Determinanten des Erfolgs im Transformationsprozess der mittel- und osteuropäischen Länder - eine empirische Würdigung der Beiträge von Karl Wohlmuth
Tobias Knedlik
Ökonomische Systeme im Wandel der Weltwirtschaft/Economic Systems in a Changing World Economy - Festschrift zum 65. Geburtstag von Professor Dr. Karl Wohlmuth,
2007
Abstract
Prof. Dr. Karl Wohlmuth befasst sich in seinem Werk unter anderem mit Fra-gen der Transformationsökonomik. In frühen Beiträgen zur Transformation der Länder Osteuropas leitet er Empfehlungen für einen erfolgreichen Trans-formationsprozess ab. Im vorliegenden Papier werden zunächst die Arbeiten von Wohlmuth zusammengefasst. Im Anschluss daran werden verschiedene bei Wohlmuth genannte Erfolgsfaktoren für den Transformationsprozess im Sinne einer ex-post Analyse empirisch überprüft. Die zentrale Fragenstellung ist dabei, ob die von Wohlmuth aufgeführten Faktoren einen empirisch signi-fikanten Einfluss auf den Transformationserfolg hatten. Das Ergebnis der em-pirischen Arbeit ist, dass die Faktoren ‚Reform des Unternehmenssektors’, ‚Liberalisierung des Arbeitsmarktes’ und ‚fiskalische Konsolidierung’ von besonderer Bedeutung waren. Damit konnte gezeigt werden, dass die von Wohlmuth schon frühzeitig erkannten Faktoren tatsächlich eine wichtige Rol-le spielten. Seine Empfehlungen sind daher auch für den andauernden Trans-formationsprozess von Bedeutung.
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Effectiveness of Competition Law: A Panel Data Analysis
Franz Kronthaler
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 7,
2007
Abstract
The paper explores what macroeconomic factors can tell us about the effectiveness of recently enacted national competition laws. Qualitative evidence suggests that numerous countries fall short in implementing competition law. Furthermore, there seems to be significant differences between countries. To examine what factors might contribute to the explanation of effectiveness of competition law panel regression analysis is used. The results indicate that the level of economic development matters, however the institutional learning curve is also relevant. Furthermore, larger countries should be more concerned with competition advocacy activities than smaller countries and it seems to be the case that the problem of capture of competition law is serious in countries with high levels of corruption.
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The Successes and Failures of Economic Transition
Hubert Gabrisch, Jens Hölscher
,
2006
Abstract
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Is Merger Control too Lax in Transition Countries? An Assessment of the apparently passive behaviour of Antimonopoly and Competition Offices towards enterprise concentration in transition countries
Jens Hölscher, L. Somogyi, Johannes Stephan, A. Török
ACE Phare Project No: P97-8020-R,
2001
Abstract
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The relationship between unemployment and output in post-communist countries
Hubert Gabrisch, Herbert Buscher
Post-Communist Economies,
2006
Abstract
Unemployment is still disappointingly high in most Central and East European countries, and might be a reflection of the ongoing adjustment to institutional shocks resulting from systemic transition, or it may be caused by high labour market rigidity, or aggregate demand that is too weak. In this paper we have investigated the dynamics of unemployment and output in those eight post-communist countries, which entered the EU in 2004. We used a model related to Okun’s Law; i.e. the first differences in unemployment rates were regressed on GDP growth rates. We estimated country and panel regressions with instrument variables (TSLS) and applied a few tests to the data and regression results. We assume transition of labour markets to be accomplished when a robust relationship exists between unemployment rate changes and GDP growth. Moreover, the estimated coefficients contain information about labour market rigidity and unemployment thresholds of output growth. Our results suggest that the transition of labour markets can be regarded as completed since unemployment responds to output changes and not to a changing institutional environment that destroys jobs in the state sector. The regression coefficients have demonstrated that a high trend rate of productivity and a high unemployment intensity of output growth have been occurring since 1998. Therefore, we conclude that labour market rigidities do not play an important role in explaining high unemployment rates. However, GDP growth is dominated by productivity progress and the employment-relevant component of aggregate demand is too low to reduce the high level of unemployment substantially.
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Vertical Intra-industry Trade between EU and Accession Countries
Hubert Gabrisch
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 12,
2006
Abstract
The paper analyses vertical intra-industry trade between EU and Accession countries, and concentrates on two country-specific determinants: Differences in personal income distribution and in technology. Both determinants have a strong link to national policies and to cross-border investment flows. In contrast to most other studies, income distribution is not seen as time-invariant variable, but as changing over time. What is new is also that differences in technology are tested in comparison with cost advantages from capital/labour ratios. The study applies panel estimation techniques with GLS. Results show country-pair fixed effects to be of high relevance for explaining vertical intraindustry trade. In addition, bilateral differences in personal income distribution and their changes are positive related to vertical intra-industry trade in this special regional integration framework; hence, distributional effects of policies matter. Also, technology differences turn out to be positively correlated with vertical intra-industry trade. However, the cost variable (here: relative GDP per capita) shows no clear picture, particularly not in combination with the technology variable.
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Can Export Activities of Firms Contribute to the Catching-Up Process of Transitional Economies?
Brigitte Loose, Udo Ludwig
Can the transitional and development economies ever catch up? The Materials from The International Scientific Conference Cracow,
2006
Abstract
In contrast to the majority of the former centrally planned economies, the East German economy has suffered from enormous losses in the transformation process. In the study the question is analyzed whether exports can contribute to the catching-up process in transitional economies. Here it must be explained why the firms emerging out of the privatization process in economies in transition are successful if the export sector consists of small and medium sized enterprises. That is the case with East German manufacturing industry. The study is based on individual company data from the surveys of the East Germany's and North Rhine Westphalia's manufacturing industry between 1995 and 2001 stemming from official statistics.
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Buchbesprechung - Werner Meske (Hrsg.), From System Trans-formation to European Integration. Science and Technology in Central and Eastern Europe at the Beginnung of the 21st Century. Lit Verlag: Münster 2004
Jutta Günther
Science and Public Policy, Vol. 32, Nr. 4,
2005
Abstract
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Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer in Transition Countries: Theory - Method of Research - Empirical Evidence
Johannes Stephan
Studies in Economic Transition. Series edited by J. Hölscher and H. Tomann,
2005
Abstract
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The unemployment-growth relationship in transition countries
Hubert Gabrisch, Herbert Buscher
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 5,
2005
Abstract
Does the disappointingly high unemployment in Central and East European countries reflect non-completed adjustment to institutional shocks from transition to a market economy, or is it the result of high labour market rigidities, or rather a syndrome of too weak aggregate demand and output? In the case of transitional causes, unemployment is expected to decline over time. Otherwise, it would pose a challenge to the European Union, particular in case of accession countries, for it jeopardizes the ambitious integration plans of, and may trigger excessive migration to the Union. In order to find out which hypothesis holds 15 years after transition has started, we analyze the unemploymentgrowth dynamics in the eight new member countries from Central-Eastern Europe. The study is based on country and panel regressions with instrument variables (TSLS). The results suggest to declare the transition of labour markets as completed; unemployment responds to output and not to a changing institutional environment for job creation. The regression coefficients report a high trend rate of productivity and a high unemployment intensity of output growth since 1998. The conclusion is that labour market rigidities do not to play an important role in explaining high unemployment rates. Rather, GDP growth is dominated by productivity progress, while the employment relevant component of aggregate demand is too low to reduce substantially the high level of unemployment.
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