Searching for sustainable competitive advantage --From tangibles to intangibles

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize on the growing importance of the intangible assets for a firm＇s sustainable competitive advantage--by considering both the features that a strategic asset must meet and the high potential of the intangible assets to fulfill those features. First, we outline the changing environment finns are operating in--at global and industry＇s level as well; second, we emphasize on the evolving theory of the resource-based view of the firm--as the main framework integrating all the assets of a firm and its relationships with the environment; third, we underline the need for organizational and managerial change and development by making the shift from tangibles to intangibles. We find that the theory in the field evolved within last years, but the conceptual framework is far from being exhaustive and unitary. The paper may be continued with the developing of a conceptual framework which is able to identify the specific intangible assets that may become strategic, their determinants, the interconnections between them, and their integration into successful competitive strategies. The practical implications of the paper consist in offering some guidelines for firms in the search of global competitiveness through the valorization of there intangible assets. The paper emphasizes that, in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, strategic management must develop a comprehensive, dynamic and innovative resource-based model--unique for each firm.     

Frequency assessment of SNPs for forensic identification in different populations

Allele frequencies for 16 previously described autosomal SNPs were tested in 1020 unrelated individuals originating from three different continents (Africa, Asia and Europe). The populations analyzed included Africans from Benin Gulf (180), Asians from Mongolia (160) and Europeans from Italy (680).     

Verfassungsvergleichung durch den Verfassungsgerichtshof

Der VfGH zieht nach anfänglicher Zurückhaltung in seiner jüngeren Judikatur in bestimmtem Umfang auch rechtsvergleichende Erwägungen zur Entscheidungsbegründung heran. Der Blick über die Grenze dient dem Gerichtshof überwiegend zu dem Zweck, seine verfassungsrechtliche Beurteilung durch zusätzliche Argumente abzustützen, aber auch dazu, Hilfestellung bei der Inhaltsermittlung von Verfassungsnormen zu erlangen. Der Beitrag untersucht die Rechtsprechungspraxis des VfGH und widmet sich anhand dieser auch grundsätzlichen Fragestellungen der Zulässigkeit und Leistungsfähigkeit der Komparatistik in der verfassungsgerichtlichen Judikatur sowie ihren Einsatzbedingungen.