bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On Interaction Effects: The Case of Heckit and Two-Part Models
Authors: Frondel Manuel , Vance Colin
Published: April 2016

Interaction effects capture the impact of one explanatory variable on the marginal effect of another explanatory variable. To explore interaction effects, so-called interaction terms are typically included in estimation specifications. While in linear models the effect of a marginal change in the interaction term is equal to the interaction effect, this equality generally does not hold in non-linear specifications (Ai/Norton 2003). This paper provides for a general derivation of interaction effects in both linear and non-linear models and calculates the formulae of the interaction effects resulting from Heckman’s sample selection model as well as the Two- Part Model, two regression models commonly applied to data with a large fraction of either missing or zero values in the dependent variable. Drawing on a survey of automobile use from Germany, we argue that while it is important to test for the significance of interaction effects, their size conveys limited substantive content. More meaningful, and also more easy to grasp, are the conditional marginal effects pertaining to two variables that are assumed to interact.
Ökonometrie vs. Projektdesign: Lehren aus der Evaluation eines Modellprojekts zur Umsetzung des Workfare-Konzepts
Authors: Schneider Hilmar , Uhlendorff Arne , Zimmermann Klaus F.
Published: April 2016

A common problem of welfare states consists of a high unemployment risk for low-skilled workers. This is often attributed to a lack of jobs for the low-skilled, but it may as well be caused by a lack of incentives to work. Low-skilled workers are easily substitutable and therefore have little bargaining power. Hence, they are typically dependent on low-paid jobs. This may create disincentives towork, if the achievable marketwage does not sufficiently exceed the welfare level. Workfare could be an efficient strategy to overcome such disincentives by introducing a work requirement for unemployed welfare recipients. In our paper we investigate the importance of such a supply side policy.

We evaluate a pilot workfare project of a Berlin city community to integrate young people in social assistance into the labor market. Reference data are generated in collaboration with the German Employment Office. The participation effect is found to be positive and of relevant size, but not statistically significant. This indicates that selection biases detected in the allocation process of individuals to the program can be adjusted by econometric techniques, but only at the prize of reduced significance levels. Given the small sample sizes of pilot projects this calls for social experiments in controlled project designs.
Labor Market Effects of Trade and FDI – Recent Advances and Research Gaps
Authors: Pflüger Michael , Blien Uwe , Möller Joachim , Moritz Michael
Published: April 2016

The last decade has been shaped by dramatic developments in international trade, international investment and production, both in terms of the scale of events and in terms of their qualitative nature. Intriguing questions have been thrown up concerning the labor market impact of these developments, notably welfare issues (the evolution of real wages, employment and unemployment), the distribution of income (the wage structure) and employment volatility. Path-breaking innovations in the theories of trade, location and the multinational firm allow a fresh look at these labor market effects. This paper takes stock of these theoretical innovations and contrasts these with the recent empirical research efforts to uncover the labor market implications of trade and FDI. We identify research gaps and highlight promising avenues for future research.
What Determines Wage Inequality Among Young German University Graduates?
Authors: Braakmann Nils
Published: April 2016

This paper investigates the gender wage gap among university graduates in their first job and five to six years into their careers using a representative survey among German university graduates. Results from standard decomposition techniques show that up to 83%of an initial 24% earnings disadvantage for women in the first job can be attributed to differences in endowments that are fixed at the time of labor market entry. Of these, fields of study play a dominant role and explain up to 70%of the earnings differential. Adding employer characteristics raises the explained part of the differential to 96%. The importance of unexplained factors increases after five to six years where 40% of the earnings gap remain unexplained even when controlling for detailed experience and employer characteristics.
A Coefficient of Correlation Based on Ratios of Ranks and Anti-ranks
Authors: Tarsitano Agostino , Lombardo Rosetta
Published: April 2016

Rank association is a fundamental tool to express dependence for ordinal data. Measures of rank correlation have been developed in several contexts for more than a century and we were able to cite more than thirty of these coefficients, from simple ones to relatively complicated definitions involving one or more systems of weights. However, only a few of these can actually be considered reasonable measures of concordance/discordance. The main drawback with the vast majority of coefficients is their resistance-to-change which appears to be of limited value for the purposes of rank comparisons that are intrinsically robust. In this article, a new non-parametric correlation coefficient is defined that is based on ratios of two ranks. In comparing it with existing coefficients, it was found to be extremely sensitive to permutation patterns.We have illustrated the potential improvement that our index may provide in economic contexts by comparing published results with those obtained through the use of this new index. The success that we have had suggests that our index may have important applications wherever the discriminatory power of the rank correlation coefficient ought to be particularly strong.
On the Shoulders of Giants: Tracing Back the Intellectual Sources of the Current Debate on “GDP and Beyond” to the 19th Century
Authors: Moore Nils aus dem , Schmidt Christoph M.
Published: April 2016

