Business In Germany Research Articles

The Impact of Airbnb on Local Labour Markets in the Hotel Industry in Germany

Looking at “the sharing economy”, the paper tackles its impact on employment, in the context of traditional businesses being challenged by innovative business models. The focus is on the way Airbnb, a major sharing economy player in the tourism industry, affects local labour markets. I am looking at 20 German cities and check how the presence of Airbnb impacts the hotel industry workers. Researching the period 2010 - 2014 and knowing Airbnb started their business in Germany in 2012, I investigate whether there are changes in the number of employees in the two time periods for two groups of cities, one with high Airbnb penetration and one with lower Airbnb penetration. Then I look at changes in employment type and wage effects. The results show that both employment and employment type are stable, no significant changes occurring after 2012. A third hypothesis regards wages in the hotel industry. Using a difference in difference strategy, with Airbnb as treatment, I estimate a small negative effect on daily wages for cities in which Airbnb presence is higher and after 2012 – from 2% to 6% lower daily wages. The effect is slightly higher for small medium entities and for full-time workers.

Law - Made in Germany: Global Standort or Global Standard?

Earlier this year the Federal Ministry of Justice released the second edition of the brochure, Law - Made in Germany. For those readers who do not know the brochure, it is the product of an umbrella group of German professional organizations known as the Bundnis fur das deutsche Recht. A purpose of the Bundnis, as stated at its founding in 2008, and of the brochure, is to improve the position of German law in the ― competition of legal systems (internationalen Wettbewerb der Rechtsordnungen). Catalyst for founding of the Bundnis and for publication of Law - Made in Germany was the 2007 publication by The Law Society of England and Wales of the brochure England and Wales: The jurisdiction of choice — dispute resolution.The issue of the second edition of Law - Made in Germany is an appropriate moment to consider what improving the position of German law in international competition means. I see at least two different, but not mutually exclusive, goals. The one stems from the brochure’s origin as counterpoint to the English brochure: to encourage non-Germans to bring their commercial disputes to Germany to be decided (forum shopping) and, related to that goal, to locate their businesses in Germany (location decision). The other goal is to raise appreciation of German law abroad and thereby, perhaps, to encourage voluntary adoption, adaptation or approximation abroad of some of its elements (reception of law).

МАЛЫЙ БИЗНЕС В ГЕРМАНИИ: КАК ОРГАНИЗОВАТЬ УСПЕШНОЕ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЕ

МАЛЫЙ БИЗНЕС В ГЕРМАНИИ: КАК ОРГАНИЗОВАТЬ УСПЕШНОЕ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЕ

Tarifeinheit, Tarifpluralität und Spartengewerkschaften: Ein Plädoyer für gesetzgeberische Zurückhaltung

Abstract This paper critically discusses the reasoning and the consequences of a recent parliamentary bill which intends to restore the traditional principle of one collective bargaining agreement per business in Germany that has been overturned by the Federal Labour Court. It argues that the empirical evidence on the effects of allowing multiple bargaining agreements and of the recently emerged occupational unions on strikes, wages and transaction costs is weak and does not justify the encroachment on the freedom of association associated with this bill.

Gesetzliche Einhegung der Tarifpluralität? – Zur Debatte um eine staatlich verordnete Tarifeinheit

Abstract Claus Schnabel discusses the reasoning and the consequences of the recent parliamentary draft bill, which intends to restore the traditional principle of one collective bargaining agreement per business in Germany that has been overturned by the Federal Labour Court. The author argues that the empirical evidence on the effects of allowing multiple bargaining agreements and of the recently emerged occupational unions on strikes, wages and transaction costs is weak and does not justify the encroachment on the freedom of association associated with this bill. Ronald Bachmann and Christoph M. Schmidt argue that since 2010, when the Federal Labour Court eased restrictions on multi-unionism, hardly any signs of adverse effects of this court ruling can be observed. Furthermore, the draft bill would have strong negative consequences for small, mainly occupation-based, unions in Germany. Therefore, the bill does not seem to be a good instrument for regulating labour relations in Germany. Martin Henssler welcomes the plans of the German Government to clarify the legal questions arising from a collision of collective labour agreements caused by a revised jurisdiction. Companies need clear guidelines on how to handle the demands of several trade unions. Reciprocally, the trade unions, too, need legal security shown, for example, by the high compensation claims against the Air Traffic Controllers’ Union (GDF) jeopardizing its existence. The legislator should no longer allow the collective labour system in the field of essential services to suffer from a growing discontent of the affected citizens being the main sufferers from the strikes.

The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler BenUrwand. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2013.

