Regelgebundene Fiskalpolitik und Schuldenkommissionen

Die Staatsschuldenkrise im Euroraum kann kurzfristig nicht gel?st werden: Die finanzielle Unterstützung für die Schuldnerstaaten reicht nicht aus, deren Austerit?tsprogramme wirken zu restriktiv und die Mitgliedsl?nder sind nicht bereit, auf Fiskalkompetenz zu verzichten. Die Autoren stellen hier ein Konzept vor, das zu h?heren sWachstumsraten und niedrigeren Schuldenquoten in den betroffenen L?ndern führt.     

Die neuen Leitlinien für EU-Regionalbeihilfen 2014 bis 2020 aus ökonomischer Sicht

This article analyses the European Commission’s Guidelines on Regional State Aid for 2014–2020 that were passed in late June 2013. The author argues that some elements of these guidelines are neither in line with economic theory nor with related guidelines and communications of the Commission. Before applying the guidelines, some rules, e.g. on market delineation and foreclosure, should be defined more clearly.     

Selection Tournaments, Sabotage, and Participation

This paper studies sabotage in tournaments with at least three contestants, where the contestants know each other well. Every contestant has an incentive to direct sabotage specifically against his most dangerous rival. In equilibrium, contestants who choose a higher productive effort are sabotaged more heavily. This might explain findings from psychology, where victims of mobbing are sometimes found to be overachieving. Moreover, sabotage equalizes promotion chances. The effect is most pronounced if the production functions are linear in sabotage, and the cost functions depend only on the sum of all sabotage activities: in an interior equilibrium, who will win is a matter of chance, even when contestants differ a great deal in their abilities. This, in turn, has adverse consequences for who might want to participate in a tournament. Because better contestants anticipate that they will be sabotaged more strongly, it may happen that the most able stay out and the tournament selects one of the less able with probability one. I also study the case where some contestants are easy victims, that is, easier to sabotage than others.     

Aufstocker – Kein Indiz für ein Niedriglohnproblem

Immer mehr Erwerbst?tige erhalten zus?tzlich zu ihrem Einkommen Leistungen durch den Staat. Um welche Leistungen handelt es sich dabei? Welche Familiensituation liegt bei diesen Aufstockern vor? Wodurch ist der Anstieg der Aufstockerzahlen verursacht? Dr. Hendrik Luchtmeier, 38, ist Referent im Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie; Johannes Ziemendorff, 27, M.Sc. Wirtschaftswissenschaften ist Stipendiat am Deutschen Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.     

A review of integrated QCA and statistical analyses

Systematically combining quantitative and qualitative research approaches offers the potential for a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of social scientific phenomena. With their strong opportunities for building, qualifying, and testing social scientific theories, methodological integrations thus enable researchers to make substantive contributions that would not have been possible with one method alone. In this article we demonstrate how the integration of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and conventional statistical analysis offers researchers new opportunities for contributing to the social sciences. Whereas statistical analysis is variable-oriented and relies on correlational analysis to make comparisons across cases, QCA is based on set theory, is case oriented, and relies on Boolean algebra to make comparisons between cases. Drawing on the literature on the interdependency between theoretical contribution and methodology, we review studies that integrate QCA and statistical analysis to explain how the specific combination of these two approaches allows researchers to strengthen the theoretical contribution of their research. From our review we identify common challenges and provide solutions for integrating QCA and statistical analysis.     

The Value of Collusion with Endogenous Capacity and Demand Uncertainty

Collusion has often been alleged in industries where long‐lived capacity investments are important. This article develops a computational duopoly model with capacity investments, demand shocks and either competitive or collusive pricing. It shows that allowing for endogenous capacity investments can sometimes make collusion less valuable than competition and that it can change the normal relationships between the profitability of collusion and both the discount rate and industry‐wide demand shocks.     

When to Use Loose or Tight Alliance Networks for Innovation? Empirical Evidence

This study examines the impact of different degrees of organizational coupling among the members of innovation alliance project networks on the commercial performance of collaborative innovations. Specifically, we study how type of innovation (modular vs. architectural innovation) moderates this relationship. Using data from 664 product innovation networks from five different industries in the United States, we find that the degree of organizational coupling among innovation network members significantly affects the commercial performance of collaborative innovations and that the type of innovation has a significant moderating effect. More specifically, the impact on commercial innovation performance of organizational coupling is positive for modular innovations and negative for architectural innovations.     

Dynamische Preissetzung — Wer profitiert?

In the context of digitalisation, recent approaches for automatic price adjustment are gaining importance. However, these approaches can affect consumer behaviour in a way which is disadvantageous for consumers, businesses and the state as a whole. In September 2016, consumer researchers met at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf in order to discuss the impact of dynamic pricing from the viewpoint of their research fields. As the articles make clear, the researchers found that dynamic pricing based on competitors’ prices is common, while personalised prices are extremely rare. The question arises as to what extent consumers consider dynamic prices unfair. The experts disagree about the necessity of a stricter legal regulatory framework. Furthermore, digital technology can be used to help consumers find their way through the complex online world. Ultimately, the question of who profits–the consumer or the trader–has not been settled. The discussants conclude that there is need for further research in many different research fields.     

Modelling Impacts of Wildlife Tourism on Animal Communities: A Case Study from Royal Chitwan National Park,Nepal

This paper describes the development of a generic model which allows for the analysis of wildlife-tourism interaction impacts in the natural environment. The development of a computer system to facilitate the collection of data and the use of this model is described, using data collected on large mammals in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. The computer system stores parameters describing wildlife tours and animal characteristics for an area and plots regions of disturbance and non-disturbance for the animal in that area. Predictions can then be made regarding the potential impacts of tourism on the animal species for the area. Applications for this model and computer system include the management of high tourism areas at sustainable levels so that tourist enjoyment is maintained and animal disturbance is minimised.