development of the ICT sector. Further, in Dresden, the state has coordinated the ICT sector within the regional space, giving focus to institutional strengths in research and training, such that it is possible to describe the institutional environment as 'thick and coherent'. As such, the regional space of Dresden has experienced an agglomeration of ICT and can be regarded as more successful than Adelaide, where institutions and state initiatives are fragmented and incoherent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German government is seeking to enhance the resilience of critical national infrastructures via its new I T Security Law. This paper analyses the content of the law, as well as the limitations and constraints arising from the conflicting interests of affected stakeholders. The paper also offers solutions to help the I T Security Law fulfil its potential despite the constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of the research "post-pandemic education: understanding of analogic education and digital education from the perspective of educational institutions and teachers in Brazil and Germany", whose main objective is to analyze how teachers and educational institutions mobilize and position themselves for the expansion of digital education practices. The following methods were used: documentary research with the German state secretariats of education, as well as documentary analysis of educational policies aimed at the implementation of digital information and communication technologies in compulsory education in Germany. We then proceeded to construct a large-scale survey to be answered by teachers of distinct levels of education. We contacted around 9400 compulsory education institutions in the three largest German states in terms of population. As a result, in general, teachers understand the importance of digital technologies in student education and demonstrate knowledge of the policies established by public agencies of the state. The mobilizations around digital pedagogical practices reveal the importance of considering teachers' and students' knowledge about technologies inside and outside the school context. The results allow us to understand the place that digital technologies occupy in the daily teaching routine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes a critical contribution to the discussion about the transition from an automobile society to a multimodal society in Western transport and mobility research, which is characterised by a flexible use of different transport options. This discussion is fuelled, in particular, by the emergence of smart mobility, in which information and communication technologies (ICTs) – e.g., the smartphone – are used to switch flexibly between new interconnected mobility services (such as carsharing, ridesharing, bikesharing, bus or train). The starting point for the scepticism towards this transition is the research on transport poverty, which problematizes social exclusions from participation in mobility due to the unequal distribution of mode options. This paper suggests a change of perspective from the real mode choice to potential/optional mode choice in order to account for this scepticism in the research on multimodal behaviours. Multioptionality is conceptualised as a necessary precondition for multimodal behaviours to achieve this change of perspective. Based on this conceptualisation, three theses result from a quantitative analysis of a data set from an area in the Rhine-Main region in Germany. The theses challenge the often-postulated potential ubiquity of multimodal behaviours: (i) Transport poverty – represented by a lack of mode options – inhibits the potential production of multimodal behaviours, particularly by socially marginalised people (low income, low education, precarious job situation, etc.). (ii) A multimodal divide describes the reproduction of transport poverty in the guise of modernisation, as the transport poor – with few mode options – also lack certain ICTs that provide central access media to smart mobility. (iii) Another (perfidious) form of social exclusion from participation in smart mobility concerns critical thinkers who avoid installing mobility applications to protect their privacy. This exclusion occurs because these apps do not have an alternative as access software to smart mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Starting from industry 4.0 in Germany and followed by the New Strategy for American Innovation in the USA and the smartization strategy in Japan, developed countries are pushing nation-wide innovation strategies. Similarly, China is pursuing the Made in China 2025, and Korea announced the Manufacturing Industry Innovation 3.0 strategy. However, few researchers have identified the industrial structure that establishes the foundation of the 4th Industrial Revolution or have derived strengths and weaknesses to provide implications on policy formulation through quantitative comparison with developed countries. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the spillover effect of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry (the foundation of the 4th Industrial Revolution) and machinery·equipment industry (the foundation of smart manufacturing through convergence with ICT industry).Design/methodology/approach This study examines the industrial spillover effects of the ICT industry and machinery·equipment industry in the USA, Germany, Japan, China and Korea by using the World Input–Output Table from 2000 to 2014.Findings The results showed that backward linkage effect of the ICT Industry are high in the order of Korea≑China>Japan>the USA≑Germany, and forward linkage effect of the ICT industry are high in the order of Japan ≑> the USA≑Korea ≑> China ≑> Germany. Backward linkage effects of the machinery·equipment industry are high in the order of China>Japan≑Korea>the USA>Germany, and forward linkage effects of the machinery·equipment industry are high in the order of China>Korea>Germany≑Japan≑the USA.Practical implications China and Korea encourage active government investment in ICT and machinery·equipment industries, especially the intentional convergence between ICT and machinery·equipment industries is expected be generate higher synergy. The "innovation in manufacturing" strategy in the USA that utilizes its strength in ICT services seems appropriate, whereas Germany needs to revitalize the ICT industry to strengthen its manufacturing industry. Japan's strategy is to focus its ICT capabilities on robot sector. While the scope of innovation is limited, its synergy is worth expecting.Originality/value This study attempted to provide a theoretical approach to the determination of national policy strategies and