States have different ties to warring parties in armed conflict. Bias, as in being closer to one conflict side, is a known factor that shapes mediation processes. However, its particular role has been insufficiently studied. This study assesses bias as a significant influence on mediation in Ukraine. Armed conflict in Ukraine has been mediated by different actors, among which the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) launched a Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to support mediation through impartial fact-reporting. This thesis examines the OSCE’s declared impartiality. This is done through a content analysis of interpretative statements by OSCE states about the SMM’s mandate and extensions. These 45 statements cover the conflict years 2014 to 2021 and form the material for the analysis. The study’s findings show that states’ interpretative statements hold bias in favour and disfavour of warring parties. Particularly favour for Ukraine and disfavour of Russia is apparent. Therefore, the OSCE does not speak with one ‘impartial’ voice but rather harbours different perspectives that potentially influence the organisation’s mediation efforts. The findings have implications for scholars and practitioners of international mediation alike.

Seit 2012 haben die wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Institute der Universität Leipzig und der Technischen Universität Dresden mehrere Prototypen einer innovativen komplexen Online-Lehr-Lernumgebung entwickelt und getestet (Achtenhagen & John, 1992, Schlicht et al. 2017, S. 46). Der jüngste Prototyp wurde von 2017 bis 2021 in einem Blended-Research-Based-Learning (RBL)-Kurs zu Forschungsmethoden für Bachelor-Studierende an der Universität Leipzig getestet. Die zentrale Forschungsfrage lautete: Wie lernen Erstsemester der Wirtschaftswissenschaften mit dem Blended-RBL-Kurs zu Forschungsmethoden? Die zentrale Herausforderung bestand darin, die Studierenden auf systematische Weise an wissenschaftliches Denken heranzuführen (Sektion Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, 2014, S. 6; Schlicht et al., 2017, S. 43). Darüber hinaus war weitere Forschung zum besseren Verständnis des Lernprozesses mit dem Blended-RBL-Kurs erforderlich (Dziuban et al. 2018; Klauser, 1998; Reinmann, 2016, 2011; Schlicht, 2021, Schlicht et al., 2017, S. 48). Ein quantitatives Design wurde verwendet, um die Lernergebnisse des Blended-RBL-Kurses zu analysieren (Isaac & Michael, 1995). In Anlehnung an die Definitionen für quasi-experimentelle Designs von Campbell und Stanley (1966) wurde ein Ein-Gruppen-Pretest-Posttest-Design durchgeführt. Interessanterweise zeigen die Ergebnisse einen vollständigen Mediationseffekt (Hayes, 2013) der intrinsischen Motivation zwischen der Akzeptanz und den Kenntnissen und Fähigkeiten. Die Akzeptanz ist signifikant und positiv mit der intrinsischen Motivation verbunden, der indirekte Effekt a ist mit 0,89 hoch. Der indirekte Effekt der intrinsischen Motivation auf Wissen und Fähigkeiten ist positiv signifikant und sein Wert b ist 0,43 und der direkte Effekt der Akzeptanz auf Wissen und Fähigkeiten c' ist 0,374. Der Gesamteffekt der Akzeptanz auf Kenntnisse und Fähigkeiten hat einen standardisierten Koeffizienten von 0,3644, was bedeutet, dass für jede Einheit, die wir die Zeichensetzung in der Akzeptanzskala verbessern können, eine Verbesserung um 0,3644 in der Skala der Kenntnisse und Fähigkeiten durch den indirekten Effekt der intrinsischen Motivation, der 0,3904 beträgt, erwartet wird. Obwohl die Motivation am Ende des Kurses abnahm, zeigt diese Studie, dass durch die Verbesserung der Akzeptanz erwartet wird, dass wir sowohl die Lernergebnisse, die intrinsische Motivation als auch die Kenntnisse und Fähigkeiten steigern können.:Contents List of Abbreviations V List of Tables VII List of Figures IX List of Equations XII 1 Introduction to Researching Blended Research-Based Learning in Business Higher Education 13 1.1 General Context for Innovative Blended Research-Based Learning Offers in Higher Education During Pandemic Times 13 1.2 Blended Research-Based Learning Background at Leipzig University 16 1.3 Problems in Researching Blended Learning in Business Higher Education 18 1.3.1 Research Gaps in Online and Blended Learning for Business Higher Education 18 1.3.2 Research Gap in Blended RBL for Business Higher Education 20 1.3.3 Evaluating a Blended RBL Course at Leipzig University 22 1.4 Purpose of the Study 24 1.5 Significance of the Study 24 1.6 Research Questions 26 1.7 Organization of the Study 27 2 Model Generation for the Influence of the Acceptance on the Learning Process for Blended Research-Based Learning 30 2.1 Understanding the Learning Concept and its Implications for PBL and RBL Environments 30 2.2 Blended Learning More Than a Sort of Online Learning 32 2.2.1 Three Approaches to Blended Learning Models 36 2.2.2 Pedagogical Aspects of Designing Blended Learning for Higher Education 39 2.2.3 Complex Teaching-Learning Environments in Business Higher Education 41 2.3 Problem-Based Learning in Connection to Research-Based Learning 43 2.4 Research-Based Learning Fosters Academic Thinking by Using the Three Basic Dimensions of Teaching that Promote Learning 46 2.4.1 Research-Based Learning at the Beginning of Studies 50 2.4.2 Research-Based Learning and Blended Delivery 54 2.5 Evaluation Aspects for Blended Research-Based Learning in Business Higher Education 56 2.6 Understanding Good Teaching in Higher Education 62 2.7 Knowledge and Skills Acquisition – Cognitive Facets in the Learning Process for Blended Research-Based Learning Environments 64 2.8 Motivation Facet in the Blended Research-Based Learning Process for Business Higher Education 68 2.9 Acceptance of Blended Learning Offers in Higher Education 73 2.10 Control Variables for the Blended RBL Study 80 2.11 Proposed Conceptual Model for the Relationship Between Acceptance, Motivation, and Knowledge and Skills in Blended Research-Based Learning 82 3 Longitudinal Research Design of the Learning Process and Acceptance within the Blended RBL Course at Leipzig University 88 3.1 General Settings of the Blended RBL Course on Research Methods 88 3.1.1 Blended RBL Course Description 89 3.1.2 Portrayal of the Complex Learning Environment and the Blended RBL Course on Research Methods 91 3.2 Implementing a Quasi-Experimental Design for Understanding the Learning Process and Acceptance Within the Blended RBL Course 95 3.3 General Description of the Sample and Participants 96 3.4 Learning Process and Acceptance Instrumentation 96 3.5 Instrument Validity and Reliability 98 3.5.1 Factor analysis for Motivation, Knowledge and Skills, and Acceptance 98 3.5.2 Normality Assumption for Motivation, Knowledge and Skills, and Acceptance 99 3.5.3 Extraction and Rotation Methods Selection for EFA 103 3.5.4 Bidimensional Scale for Motivation and Unidimensional Scales for Knowledge and Skills and Acceptance 103 3.5.5 Reliability Estimates for Motivation, Knowledge and Skills, and Acceptance 105 3.6 Data Collection Procedures and Analysis 107 4 Significant Gains on the Learning Process and High Acceptance of the Blended RBL Course at Leipzig University 109 4.1 Overview of the Evaluation Analysis at Leipzig University 109 4.2 Sample Descriptive Statistics 109 4.3 Knowledge and Skills on Research Methods Increased After Attending the Blended RBL Course 110 4.4 Motivation Levels Remain Stable During the Blended RBL Course 113 4.5 The Blended RBL Course on Research Methods Achieved High Acceptance Among Business Education Students 119 4.6 Evidence of Associations Between Motivation, Knowledge and Skills, and Acceptance 121 4.7 Intrinsic Motivation and Acceptance as Good Predictors for Knowledge and Skills Acquisition 125 4.8 Total Mediation Effect of Intrinsic Motivation Between Acceptance and Knowledge and Skills 131 5 Discussion and Conclusion 137 5.1 Discussion of the Findings 137 5.2 Limitations 145 5.3 Implications for Practice 146 5.4 Recommendations for Future Research 148 References 151 Appendix A 194 Pre-test and Post-test Questionnaires in German and English 194 Appendix B 198 Histograms and Q-Q Plots by Item 198 Histograms and Q-Q Plots by Variable 212 Appendix C 214 Student’s Semester by Intrinsic Motivation 214 Appendix D 216 Nonparametric Correlations Between the Study’s Variables 216 Declaration of academic integrity according to § 8 par. 2 (1.) 218 Declaration of academic integrity according to § 8 par. 2 (2.) 219

