The Impact of Local Factors on the Scope of Benefits from Public Investment: The Case of Tourism Infrastructure in Saxon Municipalities
Martin T. W. Rosenfeld, Albrecht Kauffmann
Urban Research & Practice,
Nr. 3,
2014
Abstract
Following the transition from socialist central planning economies to market economies in all of the former socialist countries, many regions have had to cope with severe structural changes and economic development problems. To overcome these problems, local governments have tried to invest in new public infrastructure to support the development of new industries. This paper looks at infrastructure that supports tourist activities and argues that the impact of infrastructure generally depends on certain local factors which differ between municipalities. One important factor is whether the local population possesses the relevant complementary factors, in particular the right ‘soft skills’.
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Korean Unification and Banking System - An Analysis in View of German Experiences and Korean Differences
Ralf Müller
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 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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Regional Development in the Course of Economic Integration: The Case of German Unification, Development Path and Policy Experiences
Gerhard Heimpold
Cohesion and Development Policy in Europe,
2015
Abstract
Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung in Ostdeutschland nach der Herstellung der Einheit Deutschlands, zeigt fortbestehende strukturelle Defizite, resümiert Erfahrungen beim Aufbau Ost und zieht einige wirtschaftspolitische Schlussfolgerungen.
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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,
Nr. 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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„Arbeitsplatzausstattung“ und „Arbeitsplatzlücke“ nach Geschlechtern in Ost- und Westdeutschland
Hans-Ulrich Brautzsch, Johann Fuchs, Cornelia Lang
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 9,
2006
Abstract
In dem vorliegenden Aufsatz werden (a) Umfang und Struktur der vorhandenen Arbeitsplätze nach Geschlechtern in Ost- und Westdeutschland, (b) das geschlechtsspezifische Ausmaß der „Arbeitplatzlücke“ in beiden Großregionen sowie (c) die Ursachen für die – gemessen an Westdeutschland – höhere „Arbeitsplatzlücke“ in Ostdeutschland auf der Grundlage von Daten der Regionalen Volkswirtschaftlichen Gesamtrechnungen und der Bundesgentur für Arbeit untersucht. Die Analyse zeigt, dass im Jahr 2003 die „Arbeitsplatzausstattung“ je 1000 Erwerbsfähigen in Ostdeutschland fast genau so hoch war wie in Westdeutschland. Bei den Frauen lag sie sogar über dem westdeutschen Vergleichswert. Dennoch ist die Diskrepanz zwischen dem Arbeitsangebot und der Nachfrage bei den ostdeutschen Frauen und Männern erheblich größer. Dies ist zum einen auf strukturelle Ursachen und zum anderen auf die höhere Erwerbsneigung der ostdeutschen Frauen zurückzuführen, die insbesonde durch das tradierte Verhaltensmuster nach Erwerbsarbeit sowie die geringeren Haushalteinkommen in Ostdeutschland bedingt ist.
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Foreword: Competing: Important Stimuli for Knowledge Cities to Become Prosperous
Peter Franz
T. Yigitcanlar, K. Metaxiotis, J. Carrillo (eds), Building Prosperous Knowledge Cities. Policies, Plans and Metrics,
2012
Abstract
The author discusses the role of competitions in urban development strategies based on the cooperation of higher education institutions. The experience with similar strategies in regional policy and in innovation policy is reflected upon. After the presentation of some cases, the advantages and disadvantages of development strategies based on competitions are compared.
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Preventing Innovative Cooperations: The Legal Exemptions Unintended Side Effect
Christian Growitsch, Nicole Nulsch, Margarethe Rammerstorfer
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 6,
2008
Abstract
In 2004, European competition law had been faced with considerable changes due to the introduction of the new Council Regulation No. 1/2003. One of the major renewals was the replacement of the centralized notification system for inter-company cooperations in favor of a so-called legal exemption system. We analyze the implications of this reform on the agreements firms implement. In contrast to previous research we focus on the reform’s impact on especially welfare enhancing, namely innovative agreements. We show that the law’s intention to reduce the incentive to establish illegal cartels will be reached. However, by the same mechanism, also highly innovative cooperations might be prevented. To avoid this unintended effect, we conclude that only fines but not the monitoring activities should be increased in order to deter illegal but not innovative agreements.
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A Game Theoretic Analysis of the Conditions of Knowledge Transfer by New Employees in Companies
Sidonia vonLedebur
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 3,
2006
Abstract
The availability of knowledge is an essential factor for an economy in global competition. Companies realise innovations by creating and implementing new knowledge. Sources of innovative ideas are partners in the production network but also new employees coming from another company or academia. Based on a model by HECKATHORN (1996) the conditions of efficient knowledge transfer in a team are analysed. Offering knowledge to a colleague can not be controlled directly by the company due to information asymmetries. Thus the management has to provide incentives which motivate the employees to act in favour of the company by providing their knowledge to the rest of the team and likewise to learn from colleagues. The game theoretic analysis aims at investigating how to arrange these incentives efficiently. Several factors are relevant, especially the individual costs of participating in the transfer. These consist mainly of the existing absorptive capacity and the working atmosphere. The model is a 2x2 game but is at least partly generalised on more players. The relevance of the adequate team size is shown: more developers may increase the total profit of an innovation
(before paying the involved people) but when additional wages are paid to each person a greater team decreases the remaining company profit. A further result is
that depending on the cost structure perfect knowledge transfer is not always best for the profit of the company. These formal results are consistent with empirical studies to the absorptive capacity and the working atmosphere.
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The Economic Optimality of Sanction Mechanisms in Interorganizational Ego Networks – A Game Theoretical Analysis –
Muhamed Kudic, Marc Banaszak
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 15,
2009
Abstract
Even though small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) were believed not to proceed beyond exporting in their internationalization routes, we can observe new types of co-operation intensive entrepreneurial firms – so-called “micromultinational enterprises” (mMNEs) – entering the global landscape. These firms face the challenge to manage and control a portfolio of national and international alliances simultaneously (ego network). The aim of this paper is to provide game theoretically consolidated conditions in order to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of interorganizational sanction mechanisms in an alliance portfolio setting. A game theoretical framework is developed over three stages with increasing complexity. Results show that two out of six analyzed sanction mechanisms do not fulfill the game theoretical condition for effectiveness. The efficiency analysis sensibilizes for discretionary elements in governance structures and demonstrates that not one single sanction mechanism but rather the right choice and combination of different types of sanction mechanisms leads to efficient results. We contribute to the international business, alliance, and network literature in several ways by focusing on alliance portfolios held by mMNEs. In doing so, we move beyond the dyadic level and analyze sanction mechanisms from an ego network perspective, a still widely under-emphasized topic in the literature.
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The Impact of Risk Attitudes on Financial Investments
Walter Hyll, Maike Irrek
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 10,
2015
Abstract
Several scholars analyze the relationship between individuals’ willingness to take risks and financial investment decisions. We add to this literature in using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel which allow ruling out that investments in risky assets itself impact on risk attitudes. We show that individuals with a higher willingness to take risks are more likely to hold bonds, stocks, and company assets. When grouping individuals into risk groups, our results reveal that high risk takers are also less likely to own a life insurance. If endogenous adaption of risk attitudes from holding assets in previous years is not taken into account, the impact of risk attitudes on holding risky assets is upward biased.
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