provide practical implications for response to the impacts of the 4th Industrial Revolution, by comparing the inducement effects of ICT and machinery·equipment industries between major countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests a revision of the commonly used model of acceptance of technical tools (TAM) for analyzing employees' attitudes towards ICT-enabled public sector organizational transformation. TAM models focus too much on technology acceptance ignoring employees' resistance to change and the reasons for innovation failure. Empirical research has shown the importance to consider these factors in organizational change projects. Basing on the example of the implementation of an electronic record system in the state (Land) Brandenburg (Germany), the paper applies a quantitative methodology for addressing the question: To what extent can other factors, besides software-problems, explain the employees' resistance to change towards the implementation of the electronic record system? The results of our analysis show that in addition to the construct 'technology acceptance model' the variables: fear of losing work autonomy or in other words discretion, the perceived quality of information and the social influence significantly affect resistance to change. Long term analysis of the introduction of electronic systems in public organizations would improve the explanation power of our model enabling to examine the particular importance of these factors in different phases of the innovation process and to create appropriate interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the high rates of economic growth of the US economy and the remarkable acceleration of productivity growth since the mid-1990s which is widely attributed to the modern information and communication technologies (ICTs). Design/methodology/approach After identifying three key factors for Solow's productivity puzzle and examining ICTs as a general purpose technology, three main channels of ICTs' impact in the economy are discussed: the first transmission channel is direct and consists of the effects generated by rapid technical progress within the ICT-capital goods producing sector. The second one is due to the increasing accumulation and application of ICT goods and services in the user sectors. ICTs' positive spillover effects comprise the third transmission channel, i.e. they lead to "disembodied" increases in efficiency in the sense of "learning by doing" in the end-user sector. Findings - The diffusion of ICTs requires investment in all industries, i.e. the improvement of competitiveness on the macro level is strongly linked to investment activities and skill qualifications on the micro level. Research limitations/implications The paper concludes with some comparisons between the US and the German economy where the acute need for infrastructure investment in East Germany in the 1990s limited the possibilities for investment in ICTs exactly at a time of high-technological dynamism at the start of an upswing of a new Kondratieff cycle. Although some comparisons with the EU are made the impact of ICTs in other countries except the USA and Germany is not discussed more intensively. Practical implications A very useful source of information for graduate students and policy makers alike on the theoretical and empirical impact of new technologies on economic development. Originality/value - This paper fulfils an information need for comparing growth in international perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of industrialisation shows how new technologies triggered social and economic revolutions, and how traditional jobs were replaced or changed by the use of machines. There are signs of highly dynamic changes in the learning and working environment of the 21st century, with serious global social consequences similar to the industrial revolution. In the working environment, computers assist people and reduce their workload in a variety of ways. With increasing computing power and advanced memory technologies, they master the basics of autonomous machine learning. Intelligent algorithms are increasingly taking control, with the result that in many occupations, decisions are already routinely taken by software systems and not by people any more. Within just a few decades, information technology and its associated technological requirements have become the catalyst for a highly industrialised society. Developments in microelectronics are progressing at exponential speed, which will also have far-reaching social consequences for vocational fields outside of the information and communication technologies. Impacts of the knowledge and information society include changes in the nature of work towards an increasingly important service sector and a significant increase in knowledge work. This is accompanied by a decline in the working population (demographic change) and the need for a modified workplace design in context of the changed age structure of the workforce. This Paper intends to explore on basis of the findings from the most recent German Foresight Exercise (BMBF Foresight Cycle II), how technological innovations in the field of ICT will dramatically change structures and ways of communication, collaboration and work. Some alternative development paths and implications for the areas job, career, production and work are scrutinized and discussed. Possible developments depend on the degree of autonomy of computer systems and the extent to which humans lose control over these systems; while - of course - the boundaries between conceivable scenarios are fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrification of transportation in Germany has failed so far, but the disappointment has given way to more radical visions and new coalitions. Utilities, grid operators, and ICT companies have started to challenge the traditional image of the car. In their future scenarios, transportation, energy, and communication infrastructures must be aligned in order to achieve a sustainable society. This paper explores the co-production and enactment of this technological vision using the analytical framework of sociotechnical imaginaries. First, I describe how the idea of the electric vehicle as energy infrastructure was able to take hold within the German expert community. To understand how this approach might transform the existing mobility and energy practices, I examine two of the first R&D experiments that have enacted this vision in two radically different ways. Both reflect unarticulated assumptions about social life, including implicit cultural notions of selfdetermination, ownership, living arrangements, privacy, and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Papers