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In multiple studies, neuroticism and romantic relationship satisfaction are negatively related to one another. Yet, the exact behaviors that link neuroticism to lower relationship satisfaction are unknown. Our seven-day daily diary study (N = 246) identified specific, everyday behaviors that might mediate this association. After establishing positive and negative factors using exploratory factor analysis, we examined whether positive or negative behaviors (and sub-categories of these dimensions) mediate the relationship between neuroticism and relationship satisfaction. Our results showed that negative behaviors mediated the relationship between neuroticism and relationship satisfaction but positive behaviors did not. A subcategory of conflict tactics mediated the relationship over and beyond the mediational impact of the broader negative behaviors factor. There were no other mediational influences. The implications of this research can inform clinical interventions aimed at increasing relational functioning via a reduction in maladaptive relational behaviors associated with neuroticism.

The development of digital technology has changed people's relationship patterns and interactions, and the Internet has enabled people to interact beyond the limits of time and space. In this context, more and more people are meeting on the Internet according to their personal subcultures, exchanging symbols and emotions, which means the medium is subtly influencing people's interactive behaviors. So how does the medium influence people's interactive behavior in a digital setting? The interactive behavior of a subcultural group on the Chinese social media Douban, the group Introducing the 985 Loser Programme, provides an example for us to consider this question. Taking this online subcultural group as an example, this thesis applies Collins' theory of interaction ritual chains, combines the concepts of disembedding and reembedding, and comprehensively analyzes the interaction rituals of members within this group on Douban through online observation, in-depth interviews, and content analysis, and analyzes from which aspects these interaction rituals are influenced by the medium. This study concluded that the online interaction rituals influenced by the medium were influenced by the real-life factors that the participants faced and also shaped their offline lives in terms of both perceptions and actions.

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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study aims to examine American Muslim well-being and social capital in the face of Islamophobia. Ecological frameworks and social capital theory were synthesized to provide an approach for research, analysis, and social work practice. A mediation analysis was conducted to test the mediating effect of cognitive social capital on the relationship between structural social capital and distress. The paths of structural social capital, cognitive social capital, and distress were conceptualized using the ecological framework of Berkman and colleagues. Special attention was paid to how experiences of Islamophobic discrimination affect cognitive social capital and distress. Structural social capital was operationalized as the number of active memberships in civic organizations; Cognitive social capital was operationalized as trust in major institutions such as schools and the local police and Distress was operationalized using the Kessler Distress Scale. It was hypothesized that an increase in structural social capital would show a decrease in distress with cognitive social capital mediating the path. Results showed that cognitive social capital mediates the relationship between structural social capital and distress. However, an inconsistent mediation was found where an increase in cognitive social capital shows a decrease in distress, but higher levels of structural social capital show an increase in distress. Lastly, the results of the analysis were interpreted to inform current interventions with the American Muslim community through a social work lens.