Knowledge Spill-overs for Knowledge-based Development: Progression in Theory and Obstacles for Empirical Research
Peter Franz
International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development,
2010
Abstract
As scientists and policymakers tend to interpret changes in the economy as a trend towards an increasingly knowledge-based economy, their recommendations and strategies for regional economic development frequently contain elements how to intensify the knowledge flows in the region concerned. Knowledge flows come into existence from intentional action, but also in an unintended way as externalities or knowledge spillovers. This paper reviews the ways regional and urban economics has dealt with the concept of knowledge spillovers. Knowledge spillovers are defined within a conceptual framework that points out different uses of knowledge in economics. The concept’s operationalisations in diverse empirical studies are systematised and discussed. After a critical review of the current state of research, policy strategies aiming to intensify knowledge spillovers are classified. The paper concludes with an outlook on promising new approaches to research knowledge spillovers and on the elaboration of more efficient policy strategies.
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A New Metric for Banking Integration in Europe
Reint E. Gropp, A. K. Kashyap
Europe and the Euro,
2010
Abstract
Most observers have concluded that while money markets and government bond markets are rapidly integrating following the introduction of the common currency in the euro area, there is little evidence that a similar integration process is taking place for retail banking. Data on cross-border retail bank flows, cross-border bank mergers and the law of one price reveal no evidence of integration in retail banking. This paper shows that the previous tests of bank integration are weak in that they are not based on an equilibrium concept and are neither necessary nor sufficient statistics for bank integration. The paper proposes a new test of integration based on convergence in banks' profitability. The new test emphasises the role of an active market for corporate control and of competition in banking integration. European listed banks profitability appears to converge to a common level. There is weak evidence that competition eliminates high profits for these banks, and underperforming banks tend to show improved profitability. Unlisted European banks differ markedly. Their profits show no tendency to revert to a common target rate of profitability. Overall, the banking market in Europe appears far from being integrated. In contrast, in the U.S. both listed and unlisted commercial banks profits converge to the same target, and high profit banks see their profits driven down quickly.
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Evaluating the German (New Keynesian) Phillips Curve
Rolf Scheufele
North American Journal of Economics and Finance,
2010
Abstract
This paper evaluates the New Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC) and its hybrid variant within a limited information framework for Germany. The main interest resides in the average frequency of price re-optimization by firms. We use the labor income share as the driving variable and consider a source of real rigidity by allowing for a fixed firm-specific capital stock. A GMM estimation strategy is employed as well as an identification robust method based on the Anderson–Rubin statistic. We find that the German Phillips curve is purely forward-looking. Moreover, our point estimates are consistent with the view that firms re-optimize prices every 2–3 quarters. These estimates seem plausible from an economic point of view. But the uncertainties around these estimates are very large and also consistent with perfect nominal price rigidity, where firms never re-optimize prices. This analysis also offers some explanation as to why previous results for the German NKPC based on GMM differ considerably. First, standard GMM results are very sensitive to the way in which orthogonality conditions are formulated. Further, model mis-specifications may be left undetected by conventional J tests. This analysis points out the need for identification robust methods to get reliable estimates for the NKPC.
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What Happened to the East German Housing Market? A Historical Perspective on the Role of Public Funding
Claus Michelsen, Dominik Weiß
Post-Communist Economies,
2010
Abstract
The paper analyses the development of the East German housing market after the reunification of the former German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990. We analyse the dynamics of the East German housing market within the framework of the well-known stock-flow model, proposed by DiPasquale and Wheaton. We show that the today observable disequilibrium to a large extend is caused by post-unification housing policy and its strong fiscal incentives to invest into the housing stock. Moreover, in line with the stylized empirical facts, we show that ‘hidden reserves’ of the housing market were reactivated since the economy of East Germany became market organized. Since initial undersupply was overcome faster than politicians expected, the implemented fiscal stimuli were too strong. In contrast to the widespread opinion that outward migration caused the observable vacancies, this paper shows that not weakness of demand but supply side policies caused the observable disequilibrium.
