Souveränität und Verantwortung im Mehrebenensystem: Subsidiarität als Leitmotiv?

Wirtschaftsdienst - Der Subsidiaritätsgedanke sollte von den politischen Entscheidungstragenden sowie von im europäischen Mehrebenensystem mitwirkenden Akteur:innen beachtet werden. Dazu...     

Schwaches Produktivitätswachstum — zyklisches oder strukturelles Phänomen?

Labour productivity growth in Germany and in the OECD countries has decelerated significantly in recent years. This observation is astonishing, given the fact that modern digital services can now be found throughout the economy. It may be a statistical artefact, but if it is a realistic observation, it should be investigated. The authors describe many reasons for this development. For example, the services sector, with its traditionally low productivity, makes up an increasingly large part of the economy. Moreover, the cost intensity of innovations is growing, and there are not enough innovative investments. What should be done? Reforms are suggested which aim at exploiting unused potential and create suitable conditions for facilitating sustainable productivity increases. Important policy areas include digitisation, energy transition and demographic change. But reforms must also be thought of as investments into the capacity of employees to work productively.     

Die aktuellen Entwicklungen der Bankenaufsicht im Lichte der Stabilität des Finanzsystems

The world financial crisis has shown the necessity of an appropriate regulation of banking institutions and the financial sector. In this context, the importance of the stability of the financial system is often considered an indicator for the stability of the economy as a whole. This contribution first goes into the matter of financial stability. Given this background, the current reforms of banking supervision are analysed with regard to an improvement in the stability of the financial system. It is shown that not all provisions are suitable to advance financial stability.     

Gesamtwirtschaftliche Stabilität im klimapolitischen Wandel

Wirtschaftsdienst - Klimapolitik mit dem Ziel der CO2-Neutralität erfordert einen einschneidenden strukturellen Wandel. Dieser wird nur dann akzeptiert werden und gelingen, wenn er sich neben...     

Zielgruppenorientierung und Hybridität als Marketingtreiber im Direktvertrieb

Durch die rasche Verbreitung neuer Vertriebskan?le stellt sich die Frage, wie die Marketinginstrumente zur Steigerung des Vertriebserfolges optimal aufeinander abgestimmt werden k?nnen. Bei der Suche nach einer effektiven Marketinglogik setzt die Oswald Nahrungsmittel GmbH in erster Linie auf eine Kombination von Zielgruppenorientierung und hybriden Vertriebsstrukturen — und hat beispielsweise so die Effektivit?t einer Direct-Mailing-Kampagne gesteigert.     

Ist mehr Innovativität im Marketing besser? Achtung,nicht-lineare Effekte!

Wie innovativ sollten Unternehmen ihr Marketing gestalten? Ist mehr Innovativit?t immer sinnvoll? Antworten auf diese Fragen gibt dieser Beitrag. Ausgew?hlte Fallstudien und eine empirische Studie belegen, dass zus?tzliche Innovationsanstrengungen ab einem bestimmten Ma? negativ wirken k?nnen.     

Tarifeinheit versus Tarifpluralität: Konfliktintensität von Verhandlungen

In some industries, wage negotiations are conducted not only by labour unions covering the whole sector but also by craft unions representing single occupations. A comprehensive evaluation of wage disputes in Germany shows that craft unions are especially confrontational. Particular problems arise if several conflict-prone unions representing employees of the same company enter into competition with each other. The cumulative effects of such a situation can undermine the legal ban on industrial action while a collective wage agreement is in force. This damage could be limited by legislation regulating competition among trade unions and restoring exclusivity for wage agreements at the plant level (one company = one agreement).     

Investitionsschutzabkommen: mehr Rechtssicherheit oder verzicht auf Souveränität?

Bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS) have become highly controversial. The authors review the evidence and discuss the pros and cons of BITs and other investment agreements. Many observers are concerned that Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) regulations on investment protection could be abused by international corporations to obtain unjustifi ed compensation from EU member states. These concerns are to some extent legitimate and should be considered more seriously in the EU negotiation strategy. International investment agreements (IIA) are necessary when host countries of FDI do not have reliable and independent judicial systems. To avoid abuse and to account for the increasing role of global production chains, agreements require more precise defi nitions, and ISDS needs to be more transparent and independent. With the EU developing its own new approach independently (and differently) from the one taken in the past by its member states, the current negotiations of “mega-regionals”, as well as the fi rst standalone EU IIA with China, offer the unique possibility to answer current critique around international investment law. Is there, in the current documents, an IIA2.0 that strengthens the right to regulate and holds up high protection standards for investors? The exclusion of ISDS from TTIP negotiations risks missing a unique chance to improve the current less than perfect international investment regime.     

Das deutsche Russlandgeschäft im Schatten der Krise: gefährliche Abhängigkeiten?

In view of the Russian annexation of Crimea and its ongoing efforts to destabilise Ukraine, political decision-makers in the EU and the US are considering economic sanctions against Russia. The article analyses whether the German economy would be affected by restrictions on trade and investment relations. As a result, German exporters would suffer from restrictions on business relations with Russia, but they would be able to compensate for possible losses. Russian gas export interruptions, however, would be a more severe problem. Due to Russia’s dependence on revenues from the export of natural resources as well as on technology imports from Western countries, the Russian economy would be hit particularly hard.     

Palliative Care: Wie messbar ist die Qualität?

Pflegestandards versus individuelle Pflege — In der Palliativpflege genügen die herk?mmlichen Qualit?tsma?st?be nicht. Denn hier geht es um Beziehungen, Trauer, Liebe, Leben, existentielle Fragen und Krisen. Das kann mit Uhren, Ma?b?ndern, Waagen, Skalen und Tabellen nicht erfasst werden. Ein Zwischenruf von Susanne Kr?nzle.     

Die fiktive Integration der Stadtstaaten im Rahmen des Länderfinanzausgleichs

The German states Bavaria and Hesse have initiated a legal case against the German fiscal equalisation system. One thing which is criticised is the special treatment afforded to the so-called city-states Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg. Citizens of these states are weighted with 135% instead of the standard 100% weighting of citizen in other federal states. There are different proposals to deal with this spillover problem. One proposal by the advisory board of the Federal Ministry of Finance was for a virtual fusion of the city-states with their neighbouring states, for fiscal equalisation purposes only. This paper analyses the effects of such a virtual fusion on the fiscal equalisation system.     

Positive Effekte des Mindestlohns auf Arbeitsplatzqualität und Arbeitszufriedenheit

Little is known regarding the effects of minimum wage adjustments on job quality and job satisfaction. Our investigation found that for minimum wage workers in continuing employment relationships, work satisfaction unequivocally increased relative to a control group following the introduction of the minimum wage in Germany. Possible reasons include improvements in objective jobs quality such as higher hourly and gross wages, and shorter work hours. However, changes in the organisation of work also appear to have played a role. We find indications for more motivation oriented personnel management and improved work atmosphere in existing minimum wage jobs. Combined with a better work life balance these aspects play a larger role in explaining increased job satisfaction than mere wage satisfaction.     

Gesetzliche Rente: Bedeutet Teilhabeäquivalenz Verteilungsneutralität? — Ein weiterer Irrtum

A basic principle of statutory retirement insurance in Germany is the proportionality between earnings and retirement benefits called “Teilhabeäquivalenz”. Advocates of the system defend this principle, arguing that it ensures distributive neutrality. However, this assertion is wrong because the principle combines two concepts with different time dimensions: lifetime contributions and monthly retirement benefits. If clearly defined population groups differ in their life expectancy, then this very principle achieves income redistribution, in the German case from low earners to high earners. We propose a simple change in the rules which would avoid this undesirable redistribution.