An eternal motive of human existence is the search for guidance.While values and beliefs retain their high relevance, today’s enlightened societies also tend to rest their aspirations and decisions on the actual facts and on a sober assessment of possible courses of events emerging from different choices. Given the complexity of modern life, it is by now well understood that this strategy requires objective, comprehensive and accessible statistical reporting. Today, the desire to provide such a valuable basis for individual decisions and policy-making finds one of its most important expressions in the international debate on “GDP and beyond”. In contrast to similar efforts displayed in previous decades, the current projects emphasize sustainability issues and focus on the accessibility of the information, using modern tools of measurement and presentation. Yet, there is ample evidence that even by the mid-19th century economists aspired to use the objectifying power of statistical analysis as an instrument to improve policy-making and to achieve societal progress. Many of the approaches entertained today have thus to be viewed as an extension of attempts started at that time.
Recurrent Price Index Problems and Some Early German Papers on Index Numbers
Authors: Lippe Peter Michael von der
Published: April 2016

With Laspeyres, Paasche and other authors such as Drobisch and Lehr, Germany made quite a promising start in index theory in the last decades of the 19th century. However, it soon lost ground after this period, which is described in this paper. The focus is not on biographies but on controversies where these persons acted as opponents and developed the views for which they are well known. The issues selected are primarily those which are still interesting and controversial today, e. g. the merits and demerits of certain index formulas, the definition and updating of weights, “pure” price comparison vs. chain indices etc. However, in order to aid a better understanding of how Laspeyres etc. arrived at their index formulas and views about the purposes index numbers should serve, some attention is also given to the typical disputes and prejudices of that time (e. g. regarding inflation under the regime of a gold currency).
Unemployment Compensation and Wages: Evidence from the German Hartz Reforms
Authors: Arent Stefan , Nagl Wolfgang
Published: April 2016

Using the introduction of fixed unemployment assistance in Germany in 2005 as a unique natural experiment, we find strong evidence that decreased unemployment compensation has an adverse effect on wages. We use micro panel data to identify and estimate the effect of this structural break. In eastern and western Germany, the relative effect is higher for women. In western Germany, the relative effect increases with skill level. In eastern Germany, there is no clear skill-specific pattern.
Beschäftigungsentwicklung innerhalb deutscher multinationaler Unternehmen während der globalen Rezession 2008/2009 / Employment Changes Within German Multinational Companies During the Global Recession 2008/2009
Authors: Peters Heiko , Weigert Benjamin
Published: April 2016

Explanations for the robust situation of the German labour market in the course of the global recession 2008/09 are the usage of short-time work schemes, the higher internal labour flexibility due to provisions of collective agreements and the reduction of positive balances on working-time accounts. However, another aspect has not been paid much attention to so far. Multinational companies could have reduced employment as a reaction to the global recession not in their home country, but mostly in their foreign affiliates. The possibility ofmultinational companies to choose in which countries they change employment as a reaction on a changed economic situation would have enhanced German economic policy measures. Using the microdatabase direct investment provided by the Deutsche Bundesbank, we analyze the employment changes within German multinational companies during the global recession 2008/9.We find evidence that employment adjustments took place mainly in the foreign affiliates stabilizing employment in Germany.
A Comparative Study of the Lasso-type and Heuristic Model Selection Methods
Authors: Savin Ivan
Published: April 2016

This study presents a first comparative analysis of Lasso-type (Lasso, adaptive Lasso, elastic net) and heuristic subset selection methods. Although the Lasso has shown success in many situations, it has some limitations. In particular, inconsistent results are obtained for pairwise highly correlated predictors. An alternative to the Lasso is constituted by model selection based on information criteria (IC), which remain consistent in the situation mentioned. However, these criteria are hard to optimize due to a discrete search space. To overcome this problem, an optimization heuristic (Genetic Algorithm) is applied. To this end, results of a Monte-Carlo simulation study together with an application to an actual empirical problem are reported to illustrate the performance of the methods.
The Politics of Surprise Devaluations: Modelling Motives for Giving Up a Peg
Authors: Bohn Frank
Published: April 2016

Planned ‘‘surprise’’ devaluations are often spurred by non-economic circumstances: a rentseeking government; political instability; or the opportunity to put the blame on a predecessor government. In this paper, these aspects are incorporated in the monetary and fiscal policy framework first suggested by Alesina and Tabellini (1987). It is shown that reneging on a fixed exchange rate promise unambiguously produces short term benefits, but long run losses. This leads to a non-straightforward trade-off between greediness (propensity for expropriation) and political stability (which implies a low time preference). The findings are empirically relevant and theoretically robust to extensions.
Technologiestandort Deutschland und internationale Wissensspillover / Technology Site Germany and International Knowledge Spillovers
Authors: Gilroy B. Michael , Lukas Elmar , Heimann Christian
Published: April 2016