in Regional Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Health care systems are struggling to deal with the increasing demands of an older population. In an attempt to find a solution to these demands, there has been a shift towards integrated care supported by information and communication technologies. However, little is understood about the role played by incentives and reimbursement schemes in the development of integrated care and information and communication technologies uptake. The objective of this paper is to investigate this question, specifically as regards telehealthcare. Methods: In order to identify the deployment of telehealthcare applications and their role in supporting integrated care, a case study approach was used. A clustering exercise was carried out and eight European countries were selected for in-depth study: Denmark, Estonia, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. In total, 31 telehealthcare initiatives across eight countries involving over 20,000 patients were investigated. Results: Reflecting on specific examples in each initiative, drivers promoting integrated care delivery supported by telehealthcare mainstreaming and associated incentive mechanisms were identified. Attention was also paid to other factors which acted as barriers for widespread deployment. Discussion and conclusions: Trends towards telehealthcare mainstreaming were found in Denmark, the UK, and in some regions of Spain, Italy and France. Mainstreaming often went hand-in-hand with progress towards integrated care delivery and payment reforms. A general trend was found towards outcomes-based payments and bundled payment schemes, which aimed to promote integrated care supported by telehealthcare deployment. Their effectiveness in achieving these goals remains to be seen. In addition, a form of outpatient diagnostic-related group reimbursement for telehealthcare services was found to have emerged in a few countries. However, it is questionable how this incentive could promote integrated care delivery on its own. This research suggests that incentives which align social, primary and hospital care are rare and there is a need to design new payment paradigms. Finally, eHealth penetration, interoperability, governance, availability of evidence and reorganisation of services represent additional factors which can act as drivers or barriers for integrated care delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German power grid is facing the disruptive challenge to integrate massively decentral infeed of renewable electric power. It is commonly agreed that information technology can help in managing this problem, mainly by tailoring communication protocols and interfaces, as well as data warehousing and information retrieval approaches to this problem domain. This paper advocates a radically different approach. We draw strong analogies between the operation of the Internet and the operation of a future power grid, and from that derive principles that inspire the design of a new generation of distributed and decentralised power grid control appliances. We report on some prototypical controller designs for photovoltaic generators, and contrast their reliable operation with critical shortcomings of controllers installed on hundreds of thousands of German rooftops to date. Die enorme Zunahme der Einspeisung von dezentral erzeugter erneuerbarer Energie ist eine fundamentale Herausforderung für das deutsche Elektrizitätsnetz. Allgemeiner Konsens ist, dass Informationstechnologie ein Schlüssel zur Bewältigung dieses Problems sein kann, wobei hier vor allem auf die Entwicklung von Kommunikationsprotokollen und -schnittstellen, aber auch von Data Warehousing und Information Retrieval-Technologien gesetzt wird. In diesem Papier plädieren wir für einen völlig anderen Ansatz: Wir zeigen deutliche Analogien zwischen dem Funktionieren des Internets und dem Betrieb des zukünftigen Elektrizitätsnetzes auf, und leiten daraus Prinzipien für die Entwicklung einer neuen Generation von verteilten, dezentralen Reglern für Elektrizitätsnetze ab. Auf Grundlage dieser Prinzipien entwerfen wir neuartige Regelungsalgorithmen für Photovoltaikanlagen, die einige kritische Nachteile der gegenwärtig auf hunderttausenden deutschen Dächern installierten Regler beseitigen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technologies (ICT) will play a key role in electricity distribution grids, especially with regard to grid monitoring and system services conducted through measures of demand side management (DSM). This paper outlines legal aspects to be taken into consideration when designing an ICT infrastructure to establish a market for demand side management and aims at pointing out the need for further legal research and for adaption of the existing legal and regulatory framework. Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT) werden zukünftig in Elektrizitätsverteilnetzen eine zentrale Rolle spielen, insbesondere mit Blick auf die Netzüberwachung und die Netzstabilisierung durch Lastmanagement (Demand Side Management, DSM). Der vorliegende Beitrag umreißt rechtliche Aspekte, die bei der Gestaltung der IKT-Infrastruktur eines Marktes für Lastmanagement einbezogen werden müssen und zeigt auf, wo aus rechtlicher Sicht noch Forschungs- oder Anpassungsbedarf besteht. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data centers are estimated to have the fastest growing carbon footprint from across the whole information and communication technology (ICT) sector. Evaluating the performance of data centers in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability is becoming an increasingly important matter for organizations and governments (e.g., for regulation or reputation purposes). It nonetheless remains difficult to achieve such evaluation, as data centers imply to take into consideration a wide range of dimensions and stakeholders. Even though a wide range of sustainability performance indicators exist in the literature, there is still a lack of frameworks to help data center stakeholders (spanning from data center owners, governmental regulators to engineers/field operators) to evaluate and understand how a data center performs in terms of sustainable development/behavior. Our research work proposes such a framework, whose originality lies in the combination of state-of-the-art sustainability metrics with the biomimicry commandments of eco-mature system, which enables holistic sustainability assessment of data centres. From a theoretical perspective, the proposed model is designed based on a benefit-cost analysis using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. This approach allows data center stakeholders for specifying their own preferences and/or expertise in the comparison process, whose practicability is demonstrated in this paper considering three data center candidates, which are respectively located in France, Germany and Sweden. • A new model for comparing data center sustainability performance is proposed. • The model makes use of state-of-the-art sustainability metrics together with biomimicry lessons. • The model is designed based on a benefit-cost approach using the AHP technique. • A comparison study is carried out with three distinct data center candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to study how three incumbent mobile network operators (MNOs) in Germany forecasted, framed and responded in terms of their strategy to the emergence of the wireless local area network technology (W-LAN) and how they interpreted this potential technological disruption in their own strategic context.