The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler Ben Urwand. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2013.This book has aroused a huge controversy among academic scholars, some of whom arc demanding that Harvard University Press review its publication of the book. Much of the debate stems from academic claims that Urwand's book is deeply anti-Semitic in many of the assorted claims that the author, a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard University, presents throughout the book.The reader can decide whether or not The Collaboration warrants all this negative attention. It is a fascinating story and well-written, a book that one will find difficult to put down. The title of the book describes correctly what the author's thesis is: the between the Nazis and the Hollywood film community, especially the producers, over the making of films that would be acceptable to the Germans. The author does not say anything that most film scholars have not said (or known) before, namely the methods that Hollywood employed to keep the lucrative German film market open by the Nazis during the 1930s, after Hitler took power, through World War II. In order to continue doing business in Germany after Hitler's ascent to power, Hollywood studios agreed not to make films that attacked the Nazis or condemned Germany's persecution of Jews. Urwand reveals this bargain as a collaboration (Zusammenarbeit) that drew in a cast of characters ranging from notorious German political leaders such as Goebbels to Hollywood studio heads such as Louis B. Mayer and Jack Warner.Central to the story is Hitler himself, who was obsessed with movies (he saw one almost nightly) and who recognized the power of film to shape public opinion. The Prologue discusses the making of King Kong (1933) and its eventual reception in Germany where it became one of Hitler's favorite films. He was captivated by the story, discussed it often, and had it screened several times. Other chapters are just as illuminating, such as the first chapter (Hitler's Obsession with Film) which details how Hollywood desperately sought approval by the German film censors to show the antiwar film, All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), in Germany and to show it without censorship. The film's plot is not sympathetic to Germany's loss in World War I so understandably there was concern on the film's reception in that country. In December 1930, his Party rioted against the Berlin screening of All Quiet on the Western Front, which led to a chain of unfortunate events and decisions that lasted over a decade.Fearful of losing access to the German market, all of the Hollywood studios started making concessions to the German government, and, when Hitler came to power in January 1933, the studios, many of them headed by Jews, began dealing with his representatives directly (37). …

Data Protection in the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union: An Unequal Playing Field

With the negotiation of its Data Protection Regulation, the European Union seeks to reform an outdated set of laws that has failed to address the evolving data protection challenges inherent in new technologies such as social networks, e-commerce, cloud computing, and location-based services. This article addresses the forthcoming Data Protection Regulation as well as the current state of data protection law in the EU, with a particular focus on Germany. The first part of the article examines Germany's robust data protection framework and the EU's existing authority. The article then raises key issues related to data protection in Germany and the EU—namely, discrepancies in data protection standards and enforcement among EU Member States—as illustrated by recent, high profile cases involving household names like Facebook, Apple, Google, and Amazon. Through this analysis, the article attempts to explain how and why companies doing business in Germany, but established in other EU Member States, are subject to less stringent data protection standards than German companies. Lastly, the article synthesizes the issues in debate with regard to the draft Data Protection Regulation and offers perspectives on what the Regulation could and should mean for data protection in the EU.

Lobbying the ‘Energiewende’. Assessing the effectiveness of strategies to promote the renewable energy business in Germany

The article examines the influence of renewable energy companies on the decision-making process related to the German energy transition. It identifies clusters of different lobbying activities and styles through in depth interviews with 20 stakeholders from policy-making and business. The research used Repertory Grid Technique in combination with HOMALS multivariate analysis. Its main findings are: First, although the big four electric utilities operating on the German energy market still possess wide influence, companies of renewable energy have developed from a niche into important players of the energy regime. Second, lobbies by the renewable energy sector are mainly aimed at the legislative framework, particularly on the Renewable Energy Sources Act and the feed-in-system. Third, interviewees identified 36 different lobby activities; the most effective ones are: ‘Regular and personal maintenance of contact to politicians’, ‘Lobbying within an association’, ‘Knowledge development with correct information’ and ‘Top-down contacting of most powerful politicians’. Fourth, the statistical analysis reveals clear distinctions between companies with regards to their lobby strategies which are evaluated differently by stakeholders. Finally, the article concludes that companies have a strong influence on political-decision making and – together with governmental actors – form a ‘policy network’ that strongly shapes the German energy transition.

The collaboration: Hollywood's pact with Hitler

To continue doing business in Germany after Hitler's ascent to power, Hollywood studios agreed not to make films that attacked the Nazis or condemned Germany's persecution of Jews. Ben Urwand reveals this bargain for the first time--a collaboration (Zusammenarbeit) that drew in a cast of characters ranging from notorious German political leaders such as Goebbels to Hollywood icons such as Louis B. Mayer.At the center of Urwand's story is Hitler himself, who was obsessed with movies and recognized their power to shape public opinion. In December 1930, his Party rioted against the Berlin screening of All Quiet on the Western Front, which led to a chain of unfortunate events and decisions. Fearful of losing access to the German market, all of the Hollywood studios started making concessions to the German government, and when Hitler came to power in January 1933, the studios--many of which were headed by Jews--began dealing with his representatives directly.Urwand shows that the arrangement remained in place through the 1930s, as Hollywood studios met regularly with the German consul in Los Angeles and changed or canceled movies according to his wishes. Paramount and Fox invested profits made from the German market in German newsreels, while MGM financed the production of German armaments. Painstakingly marshaling previously unexamined archival evidence, The Collaboration raises the curtain on a hidden episode in Hollywood--and American--history.

