Do financial market analysts use structural economic models when forecasting exchange rates? This is the leading question analysed in this paper. In contrast to other studies we use expectations data instead of observable variables. Therefore we analyse the implicit structural models forecasters...

In the paper we analyze the convergence process of the West German Laender from 1970 to 1995 using descriptive tools as well as panel estimation methods. Although there have been some winners in this process, the main finding is that convergence was insufficient in the sense that no gains have...

This study investigates the determinants of self-employment and the effects of continuous vocational training among new self-employed and job movers. The analysis is based on a cross section of individual data for West Germany in 1991/92 covering vocational training and firm foundation through...

This paperanalyses the link between human capitaland information technology (IT) in the service production process. The analysis is based on 1994 cross-sectional data for 1929 German. Firms drawn from the first wave of the Mannheim Service Innovation Panel (MIP-S). Factor demand functions are...

The main characteristic of the implementation of the European Monetary Union (EMU) is the transition from various national currencies to the Euro, the common European currency. A final fixing of the individual bilateral exchange rates of all European countries involved in the Monetary Union...

This study analyzes portfolio recommendations of financial experts, finding significant differences in portfoliostructure depending on the experts' institutional background. The recommendationsystem from a survey of 250 financial experts from banks, insurance companies, investment funds and...

The paper deals with growth determinants of innovative and noninnovative start-ups in Eastern and Western Germany. Based on theoretical approaches explaining the growth of firms, hypotheses on potential determinants are derived. The empirical results indicate strong correlations between average...

This Feconometric study deals with the question as to what extent apprentices after successfully completing their training stay with the firm where they have received their training and, if so, how long that job tenure holds. Determinants of both decisions can be seen from both the employer's...

Through a survey, economic value estimates were obtained on 962 inventions made in the United States and Germany and on which German patent renewal fees were paid to full-term expiration in 1995. A search of subsequent U.S. and German patents yielded a count of citations to those patents....

In the context of EMU fiscal equalization schemes have been proposed as a means to stabilize regions against asymmetric shocks. A theoretical analysis shows that besides reducing the cross-sectional income variance the redistributive element of fiscal equalization causes incentive effects for...