The inherent technical capability of a domestic economy has a significant effect upon trade. In addition, the innovation achievement potential of foreign countries and their companies may also enhance a given situation. International trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) provide knowledge transmission channels for innovation and research and development spillovers. Applying a Panel Analysis for the period 1990 to 2008, this study examines the bilateral export flows of Germany with the remaining 31 OECD countries. Using an extended gravity model the study investigates which influence the trade partners’ innovation potential, as well as the research intensity of foreign multinational companies (MNCs) has upon German exports. The novel aspect of this study is the introduction of a direct measure for knowledge spillover. The findings show, that the trade partners’ innovation potential as well as their FDI has a significant positive influence upon trade. In particular, the more innovative a foreign MNC located in Germany is, the greater the amount of German exports.
Identifying Free-riding in Home Renovation Programs Using Revealed Preference Data
Authors: Grösche Peter , Schmidt Christoph M. , Vance Colin
Published: April 2016

Identifying free-ridership is significant to several issues relevant to program evaluation, including the calculation of net program benefits and assessments of political acceptability. Despite the potential of free-ridership to seriously undermine the economic efficiency of a program intervention, for instance to foster energy efficiency, the issue remains largely absent from contemporary environmental and energy policy discussions in Europe. One reason for this neglect is the inherent difficulty of assessing which households would have undertaken the energy conservation activity even without the program. This paper proposes a procedure to calculate the free-rider share using revealed preference data on home renovations from Germany’s residential sector.We employ a discrete-choice model to analyze the effect of grants on renovation choices, the output from which is used to assess the extent of free-ridership under a subsidy program very akin to an implemented grants program in Germany. Our empirical results suggest only very moderate energy savings induced by the program, making free-riding a problem of outstanding importance.
Firm-Provided Training During the Great Recession
Authors: Bellmann Lutz , Gerner Hans-Dieter , Leber Ute
Published: April 2016

Even though the 2008/09 economic crisis had only minor employment effects on the German labor market, it might have affected firms’ further training and apprenticeship training behavior. From a theoretical point of view, the impact of the business cycle on firms’ training behaviour is ambiguous. There are reasons for an increase of training during a downturn (e.g., declining opportunity costs of training, fewer exit options for trained workers) as well as arguments for a decrease of training (e.g., uncertain future benefits of training). The existing empirical evidence on the relationship between training and economic downturns is relatively scarce. In particular, we are not aware of any empirical study investigating the effects of the most recent crisis on firms’ training activities in Germany. Our paper aims to fill this gap by using data from the IAB Establishment Panel, a representative German panel data set with annual information about almost 16,000 establishments. In particular, we analyzed the provision and the intensity of further training and apprenticeship training in firms which were affected by the crisis and in those which were not. Our empirical investigation revealed that the establishments, irrespective of whether or not they were hit by the economic crisis, decreased their further training and apprenticeship training efforts in 2009 compared to 2008. However, establishments directly affected by the great recession tended to reduce their training activities more often than those which were not affected. Furthermore, we found much stronger variations in the development of firms’ further training activities than in the development of their apprenticeship training.
Multiple Comparisons and Joint Significance in Panel Unit Root Testing with Evidence on International Interest Rate Linkage
Authors: Hassler Uwe , Werkmann Verena
Published: April 2016

This paper adds to the issue of inference regarding potentially nonstationary panels where units are correlated. Recently, it has been proposed to tackle this problem by computing individual p-values and combining them to an overall joint significance. We adopt and illustrate this fairly general approach allowing for competing means to account for cross-correlation when analyzing samples of N = 10 international interest rate differentials of different maturities.

Alternatively, we investigate the approach of multiple testing or multiple comparison that has rarely been employed in econometrics. The advantages are that the computation of p-values is not necessarily required, and that one may identify for which specific unit a null hypothesis of interest may be considered as violated while controlling the overall significance level of the multiple testing problem. This comes at the price of an increased computational burden.
Diamonds are Forever: Job-Matching and Career Success of Young Workers
Authors: Göke Stefan , Prinz Joachim , Weimar Daniel
Published: April 2016

This study addresses the probability of young workers seeking for promotion after vocational training. By applying semi-parametric duration analysis with competing risks to a dataset of 17 youth rosters, each of them winner of either DFB-U19-Bundesliga or DFB-Youth-Cup between 1998/1999 and 2010/2011, the following paper tests some predictions that have emerged from Jovanovic’s (1979) matching theory. By running a youth academy a club assembles private information in order to decrease information deficits about a youth player’s performance. Findings from a database that covers 270 German youth players indicate that productivity, tenure and job seniority are key determinants for a successful debut with the home club. These results were not detected for potential debuts with an outside team after finishing youth engagement.
Does Switching to a Western German Employer Still Pay Off?
Authors: Alm Bastian , Engel Dirk , Weyh Antje
Published: April 2016

