Hesitations and repair in German

The occurrence of pauses and hesitations in spontaneous speech has been shown to occur systematically, for example, "between sentences, after discourse markers and conjunctions and before accented content words." (Hansson [15]) This is certainly plausible in English, where pauses and hesitations can and often do occur before content words such as nominals, for example, "uh, there's a … man." (Chafe [8]) However, if hesitations are, in fact, evidence of "deciding what to talk about next," (Chafe [8]) then the complex grammatical system of German should render this pausing position precarious, since pre-modifiers must account for the gender of the nominals they modify.In this paper, I present data to test the hypothesis that pre-nominal hesitation patterns in German are dissimilar to those in English. Hesitations in German will be shown, in fact, to occur within noun phrase units. Nevertheless, native speakers most often succeed in supplying a nominal which conforms to the gender indicated by the determiner or pre-modifier. Corrections, or repairs, of infelicitous pre-modifiers indicate that the speaker was unable to supply a nominal of the same gender which the choice of pre-modifier had committed him/her to. The frequency of such repairs is shown to vary according to task, with fewest repairs occurring in elicited speech which allows for linguistic freedom and therefore is most like spontaneous speech. The data sets indicate that among German native speakers, hesitations occurring before noun phrase units (pre-NPU hesitations) indicate deliberation of what to say, while hesitations within or before the head of the noun phrase (pre-NPH hesitations) indicate deliberation of how to say what has already been decided (cf. Chafe [8]).

Tribological Testing of Some Potential PVD and CVD Coatings for Steel Wire Drawing Dies

Cemented carbide is today the most frequently used drawing die material in steel wire drawing applications. This is mainly due to the possibility to obtain a broad combination of hardness and toughness thus meeting the requirements concerning strength, crack resistance and wear resistance set by the wire drawing process. However, the increasing cost of cemented carbide in combination with the possibility to increase the wear resistance of steel through the deposition of wear resistant CVD and PVD coatings have enhanced the interest to replace cemented carbide drawing dies with CVD and PVD coated steel wire drawing dies. In the present study, the possibility to replace cemented carbide wire drawing dies with CVD and PVD coated steel drawing dies have been investigated by tribological characterisation, i.e. pin-on-disc and scratch testing, in combination with post-test observations of the tribo surfaces using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and 3D surface profilometry. Based on the results obtained, CVD and PVD coatings aimed to provide improved tribological performance of steel wire drawing dies should display a smooth surface topography, a high wear resistance, a high fracture toughness (i.e. a high cracking and chipping resistance) and intrinsic low friction properties in contact with the wire material. Also, the steel substrate used must display a sufficient load carrying capacity and resistance to thermal softening. Of the CVD and PVD coatings evaluated in the tribological tests, a CVD TiC and a PVD CrC/C coating displayed the most promising results.

About Collaboration, Interaction, and the Negotiation of Meaning in Synchronous Written Chats in L2-German

Open Access

Spiral drawing during self-rated dyskinesia is more impaired than during self-rated off

Background: A mobile device test battery, consisting of a patient diary collection section with disease-related questions and a fine motor test section (including spiral drawing tasks), was used by 65 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD)(treated with intraduodenal levodopa/carbidopa gel infusion, Duodopa®, or candidates for this treatment) on 10439 test occasions in their home environments. On each occasion, patients traced three pre-drawn Archimedes spirals using an ergonomic stylus and self-assessed their motor function on a global Treatment Response Scale (TRS) ranging from -3 = very 'off' to 0 = 'on' to +3 = very dyskinetic. The spirals were processed by a computer-based method that generates a "spiral score" representing the PD-related drawing impairment. The scale for the score was based on a modified Bain & Findley rating scale in the range from 0 = no impairment to 5 = moderate impairment to 10 = extremely severe impairment. Objective: To analyze the test battery data for the purpose to find differences in spiral drawing performance of PD patients in relation to their self-assessments of motor function. Methods: Three motor states were used in the analysis; OFF state (including moderate and very 'off'), ON state ('on') and a dyskinetic (DYS) state (moderate and very dyskinetic). In order to avoid the problem of multiple test occasions per patient, 200 random samples of single test occasions per patient were drawn. One-way analysis of variance, ANOVA, test followed by Tukey multiple comparisons test was used to test if mean values of spiral test parameters, i.e. the spiral score and drawing completion times (in seconds), were different among the three motor states. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. To investigate changes in the spiral score over the time-of-day test sessions for the three motor states, plots of statistical summaries were inspected. Results: The mean spiral score differed significantly across the three self-assessed motor states (p<0.001, ANOVA test). Tukey post-hoc comparisons indicate that the mean spiral score (mean ± SD; [95% CI for mean]) in DYS state (5.2 ± 1.8; [5.12, 5.28]) was higher than the mean spiral score in OFF (4.3 ± 1.7; [4.22, 4.37]) and ON (4.2 ± 1.7; [4.17, 4.29]) states. The mean spiral score was also significantly different among individual TRS values of slightly 'off' (4.02 ± 1.63), 'on' (4.07 ± 1.65) and slightly dyskinetic (4.6 ± 1.71), (p<0.001). There were no differences in drawing completion times among the three motor states (p=0.509). In the OFF and ON states, patients drew slightly more impaired spirals in the afternoon whereas in the DYS state the spiral drawing performance was more impaired in the morning. Conclusion: It was found that when patients considered themselves as being dyskinetic spiral drawing was more impaired (nearly one unit change in a 0-10 scale) compared to when they considered themselves as being 'off' and 'on'. The spiral drawing at patients that self-assessed their motor state as dyskinetic was slightly more impaired in the morning hours, between 8 and 12 o'clock, a situation possibly caused by the morning dose effect.

