本文比較在印度與中國資訊科技法展中國家所扮演之角色。本文的論點為在與中國的發展比較中，印度缺乏充分的跨部會協調及整合親商策略，導致對資訊科技產業的發展產生了負面的影響。約乏跨部會的協調影響了人力資源的產生、公共建設的法展和研發。整合親商策略的缺乏則影響了國家與社會之間的關係。 本文採用了Sanjaya Lall的模組來分析國家的發展。本文的另一論點為如果印度中央與省政府可以協調其政策，政府可以在資訊科技法展中更有效率。 在比較中國籍印度政府對資訊科技的發展的案例中，我們可以從國家鼓勵外國公司投資資訊科技製造及服務的政策、國家的勞工政策、基礎建設的發展、人力資本的建立與研發經費中了解國家所扮演的不同但重要的角色。本文最後一個論點為中國與印度政府在資訊科技發展所扮演的角色受其不同政治體制所影響。印度的民主政治試圖討好社會的每一份子，無法像中國能夠建立的政府與商業的協力合作，也因此影響了印度的資訊科技法展。 / This dissertation compares the State role in developing information technology in India and China. It argues that the Indian State, compared to the Chinese State, is riddled with poor intra-governmental coordination and poorly integrated pro-business initiatives, which ultimately has affected the overall development of information technology in the country. Poor intra-governmental coordination affects the creation of human capital, infrastructure development and research and development. Poor integration of pro-business initiatives affects the state-society relations in the country. Employing the model developed by Sanjaya Lall to analyze national technological development, this dissertation argues that State efforts in India to develop information technology could be a lot more effective if the governments at the central and provincial levels could better coordinate their activities. A case oriented comparison of Chinese and Indian States’ investment in information technology development, States’ policies for promoting foreign investment in information technology manufacturing and services, State labor policies, infrastructure development, human capital creation and research and development funding provide us with an understanding of important differences in the roles played by the State. This dissertation further argues that the role played by the governments in China and India in developing information technology is influenced by the respective system of governance. The democratic system of governance in India that aims to satisfy every section of the society is unable to create the kind of government-business synergy that the Chinese State is able to create. This has naturally affected the development of information technology in the country.

Politikwissenschaftliche Studien der vergangenen Jahre stellen fest, dass das deutsche und österreichische Gesundheitswesen eher reformresistent sind. Anhand der Einführung der elektronischen Kartensysteme im deutschen und österreichischen Gesundheitswesen zeigt diese Dissertation, dass gesundheitspolitische Reformschritte möglich sind. Durch ein vergleichendes Forschungsdesign werden anhand der zwei relativ ähnlich strukturierten Staaten Deutschland und Österreich mit dennoch relevanten Unterschieden im Politikfeld Gesundheit Theorien aus der vergleichenden Policy-Forschung und der Staatstätigkeitsforschung auf ihre Erklärungskraft hin untersucht. Durch eine qualitative Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring und die Auswertung von Experteninterviews werden die Bestimmungsfaktoren für den gesundheitspolitischen Wandel analysiert. Auf Grund der Abweichung dieser Dissertation (Reformmöglichkeit) von bisherigen empirischen Ergebnissen (Reformresistenz) aus dem Bereich der Gesundheitspolitologie, leistet die in dieser Arbeit vorgenommene Erklärung von politischem Wandel einen Beitrag zur politikwissenschaftlichen Forschung. Die Dissertation zeigt, dass eine Kombination von Theoriemodulen aus der vergleichenden Staatstätigkeitsforschung und der Policy-Forschung die Einführung der elektronischen Kartensysteme im deutschen und österreichischen Gesundheitswesen sinnvoll erklären kann. Die Arbeit stellt dar, dass der politische Wandel vor allem bis zur Phase der Implementation im Politikzyklus in beiden Staaten zügig möglich war. Geänderte Machtverhältnisse, die Verteilung von Machtressourcen zwischen den Interessengruppen im Politikfeld, vormals getroffene politische Entscheidungen und selbstverstärkende Mechanismen, das Engagement "neuer" Akteure im Subsystem, sowie gebundene Rationalitäten der politischen Entscheider sind die maßgeblichen Gründe, welche die Einführung des elektronischen Kartensystems im deutschen und im österreichischen Gesundheitswesen veranlassten.

