This study examines restructuring in which, (i) two firms exchange operating units (asset-for-asset exchanges), and (ii) a firm divests assets in exchange for an equity stake in the firm acquiring the assets (asset-for-stock exchanges). These transactions are called asset exchanges, as distinct from divestitures primarily for cash. Since liquidity is not the primary consideration, asset exchanges are more suitable than sales of assets for cash when examining the role of synergy in the divestiture decision. An asset-for-stock exchange is similar to a partial merger and creates an alternative form of cooperative strategy and organization to mergers and joint ventures. We do not find evidence of gains to firms in asset-for-asset exchanges. While portfolios of divestors and acquirers in asset-for-stock exchanges gain, an analysis of matched pairs of firms in each transaction reveals that both firms gain only in a third of all cases. Overall, an asset-for-stock exchange leads to an increase in the combined value of the divestor and the acquirer. The gains in dollar value terms are fairly large relative to the gains in takeovers. The sharing of gains is related to the percentage of stock acquired, appointment by the divestor of directors on the acquirer's board, voting restrictions on stock, the use of cash as a part of the consideration and the financial condition of the divested unit. The results of this study suggest that returns to firms undertaking asset exchanges cannot be explained by synergistic motives alone and indicates a need to examine other possible motives in asset exchanges as well as in other forms of divestitures.

The coming of the post-media times changes the method of interpersonal communication. The rise of blog means that the personal media comes. In our blogs, we can express private feelings and personal points of views. However, while the users of blog spread out to the celebrities, its function would not be merely a kind of the life diary, but be operated by the more and more implicit and complex purposes. This research focuses on the popular singers¡¦ blogs, and we found that their motives to establish their blogs finally originate from their records marketing. In other words, these singers use the characteristics of high interaction of blog conceal their real purposes for the marketing from their readers and then, make them be the whole marketing center unconsciously. Based on the usage of the record marketing, this research brings out three main issues. First, how dose a singer run his blog? Second, how do his fans or readers interact in his blog? Third, how are the marketing results, when blog is applied in the singers¡¦ record marketing? This research adopted the grounding theory of the quality research method and took deep interviews to collect data. The research interviewed seven main executive people, running the singers¡¦ blogs, to understand the management, the manpower programs, the resources organized in singers' blogs, and the interaction with the fans in the blogs. Moreover, this research discussed the marketing strategies for the promotion of the singers¡¦ records to know the business benefits of the application of blog. The research found that the management of singers¡¦ blogs is mainly on the two sides. One is the management of the singer¡¦s image and the other side is the management of his community. And these both sides complement perfectly. When the singer¡¦s image management is proper, the communities of his readers and fans establish probably increasingly. Then, the appearance of these communities would also provide singer some feedbacks on their image management. Therefore, this research suggests the marketing in blog should pay much more attention on the image management and the community management.

Die Nutzung von Social Media ist für Mitarbeiter längst zur Alltagsroutine geworden und drängt immer stärker in die Unternehmen und ihre Personalentwicklungsmaßnahmen (Gori & Robes, 2015). Aktuelle Forschungen von Franken & Franken (2015) zeigen deutlich, dass sich zukunftsorientierte Unternehmen verstärkt auf praxisorientiertes, in Arbeitsprozesse integriertes und computergestütztes Lernen fokussieren, um an die individuellen Bedarfe der Mitarbeiter angepasste Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen direkt am Arbeitsplatz zur Verfügung zu stellen. Dies führt zu einem zunehmenden Verschmelzen von Lern- und Arbeitsprozessen. Dabei sind Unternehmen mit einer ausgeprägten Lernkultur mit einer höheren Wahrscheinlichkeit innovativer, produktiver, liefern eine höhere Qualität und haben eine höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit, zu Marktführern in ihrer Branche zu gehören (Mallon, 2010). Wesentlicher Bestandteil dieser Lernkultur sind florierende, virtuelle, hochvernetzte unternehmensinterne Lern- und Wissenscommunities, in denen Kollaboration und Kooperation dominierende Arbeitsprinzipien sind. [... Einleitung]

Soziale Netzwerke, wie Facebook, dienen im Kampf gegen Naturkatastrophen als wichtige Kommunikationskanäle. Neben der Mobilisierung und Koordination freiwilliger Helfer konnte Facebook beim Elbehochwasser 2013, im Vergleich zu konventionellen Medien und Kommunikationskanälen, zu einer höheren Aktualität von Informationen, sowie einer breiteren Informationsreichweite beitragen. Allerdings führte die Kommunikation über Facebook auch zu Ordnungsproblemen an einzelnen, vom Hochwasser betroffenen Standorten. [... aus dem Text]

Soziale Netzwerke, wie Facebook, dienen im Kampf gegen Naturkatastrophen als wichtige Kommunikationskanäle. Neben der Mobilisierung und Koordination freiwilliger Helfer konnte Facebook beim Elbehochwasser 2013, im Vergleich zu konventionellen Medien und Kommunikationskanälen, zu einer höheren Aktualität von Informationen, sowie einer breiteren Informationsreichweite beitragen. Allerdings führte die Kommunikation über Facebook auch zu Ordnungsproblemen an einzelnen, vom Hochwasser betroffenen Standorten. [... aus dem Text]

