The German system of codetermination contributes to the entrenchment of labor. We show in a two-period model of project choice that entrenched labor leads to underinvestment and overstaffing. We provide empirical evidence that German firms subject to codetermination with equal representation of...

National corporate-governance traditions are distinctive, deeply rooted, and difficult to change. Recent research points to a country's legal traditions and its stage of economic development as important determinants of corporate-governance institutions. Common-law countries tend to provide more...

Equity financing of the entrepreneurial firm has achieved a rapid increase over the past decade. Venture capital funds, which finance privately held start-ups, raised a record $92.3 billion in 2000. This is a 30-fold increase relative to 1990. At Nasdaq, initial public offerings raised an...

This article describes the most important corporate governance practices in contemporary Germany. These practices include a prominent role for universal banks, other large financial and non-financial firms, and employees through a system known as codetermination. While some similarities exist,...