IWH Industry Survey September 1998: East German industry still optimistic
Doris Gladisch
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 13,
1998
Abstract
Das andauernde Stimmungshoch bei der Beurteilung der aktuellen Geschäftslage wird in beträchtlichem Maße von Unternehmen getragen, die bereits im vergangenen Jahr kräftige Umsätze und eine gute Ertragslage verbuchten. Das spricht für eine Stabilisierung der wirtschaftlichen Lage in der ostdeutschen Industrie.
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IWH Industry Survey July: Business situation in East German manufacturing sector slightly worse – Outlook optimistic
Udo Ludwig
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 10,
1996
Abstract
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Kosten und Nutzen der Ausbildung an Tertiärbildungsinstitutionen im Vergleich
Martina Eschelbach, G. Heineck, Steffen Müller, Regina T. Riphahn
Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik,
No. 2,
2010
Abstract
We compare German institutions of tertiary education (universities and polytechnics) with respect to the cost of and the returns to their educational degrees. Based on cost data from two different sources we find that on average the expenditures of universities are lower than those of polytechnics when we consider expenditures per potential enrollee and per student enrolled during the regular education period. We apply data from the German Socio-economic Panel (2001–2007) to estimate the private returns to tertiary education and find higher returns to university than polytechnic training. These results are robust to a variety of alternative procedures.
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Towards a Europeanization of Wage Bargaining? Evidence from the Metal Sector
Vera Glassner, Toralf Pusch
European Journal of Industrial Relations,
No. 2,
2013
Abstract
European trade unions have attempted to coordinate their bargaining strategies transnationally in order to counter downward pressures on wages. Such coordination is most feasible in broadly integrated and exposed sectors that have to face common competitive constraints on wages. This article investigates collectively negotiated wage increases in the metal sector in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. We assume a specific logic of transnational pattern bargaining, with Germany as the ‘anchor’ country. We investigate the emergence of a transnational wage coordination effect before and after institutions for the coordination of wage bargaining were established. Finally, we draw conclusions on prospects for wage bargaining coordination with further integration of Economic and Monetary Union.
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Ceremonial Encapsulation and the Diffusion of Renewable Energy Technology in Germany
Iciar Dominguez Lacasa
Journal of Economic Issues,
No. 4,
2014
Abstract
This inquiry employs ideas advanced by institutionalist thinker Paul Dale Bush to shed light on technology diffusion in Germany’s electrical generation and distribution industry. Research findings suggest that what Bush labeled as ceremonial dominance affects outcomes in technology selection. Evidence suggests that fossil fuel and nuclear technologies have remained favored by power producers despite the externalized environmental costs to society associated with their implementations. Advances in government policy have indeed created a framework that favorably accommodates renewable energy technologies. However, what Bush labeled ceremonial dominance is shown to persist and to contribute to ceremonial encapsulation. Consequently, renewable energy technologies have diffused only to the point that the powers behind the industry remain in dominant positions. Although there is measurable, incremental technological change in the electrical power industry, in light of the urgency of climate change problems, technologies supporting the electrical power system need to be selected more judiciously.
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A Study of the Competitiveness of Regions based on a Cluster Analysis: The Example of East Germany
Franz Kronthaler
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 179,
2003
Abstract
This paper examines whether some East German regions have already achieved the same economic capability as the regions in West Germany, so that they are on a competitive basis with the West German regions and are able to reach the same economic level in the long run. If this is not the case, it is important to know more about the reasons for the economic weakness of the East German regions twelve years after unification.
The study is based on a cluster analysis. Criteria for the cluster formation are several economic indicators, which provide information about the economic capability of regions. The choice of the indicators is based on a review of results of the theoretical and empirical literature on the new growth theory and new economic geography.
The results show that most of the East German regions have not yet reached the economic capability and competitiveness of their West German counterparts so that they - from the viewpoint of the new growth theory and the new economic geography - are not in the position to reach the same economic level. According to these theories economic disadvantages are most notably the consequences of less technical progress, a lack of entrepreneurship and fewer business concentration. Under these points it is especially noteworthy that young well educated people leave these East German regions so that human capital might will turn into a bottle-neck in the near future. Only a few regions in East Germany - those with important agglomerations - are comparable to West German regions that are characterised by average capability and competitiveness, but not to those with above average economic capability and competitiveness. Even those more advanced East German regions still suffer from a slower technical progress.
There are important policy implications based on these results: regional policy in East Germany was not able to assist raising all regions to a sufficient level of competitiveness. It may be more effective to concentrate the regional policy efforts on a selection of important agglomerations. This has also strong implications for the EU regional policy assuming that the accession countries will have similar problems in catching up to the economic level of the EU as have the East German regions.
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Rents and Quality of Life in Eastern Germany
Dominik Weiß
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 12,
2008
Abstract
The rent levels between East- and Westgermany differ less than one Euro on average. This difference seems very slow regarding the persistant economic disparities and high vacancy rates in East-Germany.
Based on the assumtion, that income and life quality aspects have an impact on the local rent level a set of variables is regressed on the rent of several housing quality segments in a cross-section analysis at the community-level. The regression contains demographic, economic and housing-market-related variables and a dummy variable for east germany. It incorporates hypotheses about a special supplier structure and several market interventions that are related to the transformation process from socialistic into market economic structures after the reunification in the 1990s.
The results show a significant positive coeficiant for the east german dummy in two segments of the housing stock. Further Research about the reasons for the extra charge are important, because theese findings may be responsible for the continous out migration from East Germany.
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Corporate Taxation and Capital Structure Choice in Germany: A General Equilibrium Model
Reint E. Gropp
FinanzArchiv,
No. 2,
1995
Abstract
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Local Taxes and Capital Structure Choice
Reint E. Gropp
International Tax and Public Finance,
No. 1,
2002
Abstract
This paper investigates the question of taxation and capital structure choice in Germany. Germany represents an excellent case study for investigating the question of whether and to what extent taxes influence the debt-equity decision of firms, because the relative tax burdens on debt and equity vary greatly across communities. German communities levy local taxes on profits and long-term debt payments in addition to personal and corporate taxes on the federal level. A stylized model is presented incorporating these taxes. The model shows that local taxes create substantial incentives for firms to use debt financing. Furthermore, the paper empirically investigates the effect of local business taxes on the share of debt used to finance incremental investments by German firms. I find that local taxes significantly influence the capital structure choice of firms, controlling for a large number of other factors. In an extensive sensitivity analysis the tax effect are found to be robust across several different specifications.
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