Die Funktionalität von Arbeitszeugnis- und Referenzsystem im deutschsprachigen und angloamerikanischen Rechtsraum

From a law and economics perspective, the study compares and assesses the impact of legal frameworks on the functionality of employer references in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England and the USA. It is based on the hypothesis that lack of interest from and high transaction costs for the employers negatively affect the validity and informative value of such references. Comparative country reports give a comprehensive account of normative and practical aspects concerning the statutory framework, liability and the procedural practice in the respective jurisdictions. Building upon the comparative legal part and combining economic analysis of the law and behavioral economics, the thesis then investigates whether the respective legal framework offers adequate incentives to implement the initial legislative objectives in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and efficacy.
For this study, the author was awarded the 2016 Hugo Sinzheimer Award for outstanding dissertations.