Case Studies In Austria Research Articles

Assessing the role of economic actors in the production of private and public goods in three EU agricultural landscapes

The study analyses the contribution of relevant economic actors to the provision of private and public goods in agricultural landscapes. A method consisting of a multi-sectoral perspective and an integrated approach based on the analytic network process (ANP) and the use of selected local stakeholders is applied. The usefulness of the method is demonstrated in three European case studies in Austria, Italy and Spain. The results show that agriculture and tourism are the sectors that contribute the most and the least, respectively, to the provision of goods and services in agricultural landscapes. Moreover, the results underscore that policy instruments towards such provision need to be targeted differently in different areas and must take into account the different roles of the local actors involved.

Upgraded biogas from municipal solid waste for natural gas substitution and CO2 reduction – A case study of Austria, Italy, and Spain

Biogas is rich in methane and can be further purified through biogas upgrading technologies, presenting a viable alternative to natural gas. Landfills and anaerobic digestors treating municipal solid waste are a large source of such biogas. They therefore offer an attractive opportunity to tap into this potential source of natural gas while at the same time minimizing the global warming impact resulting from methane emissions in waste management schemes (WMS) and fossil fuel consumption reduction. This study looks at the current municipal solid waste flows of Spain, Italy, and Austria over one year (2009), in order to determine how much biogas is generated. Then it examines how much natural gas could be substituted by using four different biogas upgrading technologies. Based on current waste generation rates, exploratory but realistic WMS were created for each country in order to maximize biogas production and potential for natural gas substitution. It was found that the potential substitution of natural gas by biogas resulting from the current WMS seems rather insignificant: 0.2% for Austria, 0.6% for Italy and 0.3% for Spain. However, if the WMS is redesigned to maximize biogas production, these figures can increase to 0.7% for Austria, 1% for Italy and 2% for Spain. Furthermore, the potential CO2 reduction as a consequence of capturing the biogas and replacing fossil fuel can result in up to a 93% reduction of the annual national waste greenhouse gas emissions of Spain and Italy.

Ethnic Diversity Management In Theory And Practice

Diversity Management (DM) has often been criticised as a “double-edged sword”, leading to competitive advantage such as acceleration of productivity or the retention of highly talented staff (Basset-Jones, 2005; Hanappi-Egger et al., 2007) but, in turn, fostering disadvantages such as inequality and discrimination (Lorbiecki & Jack, 2000; Wrench, 2007). DM can create misunderstandings, conflicts in work groups, poor communication, absenteeism, and loss of competitiveness, specifically in regard to ethnic minority management (Brock & Sanchez, 1996; Pitts et al., 2010; Ingram, 2011). This article will identify theories of diversity management practices with a focus on ethnic diversity management, using examples from Austria as a framework for this analysis. The article aims to provide answers towards an important research question “how are theoretically conceived models of ethnic DM implemented in practice within organisations, and how are such practices, measures and their results seen and rated by those involved and affected?” HRM managers – as the employer’s agents of DM – and their employees – as concerned recipients of DM practices – are analysed together in this study. The empirical findings are based on an explorative case study in Austria, comparing employer and employee experiences and analysing experiences of majority and minority members of the workforce. The article concludes with specific recommendations for the improvement of ethnic diversity management.

Impact of ASCAT Soil Moisture Assimilation on Regional Precipitation Forecasts: A Case Study for Austria

Abstract In this study, remotely sensed soil moisture data from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) on board the Meteorological Operational (MetOp) series of satellites are assimilated in the regional forecasting model, Aire Limitée Adaptation Dynamique Développement International (ALADIN-Austria), using a simplified extended Kalman filter. A pointwise bias correction method is applied to the ASCAT data as well as quality flags prepared by the data provider. The ASCAT assimilation case study is performed over central Europe during a 1-month period in July 2009. Forecasts of those assimilation experiments are compared to the control run provided by the operational ALADIN version of the Austrian Met Service, Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG). Forecasts are furthermore verified versus in situ data. For a single-day case study the ability of the approach to improve precipitation forecast quality in the presence of high impact weather is demonstrated. Results show that 1) based on a one station in situ data evaluation, soil moisture analysis is improved, compared to the operational analysis, when ASCAT soil moisture data is assimilated; 2) pointwise bias correction of the satellite data is beneficial for forecast quality; 3) screen level parameter forecasts can be slightly improved as a result of this approach; and 4) convective precipitation forecast is improved over flatland for the investigation period while over mountainous regions the impact is neutral.

