Technological capability of foreign and West German investors in East Germany
Jutta Günther
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 189,
2004
Abstract
Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role for countries or regions in the process of economic catching-up since it is assumed – among other things – that FDI brings in new production technology and knowledge. This paper gives an overview about the development of FDI in East Germany based on official data provided by the Federal Bank of Germany. The investigation also includes a comparison of FDI in East Germany to Central East European countries. But the main focus of the paper is an analysis of the technological capability comparing majority foreign and West German owned firms to majority East German owned firms. It shows that foreign and West German subsidiaries in East Germany are indeed characterized by superior technological capability with respect to all indicators looked at (product innovation, research & development, organizational changes etc.).
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Sind Haushalte mit Wohneigentum sparsamer als Mieterhaushalte?
Ruth Grunert
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 171,
2003
Abstract
In this paper examines the data of the income and consumption survey of 1998 with regard to savings and wealth. Households owning their property (owner households) and households renting the property (tenant households) are analysed seperatly and then compared. For further insight these two groups are also devided into East and West German households. In 1998, almost half of the West German and almost a quarter of the East German private households owned property they occupied themselves. The average owner household saves a monthly amount three times as large as the tenant household. The decisive economizing motive for the owner households is servicing its mortgages and loans. However, at the same time, there is the necessity to form reserves for the property maintainance as well as the renovation. In comparison to tenant households, owner households which no longer have to service mortgages or loans, have a higher average rate of saving. The estimate of the saving by means of regression analysis confirms the significant positive influence of the “owner” status on savings. However, in every estimate the houshold’s income proves to be the main influence on savings activity.
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Bank Concentration and Retail Interest Rates
S. Corvoisier, Reint E. Gropp
Journal of Banking and Finance,
No. 11,
2002
Abstract
The recent wave of mergers in the euro area raises the question whether the increase in concentration has offset the increase in competition in European banking through deregulation. We test this question by estimating a simple Cournot model of bank pricing. We construct country and product specific measures of bank concentration and find that for loans and demand deposits increasing concentration may have resulted in less competitive pricing by banks, whereas for savings and time deposits, the model is rejected, suggesting increases in contestability and/or efficiency in these markets. Finally, the paper discusses some implications for tests of the effect of concentration on monetary policy transmission.
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Financial fragility and exchange rate arrangements of EU candidate countries
Hubert Gabrisch
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 156,
2002
Abstract
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Charity engagement of german savings banks: extent and regional effects
Martin Wengler
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 12,
2001
Abstract
The german savings banks spent in in the year 2000 about 542 Mio. DM for charity projects. These funds influence the soft location factors in a positiv way and support the decrease of social disparities in economic peripheral regions.
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Korean unification and banking system - An analysis in view of German experiences and Korean differences
Ralf Müller
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 139,
2001
Abstract
One of the reforms that have to be launched in a future unification process in Korea, which seems possible after the political negotiations last year, is the transformation of the North Korean banking system. The question arises whether Korea could profit from the German experience where banking transformation was one of the rather few success stories in unification. In 1990 the East German banking transformation was achieved relatively fast and uncomplicated due to considerable direct investments of the West German banks compounded with state guarantees for bad loans resulting from the credit business with existing GDR-corporations. Unfortunately, South Korea currently lacks some major prerequesites that contributed to the German banking unification, among them – and probably the most important one – is the lack of a sound and efficient banking
system that could become active in the North. Consequently, depending on the circumstances of a future Korean unification either a more gradual process is recommended or, if inner-Korean migration requires a more dynamic transition, considerable investment by foreign banks and assistance from international organisations is recommended.
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Energy saving in East German tenanted dwellings: More investment incentives required
Steffen Hentrich
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 5,
1999
Abstract
Fast ein Viertel der gesamtdeutschen Emissionen des Klimaschadstoffs Kohlendioxid wird vom Raumwärmeverbrauch verursacht. Doch bestehen gerade hier große Minderungspotentiale, deren Nutzung oft allein wegen der damit verbundene Energiekostensenkung lohnenswert ist. Obgleich dies insbesondere für den Mietwohnungsbestand der neuen Bundesländer gilt, wird immer noch ein großer Teil der ostdeutschen Mietwohnungen modernen wärme- und heizungstechnischen Standards nicht gerecht. Nach wie vor sorgen Finanzierungsprobleme ostdeutscher Vermieter dafür, daß der Instandsetzungsstau nur langsam abnimmt und Energiesparmaßnahmen unterbleiben. Aber auch dort, wo bereits modernisiert wird, sind die Anreize, Investitionen an einer optimalen Nutzung der Energiesparpotentiale auszurichten, nicht ausreichend. Das nunmehr auch in Ostdeutschland geltende Vergleichsmietensystem kann dieses Defizit – dem das Auseinanderfallen der Adressaten von Kosten und Nutzen energiesparender Maßnahmen
zugrunde liegt – nicht kompensieren. Ordnungsrechtliche Vorgaben und förderpolitische Maßnahmen allein sind kaum geeignet, dieses Dilemma zu entschärfen. Sollen die Energiepreissteigerungen im Zuge der Ökosteuerreform wirksame Investitionsanreize auslösen, ist eine Verbesserung der Anreizkompatibilität des Vergleichsmietensystems, ergänzt um eine Anpassung der relevanten technischen Verordnungen und Förderrichtlinien, notwendig.
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EKO-Stahl GmbH: Der lange Weg zur Erneuerung eines Unternehmens und einer Region
Manfred Wilhelm
Herausforderung Ostdeutschland – Fünf Jahre Währungs-, Wirtschafts- und Sozialunion,
1995
Abstract
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The Impact of Social Security Contributions on Savings: An Analysis of German Households by Category
Ulrich Blum, Marc Gaudry
Jahrbuch für Sozialwissenschaft,
No. 2,
1990
Abstract
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The Influence of the German Social Pension Insurance System on Private Savings and on Spatial Income Distribution
Ulrich Blum
Geld, Banken und Versicherungen III,
1985
Abstract
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