• Despite the internationalization of financial markets the relations between banks andsmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are very different in France andGermany. In Germany the „Hausbank“ system with long-term relations betweenbanks and SMEs is dominant, whereas in France the relationship is characterized asone of „suppliers“ (fournisseur) of financial products. How are these differencesexplained?This empirical study examines first the contextual conditions: regulation, publicmeasures, and the structures of finance systems and firms. Next, and at the centreof this study, the paper analyses the organization and work structures and thepersonnel policies in the credit institutions in both countries.The organizational, labor and personnel structures contribute in many regards tothe reproduction of the „Hausbank“ respectively „fournisseur“ relationship. InGermany, the integration of micro-economic criteria in credit decisions implies alarger professional competence, internal career tracks assure more firm-levelpractical experience, and the longer tenure of the customer advisor allows for longerterm,personal consultancy...
  • [Sigrid Quack and Swen Hildebrandt]
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