Effects of climate change on regional energy systems focussing on space heating and cooling: A case study of Austria

Climate change affects regions differently and therefore also climate change effects on energy systems need to be analyzed region specific. The objective of the study presented is to show and analyze these effects on regional energy systems following a high spatial resolution approach. Three regional climate scenarios are downscaled to a 1 km resolution and error corrected for three different testing regions in Austria. These climate data are used to analyze effects of climate change on heating and cooling demand until the year 2050. Potentials of renewable energies such as solar thermal, photovoltaic, ambient heat and biomass are also examined. In the last process step the outcomes of the previous calculations are fed into two energy system models, where energy system optimizations are executed, which provide information concerning optimal setups and operations of future energy systems. Due to changing climate strong changes for the energy demand structure are noticed; lower heat demand in winter (between -7 and -15% until 2050) and - strongly differing between regions - higher cooling demand in summer (up to +355%). Optimization results show that the composition of energy supply carriers is barely affected by climate change, since other developments such as refurbishment actions, price developments and regional biomass availabilities are more influencing within this context.

Transmission of fertility pattern in mother-daughter relation – Bayesian view (a case study of Austria)

The connection between fertility of parents and their children has been investigated many times over the past century. It seems to be insignificant among pre-transitional populations, but becomes more important over time, especially in developed countries. Following Pearson’s example, it was widely adopted to use simple correlation analyses in such studies. In this study we will present how to use more advanced statistical models and methods to determine the occurrence and strength of examined relationships. Thus, we aim to investigate the intergenerational transmission of fertility in contemporary populations (in the case of the motherdaughter relation in Austria) using the zero-inflated Poisson regression model. Using this model in fertility analysis allows us to treat childlessness as a qualitatively different state with possibly different determinants than parenthood (regardless of the number of children). Bayesian inference in this study enables us to obtain covariates’ distributions as well as distributions of covariates’ nonlinear functions (including their uncertainty) and allows us to incorporate our prior knowledge.

‘Energy landscapes’: Meeting energy demands and human aspirations

Renewable energy will play a crucial role in the future society of the 21st century. The various renewable energy sources need to be balanced and their use carefully planned since they are characterized by high temporal and spatial variability that will pose challenges to maintaining a well balanced supply and to the stability of the grid. This article examines the ways that future ‘energy landscapes’ can be modelled in time and space. Biomass needs a great deal of space per unit of energy produced but it is an energy carrier that may be strategically useful in circumstances where other renewable energy carriers are likely to deliver less. A critical question considered in this article is whether a massive expansion in the use of biomass will allow us to construct future scenarios while repositioning the ‘energy landscape’ as an object of study. A second important issue is the utilization of heat from biomass energy plants. Biomass energy also has a larger spatial footprint than other carriers such as, for example, solar energy. This article seeks to provide a bridge between energy modelling and spatial planning while integrating research and techniques in energy modelling with Geographic Information Science. This encompasses GIS, remote sensing, spatial disaggregation techniques and geovisualization. Several case studies in Austria and Germany demonstrate a top-down methodology and some results while stepwise calculating potentials from theoretical to technically feasible potentials and setting the scene for the definition of economic potentials based on scenarios and assumptions.

Universities as change agents for sustainability – framing the role of knowledge transfer and generation in regional development processes

Abstract This paper explores opportunities for universities to contribute to local and regional development processes, apart from classical knowledge transfer within education and lifelong learning. In order to draft an analytical framework for the university-society relationship in regional development processes, we introduce three theoretical frameworks: planning, learning, and implementation theory, as well as shift the research perspective from university to regional development processes. The elaborated framework is applied to two case studies in Austria: the Montagsakademie, an initiative of the Karl-Franzens University in Graz, and PlanVision, an energy research project between the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna and the Town of Freistadt. From the analysis can be concluded that knowledge provision is not enough to establish the university as a change agent. In order to reach this effect, “ownership” of knowledge within local and regional communities has to be achieved. This ownership affects the level of values (shared visions and objectives concerning sustainable development) and the level of facts (addressing the skills for implementation and action) and can best be attained through joint knowledge generation. Universities that want to act as change agents have to thoroughly consider collaborative ways of research and education in informal learning environments so that knowledge demand, knowledge transfer and knowledge generation can be negotiated and jointly determined between local and regional societies and universities.