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on empirical evidence from case studies conducted with these three major MNOs in Germany using the theoretical framework of disruptive technology, the results were then evaluated in a cross-case analysis to study how these firms interpreted and reacted to the potential disruptiveness of W-LAN. To meet this objective, an explorative, multiple and holistic case study design was utilized. Data was collected by the combination of information gained through semi-structured interviews with key informants and background information that were publicly available. Interviews were conducted with company representatives using a semi-structured interview guide. Information gathered from the interview, documentation and direct observations was transposed into a content analysis framework to enable easy analysis of the information gathered for each company.Findings – As a result, significant differences for the respective MNOs between their perception of W-LAN as a potential disruptive technology, their strategic development processes inside the organisation to understand the potential impact of W-LAN on their respective business model, and to enforce an appropriate response strategy and structural implementation were identified. The results indicated that corporate representatives from each incumbent interpreted potentially disruptive technologies like W-LAN from a different perspective and direction depending primarily on the strategic and structural context and their organisation's resources, processes, and values. The findings also identified that practitioners inside the organisation were aware about the disruptive technology concept but however did not react in accordance with the theory. Forecasting results and categorisation that prove wrong can still lead to taking the right action since it seems to provide better results than non-forecasting and inactivity due to a lack of awareness of potential risks.Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisation and need to be further studied in a larger number of cases with different technologies and industries.Social implications – For managers and forecasters the study indicates that they should consider the impact of the heterogeneity in firms when formulating a response strategy based on their respective perception of the impact of a potential disruptive technology on their business. They should also be considerate about the consistency between their motivation to respond, the strategic development processes inside their organisation supporting the development of the response strategy and the subsequent structural implementation. Threat-framing seemed to be a key factor in unlocking resources even in the face of sustaining technological change and can be activated by threatening forecasts.Originality/value – The consideration of incumbent heterogeneity in different framing settings and the resulting innovation categorisation with respect to the organisational actions and outcomes was not studied before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delivering technology projects on time with a specified budget and resources has emerged as a strategic imperative in the highly competitive business world. One of the project challenges is increasingly tied to diffusion (spread) of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovation. This paper presents an empirical study that examines how ICT innovation is diffused within technology projects. Based on the case study methodology within 12 organisations in Australia and Germany, it emerged that ICT innovation is diffused formally alongside standard project management phases and informally within informal networks. The findings are synthesised in a new framework that seeks to inform theory and practice about formal and informal processes of ICT diffusion in technology projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In summer 2006 the University of Education in Weingarten, Germany, and East China Normal University, Shanghai, performed a semi-virtual seminar with mathematics students on "Mathematics and Architecture". The goal was the joint development of teaching materials for German or Chinese school, based on different buildings such as "Nanpu Bridge", or the "Eiffel Tower". The purpose of the seminar was to provide a learning environment for students supported by using information and communication technology (ICT) to understand how the hidden mathematics in buildings should be related to school mathematics; to experience the multicultural potential of the international language "Mathematics"; to develop "media competence" while communicating with others and using technologies in mathematics education; and to recognize the differences in teaching mathematics between the two cultures. In this paper we will present our ideas, experiences and results from the seminar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two phenomena make the distinction between services and manufacturing obsolete: the tertiarization of manufacturing and the introduction of information technologies in service industries. Competitiveness of manufacturing firms increasingly depends on the quality of service inputs and on packages of goods and services. Information and communication technologies introduce ‘industrial’ processes of production in service industries. Hence, it does not make sense any more to use categories such as ‘services’ or ‘manufacturing’. Instead, it would be more meaningful to group economic activities according to input configurations. This paper will discuss these issues in the context of the supposed German ‘service gap’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The paper seeks to overcome previous research limitations by examining both macro (industry, country) and micro (functions, enterprise) level phenomena within the information communication