Publications
IfM Bonn publishes its research findings primarily in its publication series: study results are published as "IfM-Materials" - or in condensed form as a "Denkpapier" (summary). Statistical analyses and results appear in the series "Daten und Fakten". Discussion and technical papers from all research areas are published as "Working Papers".
In addition, until 2012 selected articles were published in the series "Schriften zur Mittelstandsforschung" (Gabler Verlag). Under the "External Publications" tab, you find numerous essays by IfM researchers that have appeared in (peer-reviewed) specialist journals and external publication series.
584 Results
Schriften zur Mittelstandsforschung | 2009 Can potential start-ups close the so-called succession gap in company takeovers?
Small family-owned companies are affected more than average by closures due to a lack of (internal or external) successors. According to the recommendations of various authors, one way to counteract this is to increasingly attract people who are looking to start a new business (potential founders).
Schriften zur Mittelstandsforschung | 2009 Barriers to SME Access to Promotion of Foreign Trade and Investment - Some evidence from Germany
The aim of state foreign trade promotion is to reduce the size-related structural barriers to small and medium-sized enterprises in internationalizing their business activities. These include limited management capacities and limited organizational potential. These structural barriers mean that many SMEs find it difficult to establish their foreign business without neglecting their day-to-day business in their home market.
Schriften zur Mittelstandsforschung | 2009 Self-management as an instrument for the continuation of the company in insolvency proceedings
In 1999, the insolvency law was reformed with the aim of increasing the chances of insolvent companies to continue their operations. Reorganization options are on the one hand the own or external reorganization in the insolvency plan procedure and on the other hand the transferred reorganization in the regular procedure.
External publication | 2009 Demographic change and the sales-political adaptation measures of small and medium-sized enterprises
The ageing of the population in Germany will lead to a significant change in the sales markets in the near future. Since small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rarely practice strategic management systematically, it can be assumed that SMEs will be less active in adapting to future changes.
Working Papers | 2009 Good practice examples and documentation of the European Enterprise Award 2008/09
With the European Enterprise Award, the European Commission honors outstanding achievements of public institutions and public-private partnerships. In order to make the initiatives and practice models known nationally and internationally, the IfM Bonn, which supervised the competition as the national contact point, prepared a documentation of the 2008/09 competition round.
Working Papers | 2009 Foundations and liquidations in the 1st to 3rd quarter 2008 in Germany
Foundations, liquidations and insolvencies are important elements of economic dynamics. However, Germany lacks official statistics on start-ups and liquidations. Therefore the IfM Bonn regularly compiles its own statistics based on the business advertisement statistics of the Federal Statistical Office.
IfM-Materialien | 2009 BDI Panel for medium-sized businesses 2008
In the context of a long-term study on industrial SMEs in Germany, the IfM Bonn has been surveying a fixed group of industrial companies twice a year since 2005. In addition to an assessment of the current and future economic situation, the industrial companies are also asked to comment on topics relevant to daily politics and business management.
IfM-Materialien | 2008 The start-up behavior of older people: An empirical analysis with data from the IfM Bonn start-up panel
The population in Germany, as in almost all other industrial nations, will age considerably and shrink in numbers in the coming decades. This development, known as demographic change, will also have an impact on future business start-ups. This is because the age group of those over 45 years of age with a low foundation rate is constantly increasing, while at the same time the younger age groups with a high foundation rate are decreasing.
IfM-Materialien | 2008 Sales and personnel policies of medium-sized companies in the face of demographic change
The demographic development will lead to sustainable changes in the economy and society in the medium to long term. The aging and shrinking of the population in Germany will affect both the demand for goods and the availability and prices of production factors such as labor and capital.
IfM-Materialien | 2008 Succession outside the family - finding together the transferor and the transferee
According to estimates of the IfM Bonn, 71,000 family businesses per year are faced with the regulation of succession. Succession solutions outside the family have become increasingly important in recent years. However, the realization of a succession outside the family is much more difficult than the realization of an internal family solution - especially in the so-called matching phase.
IfM-Materialien | 2008 Cost measurement of the processes of public supply, service and construction contracts from the perspective of the economy and public clients
Each year, the more than 30,000 federal, state and local authorities that award contracts purchase goods and services for 300 billion euros, in some cases involving lengthy and complex award procedures.
Working Papers | 2008 Succession outside the family - information asymmetries in the succession process and how to overcome them
Finding a successor from outside the family or a company to be transferred is problematic. The IfM Bonn has theoretically dealt with these special problems in the negotiations between transferors and takeovers in a study. The focus was on the aspect of information asymmetry, which has been treated rather negatively in the literature on succession.
Working Papers | 2008 Foundations and liquidations in the 1st half of 2008 in Germany
Foundations, liquidations and insolvencies are important elements of economic dynamics. However, Germany lacks official statistics on start-ups and liquidations.
Working Papers | 2008 Employment contribution of the middle class 2007 in Germany
In September 2007, employment figures exceeded the 40 million mark for the first time since reunification.
Working Papers | 2008 Foundations and liquidations in the 1st quarter 2008 in Germany
Foundations, liquidations and insolvencies are important elements of economic dynamics. However, Germany lacks official statistics on start-ups and liquidations. Therefore, the IfM Bonn regularly compiles its own statistics based on the business advertisement statistics of the Federal Statistical Office.
Working Papers | 2008 Foundations and liquidations 2007 in Germany
Foundations, liquidations and insolvencies are important elements of economic dynamics. However, Germany lacks official statistics on start-ups and liquidations.
IfM-Materialien | 2008 Duration and costs of administrative foundation procedures in Germany
Based on the objectives of the European Council of March 2006 to accelerate and simplify the foundation procedures, the IfM Bonn has examined the duration and costs of the administrative foundation procedures in Germany according to uniform definitional and methodical guidelines of the European Commission.
Working Papers | 2008 Examination of the possibilities of using the business register for SME statistics
It is still not possible with the help of official statistics to determine the proportion of medium-sized companies and their economic importance. There are more SMEs than small and medium-sized enterprises, and not every SME is an SME.
IfM-Materialien | 2008 Start-ups out of unemployment - Evaluation of start-up and accompanying circles
In the past five years, the founding process has changed considerably compared to the previous long-term development.
Working Papers | 2008 Notes on the equity ratio in German medium-sized companies - a working paper
For many years, the discussion about the equity ratio of medium-sized companies has been ongoing in the Federal Republic of Germany. Already at the beginning of the 80's the end of the middle class and the business startup in Germany seemed to come for many skeptics with equity ratios of 20.9%.