For many observers the beginning of a dynamic economic and stock market upswing in the U.S. in the mid 1990s marked the start of a new era, the times of the new economy. This phenomenon has been under intense discussion ever since - both in the political arena as well as among scientists. Thereby the somewhat glamorous term new economy reflects the conviction held by its proponents that the use of new technologies will lead to a never ending acceleration of technological progress and economic welfare.The origins of this development date back a long time: More than 30 years ago, the starting point was the basic innovation "digitilization"". Production as well as application of information and communications technologies (ICT) are based on this principle. At the beginning of the seventies, the first microprocessor was produced. Some ten years later, the first personal computer was brought onto the market. The commercial use of the Internet has begun in the mid nineties. In view of the economic boom in the U.S. accompanying the introduction of the Internet, the question arises as to what extent the new economy actually has exerted lasting positive effects on productivity - not only in the United States, but also worldwide.Inspired by these developments, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology commissioned RWI, Essen, to study the driving forces of the new economy. In this report, the trends of the ICT sector and of the use of ICT products are analyzed with respect to the overall economic effects in Germany in comparison to the U.S. Further analyses were carried out regarding the intensity and effects of e-business. Finally, the influence of different methods of price measurement on productivity was analysed, since this is important for international comparisons of total factor productivity. The study culminates in a growth accounting calculation separating the contributions to economic growth by capital, labor, and technological progress.

This book includes the economic history of some of Western Europe with a focus on the United Kingdom, Germany and France from 1945 to a few years before original date of publishing in 1967.

IBSS is the essential tool for librarians, university departments, research institutions and any public or private institution whose work requires access to up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge of the social sciences.

More extensive regulations, new technologies, and new means of communication have significantly changed the financing landscape for startups and small to medium-sized companies (SMEs). This volume provides a contemporary research-based overview of the latest trends in entrepreneurial finance and outlines expected future developments. Starting with the status quo in market regulations and the financing structure of SMEs, it addresses a broad range of new financing alternatives for innovative startups (e.g. business angel financing, venture capital and corporate venture capital), as well as recent social phenomena (e.g. crowdfunding and initial coin offerings (ICOs)). Incorporating qualitative, quantitative and mixed analytical methods, the book contributes to a better understanding of the financing world by reflecting both the researcher’s and the practitioner’s perspective.

This book investigates both the causes and effects of transnational activities among immigrants in relation to their integration into the receiving society. It uses large scale, representative data about first and second generation immigrants in Germany. It develops a formal theoretical model, which explains both transnational involvement and paths of immigrant integration. Important questions are answered: What consequences does transnational involvement have on integration? Is transnational involvement a distinct form of integration? Is it an alternative to assimilation? Does it hinder or facilitate assimilation? Longitudinal analyses are presented which show that immigrant integration and transnational involvement do not necessarily oppose each other. The book shows that although low levels of integration may coincide with strong transnational ties, the relationship is not causal. This book shows how immigrant integration and transnational involvement are related to each other and how a joint examination of both processes may advance our understanding of the general dynamics of migration and integration.

IBSS is the essential tool for librarians, university departments, research institutions and any public or private institution whose work requires access to up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge of the social sciences.