Petrik Runst

Masterful Meisters? Voluntary Certification and Quality in the German Crafts Sector

Abstract Voluntary certification systems potentially reduce search costs in markets with imperfect information. Service markets with many heterogeneous firms - such as the crafts market - are prone to information imperfections and can therefore potentially benefit from such informational mechanisms. We examine if the Meister qualification in the German crafts sector improves service quality as perceived by consumers. We find a significant and positive relationship between the Meister title and consumer ratings and conclude that the certificate is a credible sign of quality.

Does Immigration Affect Demand for Redistribution? – An Experimental Design

Abstract Does increasing immigration lower the electorate’s demand for welfare state benefits? Results from a novel experiment suggest that such a shift in demand is unlikely to occur in the overall population. However, high income individuals lower their demand for redistribution when primed with information on immigration as they pay a large share of overall taxes. Taste effects, where voters do not desire transfer payments to ethnically different groups, seem to play a minor role. Low education individuals, on the other hand, demand more redistribution when primed. Immigration and demand for welfare are not correlated on average. However, if political systems are more responsive to highly educated voters, increased levels of immigration may lead to less redistribution.

Energy Efficiency Consultants as Change Agents? Examining the Reasons for EECs’ Limited Success

Residential energy consumption has been increasingly singled out by public policies as a key area for potential emission reduction. The public implementation of energy efficiency consultants (EECs) as change agents aims at the diffusion of innovation in residential building efficiency and overcoming information asymmetries in the construction sector. However, the success of these measures has been described as low. We conducted a case study involving 17 in-depth expert interviews to examine the causes of this failure in the case of Germany. In Germany, EECs are organized in a certification scheme which is prerequisite to participate in the publicly funded subsidy system. This analysis has important implications for EECs in general and hence other European countries pursuing such policies. We show that information asymmetries (ex-ante/ex-post) in the ECC market lead to a low willingness to pay. Certification of EECs does not suffice to overcome information asymmetries. We also identify a mismatch between EECs and customer incentives. As top-down policies have failed to facilitate a viable EEC market, we recommend a greater role for private and private-public networks, the cutting of EEC subsidies and a closer alignment between climate policy goals and home owners’ economic efficiency considerations.

Explaining the Dynamics of Occupational Segregation by Gender: A Longitudinal Study of the German Vocational Training System of Skilled Crafts

Abstract This chapter examines the dynamics of occupational segregation by gender in the German vocational training system (VET) and explores the validity of two hypotheses regarding the causes of changes in the sex composition of occupations. According to the first, the ‘job growth hypothesis’, feminisation of occupations occurs when women increasingly enter growing employment sectors that are experiencing a shortage of (preferred) male candidates. According to the second, the ‘exit hypothesis’, the movement of men out of selected occupations is the main mechanism driving the changes. Using official data from enrolment into the VET of skilled crafts for the period of 1997–2013, we find a very high level of occupational segregation, a very modest trend toward desegregation and a substantial increase of female representation in a group of selected training occupations. Our analysis implies that the rising share of female apprentices within these fields cannot be explained by an increased entry of young women into growing employment sectors, but that it mainly results from a disproportionate reduction of male participation in select occupations.

Popular Attitudes Toward Markets & Institutional Reform in Transition Economies

Any set of formal institutions requires a legitimating and complementary cultural system. Re-examining existing data and studies indicates low levels of public support for a market economy in transition countries. In addition, support is lower in less successful transition economies, indicating that political preferences affect institutional change. It is shown that the currently available data leaves open questions about the structure and origins of these political attitudes. Three out of four hypotheses on the origin of this lacking support can be rejected after the data analysis. In addition, thirty-five in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals from east and west Germany. The results suggest a novel hypothesis for future research – risk preferences and social disruptions are the main cause for the dissatisfaction with the market economy.