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Severance Payments and Firm-Specific Human Capital

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Abstract

An increase in legally binding severance payments creates both an incentive and a disincentive for workers to invest in firmspecific human capital. Which effect prevails on balance depends on the productivity of the worker’s human capital investment. For strong positive reactions, increases in severance payments can even be mutually beneficial for workers and firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Rühmann & Jens Südekum, 2001. "Severance Payments and Firm-Specific Human Capital," Departmental Discussion Papers 111, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:got:vwldps:111
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    Cited by:

    1. Yannick Gabuthy & Eve-Angéline Lambert & Lionel Thomas, 2013. "Severance Payment: Incentive or Lethargy Effect?," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 60(1), pages 43-55, February.
    2. repec:got:cegedp:18 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Christian Grund, 2006. "Severance payments for dismissed employees in Germany," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 49-71, July.
    4. Salvatore Barbaro & Jens Südekum, 2004. "Reforming a complicated income tax system: The political economics perspective," Departmental Discussion Papers 120, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    5. Ying L. Compton & Angela K. Gore & Susan L. Kulp, 2017. "Compensation design and political risk: the case of city managers," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 109-140, March.
    6. Petra Enß & Robert Schwager, 2006. "Kommunaler Finanzausgleich und Gewerbesteuerhebesätze in Niedersachsen," Departmental Discussion Papers 127, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    7. Salvatore Barbaro, 2002. "The Distributional Impact of Subsidies to Higher Education - Empirical Evidence from Germany," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 59(4), pages 458-478, December.
    8. Eguchi, Kyota, 2014. "Employment protection and incentives: Severance pay vs. procedural inconvenience," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 272-290.
    9. Corinna Ahlfeld, 2009. "The scapegoat of heterogeneity - How fragmentation influences political decisionmaking," Departmental Discussion Papers 143, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    10. Andrea Ricci & Robert Waldmann, 2015. "Firm financed training and pareto improving firing taxes," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 32(2), pages 201-220, August.
    11. Bruno Deffains & Yannick Gabuthy & Eve-Angéline Lambert, 2007. "Labor Conflicts and Inefficiency of Relationship-Specific Investments: What is the Judge's Role?," Working Papers of BETA 2007-04, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    12. Andrea Ricci & Robert Waldmann, 2011. "Job security and training: the case of Pareto improving firing taxes," Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica 91/2011, Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia.
    13. Deffains, Bruno & Gabuthy, Yannick & Lambert, Eve-Angéline, 2010. "Labour disputes, investment decisions and the judiciary," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 424-433, April.
    14. Michèle Belot & Jan Boone & Jan Van Ours, 2007. "Welfare‐Improving Employment Protection," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 74(295), pages 381-396, August.
    15. Sascha Wolff, 2006. "Migration und ihre Determinanten im ost-westdeutschen Kontext nach der Wiedervereinigung: Ein Literaturüberblick," Departmental Discussion Papers 130, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    16. Renate Ohr, 2009. "European Monetary Union at Ten: Had the German Maastricht Critics Been Wrong?," Departmental Discussion Papers 141, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    17. Salvatore Barbaro, 2003. "The Combined Effect of Taxation and Subsidization on Human Capital Investment," Departmental Discussion Papers 116, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    18. Thies Büttner & Robert Schwager, 2003. "Regionale Verteilungseffekte der Hochschulfinanzierung und ihre Konsequenzen," Departmental Discussion Papers 119, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    19. Rühmann, Peter, 2003. "Der deutsche Arbeitsmarkt: Fehlentwicklungen, Ursachen und Reformansätze," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 18, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Severance Payments; Employment Protection; Human Capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J - Labor and Demographic Economics
    • J - Labor and Demographic Economics

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