<p>Abstract</p><p>Community management of the rural water supply and sanitation services is considered as one of the options for achieving sustainability of the water services. International communities and donors are steering this concept. National water policy in Tanzania puts more emphasis on community participation and management of water and sanitation (WATSAN) schemes. This study on the sustainability of the rural water supply and sanitation services focused on community management and participation as one strategy, which could contribute to the sustainability of WATSAN provision. A study was conducted in six water schemes in six villages in Tanzania, four of the villages had water schemes in operation and two schemes were under construction. Data was collected from water users, water management committees and water providers. A structured questionnaire was administered to 92 water users in four water schemes in operation, focus group discussion was conducted to water management committees in six water schemes and three water providers responded to the questionnaire.</p><p>Given changes and increasing diversity in the management of rural WATSAN schemes (village water committees, board of directors and public private partnership), it is apparent that community management of rural water schemes without support is not an ideal solution for achieving sustainability. It was also affirmed that to achieve a real community participation in the project is difficult. Village government leaders and water management committees were mainly involved during the planning phase and local communities during implementation. Interference by the politicians, village government leaders and inability of the water schemes to recover costs were the main problems facing water schemes. The consequence was poor performance and failure of some schemes to deliver the services. Generally, the findings lead to a subjective inference that community management of rural water schemes alone is not an ideal solution for attaining sustainability. Community management of rural WATSAN schemes is a good idea if implemented where there is demand-driven community involvement right from the beginning of the projects. Nevertheless, with the right capacity building and continuous support, community management of the rural WATSAN schemes can deliver reliable and sustainable water and sanitation services.</p>

Abstract Community management of the rural water supply and sanitation services is considered as one of the options for achieving sustainability of the water services. International communities and donors are steering this concept. National water policy in Tanzania puts more emphasis on community participation and management of water and sanitation (WATSAN) schemes. This study on the sustainability of the rural water supply and sanitation services focused on community management and participation as one strategy, which could contribute to the sustainability of WATSAN provision. A study was conducted in six water schemes in six villages in Tanzania, four of the villages had water schemes in operation and two schemes were under construction. Data was collected from water users, water management committees and water providers. A structured questionnaire was administered to 92 water users in four water schemes in operation, focus group discussion was conducted to water management committees in six water schemes and three water providers responded to the questionnaire. Given changes and increasing diversity in the management of rural WATSAN schemes (village water committees, board of directors and public private partnership), it is apparent that community management of rural water schemes without support is not an ideal solution for achieving sustainability. It was also affirmed that to achieve a real community participation in the project is difficult. Village government leaders and water management committees were mainly involved during the planning phase and local communities during implementation. Interference by the politicians, village government leaders and inability of the water schemes to recover costs were the main problems facing water schemes. The consequence was poor performance and failure of some schemes to deliver the services. Generally, the findings lead to a subjective inference that community management of rural water schemes alone is not an ideal solution for attaining sustainability. Community management of rural WATSAN schemes is a good idea if implemented where there is demand-driven community involvement right from the beginning of the projects. Nevertheless, with the right capacity building and continuous support, community management of the rural WATSAN schemes can deliver reliable and sustainable water and sanitation services.

Research on community management conducted in the past has used primarily examples and case studies within large corporations. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) also need to be included in community management, exploring the ways in which they deal with community management and if the large company theories on the subject can be applied to them. In an attempt to respond to this gap in community management we respond to the question of how do small and medium-sized companies utilize communities to communicate successfully to their consumers? During our work, we noted that SMEs were facing two phases when dealing with community management. A strategic step, where the company has to define its goals, its targets, the means it will invest and the tools it will use to deal with community management. The second phase being an operational step includes the creation of communities and the management of them. In the strategic step, we pointed out questions which companies have to address before starting community management including the benefits that the company expects from the community, the amount it will invest in it and the tools the company will use. In the operational step, five main principles were highlighted as commonly used by SMEs to communicate through communities: (1) promotion of an Ideal, (2) uniting around shared interests, (3) the use of the myth as a gathering factor, (4) the importance of the community involvement in the company, and (5) the physical interaction between community members and the brand. Additionally, we found that SMEs have two main advantages when it comes to collaborating with customers/fans that large businesses did not have: proximity and flexibility. However, we found that it was difficult for small companies to find competent people working in the community management field. This lack of knowledge within SMEs appeared to be the primary reason why most brand communities failed. Therefore, in this thesis we aimed to point out good habits in terms of community management in order for SMEs to possess a basic knowledge, thus enabling them to benefit from their advantages of proximity and flexibility, which are a result of by their size and is essential for community management.

plan A / Pacific Islands Studies

Die Nutzung von Social Media ist für Mitarbeiter längst zur Alltagsroutine geworden und drängt immer stärker in die Unternehmen und ihre Personalentwicklungsmaßnahmen (Gori & Robes, 2015). Aktuelle Forschungen von Franken & Franken (2015) zeigen deutlich, dass sich zukunftsorientierte Unternehmen verstärkt auf praxisorientiertes, in Arbeitsprozesse integriertes und computergestütztes Lernen fokussieren, um an die individuellen Bedarfe der Mitarbeiter angepasste Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen direkt am Arbeitsplatz zur Verfügung zu stellen. Dies führt zu einem zunehmenden Verschmelzen von Lern- und Arbeitsprozessen. Dabei sind Unternehmen mit einer ausgeprägten Lernkultur mit einer höheren Wahrscheinlichkeit innovativer, produktiver, liefern eine höhere Qualität und haben eine höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit, zu Marktführern in ihrer Branche zu gehören (Mallon, 2010). Wesentlicher Bestandteil dieser Lernkultur sind florierende, virtuelle, hochvernetzte unternehmensinterne Lern- und Wissenscommunities, in denen Kollaboration und Kooperation dominierende Arbeitsprinzipien sind. [... Einleitung]