The determinants of opting for the German group taxation regime with regard to taxes on corporate profits

Forming a tax group for corporate and trade tax purposes in Germany has its advantages in terms of tax savings for the companies concerned. Depending on the profit situation, for certain companies these benefits were extended by the 2001 German corporate tax reform. However, setting up a tax group in Germany is also accompanied by certain disadvantages for the consolidated companies, resulting especially from the assumption of increased liability for subsidiaries’ losses. The objective of this study is to investigate the factors determining the decision in favour of, or against, the formation of a tax group. A natural experiment arising from the 2001 German corporate tax reform allowed us to determine to what extent companies exploited the increased potential benefits of a tax group post reform. We test this finding employing firm-level data from the database AMADEUS. Our results show that the number of tax groups increased significantly with the introduction of the exemption method as from 01.01.2001. This result is especially apparent amongst companies benefiting from a tax group only post reform. Yet eligible companies which would have obtained tax benefits by entering into a tax group did not always choose this option. This applies in particular to parent companies with subsidiaries that are not wholly owned, and to small subsidiaries.     

Valuation effects of corporate strategic transactions in the cleantech industry

This paper investigates capital market reactions to announcements of corporate strategic transactions in the clean technology, or cleantech, industry. Using the event study method in a multi-country setting, we exploit a dataset of 328 hand-collected announcements of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and asset disposals that took place between 2001 and 2011. We provide strong evidence of significant wealth gains from cleantech deals. On average, cleantech companies earn significantly higher abnormal returns than non-cleantech companies, confirming the beneficial idiosyncrasies of the cleantech industry. These high premia are likely driven by government interventions that are believed to be a necessary pre-condition for development of clean technology. Alternatively, the premia are commanded by the acquisition of cutting-edge environmental innovations and the positive credibility spillover inherent in cleantech deals.     

The major tasks of adolescence: Implications for transition planning with youths with cerebral palsy

Adolescents with cerebral palsy are presented with unique challenges as they make the transition to adulthood. There are a number of considerations that need to be addressed in a collaborative manner by rehabilitation professionals, educators, parents, and adolescents to facilitate the transition process. This article (a) explores the challenges that youths with cerebral palsy encounter as they attempt to accomplish the developmental tasks of adolescence and (b) discusses how those tasks can be integrated into transition planning. An overview of the medical aspects of cerebral palsy is also provided.     

Blurred lines: German freelance journalists with secondary employment in public relations

Nearly half of all German freelance journalists have a second job, mainly in public relations (PR). This work combination can be problematic, since journalists and PR practitioners have different responsibilities. Working as a journalist entails contributing to the public duties of journalism such as informing the public, offering multiple viewpoints, and representing societal interests; in contrast, PR practitioners must advocate solely in their clients’ interests. Conflicts can arise between these two roles if a freelance journalist is, for instance, required to critically investigate his or her PR client. However, there has been little research on freelance journalists with secondary work in PR. This study seeks to address this gap in research; therefore, we conducted a quantitative online survey among German “PR-journalists”. Our results show that nearly half of the participants take on secondary PR work for financial reasons; however, a similar number of journalists take on PR-work voluntarily, as they find the work interesting and enjoyable. Moreover, participants described their professional identity very similarly to that of German journalists in general. The PR-journalists surveyed were aware of the potential for conflicts of interest arising from their dual role. While such conflicts have been rarely encountered by those in the study sample, most participants assumed that other PR-journalists face such conflicts often, and expressed concern that these conflicts are not handled professionally.     

Creating safe spaces: designing day shelters for people experiencing homelessness

Day shelter programs are an important resource for people experiencing homelessness, offering respite from inclement weather, social stigma, victimization, and access to essential services and resources. Creating functional day shelter spaces requires that staff, services, and facilities support the needs of this vulnerable and marginalized population. Little guidance, however, is available regarding the design of day shelter spaces that support service engagement and positive service outcomes. This systematic review was conducted to support the development of a new day shelter in Fort Worth, Texas, identifying and reviewing interdisciplinary resources relevant to the design of these facilities. Based on the review, a preliminary taxonomy emphasizing day shelter client safety, security, dignity and health and well-being is proposed. Additional discussion identifies practical considerations affecting the implementation of the taxonomy, design priorities, and how the taxonomy was applied to the design of the Fort Worth day shelter.     

T-CIA: investigating T cells in aging

Over the past few decades it has become clear that the immune system and especially T cells are instrumental in achieving a long and healthy life. The European Union (EU) previously supported several pan-European research projects coordinated from Tuebingen, Germany, aimed at providing a better understanding of immunosenescence. For 3 years, until the end of 2005, the EU is supporting a project called T cells in aging (T-CIA). The aim of T-CIA is to spy out and combine current efforts in immunology, molecular biology, and gerontology for a better understanding of why the elderly often have dysregulated immune responses and are more susceptible to infections and cancer.     

Interorganizational Power in a Canadian Community: a Replication

The Perrucci and Pilisuk community power study of a medium-sized midwestern U. S. city is replicated on a small Prairie Canadian resort town. The interorganizational basis for power, derived from overlapping executive memberships, is the perspective followed in both studies. Essentially the same results are found in both places. A well-defined elite structure exists capable of mobilizing interorganizational power resources.     

The Internet and Opinion Measurement: Surveying Marginalized Populations

Objective . Problems of self-selection, selection bias, and response rates have greatly limited the use and validity of on-line surveys. This study addresses those issues by examining population data for a group of Internet users who responded to a series of on-line surveys, enabling the calculation of both response rate and selection bias. Methodology . A series of surveys were posted on a gay/lesbian website. We compare demographic data collected from our study sample with national data on gays/lesbians. A logistic regression model was used to determine if differences existed between participants and nonparticipants. Results . The study sample of gays/lesbians comported well with the national sample. Demographic characteristics of those electing to participate in the surveys and nonparticipants are practically indistinguishable. The response rate to our on-line surveys was approximately 16.4 percent, similar to that in nontargeted mail surveys. Conclusions . The results indicate that, despite its limitations, the Internet can be a valuable medium in reaching populations difficult to identify using standard survey research techniques.