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The Dilemma of Delegating Search: Budgeting in Public Employment Services
Martin Altemeyer-Bartscher, J. T. Addison, T. Kuhn
IZA Discussion Papers, No. 5170,
No. 5170,
2010
Abstract
The poor performance often attributed to many public employment services may be explained in part by a delegation problem between the central office and local job centers. In markets characterized by frictions, job centers function as match-makers, linking job seekers with relevant vacancies. Because their search intensity in contacting employers and collecting data is not verifiable by the central authority, a typical moral hazard problem can arise. To overcome the delegation problem and provide high-powered incentives for high levels of search effort on the part of job centers, we propose output-related schemes that assign greater staff capacity to agencies achieving high strike rates.
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Klimarisikomanagement mit dem CO2-Navigator
Edeltraud Günther, C. Manthey, G. Weber, M. Nowack, Wilfried Ehrenfeld, Henry Dannenberg
HMD - Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik,
2010
Abstract
Die Software CO2-Navigator wendet den Realoptionsansatz und den Risikomanagementprozess auf den unternehmerischen Umgang mit dem Klimawandel an. Er richtet sich in erster Linie an emissionsintensive, kleine und mittlere Unternehmen ist jedoch auch in größeren Unternehmen, die beispielsweise eine eigene „Sustainability“-Abteilung unterhalten, anwendbar. Der Wertbeitrag des Softwaretools besteht darin, dass es die Aspekte Klimastrategie, quantitative Bewertung von Klimaschutzinvestitionen sowie Emissionsrechtemanagement vereint. Es kann im Unternehmen in Bereichen strategisches Management, regulatorisches Management, Energie- und Umweltmanagement, Technologiemanagement sowie Controlling Anwendung finden. Der spezielle Wertbeitrag dieses Artikels liegt in der Verknüpfung von Klimarisikomanagement und Realoptionsansatz sowie in der Darstellung des CO2-NAVIGATORs vor dem Hintergrund seiner Entwicklung im Sinne konstruktionsorientierter Forschung.
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Wer zahlt für das schöne Leben? Technische Infrastruktur in Zeiten von Bevölkerungsrückgang am Beispiel von drei ostdeutschen Mittelstädten
C. Deilmann, I. Kropp, Peter Haug
Tagungsband Arbeitskreis Stadterneuerung an deutschsprachigen Hochschulen,
2010
Abstract
In cities with decreasing population there is an increasing concern about the future cost of technical infrastructure. A diminishing number of inhabitants will have to bear the costs of the public services provided by their community. Beyond the pure cost arithmetic the main research question of our project was how urban planning can contribute to alleviating the rising average cost per service unit (cbm, sqm). The study was carried out for three medium-sized cities in the eastern part of Germany with a time horizon of 2030. The focus is on water, sewage and communal roads.
The rather surprising result was that urban planning (attempts for densification, inner city development instead of extensivation of the urban fabric) has little effect on long-term cost compared to the unavoidable yearly renovation requirements of the technical infrastructure. Because of the dominant block of fixed cost in technical infrastructure systems, the demographic development is the main cost determinant. Therefore, in future a massive problem in financing today’s standard of public services will be imminent.
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Langfristige Wirkungen des Konjunkturpakets II am Beispiel der sächsischen Kommunen
Peter Haug
List Forum für Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik,
2010
Abstract
The article discusses primarily the potential long-term (supply-side) effects of the public investments subsidized by the German „Economic Stimulus Package II“. Considering the allocative aspects, especially the productivity and financing effects of publicly provided capital as well as the factor price effects of investment grants (municipalities are „lured to the concrete“) have to be taken into account. The theoretical problems are supported empirically by the subsidy practice in Saxony and its focus on local consumer goods (sports and leisure facilities) and on not directly economy-related educational facilities (kindergartens, primary schools). From a distributive point of view no interdependence between the financial strength (or weakness) of the municipalities and the amount of their ESPII-grants received could be confirmed empirically. Finally, with respect to the economic short-term stabilization effects of the program a significant increase of the municipal investments – although with a time lag - was found for Saxony.
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Corporate Governance in the Multinational Enterprise: A Financial Contracting Perspective
Diemo Dietrich, Björn Jindra
International Business Review,
2010
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to bring economics-based finance research more into the focus of international business theory. On the basis of an analytical model that introduces financial constraints into incomplete contracting in an international vertical trade relationship, we propose an integrated framework that facilitates the study of the interdependencies between internalisation decisions, firm-internal allocations of control rights, and the debt capacity of firms. We argue that the financial constraint of an MNE and/or its supplier should be considered as an important determinant of internal governance structures, complementary to, and interacting with, institutional factors and proprietary knowledge.
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