Economic Growth,Public Debt and Welfare: Comparing Three Budgetary Rules

Abstract. We present an endogenous growth model with externalities of capital and elastic labor supply where we allow for public debt and welfare‐enhancing public spending. We analyze different debt policies as regards convergence to a balanced growth path and their effects on long‐run growth and welfare. Three budgetary rules are considered: the balanced budget rule, a budgetary rule where debt grows in the long run but at a rate lower than the balanced growth rate and a rule where public debt grows at the same rate as all other economic variables but where it guarantees that the intertemporal budget constraint is fulfilled.     

The money-age distribution: Empirical facts and the limits of three monetary models

The money-age distribution is hump-shaped for the US post-war economy. There is no clear-cut relation between the variation of money holdings within generations and age. Furthermore, money is found to be only weakly correlated with both income and wealth. We analyze three motives for money demand in an overlapping generations setup in order to explain these observations: (1) money-in-the-utility, (2) an economy with costly credit service, and (3) limited-participation. All three models are consistent with the hump-shaped relation between average money holdings and age, yet they predict a much closer association between money holdings, income, wealth, and age than we find in the data. Only the limited-participation model partly replicates the low bivariate correlation between money and income as well as between money and interest-bearing assets. None of the three models satisfactorily explains these stylized facts.     

Employee proactivity in hotels undergoing organizational change and development

ABSTRACT

Drawing from self-regulation and goal-regulation theories, this study focuses on employee proactivity in the context of a hotel that is undergoing change and development. Two hundred twenty eight employees from a hotel undergoing restructuring in Australia took part in this study. A survey instrument was developed and the data obtained from the survey were analyzed. Results show that employee proactive envisioning, employee proactive planning, and employee proactive enacting are positively and significantly interrelated. In addition, results show that organizational climate for innovation and leader vision are positively and significantly related to employee proactive envisioning and serve as situational correlates of employee proactivity. Implications for human resource management, particularly in the hotel industry, are discussed.     

Divestitures,wealth effects and corporate governance

We analyse the market reaction to divestiture decisions and determine the impact of corporate governance practices. We find the market reaction is significant and can be determined using internal governance mechanisms. We evaluate the determinants of the decision to sell using a control sample of firms displaying characteristics often associated with divestitures indicating that these firms may face the same incentives to divest but elect not to restructure in this manner. Our results suggest that a combination of strong internal and external governance may force managers to act in a manner that is incompatible with their personal desires.     

Fiscal Policy in an Endogenous Growth Model with Productive Government Spending

The goal of this paper is to analyse the effects of fiscal policy upon the long-run balanced growth rate in an endogenous growth model in which sustained per capita growth is the result of productive government spending. Assuming that labour is supplied inelastically, it is shown that increases in non-productive government spending, i.e. public consumption or lump-sum transfers, always reduce the balanced growth rate, whereas there exists a growth-maximizing investment subsidy rate and income tax rate. Moreover, a rise in a tax on consumption increases economic growth if it raises public investment. If labour supply is elastic the elasticity of labour supply crucially determines the growth-maximizing income tax rate and an increase in the tax on consumption may raise or lower economic growth.     

An investigation into Austrian export pricing: Price taking or price setting of a small open economy?

Zusammenfassung Aufgrund der existierenden empirischen Belege wird Österreichs Exportindustrie überwiegend als Preisnehmer auf Auslandsmärkten angesehen. Dies entspricht auch der populären Kleines-Land-Annahme theoretischer Formulierungen. In der bisher detailliertesten einschlägigen Untersuchung schließt dagegenMarin (1983) auf Basis eines Aufschlagspreismodells auf vornehmliche Preissetzerschaft österreichischer Exporteure.In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird einleitend gezeigt, daß die Existenz positiver Aufschläge auf die Durchschnittskosten für die kurze Frist mit unterschiedlichen Marktformen, sowohl mit unvollkommenem wie auch vollkommenem Wettbewerb, vereinbar ist. Ein Test auf Aufschlagspreissetzung ist daher kein entsprechendes Diskriminierungskriterium. Für die eigene Untersuchung wird deshalb explizit von bestimmten Marktformen ausgegangen, für die entsprechende Preisgleichungen abgeleitet werden. Auf dieser Grundlage werden die ökonometrischen Tests auf relativ niedrigem Aggregationsniveau (Basis: 48-Sektoren-Input-Output-Tabelle) durchgeführt.Dabei lassen sich etwa fünf Branchen als Preisnehmer, maximal vier als oligopolistische Preissetzer und etwa sechs Sektoren in quasi-monopolistischer Marktstruktur identifizieren. Weitere Resultate können als Hinweis aufgefaßt werden, daß die letzten beiden Branchengruppen allerdings aur Märkten mit relativ geringen Preissetzungsspielräumen agieren. Eine Sichtung der zugeordneten Branchen zeigt, daß einerseits vor allem Grundstoffindustrien als Preisnehmer und andererseits eher Branchen mit höherem Verarbeitungsgrad als Preissetzer anzusehen sind.

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We would like to thank the anonymous referees for valuable comments on the paper and J. Richter who kindly provided a large set of disaggregate export and import price data. The usual proviso applies.     

The failure of economism in western and eastern integration policy

The proposition that economic integration can help to smooth the way to political integration has been described by Wilhelm Röpke on many occasions as a dangerous manifestation of economism¹. The experience of the EC and the CMEA tends to bear out this opinion.     

Rezensionen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The development of economic self‐sufficiency among former welfare recipients: lessons learned from Wisconsin’s welfare to work program

In 1996, the US Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, changing the culture of welfare from a system of dependency to one of personal responsibility and economic self‐sufficiency through workplace participation. Through the expert views of case managers and area employers of Wisconsin, this research sought to identify the problems and barriers to self‐sufficiency among former welfare recipients and other low‐income workers and the effectiveness of services and programs available to address these barriers. The study found situational barriers, education and learning experience barriers, personal issues and disabilities to impede the development of low‐income workers. The services found to promote the development of economic self‐sufficiency among former welfare recipients were support services, educational and learning programs, employer intervention services and counseling services. The findings suggest that these services could be expanded and made more effective through the collaborative efforts of welfare reform agencies, employers, educational institutions and community‐based organizations.