Contributions in Merlin

This paper proposes a wavelet (spectral) approach to estimate the parameters of a linear regression model where the regressand and the regressors are persistent processes and contain a measurement error. We propose a wavelet filtering approach which does not require instruments and yields unbiased estimates for the intercept and the slope parameters. Our Monte Carlo results also show that the wavelet approach is particularly effective when measurement errors for the regressand and the regressor are serially correlated. With this paper, we hope to bring a fresh perspective and stimulate further theoretical research in this area.

When it comes to the role of theory in their research, empirical microeconomists are torn. On the one hand, we devote a large fraction of our graduate instruction to models of consumer behavior and firm decision making, and to the interactions that determine market equilibrium. On the other hand, it is not always obvious how these theories are relevant to empirical research. Outside the academy, policymakers and business leaders often demand "basic facts" and simplified policy guidance with little or no concern for theoretical nuances. How then do empirical economists negotiate between theory and "facts"? In this paper, we focus on the role of theory in the rapidly growing area of field experiments. We take an empirical approach and quantify the role of theoretical modeling in all published field experiments in five top economics journals from 1975 to 2010. We propose a new classification of experimental studies that captures the extent to which the experimental design and analysis is linked to economic theory. Specifically, we distinguish between four classes of studies: Descriptive studies that lack any explicit model; Single Model studies that test a single model-based hypothesis; Competing Models studies that test competing model-based hypotheses; and Parameter Estimation studies that estimate structural parameters in a completely specified model. Applying the same classification to laboratory experiments published over the same period we conclude that theory has played a more central role in the laboratory than in field experiments. Finally, we discuss in detail three sets of field experiments that illustrate both the potential promise and pitfalls of a tighter link between experimental design and theoretical underpinnings.

Die Alternative-Investment-Industrie, deren wichtigste Säule v.a. die Hedgefondsund Private-Equity-Branche bildet, erfährt eine nie zuvor erlebte Aufmerksamkeit in der deutschen Medienlandschaft - dabei werden die positiven Effekte von Hedgefonds und Private Equity zumeist nicht differenziert genug diskutiert: Sie tragen dazu bei, durch die Ausnutzung von Preisannomalien die Markteffizienz zu erhöhen. Hedgefonds- und Private Equity sollten daher eine wichtige Rolle im Anlageuniversum von Versicherungen, Pensionskassen u. a. institutionellen Investoren spielen. Sie sind der Schlüssel zu einem signifikanten Wachstum der Alternative-Investment-Industrie. Internationale Fachleute, hochrangige Vertreter aus Praxis und Wissenschaft führen in jeweils dezidierter Darstellung wesentlicher Einflussfaktoren das relevante Themenspektrum zu einem Gesamtbild der Alternativen Investments zusammen. Mit ihren Beiträgen zeichnen sie die jüngsten Entwick-lungen nach und zeigen Perspektiven der Marktentwicklung auf.

The implementation of lean production remains popular among industrial companies, and the requirement for individualised steps in its implementation is widely accepted; however, research has not yet considered the different process choices available to the companies. The conclusions drawn from the automotive industry’s mass production environment may be misleading, given the different conditions of many other industries. We therefore compare case data from a craft producer with the rich, case-study based literature of mass producer companies that highlight the transformation from mass to lean production. We derive a list of specific challenges a craft producer must approach using a different strategy than a mass producer. This study adds to the lean production theory by demonstrating how different manufacturing process choices influence the lean transformation process and its successful implementation. It provides specific propositions concerning the transformation to lean by considering the different processes of craft and mass production companies. Furthermore, the case study gives an in-depth understanding of the challenges a craft-oriented company faces when becoming lean.

This fifth edition of the seminar entitled "Mobile Systems V" discusses a number of selected topics in the area of mobile communication. The first talk "An Overview of Vehicular Wireless Networks" presents the state-of-the-art in vehicular networks and discusses a number of emerging research challenges in improving vehicular ad-hoc networks (e.g., with respect to an efficient routing). Talk two entitled "An Overview of LTE – Technology and Deployment" provides an introduction into fourth generation mobile networks on the specific example of LTE. This includes an outline of the technological basis as well as the current status of deployment. Talk three on "Mobile Web Standards" gives an overview of mobile web standards with respect to the underlying hardware situation. It complements this overview by a comparative analysis of the current situation observed on the Web. Talk four on "Mobile Virtualization" explains different application areas for mobile virtualization and discusses key important technical and economic assets as well as drawbacks. Talk five on "Mobile Healthcare" introduces mobile healthcare systems as an opportunity to optimize costs. The talk outlines current mobile healthcare systems and determines their economic potential. Finally, talk six on "Internet Penetration Studies – Methodology and Results for Mobile Internet" identifies typical indicators based on which diffusion of mobile and fixed Internet technology is quantified. By means of a detailed and embracing comparison of data collection methods an analysis on indicator data comparability is provided.

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