Key factors and considerations in the assessment of international collaboration: a case study for Austria and six countries

This bibliometric study on the collaboration of Austria and six target countries (Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Denmark, Switzerland and Israel) reveals the importance of differentiation between the bilateral and multilateral contingents in the assessment of international scientific collaboration. For this purpose a "degree of bilaterality" (DB) and a "citation degree of bilaterality" (CDB) are introduced. In our findings the DB and the CDB have values lower than 1/3 and 1/5, respectively. Therefore, the total collaboration is mostly shaped in its volume and impact by the multilateral contingent. Regarding the impact estimation of the collaboration publication output, a multi-faceted approach was used. It is recommended to separately analyze the following three aspects: the un-cited range, the average range and the excellence range. Considering different country specific parameters the total number of publications and citations were resized for each type of collaboration and the results discussed. Only a very weak correlation between `times cited' and the number of affiliations or authors was observed at publication level. Neither the number of authors or affiliations determines impact increase. Rather internationalisation and cooperation seem to be the crucial factors.

Designing the future—A reflection of a transdisciplinary case study in Austria

The paper presents a transdisciplinary case study which aimed to encourage a vital regional process for building more sustainable structures and regional networks in the future. The case study looks at the industrial city of Steyr which is located in a highly dynamic region in Upper Austria and has to compete with other regional industrial centres and on the global market with internationally acting companies in the automotive sector. For finding local strategies to cope with globally induced pressures and changes several foresight techniques and transdisciplinary approaches have been applied such as interviews, photo elicitation, workshops and scenario building. The transdisciplinary case study is reflected by exploring three major research questions: first, how does transdisciplinarity work in practice, second, what are the benefits and limitations of transdisciplinary research in regional foresight processes and third, how can transdisciplinary research contribute to initiating a long-term process for building sustainable networks and structures in the region. Some answers can be given from the empirical example of Steyr. The case study shows that particularly in regions with a long industrial history and tradition and where existing paradigms cannot easily be overcome, a transdisciplinary procedure provides clear advantages over sole expert solutions. Transdisciplinarity can be the key to get through to the local actors, to develop perfectly fitting strategies for the region and to initiate joint learning and in an ideal situation a long-term change process. New ideas, structures and networks are established which are essential for improving the long-term development of a region.

Benefits, efforts and risks of participants in landscape co-management: An analytical framework and results from two case studies in Austria

Participatory processes in general and also in relation to managing landscape issues are gathering importance mostly due to arguments surrounding legitimacy and effectiveness in decision-making. The main aim of this research, based on a transaction costs perspective, is to present an integrated analytical framework in order to determine individual efforts (time, money), benefits and risks of participants in landscape co-management processes. Furthermore a reflection on the analytical approach developed and arising lessons to be learned for landscape co-management are presented. In the analytical framework benefit-components comprise of factors such as ‘contributing to landscape maintenance/development and nature protection’, ‘representing one’s interest group’, ‘co-deciding on relevant topics’, ‘providing and broadening one’s knowledge’ and ‘building networks’. The risks of participation are related to a lack of information and agreements, missing support and actual decision-making power. The analytical framework is applied to two case studies in Austria: an EU LIFE-Nature project and a Cultural Landscape Project of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria. Analysis of the effort-benefit-relations provides an indication for a more effective design of co-management. Although the processes are rated as quite adequate, there is a low willingness of participants to commit additional time to co-management processes. In contrast to the Cultural Landscape Project, in the LIFE-Nature project, professionally involved persons participate next to partly and full volunteers. These uneven conditions of participation and an unfair distribution of transaction costs, jeopardize the promising chances co-management bears for landscape governance.

Caring for informal caregivers: policy approaches to the provision of direct support services

Despite being the backbone of modern welfare states, the informal care sector for elderly people in need of long-term care is highly dysfunctional. The majority of informal caregivers are overburdened on account of their care-related activities, although an evolving market for support services directly aimed at relieving informal caregivers is observable. In this paper, we examine the reasons for the imperfect exchange between demand and supply in this market, applying the economic theory of market failure. Through a case study of Austria based on an empirical, qualitative survey of all direct support services and their suppliers on the national level as well as in three provinces, an understanding of this market's main players and mechanisms is derived. Thus, the authors determine that three different system types can be identified beyond the historical regional discrepancies. They illustrate the approaches to service provision for informal caregivers: centralized and public, laissez-faire and private, and a radically decentralized network for informal caregivers. Still, lack of information, social and psychological barriers, as well as high transaction costs, are identified which undermine the support service market for informal care. If the costs of the formal long-term care sector are to be contained despite demographic developments, better policy approaches will be necessary to overcome this challenge. In light of this, recommendations are derived to ensure a better exchange between supply and demand. By providing an initial empirical understanding and analysis of this market and its imperfections, the authors pioneer future quantitative research in this field.

