START-BY-TRANSFER - ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMI CS AND STRUCTURAL CONSERVATISM OF WEST-GERMAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO THE FORMATION OF BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS IN SAXONY AND THURINGIA

In the political system of the GDR, business associations did not have the right to exist. However, in the course of the German unification process, they have been (re-)established in the new Lander. The genesi s of business associations in the former GDR has been essentially enco uraged by the business associations of the old Federal Republic of Ger many and these associations have, to a large extent, been formed and s upported by partnerships. The introduction of a system of representati on of business interests has been characterized by a competition of di fferent association models, especially on the regional level. The mode ls were transferred from West to East Germany. The trend towards the f ormation of business associations on the Lander level which had begun in the early seventies has continued unabated in the new Lander. The t ransformation of organizational structures of business associations ha s taken place essentially as a process of the simple adaptation of the West German system. The mere adaptation of these structures has not b een suitable to solve the problems of the East German economy. Not sur prisingly, articulation and representation of specific East German int erests in West German (peak-)associations have not been realized to an adequate extent. - On the contrary: So far the supply of associative services as a collective good in East Germany has been useful only for West German members and this amounts to the allocation of collective burdens to the majority of East German members. The no-voice-strategy has not proved to be a useful expedient for the realization of interes ts. If East German business interests are to have a chance of survival , overlapping associative memberships need to be established; finally, employers may even have to consider founding exclusively East German associations.