"Shaping working hours" - that was the motto at 29. October in Schloss Saarbrücken the kick-off conference for a new model project with the name "Neue ArbeitsZeitPraxis". The model project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, accompanied by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The inaugural conference was hosted by the two project partners iso-Institute for Social Research and Social Economy, Saarbrücken and Inmit Institute for Small and Medium Business at the University of Trier. The two institutes have developed the model project and will implement it by April in the selected model regions of Saarland and the chamber districts of Trier and Pfalz in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Working time design as a competitive factor The global financial and economic crisis has also put the issue of working time design back on the agenda as an important tool for employers and employees. The crisis has broadly demonstrated how flexible working hours could help mitigate the consequences of the economic collapse. Valuable employees could be kept, layoffs avoided. In the future too, the organization of working time in companies - including small and medium - will have to ask new questions. How can the requirement for a flexible, responsive and productive business organization be combined with the challenges associated with aging workforces, reconciling work and family life, and maintaining health and employability? Older workforces require an industry-appropriate working time, which allows an old (fair) working life until the retirement. Furthermore, the reconciliation requirements of work and family life will continue to increase, and in addition to childcare, the care of older family members will play an increasingly important role. In addition, there are increasing customer expectations for flexible service times and fast order processing. Balanced, innovative working time models play an important role here for sustainable solutions for employers and employees. Operational practice lags behind this fact, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises, as studies show.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2475 times

Sustainability in Procurement and Supply Chain Management

Sustainability has evolved from a trend subject to a fixed part of our corporate strategy. Many companies consider the principles of sustainability consistently in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management. The main driver is economic calculus. This is the result of a joint survey of BME and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants on "Sustainable procurement - Next Level in Procurement Excellence". Worldwide, more than 250 decision makers who participated in the areas of purchasing, supply chain management and logistics.

On the topic of sustainability in procurement, companies profess example to fight corruption, to act anti-competitive agreements, child and forced labor and to strictly observe human rights, environmental, health and fair working conditions.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2364 times

Cheap is not everything - customers have quality standards for the food trade

The comprehensive study "The German food trade in the judgment of customers 2010" by Lebensmittel Zeitung (Verlagsgruppe Deutscher Fachverlag, Frankfurt am Main) and Konzept & Markt identifies Germany's best retailers, analyzes in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the sales lines in the food trade and shows potential for optimization.

The ranking of the grocer by the brand strength leads to Aldi - followed by Lidl. Only in places three and four follow-up with Rewe and Edeka two large full-range. The brand strength was calculated by the fire Census® the criteria notoriety, shopping, loyalty, satisfaction and main shopping center.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2145 times

One in three companies used the reduction of credits or the establishment of minus hours on working time accounts to safeguard jobs during the economic crisis, according to a study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). Due to the crisis, an average of around 45 hours per employee has been reduced in the companies concerned.

Employees' time credits have decreased on average from around 2009 to 72 hours by the third quarter of 27. At that point in time, every fourth crisis affected company was running out of useful hours. Minus hours were built in five percent of the affected farms.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2331 times

Study on leadership positions

In the competition for the appointment of management positions, women estimate their own performance on average less than men. According to a study published today by the Bonn Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), this significantly contributes to reducing the chances of women's advancement.

As part of a behavioral experiment, BWL students at the University of Chicago first had to evaluate their own performance from a previous experiment that required time-consuming simple arithmetic. For a correct self-assessment they got money. Those who judged themselves too high or too low, went out of their hands.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2305 times

Half-day briefing on the integration of animal welfare standards in food production at 29. November 2010 the DIL in Quakenbrück

Across borders, it is observed that consumers increasingly interested in the welfare of animals in the context of animal husbandry. But not only increases the interest in itself, first scientific findings already suggest that the consumer of the need for high animal welfare standards some is quite worth. Accordingly, the first initiatives that have set a target to implement animal protection measures in the production of foods of animal origin already exist. Both food industry, agriculture, food retailing, science etc. collaborate in such initiatives. In addition, on national and European level political efforts to introduce an Animal Welfare- / animal welfare label. Accordingly modified foods should therefore be credible and reliable deductible.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2086 times

Result of media and consumer study commissioned by the Heinz Lohmann Foundation between consumers and the food industry a growing alienation takes place. - Principal investigator Prof. Achim Spiller: More and more consumers feel a "desire for naturalness".

The German food industry is perceived very differently by consumers: While a third of consumers productivity aspects - and the associated price effects - for is good and has confidence in the food industry, are approximately 20 percent of consumers as well as large parts of the media and the Internet Commmunity production-technical achievements in the food industry extremely negative towards. The findings of a study by the University of Göttingen comes (Chair Marketing for Food and Agricultural Products) on behalf of Heinz Lohmann Foundation. The results were presented today at the 8. Nutrition Symposium by Prof. Achim Spiller us its employees Maike Kayser and Justus Böhm presented.

The study shows a clear trend: More and more consumers feel a "desire for naturalness" - as a result of the increasing alienation of food production. The highly touted by the industry efficiency and technologisation is considered "negative change of natural processes" of consumers. Also associated with the efficiency improvement rate cuts are no longer considered legitimate aim of agricultural production. Rather, more and more consumers believe that food actually be too cheap, so study leader Spiller.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2117 times

Too many different halal certification bodies the decision of the manufacturer did not easy, whom to trust and who enjoys the best market acceptance. The call for a uniform settlement grew louder, especially as consumers showed irritated because of many scandals.

The 1st European Halal Conference, jointly organized by Messe Düsseldorf and DTFood eV and supported by many committed authorities and system providers from the Halal sector od Control, brought around 150 manufacturers, dealers, service providers, institutions and organizations, certifiers, Muslim scholars, Authorities and auditors from all over Europe come together in Düsseldorf. The aim of this meeting was to bring together the experts on a subject that is increasingly coming to the fore in the European food industry, but also in public awareness - halal food - in working groups in a constructive manner and in a result-oriented manner with regard to the possibility of a uniform certification standard for Europe. 

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2045 times

Recent consumer survey in cooperation with the two agencies "taste!" and "organic" - How important is sustainability in the public eye? What does the consumer under this term? How have companies in the food industry communicate? Results:

Sustainability is a topic of high consumer relevance. Depending on the social class, the topic is, however, perceived differently and is of varying interest.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 2160 times

Citizens are dissatisfied with services

Good service is the most important competitive factor in the trade. However, this can not provide a lot of companies and service providers in Germany. Only every fourth German (27%) believes that the saying "The customer is king" still applies. This emerges from a recent study of the BAT Foundation for Future Studies, the representative 2.000 people were surveyed from 14 years in Germany.

Professor Dr. Ulrich Reinhardt sees two main reasons for the low service orientation: "With the growing prosperity of our society, the demands have increased. What was not expected 20 years ago, is almost required today. In addition, we must not forget that is in the service sector is often badly paid. The willingness and motivation of employees, to service 'deal under these circumstances, with the theme, and constantly introduce yourself friendly and courteous, as is already on the line. "

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 1991 times

The social life of young people takes place (factory) to a substantial part of the network. As part of the media convergence monitoring Prof. Dr. Bernd Schorb initiated an investigation for dealing with youth social online networks whose results are available now.

For young people and their social life networking platforms have become indispensable. Social networking platforms are they meeting the Circle of Friends, brokerage events and surfaces for self-expression.

1.   0 comment
2.   Displayed 1996 times