This comparative research explores the work experiences of dementia care workers in nursing homes. The aim of this study is to understand concepts central to care and to gain insights from the care workers‟ perspectives. A comparative framework and symbolic interactionist approach is used to analyse data collected using ethnographic methods from 59 dementia care workers in Canada, Scotland, and the United States. The fieldwork settings are institutionalised; dominated by for-profit ownership; and provide care for a resident population with high cognitive and physical needs. The comparative findings underscore the importance of work conditions that provide care workers with sufficient resources to do their job and enough time to complete their work. The absence of these critical components creates stressful work conditions for the care workers. The lack of time, staff and supplies such as towels, wash cloths, and continence products do not allow the residents‟ choices in their care and disregard their dignity and rights. The inability to deliver care for the residents according to the guaranteed government care standards often result in the violation of human rights for the care workers and residents. The care workers are unable to supply the quality of care they know the residents need and are capable of providing given better circumstances. There are frequently not enough care workers, resources, or time to meet the level of care that relevant standards mandate or the care workers know is possible. The analysis reveals that care workers struggle to provide more than basic physical care and are seldom able to meet essential social care needs for the residents. Unwritten rules are implemented in each setting that include separating people with dementia, placing these residents out of view of the public, not allowing the residents access to go outside, and not providing them with engaging and meaningful interactions. While policies are frequently developed with good intentions, many are counter-productive without dementia knowledge. This comparative research reveals care practices and routines share strong similarities across the fieldwork sites while the care worker characteristics as a workforce vary the most between countries. Some differences involve the training required, average age, pay and mode of dress or appearances. Too often researchers frame stress issues for care workers as problems with attitudes, motivation, training and incentives. Yet, the broader social structures and conditions that set the context in which these problems have their origins are commonly ignored. Good working conditions for care workers are precursors to good care for the residents. This thesis concludes with recommendations for practice, research and policy development.

Aquesta tesi forma part d'un projecte destinat a predir el rendiment acadèmic dels estudiants de doctorat portat a terme per l'INSOC (International Network on Social Capital and Performance). El grup de recerca INSOC està format per les universitats de Girona (Espanya), Ljubljana (Eslovènia), Giessen (Alemanya) i Ghent (Bèlgica). El primer objectiu d'aquesta tesi és desenvolupar anàlisis quantitatius comparatius sobre el rendiment acadèmic dels estudiants de doctorat entre Espanya, Eslovènia i Alemanya a partir dels resultats individuals del rendiment acadèmic obtinguts de cada una de les universitats. La naturalesa internacional del grup de recerca implica la recerca comparativa. Vam utilitzar variables personal, actitudinals i de xarxa per predir el rendiment. El segon objectiu d'aquesta tesi és entendre de manera qualitativa perquè les variables de xarxa no ajuden quantitativament a predir el rendiment a la universitat de Girona (Espanya). En el capítol 1, definim conceptes relacionats amb el rendiment i donam un llistat de cada una de les variables independents (variables de xarxa, personals i actitudinals), resumint la lliteratura. Finalment, explicam com s'organitzen els estudis de doctorat a cada un dels diferents països. A partir d'aquestes definicions teòriques, en els pròxims capítols, primer presentarem els qüestionaris utilitzats a Espanya, Eslovènia i Alemanya per mesurar aquests diferents tipus de variables. Després, compararem les variables que són relevants per predir el rendiment dels estudiants de doctorat a cada país. Després d'això, fixarem diferents models de regressió per predir el rendiment entre països. En tots aquests models les variables de xarxa fallen a predir el rendiment a la Universitat de Girona. Finalment, utilitzem estudis qualitatius per entendre aquests resultats inesperats. En el capítol 2, expliquem com hem dissenyat i conduït els qüestionaris en els diferents països amb l'objectiu d'explicar el rendiment dels estudiants de doctorat obtinguts a Espanya, Eslovènia i Alemanya. En el capítol 3, cream indicadors comparables però apareixen problemes de comparabilitat en preguntes particulars a Espanya, Eslovènia i Alemanya. En aquest capítol expliquem com utilitzem les variables dels tres països per crear indicadors comparables. Aquest pas és molt important perquè el principal objectiu del grup de recerca INSOC és comparar el rendiment dels estudiants de doctorat entre els diferents països. En el capítol 4 comparem models de regressió obtinguts de predir el rendiment