This paper deals with the medium-term effects of job mobility on the average wage growth of job-movers in eastern Germany. The analysis is based on all employees subject to social insurance contributions working in eastern Germany in 2004. Using a statistical matching procedure combined with a difference-in-differences estimator, we observe that job-movers achieve an average annual wage increase of 2.68% between 2004 and 2009, which is significantly higher than the annual wage growth of selected non-movers (1.34 %). The finding is very robust against changes in the matching procedure. The positive wage differential due to changing jobs was found for a variety of subgroups of individuals that were formed on the basis of sociodemographic and firm-specific characteristics. In contrast to the evidence in the 1990’s, the positive wage effect is now significantly lower for movers from eastern to western Germany compared to movers within eastern Germany.
Redirecting International Trade: Contracts, Conflicts, and Institutions
Authors: Kokko Ari , Söderlund Bengt , Tingvall Patrik Gustavsson
Published: April 2016

The global financial crisis has contributed to the redirection of trade towards new markets outside the OECD area, where both demand patterns and the institutional environment differ from those in the OECD. This study provides an empirical examination of the consequences of this shift, based on Swedish firm-level trade data. Results suggest that weak institutions hamper trade and reduce the length of trade relations, especially for small firms. Trade in industries that are characterized by a high frequency of trade conflicts and where transactions require extensive relationship-specific investments are particularly difficult to redirect towards markets with weak institutions.
Risk or Resilience? The Role of Trade Integration and Foreign Ownership for the Survival of German Enterprises During the Crisis 2008–2010
Authors: Wagner Joachim , Gelübcke John P. Weche
Published: April 2016

This is the first study of the link between internationalization and firm survival during the 2008/2009 crisis in Germany, a country which was hit relatively lightly compared to other countries. Moreover, it is the first study which looks at the role of importing, exporting and FDI simultaneously in the context of a global economic recession. We use a tailor-made representative dataset that covers all enterprises from the manufacturing sector with at least 20 employees. Our most striking result is to demonstrate the disadvantage of exporting for the chances of survival of a firm during the crisis in western Germany. Importing instead reveals a positive correlation with survival and firms that both export and import do not show a different exit risk relative to non-traders. A plausible explanation is that in a global recession, deteriorating markets abroad cause demand losses for exporters and improved conditions on factor markets which result in an advantage for firms sourcing from factor markets abroad. Two-way traders do not show a link with exit risk, supporting the idea that they were able to outweigh their losses from exporting with their gains from importing, in what could be called an export-import hedge. Furthermore, we cannot support the hypothesis that foreign multinationals are more volatile during times of economic crisis.
Inward Investment and the Drivers of Post Recession Recovery in Germany
Authors: Driffield Nigel , Temouri Yama
Published: April 2016

This paper examines changes in the drivers of productivity in Germany over the period 1997-2012. We start by comparing the performance of German firms and inward investors before and during the recovery from the recent global financial crisis of 2008 across a range of sectors, and subsequently examine the channels through which different firms are able to generate productivity. Our results show that foreign investors are more productive than German MNEs and purely domestic firms, with the gap narrowing in the manufacturing sector, but growing in the service sector during the recovery period. We also contrast those firms for whom productivity growth is related to greater use of intangible assets, compared with those for whom productivity is linked to cash flow. Productivity of inward investors is driven by cash flow rather than intangible assets, these being limited to high-technology investors from the EU and the USA.
The Skill Shortage in German Establishments Before, During and After the Great Recession
Authors: Bellmann Lutz , Hübler Olaf
Published: April 2016

This paper investigates the development of skill shortages during the period 2007-2012. Using the German Establishment Panel of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), we find differences across the years before, during and after the Great Recession. Furthermore, we analyze the importance of firm characteristics and that of certain, specific measures with respect to the skill shortage.

The empirical analysis reveals that the relative skill shortage in the service sector during the Great Recession was more substantial than before and after 2009. The opposite pattern is observed for working time accounts. Firms with a high share of female workers typically experience usually less difficulty in finding qualified employees to fill jobs. However, during the Great Recession, the opposite was observed. Young firms facing competitive pressure, high wages, and without working time accounts that did not hoard skilled workers in the past tend to skill shortage. The estimations confirm that apprenticeship and further training serve to reduce the number of unfilled, high-skill jobs. It is also helpful when the firm has developed a plan for its personnel requirements. Other measures such as retaining older workers or hiring foreign workers were not successful. Ultimately, a skill shortage within a firm is often only a short-term phenomenon and less often observed over a longer period.
The Routinization of Creativity
Authors: Cohendet Patrick , Llerena Patrick , Simon Laurent
Published: April 2016

