Innovation and experts

An economic analysis on knowledge-intensive business services and energy efficiency consultants

by Daniel Feser
Cumulative thesis
Date of Examination:2016-02-25
Date of issue:2016-03-03
Advisor:Prof. Dr. Kilian Bizer
Referee:Prof. Dr. Kilian Bizer
Referee:Prof. Dr. Margarete Boos
Referee:Prof. Dr. Markus Spiwoks
Persistent Address: http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-5547

 

 

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Abstract

English

Experts have been discussed in the literature concerning the role of transferring knowledge to client firms and private customers. Nevertheless, only limited evidence has been presented concerning the clients’ internal perspective in particular on the degree of information. Seven papers are presented in the thesis using explorative qualitative and mixed methodological approaches. The first two chapters deal with the impact of knowledge-intensive business services on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The first paper characterizes information asymmetries as driver of demand by SMEs. The second paper discusses the role of informal networks distributing negative news in peripheral regions. Additionally, the last five chapters discuss the role of energy efficiency consultants (EECs) in the housing sector emphasizing on the consultants’ role to improve homeowners’ decision to conduct energetic retrofit. The third paper shows that publicly promoted EECs constitute additional information asymmetries for homeowners. The fourth paper discusses the role of information asymmetries for spillover in the EEC sector. Additionally, the fifth paper contributes to the effect of heterogeneity in the EEC sector. The sixth paper analyzes EECs’ impact on diffusion in the housing sector. The thesis concludes with an applied economic policy paper describing the role of EECs in the German institutional setting.
Keywords: innovation; experts; credence goods; thermal retrofit; networks; small and medium-sized companies
 
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