We investigate wage effects of deviations from peer group body mass index (BMI) to evaluate the influence of social norms on wages. Our approach allows to show the existence of the influence of the social norm and to disentangle it from any (anticipated) productivity effects associated with...

We empirically evaluate the job performance effects of a 6 month part-time training program in a large retail chain, in which participants received feedback on their training success based on a final exam. The data's quasi-experimental structure allows comparison of sales revenue of trained and...

We econometrically evaluate the performance effects of a six month eâ€learning programme in a large retail chain with monthly data on organizational level sales revenue, for four years using panel regressions. Members of initiating cohorts show positive performance effects during training...

We empirically evaluate wage returns to company training using representative individual-level cross-sectional data for the years 2000, 2003, and 2007. A comparison group approach allows comparing wages of participants with non-participants, who were willing to participate in training, yet were...

We investigate the influence of personality as measured by the Big Five personality scale on absenteeism using representative data for Germany. In particular, the 2005 wave of the German Socio-Economic Panel provides detailed information on socio-economic background characteristics along with a...

This paper investigates the efficiency of the matching process between job seekers and vacancy posting firms in West Germany, using variation across labour market regions and across time. The results of a stochastic frontier analysis shed new light on the extent of and regional differences in...

This paper assesses the potential of `workplace training'' with reference to German Apprenticeship. When occupational matching is important, we derive conditions under which firms provide `optimal'' training packages. Since the German system broadly meets these conditions, we evaluate the...