dels estudiants de doctorat a les universitats de Girona (Espanya) i Eslovènia. Les variables són característiques dels grups de recerca dels estudiants de doctorat enteses com una xarxa social egocèntrica, característiques personals i actitudinals dels estudiants de doctorat i algunes carecterístiques dels directors. Vam trobar que les variables de xarxa egocèntriques no predien el rendiment a la Universitat de Girona. En el capítol 5, comparem dades eslovenes, espanyoles i alemnayes, seguint la metodologia del capítol 4. Concluïm que el cas alemany és molt diferent. El poder predictiu de les variables de xarxa no millora. En el capítol 6 el grup de recerca dels estudiants de doctorat és entès com una xarxa duocèntrica (Coromina et al., 2008), amb l'objectiu d'obtendre informació de la relació mútua entre els estudiants i els seus directors i els contactes d'ambdós amb els altres de la xarxa. La inclusió de la xarxa duocèntrica no millora el poder predictiu del model de regressió utilitzant les variales egocèntriques de xarxa. El capítol 7 pretèn entendre perquè les variables de xarxa no predeixen el rendiment a la Universitat de Girona. Utilitzem el mètode mixte, esperant que l'estudi qualitatiu pugui cobrir les raons de perquè la qualitat de la xarxa falla en la qualitat del treball dels estudiants. Per recollir dades per l'estudi qualitatiu utilitzem entrevistes en profunditat. / This thesis belongs to a wider project designed to predict PhD students' academic performance carried out by the INSOC (International Network on Social Capital and Performance). The INSOC research group is composed by the universities of Girona (Spain), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Giessen (Germany) and Ghent (Belgium). The first aim of this thesis is to develop quantitative comparative analyses about the PhD students' academic performance across Spain, Slovenia and Germany from the individual academic performance results obtained in each university member. The international nature of the research group implies that we strongly emphasize comparative research. We use together background variables, attitudinal variables and social network variables for predicting performance. The second aim of this thesis is to qualitatively understand why network variables fail to quantitatively predict performance in the University of Girona (Spain). Thus, this thesis fit into the multimethod tradition. In Chapter 1, we define concepts related with performance and we give a list of each of the independent variables (social network, background and attitudinal variables) with a literature summary. Finally, we explain how PhD studies are organaized in the different countries. Drawing from these theoretical explanations, in the next chapters we first present the questionnaires used in Spain, Slovenia and Germany to measure these different types of variables. Then, we compare the variables which are relevant in order to predict PhD student performance in each country. After that, we fit alternative regression models to predict performance across countries. In all these models network variables fail to predict performance in the University of Girona. Finally, we use a qualitative study to understand this unexpected result. In Chapter 2, we explain how we designed and conducted a survey in the different countries with the aim of explaining the PhD students' performance obtained in Spain, Slovenia and Germany. In Chapter 3, we create comparable indicators wherever some comparability problems arose with particular questions in Spain, Slovenia and Germany. In this chapter we explain how we used all three countries' variables in order to create comparable indicators. This step is very important because the main goal of the INSOC research group is to compare the PhD student's performance between the different countries. In Chapter 4 we compare regression models obtained to predict PhD students' academic performance in the universities of Girona (Spain) and Slovenia. Explanatory variables are characteristics of PhD student's research group understood as an egocentered social network, background and attitudinal characteristics of the PhD students and some characteristics of the supervisors. We find that egocentered network variables do not predict performance in the University of Girona. In Chapter 5 we compare the Slovenian, Spanish and German data, following the methodology used in Chapter 4. We conclude that the German case is very different. Predictive power of network variables does not improve. In Chapter 6 the PhD student's research group is understood as a duocentered social network (Coromina et al., 2008), in order to obtain information regarding the mutual relationship between PhD students and their supervisor and the ties of both to their alters in the network. The inclusion of duocentered network variables does not improve the predictive power of the regression model using egocentered network variables. Chapter 7 attempts to understand why networks fail to predict performance in the University of Girona. Using the mixed method approach, we expect that a qualitative study can uncover the reasons why the quality of the networks fails to translate into the quality of the students' work. For data collection in the qualitative research we used in-depth interviews.

