The Role of the Human Capital and Managerial Skills in Explaining the Productivity Gaps between East and West
Wolfgang Steffen, Johannes Stephan
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 11,
2007
Abstract
This paper assess determinants of productivity gaps between firms in the European transition countries and regions and firms in West Germany. The analysis is conducted at the firm level by use of a unique database constructed by field work. The determinants tested in a simple econometric regression model are focussed upon the issue of human capital and modern market-oriented management. The results are novel in as much as a solution was established for the puzzling results in related research with respect to a comparison of formal qualification between East and West. Furthermore, the analysis was able to establish that the kind of human capital and expertise mostly needed in the post-socialist firms are related to the particular requirements of a competitive marketbased economic environment. Finally, the analysis also finds empirical support for the role of capital deepening in productivity catch-up, as well as the case that the gaps in labour productivity are most importantly rooted in a more labour-intense production, which does not give rise to a competitive disadvantage.
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Determinants of Female Migration – The Case of German NUTS 3 Regions
Alexander Kubis, Lutz Schneider
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 12,
2007
Abstract
Our study examines the regional patterns and determinants of migration flows of young women. At the NUTS-3 regional level, i.e. the district level (Kreise), the German internal migration flows of the year 2005 are explored. From descriptive statistics it can be seen that peripheral regions in East Germany face the strongest migration deficit with respect to young women, whereas agglomerations in West Germany but also in the East benefit from an intense migration surplus within this group. An econometric analysis of determinants of regional migration flows gives evidence of the importance of labour market, family-related and educational migration motives. Generally speaking, young women tend to choose regions with good income and job opportunities, in addition they seem to be attracted by regions enabling an appropriate balance between family and career. Furthermore the existence of excellent educational facilities is a significant influence for young women’s migration. This educationally motivated type of migration generates a long lasting effect on the regional migration balance, especially when the educational opportunities in the destination region are associated with adequate career perspectives for high qualified female graduates. In view of considerable losses due to migration, the study shows various options for action. An important course of action is to incorporate policy measures improving regional employment and income opportunities. Secondly, extending vocational and academic offers addressed to women seems to be a suitable way to stimulate women’s immigration. Moreover, enhancing the social infrastructure, which contributes to a satisfactory work life balance, might attract young women or at least reduce the number of them leaving a region.
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Research and Development: important source for product innovation also in East Germany
Jutta Günther, François Peglow
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 9,
2007
Abstract
Die Entwicklung und erfolgreiche Markteinführung neuer Produkte ist ein wesentliches Merkmal der modernen Wissensgesellschaft. Nach Abschluß der nachholenden technologischen Erneuerung in Ostdeutschland müssen sich die Betriebe in den Neuen Ländern im Wettbewerb um marktreife Produktneuheiten behaupten. Dabei wirken die transformationsbedingten strukturellen Besonderheiten fort, und die Einbettung Ostdeutschlands zwischen High-Tech im Westen und Aufholländern im Osten stellt eine zusätzliche Herausforderung dar. Der Beitrag skizziert die Innovationstätigkeit der Betriebe in Ostdeutschland und geht im Rahmen einer multivariaten Analyse den unternehmensinternen Bestimmungsfaktoren von Produktinnovationen nach. Die empirischen Untersuchungen unter Verwendung des IAB-Betriebspanels zeigen, daß sich die Betriebe des Verarbeitenden Gewerbes in Ostdeutschland im Zeitraum 2002 bis 2003 durch eine rege Innovationsbeteiligung auszeichnen. Der Anteil der Betriebe mit Produktinnovationen liegt in den Neuen Ländern sogar leicht über dem Vergleichswert für Westdeutschland. Dabei führen Betriebe mit eigener Forschung und Entwicklung (FuE) doppelt so häufig neue Produkte ein wie Betriebe ohne FuE. Die regressionsanalytische Untersuchung bestätigt, daß seitens der betrieblichen Inputgrößen eigene FuE eine starke Triebfeder für Produktinnovationen darstellt. Auch den betrieblichen Weiterbildungsaktivitäten kann ein positiver Einfluß auf die Innovationstätigkeit bescheinigt werden, was die Bedeutung des Lebenslangen Lernens unterstreicht. Hinsichtlich der betriebsspezifischen Charakteristika fällt auf, daß eine mehrheitlich ausländische Kapitalbeteiligung einen signifikant negativen Einfluß auf Produktinnovationen ausübt. Dieser noch weiter zu analysierende Befund deutet auf das Phänomen der sogenannten verlängerten Werkbänke hin.