Popular Music in Germany, 1900–1930: A Case of Americanisation? Uncovering a European Trajectory of Music Production into the Twentieth Century

This article discusses the thesis that popular music in early twentieth-century Germany was Americanised by shifting the focus from the meaning and reception of music to the way it was produced and disseminated by professionals, from music publishers and composers to bandleaders and critics. Firstly, it stresses a key difference in the way the music business was modernised on both sides of the Atlantic around 1900. While in the US the sheet-music trade became ‘Taylorised’, the music business in Germany, as elsewhere in Continental Europe, was transformed into a rights industry. Secondly, the paper highlights the prominence of Austrian music producers and their repertoire in Germany and suggests that, at least in a business sense, popular music in Germany was Austrianised rather than Americanised. Thirdly, it proposes that ‘Jazz’ after the First World War was hardly a straightforward import of American culture, but a site where incumbents and newcomers to the music profession struggled for position.

Emergence of Indian Multinationals in Germany: An Analysis of Critical Success Factors - Results of a TUHH Study

This report is a part of our study “The Emergence of Indian Multinationals: An Analysis of Critical Success Factors”. The study was conducted under the aegis of our “Research Project Global Innovation” at the Institute of Technology and Innovation Management at Hamburg University of Technology. The study is unique in the sense that it has collected information on the presence of nearly all Indian companies in Germany along with identifying and analyzing the critical success factors of Indian corporate investments in Germany. Furthermore this study also incorporates the gathering of the experiences and challenges of Indian companies in the Federal Republic of Germany. The present report is a preliminary draft of the survey results.The study shows that most Indian firms have performed well in Germany in general. The case studies involving financial benchmarking have shown that the right mix of strategic and operational strategies can be helpful in hedging the risks that an Indian firm might follow in Germany. This study provides unique insights into deriving a probable set of critical success factors which is quite unique in its nature. The study also shows the effects of the Global financial meltdown and the possible strategies that firms have taken up in order to sustain business in an uncertain environment.Nonetheless, firms have also faced challenges and are still facing it. The challenges seem to have grown beyond just the ‘cultural issues barrier’ and ‘foreign language’ and challenges such as ‘integration to corporate headquarters’ and ‘local adaption of products’ seems to have crept in. The study shows the requirement of a more effective human resource strategy for the local German market and for the same alliances with local universities and other organisations to lock in employee’s right from the university and undergraduate level must be undertaken.Since this study is based on a relatively small sample, the findings are of a tentative character. Nonetheless, there are strong reasons for the assumption which are in conformity with the existing expert opinions and available reports. These finding provide a useful base from the strategic to the operational level which encompasses the recommendations for the top and middle management for the right things to do at the right time in order to sustain their business in Germany.

Discontinued German life insurance portfolios: rules‐in‐use, interest rate risk, and Solvency II

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide an overview on potential impacts German primary life insurers are exposed to in relation to upcoming Solvency II regulation and potential strategic choices, especially in the light of halting low‐interest rates. Given a large degree of complexity, the paper aims at giving some guidance to decision makers considering a discontinuation of underwriting.Design/methodology/approachThe paper builds upon current observations made in the German primary life insurance industry, especially, recent strategic decisions of two market participants to discontinue their life insurance carriers. On the background of low‐interest rates but yet guaranteed interest participations and additional capital requirements arising from Solvency II, the paper illustrates the strategic options life insurers have in the German market, given the specific market environment.FindingsRegulatory capital requirements of Solvency II will sanction guarantee products in a way that for some insurers life products will become unattractive. As there is evidence in the market that some participants have started to consider the run‐off option for selected carriers, the paper finds that this option may represent an appropriate consequence not only for foreign insurers ceasing their business in Germany but also for domestic insurance groups. Given the specific rules‐in‐use in the German primary life insurance market, the paper discusses the controlled run‐off approach as a strategic option for selected life insurers, enabling a harvesting strategy through maximizing cash flows from existing liabilities while avoiding further investments.Originality/valueDiscussions in this paper help to bring into focus the strong challenges by both the upcoming regulatory Solvency II and current market conditions. The brief case study included in this paper may illustrate the implications as well as some crucial success factors of discontinued life business.

