Can the Plight of the European Banking Structural Reforms be a Blessing in Disguise?

in European Business Organization Law Review (in press)

One of the problems perceived to be at the heart of the global financial crisis was an amalgamation of various commercial and investment banking activities under one entity, as well as the ... [more ▼]

One of the problems perceived to be at the heart of the global financial crisis was an amalgamation of various commercial and investment banking activities under one entity, as well as the interconnectedness of the banking entities with other financial institutions, investment funds, and the shadow banking system. This paper focuses on various measures that aim to structurally separate the banking entities and their core functions from riskier financial activities such as (proprietary) trading or investments in alternative investment funds. Although banking structural reforms in the EU, UK, and the US have taken different forms, their common denominator is the separation of core banking functions from certain trading or securities market activities. Having reviewed the arguments for and against banking structural reforms and their varieties in major jurisdictions, including the EU, UK, US, France, and Germany, the paper argues that a more nuanced approach to introducing such measures at the EU level is warranted. Given the different market structures across the Atlantic and the lack of conclusive evidence on the beneficial impact of banking structural reforms, the paper concludes that the withdrawal of the banking structural reforms proposal by the European Commission has been a prudent move. It seems that in the absence of concrete evidence, experimenting with structural reforms at the Member-State level would be less costly and would provide for opportunities for learning from smaller mistakes that could pave the way for a more optimal approach to introducing banking structural reforms at the European level in the future. [less ▲]

Regional foreign banks and financial inclusion: Evidence from Africa

in Economic Modelling (in press)

Regional foreign banks expanded quickly over the past decade in developing and emerging countries and have a growing influence in banking systems. We question whether the development of African regional ... [more ▼]

Regional foreign banks expanded quickly over the past decade in developing and emerging countries and have a growing influence in banking systems. We question whether the development of African regional foreign banks, also called Pan-African banks, influences financial inclusion of firms and households. To this end, we combine the World Bank Global Findex database and the World Bank Enterprise Surveys with a hand-collected database on the presence of regional foreign banks. We find that Pan-African banks presence increases firms’ access to credit and limited evidence that they favor financial access of the middle class by restoring confidence in banks. We suggest that this impact is related to the adoption of an aggressive strategy aiming at gaining market shares rather than through the exploitation of informational and technological advantages. [less ▲]

The English and German versions of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale: Establishing measurement invariance across nationality and gender groups

in Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (in press)

Externalisation de la politique migratoire et identité de l'Union européenne

in Benlolo, Myriam (Ed.) L'Union européenne et les migrations (in press)

“That’s a value I would transmit in some way, but how concretely, I don’t know” – Intergenerational value transfer revisited in light of memory

in Wagoner, Brady; Bresco, I.; Zadeh, S. (Eds.) Memory in the Wild (in press)

Intergenerational value transmission occurs widely and to a large extent within the family as primary socialization agent. In families, children are confronted with specific practices, paradigms, rules ... [more ▼]

Intergenerational value transmission occurs widely and to a large extent within the family as primary socialization agent. In families, children are confronted with specific practices, paradigms, rules and routines which are part of their family culture (Albert & Barros Coimbra, 2017) and as such family is a mediator between societal/cultural and individual values. The ability to transmit values is essential for collective knowledge and memory, the continuity of value orientations being a main feature of intergenerational relations that enables members of different generations to communicate with each other (Barni, Rosnati, & Ranieri, 2013; Halbwachs, 1941/1992; Schönpflug, 2001). Intergenerational transmission of values becomes particularly complex in the context of migration or in times of rapid social change. On the one hand, family identity and traditions might provide a secure base in light of a changing context, and parents might find it important to transmit traditional values to the next generation in order to keep memories alive. At the same time, they might feel that their children should adapt to the changed cultural context, resulting in a (not always clear) dilemma about what they want for their children. How can migrant parents reconcile or move between the different collective frameworks of their culture of origin and the receiving culture (Middleton & Brown, 2005)? In the following, we will first give a brief overview over research in the area of intergenerational value transmission, and we will second illustrate and further inform our theoretical assumptions by identifying related themes and phenomena in our qualitative dyadic interviews. Then, we will delve into memory as a horizon that is emerging out of the analysis as a transversal theme. From this point of view, we continue the analysis and progressively integrate the notions pertaining to the role of memory in the intergenerational transmission of values. Aspects of cultural background are apparent in the excerpts that we will quote supporting the themes we will refer to. We will more explicitly return to this in our conclusions. [less ▲]

Measuring Anxiety in Older Adults: Development, Diagnostic Accuracy, and Preliminary Validation of a Short-Form of the German Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-G-SF)

in Journal of Personality Assessment (in press)

Anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among older adults, and are associ- ated with considerable distress, functional impairment, and burden. Also, there is growing need for brief ... [more ▼]

Anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among older adults, and are associ- ated with considerable distress, functional impairment, and burden. Also, there is growing need for brief instruments to measure anxiety symptoms in primary care and geriatric medical settings. Therefore, the current study focuses on the development and psychometric evaluation of a short- form of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-G), a well-established anxiety instrument for use with older adults. Study 1 draws on the original data from the GAS-G validation study (N1⁄4242) to develop the short-form (GAS-G-SF) and determines whether the results replicate with the short- form. Study 2 extends the validation of the GAS-G-SF to a clinical sample (N1⁄4156; 62 patients with heart disease, 94 patients with Parkinson’s disease). Overall, the GAS-G-SF showed promising psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency and validity. Also, the GAS-G-SF showed good discriminatory power based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in both stud- ies. These results support the utility of the GAS-G-SF as a brief assessment measure for anxiety. [less ▲]

Luxembourg: Grand-Duke Henri’s refusal, in 2008, to sign the bill legalizing euthanasia

in Hazell, Robert; Morris, Bob (Eds.) European Monarchies Compared (in press)

Do banks and microfinance institutions compete? Microevidence from Madagascar

in Economic Development and Cultural Change (in press)

This paper examines whether the loan strategy of a microfinance institution is shaped by the entry of a bank. Specifically, we investigate whether the distance between a borrower of a microfinance ... [more ▼]

This paper examines whether the loan strategy of a microfinance institution is shaped by the entry of a bank. Specifically, we investigate whether the distance between a borrower of a microfinance institution and the closest bank influences loan conditions provided by the microfinance institution. We use an original panel dataset of 32,374 loans granted to 14,834 borrowers provided by one of the largest microfinance institutions in Madagascar between 2008 and 2014. We find that the closer a bank is located to a given MFI borrower, the larger the loan obtained and the less collateral required. We also find that the effect is stronger for clients that could be more easily caught by banks (i.e., large firms and clients without a previous relationship with the MFI). [less ▲]

Book review: Bessey, Valérie et Werner Paravicini: Guerre des manifestes : Charles le Téméraire et ses ennemis (1465-1475)

in Hemecht: Zeitschrift für Luxemburger Geschichte (in press)

Borders and Migration

in Wassenberg, Birte; Reitel, Bernard; Thevenet, Anne (Eds.) et al Critical Dictionary on Cross-Border Cooperation in Europe (in press)