“…In this view, both the Job-Aqtiv Law and the Hartz reforms (including Hartz IV) strongly resembled (and referred to) EES guidelines, due to a learning effect on the part of the Ministry, owing to a high degree of readiness to change the current policy paradigm and a favourable organizational coupling of competences within the ministerial structure (Preunkert and Zirra, 2009). Several other studies contend, yet without referring to core executives, that the core of Hartz IV, merging several benefits, corresponds to the EES guidelines, even though this was not publicly acknowledged (see Behning (2006) and Heidenreich and Bischoff (2008); Zohlnhöfer and Ostheim (2007) stress EES references in the Hartz Commission report). Heidenreich and Bischoff (2008: 518) detect 'a subtle, but nevertheless quite effective influence on German … employment strategies', including Hartz IV, amounting to 'learning by irritation', that is, a mutual influence of European and national patterns of perception and behaviour (2008: 520-1).…”