technologies (ICT) use of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Australia and Germany were chosen because both recognise the importance of SMEs. Design/methodology/approach - The study adopted an interpretivist philosophy and a qualitative case study method that enables gathering data which are rich in detail. Semi-structured, on-site interviews were carried out in eight firms of various classifications. Findings - The study found that, for micro enterprises, ICT is only emerging in the form of systems that have the potential to facilitate the interactions with the outside. Small enterprises rely heavily on personal interactions, which they supplement with the use of ICT. In medium enterprises, ICT is more extensively used in interactions, both internally and with the environment. The differences between Australian and German firms do not significantly affect the extent to which ICT is infused into observed SMEs. Research limitations/implications - The study used the interpretivist research paradigm which is based on the assumption that reality is socially constructed. Findings indicated the need for increased organisational competencies and greater scope to use ICT to facilitate interaction with the external environment, especially customers and suppliers and forming alliances. Originality/value - The case studies provided rich stories of ICT infusion in the important SME sector on an international scale and produced context-aware institutionalised expectations that can help other SMEs understand ICT use. They can use the findings as benchmarks against which to measure their own endeavours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, numerous cluster associations with public and/or private support have been established to facilitate clusters. These cluster associations have launched a number of activities and services aiming to increase the competitiveness, innovation, and productivity of their members and beyond. At the same time, it appears that many of these associations apply similar activity bundles to reach their objectives. However, the institutional context differs between clusters and their countries. This paper questions how these activity bundles are influenced by different sets of institutional conditions and proposes a framework for the explorative analysis of cluster activity bundles in specific institutional environments. Moreover, using the framework, a detailed review of cluster associations and their activities in different information and communication technologies (ICT) clusters is presented, the development of which is central to regional advanced industrial transformation in the context of regional smart specialization and the Industrial Renaissance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National economies with different industrial relations and welfare state traditions are experiencing a similar digital transformation. This article examines how labour unions are seeking to influence digital strategies and investments in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, based on initial research findings in the US and Germany. These efforts can be divided into three action fields: campaigns focused on influencing state investment and data protection or AI regulation; efforts to extend legal or negotiated labour market protections to new groups of workers; and collective negotiations over new technologies at firm and workplace levels. All three can be seen as complementary in establishing the conditions for the social regulation of new digitally enabled markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is subject to high demands regarding resilience as it is an essential component of the food production chain. In the agricultural sector, there is an increasing usage of digital tools that rely on communication and energy infrastructures. Should disruption occur, such strengthened dependencies on other infrastructures increase the probability of ripple effects. Thus, there is a need to analyze the resilience of the agricultural sector with a specific focus on the effects of digitalization. This study works out resilience capacities of the interconnected technologies used in farm systems based on the experiences and opinions of farmers. Information was gathered through focus group interviews with farmers (N = 52) and a survey with participants from the agricultural sector (N = 118). In particular, the focus is put on the digital tools and other information and communication technologies they use. Based on a definition of resilience capacities, we evaluate resilience regarding energy and communication demands in various types of farm systems. Especially important are the resilience aspects of modern systems' digital communication as well as the poorly developed and nonresilient network infrastructure in rural areas that contrast with the claim for a resilient agriculture. The result is a low robustness capacity, as our analysis concludes with the risk of food production losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article conceptualizes the evolution of the German political economy as the codevelopment of technological and institutional change. The notion of skill-biased liberalization is introduced to capture this process and contrasted with the two dominant theoretical frameworks employed in contemporary comparative political economy scholarship—dualization and liberalization. Integrating theories from labor economics, the article argues that the increasing centrality of high skills complementary in production to information and communications technology has weakened the traditional complementarity among specific skills, regulated industrial relations, and generous social protection in core sectors. The liberalization of industrial relations and social protection is shown in fact to be instrumental for high-end exporting firms to concentrate wages and benefits on increasingly important high-skilled workers. Strong evidence based on descriptive statistics, union and industry documents, and twenty-one elite interviews is found in support of the article's alternative perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how women refugees in Hamburg, Germany, many arriving either as minors or unaccompanied minors (now young adults), managed to overcome information precarity resulting from limited access to the internet and/or traditional media, while experiencing constantly-changing living conditions. Findings from 32 semi-structured interviews with refugee women from various countries show that their perception of precarity was amplified by limited internet access. Refugee women actively sought to overcome this precarity, exhibiting resourcefulness in finding ways to access the internet, digital media, and information and communication technology tools. This study does not exclusively focus on mobile phone use, but the findings indicate that mobile phones represent a lifeline for refugee women that is as vital as food or shelter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on conferences related to materials engineering and structures in 2011 which include the International Conference on Advances in Communication and Information Technology - CIT 2011 to be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands on November 24-25 and the Second International Conference on Advances in Information and Communication Technologies - ICT 2011 in Hamburg, Germany on December 1-2.

