Many researchers believe that the observed positive association between computer use and wages simply reflects unobserved heterogeneity: like pencils and other "white-collar" tools, computers are assigned to employees who possess productive attributes that would attract higher wages in any...

In this paper, we study the impact of the entry costs imposed by the German Limited Liability Company Law on firm entry. The law implies an expensive and complex incorporation process. As entrepreneurs choose between legal forms when entering the market, either a legal form with limited...

How does firm entry affect innovation incentives in incumbent firms? Micro data suggest that there is heterogeneity across industries. Specifically, incumbent productivity growth and patenting is positively correlated with lagged greenfield foreign firm entry in technologically advanced...

In diesem Beitrag untersuchen wir die Rolle von Genossenschaftsbanken, Kreditbanken und Sparkassen bei der Vergabe langfristiger Kredite an junge, kleine Unternehmen. Dies geschieht am Beispiel von Krediten aus öffentlichen Förderprogrammen, die in Deutschland einen substantiellen Anteil aller...

How does firm entry affect innovation incentives and productivity growth in incumbent firms? Micro-data suggests that there is heterogeneity across industries--incumbents in technologically advanced industries react positively to foreign firm entry, but not in laggard industries. To explain this...

Exploiting the unique economic situation after German unification, I investigate how exit decisions deviate between new firms in a transition and a comparatively stable market environment. Two competing exit mechanisms are considered: entrepreneurial self-selection via voluntary liquidation and...

Die Deutsche Ausgleichsbank (DtA) stellt mit den von ihr angebotenen Programmen zur Unterstützung und Finanzierung von Existenz- und Unternehmensgründungen mehr als 80 Prozent der in Deutschland in diesem Bereich vergebenen Mittel bereit. Der Erfolg dieser Programme wurde schon in einigen...

Loan financing, especially long term bank loan financing, is important for young or small firms in Germany. A large share of all small business lending in Germany originates in public financing programs and cooperative banks, (non-cooperative) private sector credit banks as well as savings banks...