Surveys as a tool to record winter losses of honey bee colonies: a two year case study in Austria and South Tyrol

SummaryAlarmed by reports of high losses of honey bee colonies in other countries, and with no field data available for Austria, a mixed media survey on winter mortality of honey bee colonies was carried out in Austria for the overwintering periods of 2007–8 and 2008–9. In addition, the survey was extended to South Tyrol (Italy) in 2007–8. Data presented for 2007–8 were gathered at eight beekeeping conventions in Austria (374 beekeepers; 16,217 colonies, representing 1.7% of beekeepers and 5.8% of colonies, respectively) and one convention in South Tyrol (115 beekeepers; 3,999 colonies, representing 3.7% of beekeepers and 10.6% of colonies, respectively). During the overwintering period of 2007–8 we calculated a total loss of 13.3% of colonies in Austria, ranging from 9.2 to 17.1% in different regions. Overwintering mortality in South Tyrol was 12.3%. In 2009, data were collected at nine beekeeping conventions in Austria and from some respondents who returned the questionnaire which was also published in the Austrian beekeeping journal and on our website (575 beekeepers; 18,141 colonies, representing 2.6% of beekeepers and 6.5% of colonies, respectively). Total colony losses were calculated as 9.3%, ranging from 6.0% to 17.8% in different provinces of Austria. Respondents attributed Varroa destructor as a key factor in the occurrence of high colony losses during overwintering in our area of investigation, followed by queen loss and starvation. We analyzed the impact of hive management (operation size, date of carbohydrate feeding, type of carbohydrates fed before winter, V. destructor treatment and migratory beekeeping) on colony loss. We also reported observed biases due to different survey methods in the second year.

Deriving efficient policy portfolios promoting sustainable energy systems—Case studies applying Invert simulation tool

Within recent years, energy policies have imposed a number of targets at European and national level for rational use of energy (RUE), renewable energy sources (RES) and related CO 2 reductions. As a result, a wide variety of policy instruments is currently implemented and hence the question arises: how can these instruments be designed in a way to reach the maximum policy target with the minimum public money spent? The objective of this paper is to derive a methodology for obtaining efficient policy portfolios promoting sustainable energy systems depending on the policy target and show corresponding results from case studies in Austria, Germany and Poland. The investigations were carried out by application of Invert simulation tool, a computer model developed for simulating the impacts of various promotion schemes for renewable and efficient energy systems. With this tool, the CO 2 reductions and related public expenses have been calculated for various policy mixes. In the building-related energy sector, it turned out that in all investigated regions support schemes for supply side measures are the most cost-efficient instruments. However, their potential is restricted and for achieving higher levels of CO 2 reduction, promotion of demand side measures is indispensable. The paper shows that for a comprehensive comparison of policy portfolios, there are always two dimensions to be considered: efficiency and effectiveness. The more effective, i.e. the higher the implementation rate of a scheme, the more essential becomes the efficiency criteria.

Integration of the saprobic system into the European Union Water Framework Directive – Case studies in Austria, Germany and Czech Republic

The use of saprobic systems has long traditions in the water management in Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany. Within the context of water quality assessment they are applied to indicate the effects of anthropogenic caused organic impact leading to a decrease in the dissolved oxygen content of running waters. In December 2000 the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) came into force. It demands homogeneous procedures and methods for assessing inland surface waters as well as groundwater, coastal and transitional waters. The WFD focuses on the assessment of biotic elements and the ecological status has to be defined based on type specific approaches and reference conditions. To incorporate the saprobic approach into the new integrative methodology of the European assessment of the ecological status of water bodies, the national saprobic systems need to be adjusted. This paper describes the according methodological developments and adaptations of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany required to harmonise the traditional procedure with the guidelines of the WFD. In the three countries national databases were established to provide species lists from largely undisturbed stream sites. Such reference sites build the basis for calculating stream type specific reference values. The calculation has been done in slightly different ways dependent on the country. In addition to that boundaries were defined to characterise the 5 saprobic quality classes.