What do they expect? : A case study on the work expectations of the working German Generation Y

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the expectations of the workingGerman Generation Y regarding its current work and employer. As a result, the mainelements which could be considered by companies to retain the Generation Y inGermany will be pointed out and discussed.Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were used in order toexplore the work expectations of this young generation within a German company. Anon-probability and purposive sample was used and six respondents part of theGeneration Y and working in the same company were interviewed. Furthermore, aseventh interview was conducted with the HMR of the company.Findings – Several findings are consistent with previous results of Gen Y from othernationalities than Germany such as the importance of varied tasks, opportunities forself-development, responsibilities and a pleasant working atmosphere. However,differences were found in particular regarding the importance of the work-life balanceand new expectations such as trust, autonomy and internationality have been broughtto light. Furthermore, several findings are also consistent with other studies aboutemployee retention, commitment and job satisfaction.Originality/value – This research extended previous studies of the expectations of theGeneration Y by providing firstly findings for Germany, a country where such studieshave not been conducted yet and secondly by focusing on the Generation Y who isalready working and therefore not studying anymore.

The Human Figure in Drawing and Sculpture

My project as a Senior Scholar has been the study of the human figure through drawing and sculpture. I have worked directly from the model in order to understand the form and structure of the human body. The result of this concentrated study has been a sharpened sense of vision and an increased confidence in the use of materials for both two and three-dimensional representation.

Organizational design as an enabler for innovation: evidence from a German Mechanical Engineering Company

Over the past two decades there has been a profusion of empirical studies of organizational design and its relationship to efficiency, productivity and flexibility of an organization. In parallel, there has been a wide range of studies about innovation management in different kind of industries and firms. However, with some exceptions, the organizational and innovation management bodies of literature tend to examine the issues of organizational design and innovation management individually, mainly in the context of large firms operating at the technological frontier. There seems to be a scarcity of empirical studies that bring together organizational design and innovation and examine them empirically and over time in the context of small and medium sized enterprises. This dissertation seeks to provide a small contribution in that direction. This dissertation examines the dynamic relationship between organizational design and innovation. This relationship is examined on the basis of a single-case design in a medium sized mechanical engineering company in Germany. The covered time period ranges from 1958 until 2009, although the actual focus falls on the recent past. This dissertation draws on first-hand qualitative empirical evidence gathered through extensive field work. The main findings are: 1. There is always a bundle of organizational dimensions which impacts innovation. These main organizational design dimensions are: (1) Strategy & Leadership, (2) Resources & Capabilities, (3) Structure, (4) Culture, (5) Networks & Partnerships, (6) Processes and (7) Knowledge Management. However, the importance of the different organizational design dimensions changes over time. While for example for the production of simple, standardized parts, a simple organizational design was appropriate, the company needed to have a more advanced organizational design in order to be able to produce customized, complex parts with high quality. Hence the technological maturity of a company is related to its organizational maturity. 2. The introduction of innovations of the analyzed company were highly dependent on organizational conditions which enabled their introduction. The results of the long term case study show, that some innovations would not have been introduced successfully if the organizational elements like for example training and qualification, the build of network and partnerships or the acquisition of appropriate resources and capabilities, were not in place. Hence it can be concluded, that organizational design is an enabling factor for innovation. These findings contribute to advance our understanding of the complex relationship between organizational design and innovation. This highlights the growing importance of a comprehensive, innovation stimulating organizational design of companies. The results suggest to managers that innovation is not only dependent on a single organizational factor but on the appropriate, comprehensive design of the organization. Hence manager should consider to review regularly the design of their organizations in order to maintain a innovation stimulating environment.

The establishment mode choise of German multinational enterprises in Brazil: a comparative approach

We examine the drivers behind the establishment mode choice of German multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the sectors of Automotive, Chemicals and Mechanical Engineering in Brazil for the years 1993-2013 using a novel sample of primary data obtained directly from German MNEs. Based on prevalent theories found in the literature, we test the most common hypotheses on our sample. Firms with high R&D activities and firms with prior market knowledge in Brazil in from of previous sales offices are more likely to enter Brazil by a Greenfield investment. We also show that it is the specific private ownership of the German so-called hidden champions that drive those specific SMEs to enter Brazil by Greenfield, a sneaking suspicion that has been made before. Finally, we show that the establishment mode choice between Brazil and the USA only deviates to a low extent, with German MNEs preferring to enter Brazil by Greenfield and the USA by M&A. Thereby, we provide valuable insights for future research in this field.