The aim of this contribution is to proceed to an in-depth exploration of the micro-context of the origin of routines and of their intimate link with organizational creativity. Our view is that organizational creativity orchestrates continuous interactions between different types of routines, operating at different levels of the organization. More precisely we propose distinguishing three types of routines:

- First, the routines issued from formal structures or hierarchical working groups in the firm (functional groups, project teams, task force, etc.), for which the context of work and coordination of specialized tasks is defined ex ante by the hierarchy of the firm

- Second, the routines emerging from informal structures, the “knowing communities” which is a “generic term that defines different types of autonomous learning groups of individuals (communities of practice, epistemic communities, and other more or less informal learning groups) united by common beliefs and interests who voluntarily share their resources on a long term basis in order to create and diffuse knowledge”;

- Third, the routines that are inherently related to the organizational creativity of the firm, which are essentially corporate routines as expression of patterns of thinking, feeling and acting in the corporate culture. In essence they are the genes of collective identity, and take the shape of project management staging and gating principles and practices, framing collective divergent exploration and convergent production toward a creative goal.

The contribution is based on an in-depth analysis of the organizational creativity in the worldleading videogame company, Ubisoft, with a special focus on the studio located in Montréal. To some extent, Ubisoft is one of the flagships of the “creative industries”, in which the clear imperative is to sustain creativity on a permanent basis. These reasons explain the choice we made to test our approach of organizational creativity and routines in this firm.
The Evolution of Knowledge and Knowledge of Evolution
Authors: Loasby Brian J.
Published: April 2016

Human knowledge is a human creation: we seek to make sense by creating patterns, which are tested in various ways and with differing degrees and kinds of rigour. For each individual cognition is a scarce resource, but different people can apply it in diverse ways and to diverse subjects: each application has its own range of convenience and its own dangers. Thus the growth of knowledge is an evolutionary process of trial and error, the rate and content of which depends on its organization, both conscious and unconscious. In seeking to develop knowledge methodological choices are unavoidable, but often unconscious. As Simon pointed out, all evolution, of life, economic and social systems, and ideas, depends on quasi-decomposability, the limits of which can never be fully anticipated. Thus uncertainty is inescapable - but it is a condition of innovation.
Like Doktorvater, like Son? Tracing Role Model Learning in the Evolution of German Laser Research
Authors: Buenstorf Guido , Geissler Matthias
Published: April 2016

We trace individual-level learning and knowledge transfer in public research by matching about 5,000 doctoral dissertations and their advisors over the full history of German laser research. We study the number of laser-related dissertations per advisor, publication and patent outputs of advisors and doctoral students, as well as the likelihood that former students started laser firms or attained professorships. Our results suggest a substantial relevance of non-codified knowledge and role model learning in public research. There is little evidence of pronounced barriers to entry into laser research.
In What Sense do Firms Evolve?
Authors: Nooteboom Bart
Published: April 2016

Does evolutionary theory help, for a theory of the firm, or, more widely, a theory of organization? In this paper I argue that it does, to some but also limited extent. Evolutionary theories of economies, and of culture, have acquired considerable following, but have also been subject to considerable criticism. Most criticism has been aimed at inappropriate biological analogies, but recently it has been claimed that a ‘universal Darwinism’, purged of all such mistaken analogy, is both useful and viable. Why should we try to preserve evolutionary theory, and will such theory stand up to sustained critical analysis? How useful is it for theory of the firm? Evolutionary theory appears to be the most adequate theory around for solving the problem of agency and structure, avoiding both an overly rational, managerial ‘strategic choice’ view of organizations and a ‘contingency’ view of organizations as fully determined by their environment. Whether universal Darwinism stands up to critical analysis remains to be seen. Here, the focus is on evolutionary theory of organization. Use is made of a constructivist ‘embodied cognition’ view of cognition and of elements of a cognitive theory of the firm.
Competition and Increasing Returns
Authors: Amendola Mario , Gaffard Jean-Luc
Published: April 2016

The paper demonstrates the compatibility between competition as a rivalry among firms and increasing returns resulting from innovative choice. The analysis offers the prospect of a general theory of economic evolution. It is carried out by means of a model, which makes it possible to exhibit the time structure of production processes and to sketch out the sequential interaction of decisions in a process of restructuring of productive capacities for the whole economy. It shows that several firms can coexist in the market, despite the existence of increasing returns, yet remain differentiated not so much because they supply differentiated goods, but because they are each one at a different stage of the life cycle of the production process.
Evolving Preferences and Welfare Economics: The Perspective of Constitutional Political Economy
Authors: Vanberg Viktor J.
Published: April 2016

