The German Model in the 1990s: Problems and prospects

Abstract
The ‘German model’ came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, representing an attractive national model of adjustment to world economic conditions. At the heart of this German model of industrial adjustment lay the upgrading of a broad range of industrial sectors to focus on higher-quality, specialised goods targeted towards premium domestic and world markets. This introductory paper sets the scene by asking how well this model has fared in the 1990s, particularly in the face of Japanese competition.