This paper presents some ideas about determinants of merger waves and some evidence on their effect on profitability and employment. A brief survey of previous merger waves and an analysis of the recent one give support to the hypothesis that sectoral shocks are at the root of merger waves....

The paper explores the basic features of structural change towards services for OECD countries in general and for Germany in particular. The determinants of sectoral shifts are analytically decomposed into the demandbias and the productivity-bias. The demand-bias, which prevails in all OECD...