The theoretical consistency and practical applicability of traditional welfare economics has long been subject to controversy. More recently the challenge has been added from evolutionary approaches that the individual preferences on which the welfare calculus is based are themselves subject to change. The purpose of the present paper is twofold. It takes, firstly, a closer look at the discussion on the need and feasibility of an evolutionary welfare economics that accommodates evolving preferences. The particular focus is on proposals advanced by three authors, Carl Christian von Weizsäcker, Ulrich Witt and Robert Sugden. And it seeks, secondly, to show that the paradigm of constitutional economics can deal with the evolving-preferences-issue in a more coherent and consistent way than approaches that remain within the mind-frame of welfare economics.
Terrorism and International Tourism: The Case of Germany
Authors: Ahlfeldt Gabriel M. , Franke Bastian , Maennig Wolfgang
Published: April 2016

We analyse how German tourists react to unanticipated shocks that alter their risk perception of selected tourism destinations. Using a difference-in-difference strategy which flexibly accounts for macroeconomic conditions and also addresses potential problems of serial correlation, we isolate significant effects of the 9/11 (2001) terrorist attacks, as well as for the attacks in Egypt (1997), Tunisia (2002), Morocco (2003) and Indonesia (2003). These terror attacks impacted especially on Islamic countries all over the world, indicating a transmission mechanism driven by ethnic and religious proximity. At the same time, tourism into Islamic countries was temporarily substituted by tourism to (south) European countries.
Corruption and Productivity: Firm-level Evidence
Authors: De Rosa Donato , Gooroochurn Nishaal , Görg Holger
Published: April 2016

Using enterprise data for the economies of Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS, this study examines the effects of corruption on productivity. Corruption is narrowly defined as the occurrence of informal payments to government officials to ease the day-to-day operation of firms. The effects of this “bribe tax” on productivity are compared to the consequences of red tape, which may be understood as imposing a “time tax” on firms. When testing effects in the full sample, only the bribe tax appears to have a negative impact on firm-level productivity, while the effect of the time tax is insignificant. We also find that the surrounding environment influences the way in which firm behaviour affects firm performance. In particular, in countries where corruption is more prevalent and the legal framework is weaker, bribery is more harmful for firm-level productivity.
Religious Loyalty and Acceptance of Corruption
Authors: Gouda Moamen , Park Sang-Min
Published: April 2016

This study investigates the relationship between religiously-induced internalized values of individuals and their specific attitudes regarding the acceptance of corruption. The dataset on which our study is based was collected by the World Values Survey from 141,326 individuals in 78 countries surveyed during a period of 13 years. We propose that individual attitudes towards corruption and religion are associated given certain societal and institutional contexts. Our results show that although there is a negative and statistically significant effect of religiosity on the acceptance of corruption on the individual level, this effect is small. We find that there is a threshold value of religiosity below which corruption is more easily accepted by individuals. Our interpretation for this result is simple: individuals with minimal religiosity are generally less constrained by religious norms; specifically, religious norms that are opposed to corruption are less binding on these individuals, resulting in them having a greater propensity to accept corruption. Religiosity, therefore, does lower the acceptance of corruption only when it exceeds a certain threshold for a specific individual.
Announcing is Bad, Delaying is Worse: Another Pitfall in Well-intended Climate Policy
Authors: Jus Darko , Meier Volker
Published: April 2016

It is frequently observed that the implementation of green policies is delayed compared to the initial announcement. Considering a setting with a representative monopolist extracting a nonrenewable resource, we demonstrate that announcing a green policy, but then delaying its implementation, is associated with a larger cumulative extraction at any point in time than announcing a late implementation of this policy at the outset.
How Large are the Effects of Simultaneity on Testing Granger Causality?
Authors: Wilde Joachim
Published: April 2016

Interpreting Granger causality as economic causality implies that the underlying VAR model is a structural economic model. This is wrong in the case of simultaneity, and causal conclusions can be misleading. Nevertheless, the empirical relevance of this problem still needs to be determined. Therefore, the magnitude and stability of possible errors are analysed in a simulation study. It is shown that economic misinterpretations of tests of Granger causality can occur with probability one for realistic parameter values. Thus, policy conclusions from Granger causality tests can be wrong with probability one if simultaneity occurs. Furthermore, the power of the test can be rather low even with a sample size of T = 50.
The ECB as Lender of Last Resort: Banks versus Governments
Authors: Winkler Adalbert
Published: April 2016