In dieser Studie werden Einstellungen zu sozialer Ungleichheit bzw. Gerechtigkeitseinstellungen und die Wahrnehmung von Einkommensungerechtigkeit durch die Bevölkerung in postkommunistischen und westlich-kapitalistischen Ländern zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten untersucht. Im Zentrum stehen vor allem die Determinanten dieser subjektiven Bewertungen und Wahrnehmungen auf der Makro-Ebene. Wie lassen sich Unterschiede in den Einstellungen und Wahrnehmungen zwischen Ländern erklären? Für westliche Länder wird davon ausgegangen, dass im Wesentlichen der Wohlfahrtsstaat als zentrales Verteilungsarrangement jeweils prägend wirkt. Um den Einfluss des Wohlfahrtsstaates zu überprüfen, wird einerseits eine Typologie wohlfahrtsstaatlicher Regime herangezogen. Andererseits wird auch der Einfluss wohlfahrtsstaatsbezogener Makroindikatoren als nähere Charakterisierung der ausgewählten Länder getestet, was in der international vergleichenden Einstellungsforschung bislang vernachlässigt wurde. In postkommunistischen Ländern, die seit dem Systemwechsel im Vergleich zu westlichen Ländern nicht durch lange wohlfahrtsstaatliche Traditionen geprägt wurden, stehen eher die unterschiedlichen Transformationsverläufe als Erklärungshintergrund von Einstellungs- und Wahrnehmungsunterschieden auf Makro-Ebene zur Verfügung. Da die objektiven Strukturen, Institutionen und individuellen Lagen in postkommunistischen Ländern einem stärkeren sozialen Wandel unterlagen, ist hier im Gegensatz zu westlichen Ländern auch mit einem entsprechend stärkeren Wandel der Gerechtigkeitseinstellungen und Bewertungen zu rechnen. Die Daten für diese Studie stammen aus zwei internationalen Umfrageprojekten, dem ''International Social Justice Project'' (ISJP) von 1991, 1996 und 2000 sowie dem ''International Social Survey Programme'' (ISSP) von 1987, 1992 und 1999. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich Gerechtigkeitseinstellungen, die als normative Grundhaltungen von Menschen eher prinzipieller Art sind, besser durch wohlfahrtsstaatliche Regimes erklären lassen, die diese Grundhaltungen institutionell inkorporieren und strukturell transportieren, während subjektive Wahrnehmungen von Einkommensungerechtigkeit besser durch konkretere wohlfahrtsstaatliche Makroindikatoren beeinflusst werden. / This study analyzes attitudes towards social inequality, justice ideologies and the perceived amount of injustice with respect to the distribution of income in post-communist and western-capitalist countries at different times, with a specific focus on the macro level determinants of subjective judgements and perceptions. How can country differences with respect to subjective judgements and perceptions be explained? One can assume that, for western countries, the welfare state is the main distribution arrangement shaping these subjective aspects. In order to analyze the influence of the welfare state, a typology of welfare state regimes is developed. In addition, the effects of macro indicators of the welfare state, conceptualized as more specific characteristics of the selected countries, are tested, which has been previously neglected in cross-national attitude research. In post-communist countries, which were not shaped by long national welfare state traditions as much as in western countries, the different transformation processes and their success are more suitable for explaining divergent macro-level attitudes and perceptions. As objective structures, institutions and the individual situations in post-communist countries have gone through a stronger process of social change than in western countries, a stronger change in justice attitudes, evaluations and perceptions can be accounted here accordingly. Data for this study come from two international survey projects, the ''International Social Justice Project'' (ISJP) 1991, 1996 and 2000 and the ''International Social Survey Programme'' (ISSP) 1987, 1992 and 1999. The results demonstrate that justice attitudes, which are rather basic normative attitudes, can be better explained by welfare state regimes which incorporate these basic attitudes institutionally and transport them structurally, whereas subjective perceptions, such as the perception of social injustice with respect to the income distribution, are affected by more concrete welfare related macro indicators.