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FDI and Domestic Investment: An Industry-level View
Claudia M. Buch
CEPR. Discussion Paper No. 6464,
2007
Abstract
Previous empirical work on the link between domestic and foreign investment provides mixed results which partly depend on the level of aggregation of the data. We argue that the aggregated home country implications of foreign direct investment (FDI) cannot be gauged using firm-level data. Aggregated data, in turn, miss channels through which domestic and foreign activities interact. Instead, industry-level data provide useful information on the link between domestic and foreign investment. We theoretically show that the effects of FDI on the domestic capital stock depend on the structure of industries and the relative importance of domestic and multinational firms. Our model allows distinguishing intra-sector competition from inter-sector linkage effects. We test the model using data on German FDI. Using panel cointegration methods, we find evidence for a positive long-run impact of FDI on the domestic capital stock and on the stock of inward FDI. Effects of FDI on the domestic capital stock are driven mainly by intra-sector effects. For inward FDI, inter-sector linkages matter as well.
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Russia: Importance of the Energy Sector for the Economic Growth Remains High
Martina Kämpfe
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 7,
2007
Abstract
Die russische Wirtschaft wuchs im vergangenen Jahr erneut dynamisch. Dafür ausschlaggebend waren vor allem die günstigen außenwirtschaftlichen Rahmenbedingungen, wie die Entwicklung der Weltmarktpreise für Rohöl, die über die hohen Exporterlöse auch auf die Binnenwirtschaft Einfluß hatten. Dank der guten Ertragslage der Energieexportunternehmen, aber auch durch die Umverteilung der staatlichen Erlöse aus dem Öl- und Gasgeschäft wurden umfangreiche Investitionen in der Wirtschaft finanziert. Die Expansion der Inlandsnachfrage regte die inländische Produktion an. Der Energiesektor besitzt damit nach wie vor eine herausragende Rolle für die Gesamtwirtschaft. Dies birgt allerdings auch Risiken für eine stabile Wirtschaftsentwicklung. Zwar können Schwankungen auf den Weltmärkten in ihren Auswirkungen auf die Wirtschaft über den Stabilisierungsfonds kurzfristig abgefedert werden, längerfristig bleibt die Entwicklung allerdings ungewiß, denn die russische Politik hat nur begrenzten Einfluß auf die Weltmarktpreise für Energieträger. Um die Rohstoffabhängigkeit der Wirtschaft zu verringern, müßten die Investitionen stärker wachsen und die Umstrukturierung der Wirtschaft rascher vorangebracht werden. Dies ist von der russischen Regierung erkannt worden. In einem mittelfristigen Entwicklungsprogramm von Wirtschaftsminister Gref sollen durch Maßnahmen zur Umstrukturierung und Modernisierung der Wirtschaft ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit gefördert und gezielt neue Wachstumschancen jenseits der bisherigen Wege erschlossen werden. Dies wird sich aber nur schrittweise realisieren lassen.
