Additionality of public R&D grants in a transition economy

This paper examines the input and output additionality of public R&D subsidies in Western and Eastern Germany. We estimate the impact of public R&D grants on firms’ R&D and innovation input. Based on the results of this first step we compare the impact of publicly funded private R&D on innovation output with the output effect of R&D funded out of firms’ own pockets. We employ microeconometric evaluation methods using firm‐level data derived from the Mannheim Innovation Panel. Our results point towards a large degree of additionality in public R&D grants with regard to innovation input measured as R&D expenditures and innovation expenditures, as well as with regard to innovation output measured by patent applications. Input additionality has been more pronounced in Eastern Germany during the transition period than in Western Germany. However, R&D productivity is still larger for the established Western German innovation system than for Eastern Germany. Hence, a regional redistribution of public R&D subsidies might improve the overall innovation output of the German economy.     

WTO: Stillstand ohne Abschluss

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

How to suppress a lead

According to the findings of Schöler (1994)¹ the “Business Climate” developed by the ifo Institute for Economic Research, Munich, cannot be used as a leading indicator for business cycle forecast. This paper shows that this result is due to Schöler's choice of statistical methods applied: apart from generating stationary time series, Schöler's filter systematically suppresses the business cycle components and amplifies the irregular components. It impairs the basis for the causality test.     

Corporate morality called in question: The case of Cabora Bassa

This article presents a case study of a big German enterprise (Siemens) facing a large wave of public critique and protest activities. The public was concerned about the political circumstances surrounding the construction of the Cabora Bassa hydroelectric dam in Mozambique in which Siemens was largely involved.This study reports the escalating protest against the firm over three years (1970–1972) and the firm's responses during that period. The analysis of the case focusses on the behaviour of the firm which is interpreted in the light of the business social responsibility doctrine. The article proposes that the firm experienced a legitimation crisis and responded by reorienting its philosophy of business.Georg Schreyögg is Professor of Management at the Department of Business at Fern Universität Hagen. He has written five books on Quality of Working Life, Organizational Theory and Business Strategy, and several articles, published in various business journals. His recent research has addressed strategic control.Horst Steinmann is Professor of Management at the faculty of business at Universität Erlange-Nürnberg. He has written several books and a number of articles. His most recent research interest focusses on business ethics and the philosophy of dialogue.Our case is based on an analysis of documents and on interviews. Because the project received wide public interest, many documents, handbills, memoranda, articles, etc. were available. In addition, we had access to internal Siemens documents (letters, internal memoranda, policy statements, delivered opinions, etc.). Much of the material was filed in the Cabora Bassa archive of Siemens which was kindly opened to the researchers. Reconstructing the flow of events was facilitated by interviews with Siemens managers then responsible for the project. The company approved of the publication of the internal memoranda and data cited. Special thanks are due to Wilhelm Forstmann for his support and his willingness to answer all our questions in a series of interviews.     

Trends in the international competitiveness of industrial countries

It has become fashionable in recent times to describe the state of the Western European economies with the word “eurosclerosis”. Is the international competitiveness of these economies really as ailing as this world implies? The following article attempts to answer this question using various methods of measuring international competitiveness.     

Entwicklung von Supply Chain Strategien für eine Virtuelle Supply Chain Organisation (VISCO)

Zusammenfassung Mit dem Aufbau und dem Betrieb einer Virtuellen Supply Chain Organisation (VISCO) ist es m?glich, das Supply Chain Management erfolgreich zu realisieren. Zur Realisierung gemeinschaftlicher Wettbewerbsvorteile mit einer VISCO muss zwingend eine konsistente Supply Chain Strategie entwickelt werden. Mit der Supply Chain Strategie wird die strategische Sto?richtung der VISCO festgelegt. Zur Umsetzung der Supply Chain Strategie ist eine Abstimmung mit den jeweiligen Unternehmensstrategien vorzunehmen.

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Summary Although supply chain management has been discussed in both science and business for a long time a unified definition does not exist. That causes that the realization of supply chain management in business is very differential. A good approach to realize integrated supply chain management is to build a strategic supply chain network with a high degree of integration. With help of a strategic and operative coordination of all activities and an intense collaboration it is possible to create a special organisation within the supply chain—the “Virtual Supply Chain Organization (VISCO)”. Building and using a VISCO for supply chain management leads to more effectiveness and efficiency concerning the cooperation of companies. With a VISCO it is possible to get more power to compete successful in business and gain more profitability. Therefore special supply chain strategies have to be planned and coordinated with the members of the VISCO.

     

Produzieren,Konsumieren und die Rolle der Konsumgenossenschaften

Ohne ZusammenfassungDem Aufsatz liegt ein Vortrag zugrunde, den der Verfasser am 2. 6. 1960 unter dem Titel Der Mensch als Produzent und Verbraucher auf dem Verbandstag 1960 der bayerischen Konsumgenossenschaften, dem 50jährigen Gründungsjubiläum des Verbandes, in Garmisch gehalten hat.