A Concept of Incentive Ethics for the Enhancement of the Social Financial Security According to Hartz IV
Joachim Wilde
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 1,
2006
Abstract
Die Reformdiskussion für die soziale Grundsicherung für Erwerbsfähige konzentriert sich in der Regel auf eine Verbesserung der finanziellen Anreize zur Aufnahme einer Erwerbstätigkeit und auf Maßnahmen des “workfare“. Das vorliegende Papier verbreitert die Diskussion mit Hilfe eines Konzepts der Anreizethik. Dabei wird gezeigt, wie durch die Allokation sogenannter moralischer Güter durch die Mitarbeiter der Grundsicherungsbehörden zur Überwindung der Abhängigkeit von sozialer Grundsicherung angereizt werden kann. Das Konzept wird zunächst zur Bewertung der Hartz IV Reform genutzt. Es zeigt sich, dass diese teilweise zu einer Verschlechterung der Anreizstrukturen beiträgt. Der Artikel schließt mit Anregungen zur Beseitigung der aufgedeckten Mängel und mit einem Reformvorschlag im Sinne des anreizethischen Konzepts.
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A glimpse on sectoral convergence of productivity levels
Gerald Müller
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 133,
2001
Abstract
This paper examines the presence of sectoral convergence of labor productivity between 14 OECD countries. Using the OECD International Sectoral Data Base (ISDB), the paper looks at the developments within 12 distinct sectors during the period 1970-1995. The change of the coefficients of variance suggests that there is strong sectoral convergence within most service sectors while the evidence of convergence for Manufacturing as well as for Communication is rather weak. These findings are in line with most studies undertaken on this subject so far. It is concluded that economic theories at hand to explain growth and convergence (or divergence respectively) are of different importance for the sectors concerned. While models of the New Growth Theory seemed to be useful to explain growth mechanisms within Manufacturing and Communication, traditional models seemed to apply to most other sectors.
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Spillover effects and R&D co-operations - The influence of market structure
Anita Wölfl
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 122,
2000
Abstract
This paper examines empirically the role of market structure for the influence of spill-over effects on R&D-cooperations. The results of a microeconometric analysis, based on firm data on innovation, let in general presume that with intensified competition also the influence of spillovers on R&D-cooperation increases. However, competition seems to induce firms to search for effective firm-specific appropriation facilities first. Spillovers that are sufficiently high such that the internalisation effect from R&D-cooperation more than outweighs the competitive effect from research, only arise whenever firms are not able to protect their research results through any appropriation facility. Additionally, there is some evidence that spillover effects may even hinder firms from cooperating in R&D when there is intensive competition on the research stage.
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