Konfliktsituationen im Coaching

This article describes useful consultation practices for individual coaching in typical workplace conflict situations. Our approach for understanding of workplace conflicts is based on the differentiation between various “toxic” conflictual constellations (e.g. contradiction, conflict, dilemma and double bind), between difficulties that can and cannot be resolved (e.g. problems and restrictions) and between problem solving attempts that unintentionally worsen the problems (e.g. individualizing, polarizing and evading responsibility). A sufficient readiness of the company to balance it’s own criteria for management success (e.g. profit versus workers health) and a sufficient openness to try out reflexively found solutions in the coaching process are crucial for successful coaching outcomes. Similarly, a reflexive attitude of the coach, self-critical vis a vis any ideological terms, which also acknowledges and overcomes the anxiety of the coach during the coaching process, can help coachees to find their own attitudes vis a vis the workplace conflict situation that balance cooperation and resistance.     

A Parable, A Pearl and “Popular”? How the Broadway Musical Wicked—Especially Elphaba’s Character—May Assist Adolescent Girls to Claim Their Uniqueness

In this essay I provide a brief exegesis of the parable of the ??pearl of great price?? (Matthew 13:45?C46) as an introduction to an examination of Elphaba??s character in the Broadway musical Wicked [as distinguished from her character in Gregory Maguire??s novel, Wicked (1996)] and the potential value this character has for pastoral care with adolescent girls who struggle with the need to belong as well as the need to be themselves. I argue that Wicked may be understood as a twenty-first century parable that appeals to many, adults and adolescents alike, but it is especially appealing to teenage girls because it ??taps into a certain teenage angst?? (Zinoman 2005) that relates to the quest for popularity, a first true love, and beauty makeovers. Elphaba??s seriousness has a certain kind of spiritual nature which may be related to her green skin (James 1984, p. 160) that may encourage adolescent girls to adopt their own spiritual natures and enable them to claim their own voices even as Elphaba finally ??defies gravity?? and learns to fly.     

Analysing the perceptions of pedestrians and drivers to shared space

Shared space is an approach to improving streets and places where both pedestrians and vehicles are present, with layouts related more to the pedestrian scale and with features encouraging drivers to assume priority having been reduced or removed. It creates a more pedestrian-friendly environment than conventional street layouts, which are based on greater segregation between pedestrians and vehicles, while at the same time introducing uncertainty, which makes drivers engage more fully with their surroundings, leading to lower vehicle speeds and improved safety. This paper investigates the importance of certain person-, context- and design-specific factors affecting the perceptions of pedestrians and drivers to shared space. Using two web-based stated-preference surveys, two sets of responses are collected from pedestrians and drivers, who are presented with different combinations of binary factors forming scenarios. Regression analysis is carried out with logit models for each survey. The results suggest that pedestrians feel most comfortable in shared space under conditions which ensure their presence is clear to other road users – these conditions include low vehicular traffic, high pedestrian traffic, good lighting and pedestrian-only facilities. Conversely, the presence of many pedestrians and, in particular, children and elderly, makes drivers feel uneasy and, therefore, enhances their alertness.     

Rationalism,irrationalism and taylorism

From Taylorism to Fordism: A Rational Madness, by Bernard Doray, London: Free Association Books, 1988, 229 pages, hb £27.50, pb £11.95.     

Psychological treatment and reconstruction with a chronic pain patient

This article describes the psychological treatment of a chronic pain patient using a single case design methodology in order to evaluate changes in symptomatic measures as well as in Repertory Grid Test scores. These changes included a substantial reduction in levels of subjective pain and anxiety as well as a reduction in symptom superordinacy, level of self-dissatisfaction, and positive meaning (“payoff”) of anxiety. Results are discussed in relation to the literature on pain and on personal construct theory.     

The imbibing idiot bias: Consuming alcohol can be hazardous to your (perceived) intelligence

Alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment frequently co-occur. We propose that the relationship is so familiar that exposure to alcohol cues primes expectations of cognitive impairment. Across five studies, we find that in the absence of any evidence of reduced cognitive performance, people who hold an alcoholic beverage are perceived to be less intelligent than those who do not, a mistake we term the imbibing idiot bias. In fact, merely priming observers with alcohol cues causes them to judge targets who hold no beverage at all as less intelligent. The bias is not driven by a belief that less intelligent people are more likely to consume alcohol. We find that the bias may be costly in professional settings. Job candidates who ordered wine during an interview held over dinner were viewed as less intelligent and less hireable than candidates who ordered soda. However, prospective candidates believe that ordering wine rather than soda will help them appear more intelligent.