The global demand for web-based applications regarding financial products and services drives the financial sector to innovate through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects. The ICT projects are launched for the diffusion (spread) and implementation of new software or hardware by using web-based platforms in order to offer innovative financial products and services across the branch bank system. These projects are initiated, diffused, managed and implemented by global actors, so-called ICT change agents. Despite the increased recruitment of ICT change agents, there is relatively little research available regarding ICT change agents in financial services projects. Specifically, little consideration is given to the interaction process between formal and informal ICT change agents' roles. Based on a case study methodology in Australia and Germany, this research indicates that deadline-oriented projects drive ICT change agents to play various formal and informal roles. Their formal roles are performed in accordance with organisational settings and project management standards, whereas their informal operations are due to the rapid-changing and global nature of ICT technologies. The findings are summed up in a new framework which indicates that both types of roles impact on the outcomes of financial services technology projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines how the German energy industry has invested in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capital during the years 1992–2005. Using the method of growth accounting I find that the contribution of ICT investment to the growth of value-added and average labour productivity (ALP) within the German energy industry has decreased in the years 2001–2005. The reasons for this can be many. However, policy and regulation are called to remove existing barriers to ICT investment to overcome this investment reticence and to exploit productivity potentials in all stages of the energy value chain as a necessary pre-condition for building Smart Grids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper compares the supply of specialist ICT skills in the UK and Germany from higher education and from apprenticeship and assesses the relative impact on companies in the two countries. In contrast to the UK, where numbers of ICT graduates have expanded rapidly, the supply of university graduates in Germany has not increased. German firms have turned to a newly developed model of apprenticeship to supply routine technical ICT skills. This strategy contrasts wiwith British firms which recruit from a wide range of graduate specialists and invest more heavily in graduate training. Probably in part as a consequence, apprenticeship in ICT occupations in the UK has failed to develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on African Journal of Information & Communication Technology. The journal provides a publication vehicle for coverage of topics of interest to those involved in computing, communication networks and bioinformatics. AJICT's first issue contains papers from China, Italy, Germany, Norway, South Africa, and the United States. The papers address new and existing areas of information and communication technology (ICT). Despite of being international, the journal is called "African" so as to provide fruits of ICT to people of all nations including the developing countries in Africa. The journal includes papers on ICT research problems relevant to the specific needs of developing countries. The journal is available as an open source periodical of high quality, dealing with contemporary and emerging technical, policy and regulatory matters in ICT.

• It is not feasible to speak of the introduction of "smart farming" into German agriculture. • German farmers can be clustered in "users of smart products" and "users of smart, connected products". • The larger the agricultural area of farm enterprises, the more complex are the functions that farmers use within their FMIS. Digitisation in Agriculture is currently one of the most important ongoing developments to meet the growing economic, ecological and social demands in the agri-food sector in Germany. Consequently, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to collect, exchange and evaluate data from and between different stakeholders and systems has already established itself in the agricultural sector. However, the extent to which information systems are used and the kind of features they have at the farm enterprise level are not clear. To obtain further insight into this topic, a quantitative empirical approach was adopted. It was based on interview data from a web-based survey conducted throughout Germany at the beginning of 2018. In this survey, 329 questionnaires (representing an 8.4% response rate) were completed and evaluated using bivariate and multivariate methods. This paper aims to assign the surveyed farmers to two of the "five steps of digital evolution" model - from the "single product" to the "system of systems" - according to the stated characteristics and functions used in the Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS). According to that model, a single product (e.g. a tractor or a feed trough) develops at level 1 and becomes a "smart product" at level 2. The agricultural machine can now, for example, maintain precise tracking via integrated real-time kinematic (RTK) correction that enhances precise satellite navigation. At the third development stage, a "smart, connected product" is created, where the agricultural machine is networked with other systems. Level 4 represents an "intelligent product system". The focus is no longer only on optimising a single process, but also on optimising process chains. At the last stage, "systems of systems" (i.e. "smart farming"), the networking of different data from diverse sources reaches the maximum level. 