The OMT programme has been strongly criticized as being incompatible with the ECB’s mandate. Applying standard lender of last resort (LoLR) theory in the assessment of the OMT we find that when de facto operating as a LoLR for governments, the ECB is as much is line with its mandate as when performing as a LoLR for banks. None of four arguments used to explain why it is acceptable to have the ECB as a LoLR for banks, while a LoLR role for governments has to be rejected, namely a) the missing euro area fiscal backstop, b) the long-term nature of the euro crisis, c) the example of the US as a monetary union without a LoLR for sub-states and d) the claim that central bank purchases of government bonds ultimately always lead to inflation, is convincing. However, decisive steps towards fiscal and banking union are needed to stabilize the euro area.
Staying Within or Leaving the Apprenticeship System? Revisions of Educational Choices in Apprenticeship Training
Authors: Bessey Donata , Backes-Gellner Uschi
Published: April 2016

The decision to revise an educational choice has hardly been analyzed in previous research. Dropping out is only one possible choice, and we distinguish between dropping out (leaving the apprenticeship system) and changing or upgrading (staying within the apprenticeship system) as three possibilities to revise an educational decision, using a dataset that consists of apprentices who have dissolved their apprenticeship contract. We analyze the determinants of leaving apprenticeship training using competing risks models. Dropout decisions seem to be driven by financial considerations such as financial distress, but local labor market conditions seem to have no effect on them. Our findings underline the importance of distinguishing between the different choices instead of focusing exclusively on dropping out.
Does Participation Increase Outcome Acceptance? Evidence from a Power-to-take Experiment
Authors: Mertins Vanessa , Albert Max
Published: April 2016

It is often conjectured that participatory decision making may increase acceptance, especially of unfavorable decisions. The present paper tests this conjecture in a three-person power-to-take experiment. Two takers decide which fraction of the responder’s endowment to transfer to themselves; the responder decides which part of the endowment to destroy. Thus, responders can punish greedy takers, but only at a cost to themselves. We modify the game by letting the responder participate in takers’ transfer decisions and consider the effect of low/high levels of participation on the destruction rate. We find that participation matters, but only under special conditions: Responders with participation rights destroy significantly less only if they (1) have reciprocal inclinations, and (2) are confronted with highly unfavorable outcomes. Thus, in line with standard economic modeling and leading classes of behavioral theories, our data suggest that procedural effects of decision making are mostly negligible.
Physical Activity of Adults: A Survey of Correlates, Determinants, and Effects
Authors: Cabane Charlotte , Lechner Michael
Published: April 2016

We survey the literature on the link of labour market related outcomes to individual physical activity and sports participation. The first part of the survey is devoted to the individual participation decision and is based on papers from various disciplines. The second part summarises parts of the epidemiological literature on health effects and the economic literature on the labour market effects as well as on the effects on well-being and social capital. Somewhat surprisingly, at least for studies in empirical economics, all the papers seem to agree that individual leisure sports participation and physical activity has positive effects for adults.
Youth Unemployment in the OECD: The Role of Institutions
Authors: Sachs Andreas , Smolny Werner
Published: April 2016

This paper analyzes the role of labor market institutions for youth unemployment, as contrasted to total unemployment. The empirical results are basically consistent with an insider view of labor market institutions. Labor market institutions tend to protect (older) employees but might harm (young) entrants. Remarkable is especially the significant and very high effect of employment protection for regular jobs on youth unemployment. In addition, the combined effects of powerful unions and a coordinated wage bargaining system are beneficial for older people and detrimental to youth. Finally, the paper identifies a significant link between a demographic as well as an educational factor and both youth and total unemployment.
Relation of fetuin A levels with cardiac, subcutaneous lipid accumulation and insulin resistance parameters in Turkish obese children
Authors: Hızlı Şamil , Abacı Ayhan , Özdemir Osman , Akelma Zülfikar , Akın Okhan
Published: April 2016

Fetuin A is an inhibitor of insulin action and have been found to be related with subcutaneous lipid accumulation and insulin resistance. The relation of cardiac lipid accumulation, fetuin A and insulin resistance parameters in obese children is not well-known. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relation of serum fetuin A levels with subcutaneous and cardiac lipid accumulation, and insulin resistance parameters in Turkish obese children.

Serum fetuin A levels, cardiac and subcutaneous lipid accumulation parameters of 42 obese (10.9±2.3 years, 19 female) and 40 control group subjects (11.2±2.7) were compared. Cardiac lipid accumulation measured by subepicardial adipose tissue thickness. Insulin resistance was assessed using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) index.

There were significant correlations serum fetuin A levels with BMI-SDS, circumferences of waist, hip and midarm, SATT and HOMA-IR (r=0.362, p=0.018, r=0.728, p=0.001, r=0.662, p=0.0001, r=0.713, p=0.0001, r=0.477, p=0.001, and r=0.330, p=0.038 as, respectively).