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Slippery Slopes of Stress: Ordered Failure Events in German Banking
Thomas Kick, Michael Koetter
Journal of Financial Stability,
No. 2,
2007
Abstract
Outright bank failures without prior indication of financial instability are very rare. In fact, banks can be regarded as troubled to varying degrees before outright closure. But failure studies usually neglect the ordinal nature of bank distress. We distinguish four different kinds of increasingly severe events on the basis of the distress database of the Deutsche Bundesbank. Only the worst distress event entails a bank to exit the market. Since the four categories of hazard functions are not proportional, we specify a generalized ordered logit model to estimate respective probabilities of distress simultaneously. We find that the likelihood of ordered distress events changes differently in response to given changes in the financial profiles of banks. Consequently, bank failure studies should account more explicitly for the different shades of distress. This allows an assessment of the relative importance of financial profile components for different degrees of bank distress.
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Interbank Exposures: An Empirical Examination of Contagion Risk in the Belgian Banking System
Hans Degryse, Grégory Nguyen
International Journal of Central Banking,
No. 2,
2007
Abstract
Robust (cross-border) interbank markets are important for the proper functioning of modern financial systems. However, a network of interbank exposures may lead to domino effects following the event of an initial bank failure. We investigate the evolution and determinants of contagion risk for the Belgian banking system over the period 1993–2002 using detailed information on aggregate interbank exposures of individual banks, large bilateral interbank exposures, and cross-border interbank exposures. The "structure" of the interbank market affects contagion risk. We find that a change from a complete structure (where all banks have symmetric links) toward a "multiplemoney-center" structure (where money centers are symmetrically linked to otherwise disconnected banks) has decreased the risk and impact of contagion. In addition, an increase in the relative importance of cross-border interbank exposures has lowered local contagion risk. However, this reduction may have been compensated by an increase in contagion risk stemming from foreign banks.
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Globalisation and Euro Area Trade: Interactions and Challenges
Filippo di Mauro, Ursel Baumann
ECB Occasional Paper,
No. 55,
2007
Abstract
As a major player in world trade, the euro area is strongly influenced by globalisation, but is far from being a passive spectator. The paper analyses how the euro area's trade specialization has changed in response to stronger international competition and the emergence of new global players, evaluating results and possible challenges ahead. The message remains mixed. On the positive side, the export specialisation of the euro area is increasing in some medium-high or high-tech sectors where productivity growth is strong and demand robust, such as pharmaceuticals, also by a more intensive recourse to importing intermediate goods from low-cost countries. On the other hand, in comparison to other industrialised economies, the euro area has been somewhat slower in moving towards research-intensive goods and away from labour-intensive sectors. While this could reflect data classification issues, it may also be a sign of structural rigidities in the euro area, which hinder adjustment processes.
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Universities and Innovation in Space
Michael Fritsch, Viktor Slavtchev
Industry and Innovation,
No. 2,
2007
Abstract
We investigate the role of universities as a knowledge source for regional innovation processes. The contribution of universities is tested on the level of German NUTS‐3 regions (Kreise) by using a variety of indicators. We find that the intensity and quality of the research conducted by the universities have a significant effect on regional innovative output while pure size is unimportant. Therefore, a policy that wants to promote regional innovation processes by building up universities should place substantial emphasis on the intensity and quality of the research conducted there. We also find the effects of universities to be concentrated in space. Obviously, the geographical proximity to particular knowledge sources is important for regional innovative activities.
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FDI versus exports: Evidence from German banks
Claudia M. Buch, A. Lipponer
Journal of Banking and Finance,
No. 3,
2007
Abstract
We use a new bank-level dataset to study the FDI-versus-exports decision for German banks. We extend the literature on multinational firms in two directions. First, we simultaneously study FDI and the export of cross-border financial services. Second, we test recent theories on multinational firms which show the importance of firm heterogeneity [Helpman, E., Melitz, M.J., Yeaple, S.R., 2004. Export versus FDI. American Economic Review 94 (1), 300–316]. Our results show that FDI and cross-border services are complements rather than substitutes. Heterogeneity of banks has a significant impact on the internationalization decision. More profitable and larger banks are more likely to expand internationally than smaller banks. They have more extensive foreign activities, and they are more likely to engage in FDI in addition to cross-border financial services.
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