The within-distribution business cycle dynamics of German firms

In this article, we analyse stylized facts for Germany's business cycle at the firm level. Based on longitudinal firm-level data from the Bundesbank's balance sheet statistics covering, on average, 55 000 firms per year from 1971 to 1998, we estimate transition probabilities of a firm in a certain real sales growth regime switching to another regime in the next period, e.g. whether a firm that has witnessed a high growth rate is likely to stay in a regime of high growth or is bound to switch to a regime of low growth in the subsequent period. We find that these probabilities depend on the business cycle position.

Recent changes in flood preparedness of private households and businesses in Germany

Using the focusing event framework, a comprehensive analysis of private households’ and businesses’ preparedness was undertaken in the aftermath of the 2002 and 2006 flood events on the Elbe River in Germany. In August 2002, preparedness of households (n = 235) and businesses (n = 103) was low: 30% of the households and 54% of the businesses took no precautionary measures before the flood event. Many undertaken emergency measures were ineffective, since only 26% of all households knew how to react when the flood warning came, and only 9% of businesses had an emergency plan in place. Due to this extreme flood, double-loop learning occurred in many households and businesses, so that many did implement precautionary measures. The distribution of adopted precautionary measures for households fits well to Preisendorfer’s low-cost hypothesis, but does not apply for businesses. Only 10% of the households (n = 112), but still 29% of the businesses (n = 41) were unprepared before the flood in 2006. Significant improvement in flood preparedness activities is still necessary. Particularly for businesses, regulatory programs and programs encouraging proactive behaviour should be implemented. The focusing event framework proofed to be a useful tool for a differentiated analysis of the responses to and learning due to a disaster also in the commercial and private sector.

Modernizing the GmbH: Germany’s Move in Regulatory Competition

The ECJ’s Inspire Art decision has boosted the UK Ltd’s popularity as a vehicle to do business in Germany. In response a new bill entered into force in November 2008 inter alia reducing the financial and bureaucratic burdens for incorporating a limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung – GmbH) under German law.

Superior appoints sales manager in Germany

Superior has appointed Andre Schlimm to manage its growing business in Germany, and on the Continent.

(Re)discovering the Social Responsibility of Business in Germany

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a relatively recent addition to the agenda in Germany, although the country has a long history of companies practicing social responsibilities. The expectations of society had remained stable for many years, encapsulated in laws, societal norms, and industrial relations agreements. But the past decade has seen significant changes in Germany, challenging established ways of treating the role of business in society. This contribution reviews and illustrates the development of diverse forms of social responsibility in German corporations and analyzes how actors in business and society can build on traditional strengths to find new institutional arrangements for sharing tasks and responsibilities in the interests of achieving a better balance between societal, economic, and environmental needs.

The direct employment effects of new businesses in Germany revisited: an empirical investigation for 1976–2004

Based on an improved and extended database, the Establishment History Panel, we extend the analysis of Fritsch and Weyh [Small Business Economics 27(2), 245–260 (2006)] by investigating the development of employment in German start-up cohorts for the period 1976 to 2004. We confirm the typical pattern found in start-up cohorts: an initial increasing number of employees that is soon followed by a decreasing number. We also provide some of the first evidence for the “liability of aging” phenomena in Germany. Older firms face a relatively high risk of exit. We find that most entries with relatively large initial employment grow substantially in the first two decades. However, these businesses suffer from a considerable employment decline after 25 years.

From Implicit to Explicit Corporate Social Responsibility: Institutional Change as a Fight for Myths

ABSTRACTThe focus of this paper is institutional change and the changing role of business in Germany. Back in the 1980s, the German institutional framework was characterized by implicit mandatory and obligatory regulations that set a clear context for responsible corporate behavior. Today, this framework has eroded and given way to a situation in which corporations explicitly and voluntarily take responsibility for social issues. This shift from implicit to explicit corporate social responsibility is an indication of a major institutional change epitomized by the deconstruction of ‘old’ and the reconstruction of ‘new’ institutions. In the course of this change, corporations, state actors, and civil society organizations compete for their ideas and interests in what we call a fight for myths. The paper traces this fight for myths and the changing understanding of corporate responsibility in Germany.

Compliance, persistence and patient satisfaction in 150 mg once-monthly oral ibandronate treated patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis — A non-interventional study

P471 Compliance, persistence and patient satisfaction in 150 mg once-monthly oral ibandronate treated patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis — A non-interventional study H. Borst*, D. Felsenberg, J. Glaab, O. Bock Centre for Muscle and Bone Research, Charite – University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany Business Unit Metabolism, Roche Pharma AG, Grenzach-Wyhlen, Germany