Motivation of german entrepreneurs to seek equity via crowdfunding: an exploratory study

Equity crowdfunding, ou financiamento de um projeto ou empreendimento através de diversos pequenos investimentos ou um grande grupo de investidores, tem recebido uma crescente atenção da mídia e acadêmicos. A discussão questiona se crowdfunding pode de uma forma geral transformar a maneira como as pessoas captam capital para os seus negócios. Enquanto que pesquisas tem até então focado em explorar porque crowdinvestors têm motivação em financiar empreitadas, este estudo foca em revelar o que motiva empreendedores a procurar soluções de crowdfund. Para isso, o estudo investigou a motivação de 11 empreendedores que usaram plataformas alemãs de crowdfunding. Como estudos existentes sobre a motivação de empreendedores são na sua grande maioria superficiais, este estudo utiliza uma nova abordagem de pesquisa na área de financiamento de projetos, a abordagem de means-end. Sob essa abordagem a forma de pensar dos empreendedores em relação ao uso de equity crowdfunding foi estudada de forma holística, revelando todo o processo de raciocínio até a decisão final de optar por uma estratégia de crowdfunding. Uma das descobertas é que empreendedores usam equity crowdfunding para arrecadar fundos de crowdinvestors consideravelmente não-racionais (emocionais) para financiar o crescimento futuro de seus negócios e também sinalizar viabilidade de investimento para futuros investidores. Além disso, empreendedores esperam que crowdinvestors sejam engajados e ajudem tanto a promover o negócio como a dar feedback. Crowdfunding também possibilita que empreendedores mantenham o poder de decisão sobre a empresa mais facilmente se comparado a outras fontes tradicionais de financiamento. As descobertas indicam que crowdfunding atrai empreendedores que não conseguiriam arrecadar investimentos a partir de outras fontes de capital assim como empreendedores que entendem os benefícios adicionais que esta oferece em relação à outras fontes.

WOW: wiki aided organization draWing

As the world evolves, organizations are becoming more and more complex, and the need to understand that complexity is increasing as well. With this demand, arises organizational engineering, which is a subject that emerged with the purpose to make organizations easier to understand, by putting in practice the concept of organizational self-awareness, which means that that the collaborators who are part of an organization, need to understand it and know what their role in it is. The DEMO methodology (Design Engineering Methodology for Organizations), came up with the purpose of representing these organizations’ self-awareness, through the definition and creation of consistent and coherent diagrams. Semantic wikis have features that can help in enterprise modelling. UEAOM (Universal Enterprise Adaptive Organization Model) is a model that allows the specification and dynamic evolution of languages, meta-models, models, and their representations as diagrams and tables. In this project, it was implemented a system based on UEAOM, and Semantic Media Wiki which allows a graphical creation and edition of diagrams. UEAOM can be divided into the meta-modeling level where a language is defined, and the modelling level where instances of classes of that language are created. The system we developed focuses on the modeling level, but will takes as a basis the project that focuses on meta-modeling. The DEMO language was used as an example for the implementation and tests of a graphical editor, based in web technologies and SVG, integrated with SemanticMediaWiki to allow an intuitive, coherent and consistent navigation and editing of organization diagrams.

A Comparison of Deep Drawing and Ironing of Metal Alloy Strip Produced conventionally and Non-conventionally via Semi Solid Material Processing

A semi solid thin strip continuous casting process was used to obtain 50%wt Pb/50%wtSn strip by single and twin roll processing at speed of 15 m/min. A 50%wt Pb/50%wtSn plate ingot was also cast for rolling conventionally into strips of 1.4 mm thickness and 45 mm width for comparison with those achieved non-conventionally. This hypoeutectic alloy has a solidification interval and fusion temperature of approximately 31 degrees C and 215 degrees C respectively. The casting alloy temperature was around 280 degrees C as measured by a type K immersion thermocouple prior to pouring into a tundish designed to maintain a constant melt flow on the cooling slope during semi solid material production. A nozzle with a weir ensures that the semi solid material is dragged smoothly by the lower roll, producing strip with minimum contamination of slag/oxide. The temperatures of the cooling slope and the lower roll were also monitored using K type thermocouples. The coiled semi solid strip, which has a thickness of 1.5 mm and 45 mm width, was rolled conventionally in order to obtain 1.2 mm thick strip. The coiled thixorolled strip had a thickness of 1.2 mm and achieved practically the same width as the conventional strips. Blanks of 40 mm diameter were cut from the strips in a mechanical press, ready for deep drawing and ironing for mechanical characterization. All the strips achieved from non-conventional processing had the same mechanical performance as those achieved conventionally. The limiting drawing ratio (LDR) achieved was approximately 2.0 for all strips. Microscopy examination was made in order to observe phase segregation during processing.