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Privatization, risk-taking, and the communist firm

Author

Listed:
  • Demougin, Dominique
  • Sinn, Hans-Werner

Abstract

This paper studies alternative methods of privatizing a formerly communist firm in the presence of imperfect risk markets. The methods include cash sales, a give-away scheme, and a participation contract where the government retains a sleeping fractional ownership in the firm. It is shown that, with competitive bidding, the participation contract dominates cash sales because it generates both more private restructuring investment and a higher expected present value of revenue for the government. Under weak conditions, the participation contract will induce more investment than the give-away scheme, and it may even share the cash sales’ virtue of incentive compatibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Demougin, Dominique & Sinn, Hans-Werner, 1994. "Privatization, risk-taking, and the communist firm," Munich Reprints in Economics 20039, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:lmu:muenar:20039
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    Cited by:

    1. Walsh, Patrick Paul & Whelan, Ciara, 2001. "Firm performance and the political economy of corporate governance: survey evidence for Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 85-112, June.
    2. Hans-Werner Sinn & Alfons J. Weichenrieder, 1997. "Foreign direct investment, political resentment and the privatization process in eastern Europe," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 12(24), pages 178-210.
    3. Bennett, John & Maw, James, 2003. "Privatization, partial state ownership, and competition," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 58-74, March.
    4. Mergele, Lukas & Hennicke, Moritz & Lubczyk, Moritz, 2025. "The big sell: Privatizing East Germany’s economy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    5. Bennett, John & Maw, James, 2000. "Privatisation and market structure in a transition economy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 357-382, September.
    6. Bodó, Péter, 1996. "Az ügynökprobléma néhány aspektusa az átmeneti gazdaságban [Some aspects of the agent problem in the transition economy]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(4), pages 342-349.
    7. Bennett, John & Estrin, Saul & Maw, James, 2007. "The choice of privatization method in a transition economy when insiders control a firm," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 806-819, September.
    8. Pennings, Enrico, 2008. "Privatization of real options," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 489-497, September.
    9. Maw, James, 2002. "Partial privatization in transition economies," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 271-282, September.
    10. Banerji, Sanjay & Errunza, Vihang R., 2005. "Privatization under incomplete information and bankruptcy risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 735-757, March.
    11. Chen, Chien-Hsun & Mai, Chao-Cheng & Liu, Yu-Lin & Mai, Shin-Ying, 2009. "Privatization and optimal share release in the Chinese banking industry," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1161-1171, November.
    12. Sinn, Hans-Werner, 1992. "Privatization in East Germany," Public Finance = Finances publiques, , vol. 47(Supplemen), pages 152-171.
    13. Mathias Dewatripont & Gérard Roland, 1996. "Transition as a process of large‐scale institutional change," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 4(1), pages 1-30, May.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions
    • P13 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Cooperative Enterprises

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