Lobbying against environmental regulation vs. lobbying for loopholes

We analyze the determinants of environmental policy when two industry lobbies can seek a laxer policy that would apply to both industries and loophole lobbying that provides benefits specific to one industry. We determine the properties of the lobbying equilibrium, including the resulting emissions level. In many cases, higher effectiveness of loophole lobbying is detrimental for industries and beneficial for environmental quality, as it exacerbates the free-rider problem in the provision of general lobbying by inducing industries to turn towards loophole lobbying.     

See no evil,hear no evil,speak no evil: a study of defensive organizational behavior towards customer complaints

Despite substantial benefits of an effective complaint management for companies, there is ample evidence that many firms do not handle customer complaints appropriately. This paper aims at providing a theoretical explanation for this surprising phenomenon. Drawing on psychological and organizational theory, the authors introduce the concept of defensive organizational behavior towards customer complaints as well as provide a rich conceptualization and operationalization of this phenomenon. Moreover, in an empirical study, they systematically analyze how defensive organizational behavior towards customer complaints is driven by organizational antecedents and, based on a dyadic data set, how it affects customer post-complaint reactions.

From short-term to long-term orientation—political economy of the policy reform process

Despite the fact that policymakers often have a short-term horizon and prefer discretionary over rule-bound policy, one can observe policy reform with a focus on rules and long-term orientation. Sometimes reforms are driven by crisis, sometimes they are pursued in times of relative prosperity. The paper analyzes reform processes theoretically under the assumption of imperfect knowledge. After the introduction, the second section of the paper shows that rule-bound policy encourages a long-term orientation of policymakers, resulting in higher economic dynamics and growth as compared with discretionary policy. In the third section, the political economy of the reform process, i.e. replacing discretionary by more rule-bound policy, is analyzed in an evolutionary setting. The basic hypothesis is that a policy reform is triggered by three key factors: (1) a worsening economic situation, (2) increasing knowledge of policymakers and the public with respect to the effectiveness of policy paradigms and (3) external, in particular international support. In a fourth section, we present a case study. Finally, we draw conclusions.

Does tax competition make mobile firms more footloose?

We examine a two‐period regional model with evolving economic geography, potentially creating incentives for firm relocation between periods. We argue that tax competition makes firms more footloose, but that this increases efficiency relative to the laissez‐faire outcome. We establish that: (i) tax competition leads to efficient investment outcomes and (ii) firm mobility is greater with tax competition than with a laissez‐faire regime. When relocation is costly, there can be too little mobility over time, as firms do not take into account the impact of FDI on social welfare in each country. With lump‐sum taxes or transfers, firms capture these benefits and internalize them, such that tax competition leads to the efficient outcomes. When more time periods are examined, tax competition induces firm relocation sooner than in its absence.     

Saving for Retirement—A Case for Financial Education in Germany and UK? An Economic Perspective

Demographic changes, tight public budgets, and reduced generosity of occupational pension plans shift the responsibility for an adequate retirement provision towards the individual. Applying the theoretical perspectives of Behavioural Finance and New Institutionalism to the domain of retirement provision offers insights into the difficulties individuals are facing in planning for retirement, carrying out, and revising plans. Lacking financial literacy seems to lie at the heart of the problem and points to a possible solution: providing financial education to consumers through non-governmental organizations and state-related agencies. This article is examining which role consumer education and consumer advice can play to enhance financial literacy with regard to pensions and old-age provision. As two case studies Germany and the UK are compared because the institutional set-up of the pension systems and the approaches towards consumer policy are very different. The case studies show that financial education with regard to old-age provision can be successful if it reaches consumers in their environment at life-stages where important decisions need to be made. To achieve that considerable efforts have to be taken in terms of funding and organizational set-up. However, evaluation is necessary to prove the effectiveness of the education especially for vulnerable consumer groups. If evaluation reveals that these groups cannot be targeted effectively or that consumers are not taking action subsequently to attending financial education, there might be a case for changing behaviour through the institutional set-up of pension schemes (i.e., through automatic enrolment) and using financial education as a supportive policy instrument.

International medical technology diffusion

Does medical technology generated in frontier countries have a significant impact on health outcomes in the rest of the world? This paper considers a framework where non-frontier countries may benefit from medical innovation that is embodied in medical imports or diffuses in the form of ideas. Using a novel dataset from a cross-section of 63 technology-importing countries, we show that medical technology diffusion is an important contributor to improved health status, as measured by life expectancy and mortality rates.     

Beschäftigungs- und Finanzierungswirkungen von Kombilohnmodellen

Derzeit werden verschiedene Kombilohnmodelle zur Bek?mpfung der Arbeitslosigkeit von Niedrigqualifizierten diskutiert. Wie unterscheiden sich diese Modelle? Welche Wirkungen haben sie auf das Arbeitsangebot? Welche Kosten sind damit verbunden? Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest, 38, ist Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Finanzwissenschaft an der Universit?t zu K?ln und Vorsitzender des Wissenschaftlichen Beirates beim Bundesministerium der Finanzen; Andreas Peichl, 28, Dipl.-Volkswirt, ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Seminar für Finanzwissenschaft der Universit?t zu K?ln; Thilo Schaefer, 29, Dipl.-Volkswirt, ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter im Finanzwissenschaftlichen Forschungsinstitut an der Universit?t zu K?ln.