43 variables were used to conduct a two-step cluster analysis, in which two clusters could be identified within the sample. The farmers assigned to cluster 2 could be determined as "users of smart products" (58%) which represents level 2 of the model. These farmers are characterised by the fact that they use FMIS for the overall purpose of supporting the documentation, monitoring and planning of farm management processes. The highest level of digitisation in German agriculture was found to match level 3, what is known as "users of smart, connected products". On this level, farmers that were assigned to the cluster 1 (42%) use their information systems to improve individual farm processes by connecting hardware, sensors, data storage and software in different ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the factor structure of and measurement invariance in the information and communication technology (ICT) engagement construct, and the relationship between ICT engagement and students' performance on science, mathematics and reading in China and Germany. Samples were derived from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 survey. Configural, metric and scalar equivalence were found in a multigroup exploratory structural equation model. In the regression model, a significantly positive association between interest in ICT and student achievement was found in China, in contrast to a significantly negative association in Germany. All achievement scores were negatively and significantly correlated with perceived ICT competence scores in China, whereas science and mathematics achievement scores were not predicted by scores on ICT competence in Germany. Similar patterns were found in China and Germany in terms of perceived autonomy in using ICT and social relatedness in using ICT to predict students' achievement. The implications of all the findings were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing trend towards educational globalisation has brought about various dynamics of education policy ‘rescaling’, resulting in a growing number of governmental arrangements, which are operating across traditional scales, levels or sectors of policy. This contribution takes up the conceptual frameworks of topological spatialisation and assemblage theory to better understand the pivotal role of new information technologies, data infrastructures and also the increasing power of ‘centers of calculation’ within education policy reforms that have been implemented in Germany after the launch of theProgramme for International Student Assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on actual weekly working hours using the second wave of the German Linked Personnel Panel, a unique employer-employee dataset. ICT usage is widespread among employees in the private sector. Half of the establishments equip all managerial employees with mobile devices. We confirm the findings of previous studies that show a positive correlation between ICT usage and working times. Employees work approximately 30 minutes longer per week if they use modern digital technologies for work. Furthermore, our multivariate analyses reveal that this correlation is especially strong for managers and in establishments that equip all of their employees in leading positions with mobile devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, an increasing number of environmental situations posed threats to humans and assets. Natural disasters happen more frequently and with higher intensity - such as floods caused by heavy rains. One example was the flood that hit in the middle of Europe in 2013. This article reports a single case study of the flood in the German city of Passau in 2013. In the case study we analyze the governance structure employed throughout the flooding as well as how it was managed. Beyond this, we examine how information and communication technology supported the management staff in fulfilling their tasks. Data were collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of the management staff from the main organizations involved in the relief work for the Passau Flood in 2013. Our results show that a hybrid governance structure was employed. All in all, the disaster could be averted, but we identified several challenges and areas for improvement, which could be helpful for managing future disasters successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU and the US have started negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP) which could bring a considerable increase of exports and output as well as changes in the composition of output and employment. Thus export simulation studies in combination with input output analysis and employment analysis is useful. In the analysis presented the focus is mainly on sectoral output and employment effects where the key sectors are the automotive sector, chemical industry, information and communication technology production, pharmaceuticals and machinery and equipment. Backward sector links are analysed and found to be quite important in the automotive sector, the chemical industry, the machinery and equipment sector in both Germany and the US; in Germany also in ICT production. However, most of the observed sectors have weak forward linkage. Input output analysis is also used to identify employment effects in various sectors: the pure employment effect of a 20 % export expansion in Germany amounts to about 800 000 new jobs. Looking only at the US and German perspective turns out to be misleading-the high imports of intermediate inputs of German firms from EU partner countries suggests that a comparison EU-US is analytically required for some key issues and that considering the effects on EU partners is also useful. There is a host of key policy issues, including the issue of extended sustainability reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is a secondary analysis of Eurobarometer polls (#53 in 2000 and #71.2 in 2009), comparing nation states on the audience availability of certain news, information, and communication resources. Did Central and Eastern European nations "catch up" to Northern and Western European nations in audience communication resources? Or did those Central and Southern European nation states, as Knowledge Gap Theory would suggest, gain resources but at a slower pace than their Northern and Western counterparts? This study focused on mobile phone availability and usage, as well as Internet availability at one's home, office, and community. Results show the gap growing between Northern and Western European nations when compared to Southern and Central European nations. This gap growth occurs regardless of whether one measures by absolute change or percent of possible change. The data also show that: 1) TV is a nearly ubiquitous home medium; 2) Germany's mid-range and lackluster performance in home internet is almost entirely accounted for a lingering Cold