Pathways to Capitalism – Explaining the Difference in the Economic Development of the Visegrád States, the States of the Former Soviet Union and China
Silke Tober, Hansjörg Herr
External Publications,
1999
Abstract
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Current trends – Great differences in overtime pay in East German industry
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 15,
1998
Abstract
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Innovative Milieux: Advanced Posts of Interpenetration between the Economic System and the Science System
Peter Franz
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 71,
1998
Abstract
A growing number of governments, political parties, and enterprises set the theme „innovation“ on their agenda and join in the global race to more competitive national economies. In this race the concept of the „innovative milieu“ serves as an important point of orientation and as a political target that, on the first glance, seems to be transferable in concrete political measures. A basic feature of innovative milieux is the quick and easy transfer of knowledge to products in demand. This speed-up in the diffusion of knowledge is not only interesting with respect to the economic advantages but also with respect to science. It is the basic thesis of this paper that innovative milieux represent special cases where the economic system and the science system interpenetrate in an extreme way. Empirical findings show that the actors of innovative milieux have a strong cultural proximity to basic attitudes and behavior within the science system. This relates to the institutionalization of trial and error, the reinforcement of exploratory behavior, the flow of information, and to a special mixture of cooperation and competition. An essential feature of innovative milieux derives from the network relations of its actors. These relations have to be balanced a) to the need to create trust and reduce uncertainty, and b) to the need to stay permeable enough for linkages with new actors from outside. With regard to time innovative milieux have to be conceived from an evolutionary perspective. This involves several steps: Development of prerequisites, consolidation, attraction of labor and enterprises from other regions. From the evolutionary perspective, too, possible factors of preventing or accelerating the „entropic death“ (Camagni 1991) of innovative milieux can be discussed. The exceptional character of innovative milieux has consequences for innovation-oriented political strategies. The self-enforcing dynamics of innovative milieux create a tendency to more economic inequality between regions (core-periphery differences). This is contradictory to political strategies in which innovation-oriented policy is applied to reach an offset between prospering and impoverished regions. In many cases a strategy starting from the assumption of an enduring non-innovative milieu seems to be more realistic and more promising. Further on, the new more direct links between enterprises and research institutes question the current shape of technology transfer institutions. Finally the potential effects of the new trend to encourage the entrepreneurship of research staff on the science system are discussed.
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What can a town achieve today? Integration, urban regimes, and the acceptance of models
Peter Franz
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 56,
1997
Abstract
Since 1990, the date of German reunification, urban development and especially the recovery of inner cities in East Germany has been delayed by several factors including real estate restitution claims, inflexible preservation codes for historic buildings, and the shortage of stores for retailers. This blockade situation has resulted in the quick and intensified development of shopping centres as „inner city substitutes“ on the urban periphery. The combined effect of the factors preventing revitalisation strategies and the newly realised and practised potential for autonomous action by the authorities of smaller municipalities was a severe restriction for the governing capacities of the authorities of the larger cities. in regaining their governance capability city governments are dependent on urban groups joining and supporting public developmental strategies. In accordance with Stone (1993) and Stoker and Mossberger (1994) urban groups active in urban development policy can be described as urban regimes. In Germany three types of regimes can be differentiated. The cities differ with respect to the political strength and the forms of coalition and conflict between different urban regimes. Specific conditions in East Germany have led to a special regime constellation with a powerful „conservation regime“ on the one hand and a vivid „globalisation regime“ on the other hand. This conflicting constellation results in a developmental blockade. The hypothesis is that a third regime type, the „local alliance“, is missing and still has to be created by practices such as city marketing and city management. Only when this regime building process has advanced will new constellations of political coalitions and compromise become possible and be able to reduce governance problems of city government in the long run.
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Causes of the growing wage-income gap in the USA: Current aspects in research and the political discussion
Peter Franz
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 65,
1997
Abstract
Data sets from OECD countries and especially the US indicate growing inequalities in income and thus stimulate research with respect to this topic. In this paper the basic arguments and results of several studies with an economic and a sociological background are compared and discussed. It concentrates a) on the theory of Kuznets and its modifications, b) on the “technology vs. trade” controversy, and c) on panel studies which allow an analysis of income mobility. Finally the research questions are dealt with if Germany will show similar degrees of income inequality as in the US in the years to come and if the two countries differ in their political tolerance towards income inequality.
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Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic: Different economic setting due to accession to OECD
Michael Seifert
Forschungsreihe,
No. 6,
1996
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East German Construction industry: Growth and differentiation between different lines
Brigitte Loose
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 3,
1995
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