Fetuin A was correlated well with cardiac and subcutaneous lipid accumulation, insulin resistance parameters, which may be related with early pathogenetic mechanisms of metabolic obesity complications in children.
The role of vitamin B1-B2 and plasma lipid profile in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
Authors: Başaranoğlu Serdar , Ağaçayak Elif , Uçmak Feyzullah , Tunç Senem Yaman , Deregözü Aysegül , Akkurt Zeynep Meltem , Peker Nurullah , Acet Mustafa , Yüksel Hatice , Gül Talip
Published: April 2016

Aim:

The present study aimed to determine the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and vitamins B1 and B2 in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) patients, and to evaluate if these were involved in the pathophysiology of the disease.

Methods:

The prospective randomized study included 35 pregnant patients who were admitted to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Polyclinic, Faculty of Medicine at Dicle University and who were diagnosed with ICP (Group 1), and 40 healthy pregnant women who were admitted in the same period and who had no systemic diseases that might complicate the pregnancy during the pregnancy follow-up (Group 2). Serum lipid levels and vitamins B1 and B2 were determined and compared, and statistical comparisons of the groups were made.

Results:

There was no difference between the TG levels of the two groups (P=0.631). Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and vitamin B1 and B2 levels were higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (P=0.001, P=0.001, P=0.001, P=0.001, and P=0.032, respectively).

Conclusions:

Increased levels of vitamins B1 and B2 may indicate a need for increased energy metabolism at the fetus. So we believe that new studies are required, which will be supported by the placental analyses of the pyruvate and lactate levels in maternal blood at delivery and fetal cord blood in order to develop a better understanding on the fetal effects of energy metabolism.
Risk factors and outcomes in “well-selected” vaginal breech deliveries: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Macharey Georg , Ulander Veli-Matti , Heinonen Seppo , Kostev Karel , Nuutila Mika , Väisänen-Tommiska Mervi
Published: April 2016

Objective:

To assess risk factors for adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes in “well-selected” singleton vaginal breech deliveries at term.

Methods:

During the time span from January 2008 up to April 2015 a total of 786 singleton term breech deliveries with a planned vaginal delivery were identified in a retrospective observational study at Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland. The study’s end point was a composite of adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes. Infants with an adverse outcome were compared to all spontaneous singleton vaginal breech deliveries with normal perinatal and neonatal outcomes. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze associations between adverse neonatal outcomes and several variables. The secondary outcome was the severe morbidity rate according to the criteria of the term breech trial.

Results:

An adverse neonatal outcome was recorded for 38 (4.8%) infants. According to the study the second delivery stage lasting <40 min [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.34, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.15–0.79] was associated with lower odds and had a protective effect against adverse outcomes. Epidural anesthesia (aOR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.08–7.70) was associated with higher adverse outcomes. The incidence rate of severe morbidity was 1.3% (10/787).

Conclusion:

Adverse neonatal outcomes in well-selected breech deliveries are associated with a prolonged second delivery stage lasting >40 min and with epidural anesthesia.
Evaluation of quantitative fFn test in predicting the risk of preterm birth
Authors: Centra Michela , Coata Giuliana , Picchiassi Elena , Alfonsi Luisa , Meniconi Samanta , Bini Vittorio , Di Tommaso Maria Rosaria , Cozzolino Mauro , Facchinetti Fabio , Ferrari Francesca , Gervasi Maria Teresa , Rusconi Silvia , Todros Tullia , Frisina Valentina , Rizzo Nicola , Bisulli Maria , Di Renzo Gian Carlo
Published: April 2016

Objective:

To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of quantitative fetal fibronectin (qfFN) test in predicting preterm birth (PTB) risk <34 weeks’ gestation or within 14 days from testing. We explored the predictive potential of the test in five-predefined PTB risk categories based on predefined qfFN thresholds (<10, 10–49, 50–199, 200–499 and ≥500 ng/mL).

Methods:

Measurement of cervicovaginal qfFN with Rapid fFN 10Q System (Hologic) in 126 women with singleton pregnancy (23–33 weeks’ gestation) reporting signs and symptoms indicative of preterm labour (PTL).

Results:

For PTB prediction risk <34 weeks’ gestation, sensitivity decreased from 100% to 41.7% and specificity increased from 0% to 99.1% with increasing fFN thresholds. Positive predictive value (PPV) increased from 9.5% to 83.3% with increasing qfFN thresholds, while negative predictive value (NPV) was higher than 90% among the fFN-predefined categories. Diagnostic accuracy results showed an area under a receiving operator characteristic (ROC) curve of 84.5% (95% CI, 0.770–0.903). For delivery prediction within 14 days from the testing, sensitivity decreased from 100% to 42.8% and specificity increased from 0% to 100% with increasing fFN thresholds. Diagnostic accuracy determined by the ROC curve was 66.1% (95% CI, 0.330–0.902).

Conclusions:

The QfFN thresholds of tests are a useful tool to distinguish pregnant women for PTB prediction risk <34 weeks’ gestation.