War digital divide with East Germany; 3) as suggested by roughly even East and West German growth in mobile phones, land lines are not a necessary transitional stage for developing nations or areas, and many consumers are skipping or dropping them; and 4) as late as 2009 many Eastern and Central European internet users were compensating for the difficulty of obtaining home internet service with reliance on community internet sites such as cafes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The present article reports on the results of a three-year German-wide program Biology in Context (bik). In this program teachers and researchers worked together in 10 learning communities with the goal of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in biology classrooms as mandated by the recently passed National Educational Standards for the lower secondary level. In addition to face-to-face meetings, computers were used as the tools for communication and collaboration. Computers enabled the mutual sharing of information among the participants, as well as the planning and documenting of tasks and teaching units. Furthermore, they promoted the reflection of the process and the refinement of the products. Data were collected from questionnaires and structured interviews with teachers, researchers, and coordinators. The analysis identified teacher profiles with regard to their attitudes towards implementing the bik concept, their use of computers, and the change of classroom activities. The results exposed several main tendencies. (1) The participant teachers largely utilized Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools for the construction of tasks and units and for collaboration with each other. (2) These tools were, however, less useful for instructional purposes, learning, and knowledge creation. (3) ICT tools were hardly used for reflection of professional experiences. (4) Teacher use of ICT tools increased from the first to the third year. The study concludes that information literacy skills have a strong impact on the persistence of learning communities. Further research should be conducted to adopt a mixed form (blended form) of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Many holistic anti-bullying interventions have been attempted, with mixed success, while little work has been done to promote a 'self-help' approach to victimisation. The rise of the ICT curriculum and computer support in schools now allows for approaches that benefit from technology to be implemented. This study evaluates the cross-cultural effects of a computer-based anti-bullying intervention on primary school-aged children's knowledge about bullying and relevant coping strategies. Programme description: FearNot! is an interactive computer-based virtual learning environment designed for use as an anti-bullying intervention. It includes interactive virtual agents who assume the most common participant roles found in episodes of bullying. FearNot! was used by children over three consecutive weeks to allow its effectiveness to be evaluated in a longitudinal in situ programme. Sample: Two comparable samples were drawn from the UK and Germany. In the UK, 651 participants (aged 8-11) were recruited from primary schools in Hertfordshire, Coventry and Warwickshire, whereas the 535 German participants (aged 7-10) were sourced from Grundschulen in the Bayern and Hessen regions. Because of lack of parental consent, late joiners and absences/missing responses, data from 908 participants (UK 493; Germany 415) were analysed. Design and methods: A quasi-experimental, pre/post-tests control group design employed pre-published and bespoke questionnaires to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted. Results: UK students possessed higher coping strategy knowledge scores than German participants, but German children's scores improved over time and as a result of the FearNot! intervention. Conclusions: Overall, while not effective at increasing children's coping strategy knowledge in this study, the FearNot! intervention could prove a useful classroom tool to approach the issue of bullying as part of a wider initiative. Cultural differences at baseline and reactions to the intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the quick advancement of science and technology, the services sector which has a high content of knowledge and technology has experienced globally expeditious development in the past decade. Development in general and the growth of Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) such as Information and Communication Technology services (ICT services) in particular are at the core of the major trends that are restructuring the economic landscape of not only German but also Chinese economies. In Germany, in the new era of service economy, more emphases are put on KIBS instead of the traditional giant clusters of steel manufacturing and auto manufacturing. Especially in Bavaria, high technology clusters are prospering. The ICT services in Bavaria accounts for 40% of all software companies in Germany. A lot of ICT services clusters can be found, including IT Speicher, FIWM, BICC-NET, etc. Similar cases can be found in Shanghai, where a number of government driving as well as market pulling ICT services cluster are also coming into being. Previous empirical evidence shows an asymmetric bipolarity in the location behavior of KIBS. There is a general predominance of low concentration due to equal diffusion of these services in many regions, and a high concentration in some regions located at the top of the spatial hierarchy, particularly capital cities. The current exploratory research, drawing upon cluster theory and network theory, aims at discovering the cluster features both from the perspective of the company executives in the cluster. Using the data collected through interviews and questionnaire surveys from company managers, incorporated with current theoretical framework and, through integration and analysis, important features of the cluster such as network mechanism are calculated both in Bavaria and Shanghai. We check the supply side as well as the demand side of the reasons why clusters are formulated in the first place, and they both have a positive effect on the network mechanism of the cluster. The network mechanism has a positive effect on innovation performance of the ICT service companies. The reasons are also discussed. Suggestions are provided for policy making about the KIBS cluster forming for both regions and the cooperation in these fields, especially in terms of service outsourcing relationship. Valuable implications for deciding the location for a KIBS company on the firm level are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]