Austrian Border Regions and Eastern Integration. A Low Competitiveness - High Growth Paradoxon

Many regions on the EU Eastern borders have developed favourably after the opening up of the border and the implementation of association agreements with the CEECs. This was often seen as a positive sign for the further perspectives of these regions after EU enlargement. In this paper we take a closer look at the mechanisms involved in a case study for Austria. Based on a very disaggregated data set at a regional as well as sectoral level we find that neither sectoral preconditions nor locational advantages can explain the good performance of (rural) border regions after 1989. Using multivariate cluster analyses we group 3-digit-industries to theoretically founded typologies indicating different sector characteristics and find that (fast growing) rural border regions are dominated by industries that show disadvantageous characteristics for eastwest trade. Furthermore, we identify locational factors relevant for regional growth in a traditional Barro-style growth regression and find a regional distribution of these factors in Austria, which also places rural border regions at a disadvantage. Rather than these factors or advantages from proximity to the new markets, impacts internal to the Austrian markets seem to determine regional growth patterns in the 1990s. Therefore it would be misleading to take a stable development of rural border regions after EU enlargement for granted due to past experiences.

Institutional Support for Organic and Integrated Agriculture: A Case Study in Austria

Institutional Support for Organic and Integrated Agriculture: A Case Study in Austria

Can Regional Variations in Demographic Structure Explain Regional Differences in Car Use? A Case Study in Austria

Due to its manifold impact on the environment private car use represents an important dimension of environmental behavior in industrialized countries. Obviously, private car use is related to demographic characteristics of households such as the life-cycle stage and the living arrangement the household lives in. In addition systematic regional differences of private car use have to be taken into account. In this paper a causal model is derived, which aims to explain regional differences in car ownership and car use by regional demographic differences and region-specific control factors such as the car technology and institutional factors. Using aggregate data from a household survey in Austria and data from Austrian official statistics causal effect coefficients are then estimated. By applying path analysis the estimated effects of regional demographic characteristics on region-specific car ownership and car use can be decomposed into direct and indirect effects, with the latter effects being mediated by the control factors. Except for the average age of household heads and population density no significant direct demographic effects on regional patterns of car ownership and car use can be found. Car ownership and car use are best predicted by using the considered control factors as predictor variables. Nevertheless, many of the presumed indirect effects turn out to be of importance since demographic factors are closely linked to measures of regional institutional settings like per capita income, ownership of house/apartment and net commuting index.

Assessing the uncertainty associated with national greenhouse gas emission inventories:: a case study for Austria

The uncertainty associated with the Austrian Greenhouse Gas emission inventory has been determined for the gases CO 2, CH 4 and N 2O and for the overall greenhouse potential. Expert interviews were conducted to obtain uncertainties in inventory input data. Based on these interviews, error distributions were developed and combined using Monte-Carlo analysis. Results for all sources and gases combined indicate an overall uncertainty between 10.5% and 12% depending on the base year considered. Excluding emissions and the uncertainty associated with forest sinks and natural sources, overall uncertainty decreased by 2% points. The mere ‘random error’, which is considered the level of uncertainty to be achieved with the current methodology (excluding all systematic errors) is 5% points lower. Detailed evaluation shows that much of the overall uncertainty derives from a lack of understanding the processes associated with N 2O emissions from soils. Other important contributors to GHG emission uncertainties are CH 4 from landfills and forests as CO 2 sinks. The uncertainty of the trend has been determined at near 5% points, with solid waste production (landfills) having the strongest contribution. Theoretical considerations do not permit a decrease of the trend uncertainty—even when forest sinks are not considered—below 3% points.

Politico-Economic Determinants of Public Debt Growth: A Case Study for Austria

Based on a number of economic andparticularly politico-economic arguments,we examine the reasons for the growth ofthe central government's debt in Austriausing time series data for the period 1960 to 1999. Starting with an empiricaltest of Bohn's theory of sustainability offiscal policy, which is based on Barro'stax-smoothing model, we extend the model toaccount for several politico-economicvariables suggested by public choicetheories. Keynesian stabilization policyobjectives, influences of ideology andpolitical parties, the form of governmentand the political business cycle are testedregarding their ability to explain thegrowth of public debt in Austria. There issome empirical evidence for systematicinfluence of government behavior inaccordance with recent public choicetheories. However, it seems that the mostimportant influence on Austrian fiscalpolicy is the unemployment rate, which has asignificant influence on the decisions madeby policy-makers. Concluding, we brieflydiscuss the implications of these resultsfor the prospects of reducing public debtin Austria in the near future.