Eingestellte DIW Publikationen 3 / 1976, S. 162-173
Angela Scherzinger
When speaking of concentration, we must first of all make the distinction between two forms: One of these is the amalgamation into Combines, which has been promoted particularly in the years 1967-1971. The other is the fusion into VVB's (Associations of Nationally-Owned Enterprises), which in 1963 assumed the role of independent "economic leadership agencies" within their respective sectors and were accorded executive powers similar to those of corporate leaders over enterprises subordinate to them. Prior to then, their function had been a secondary administrative one. In addition to these two forms of concentration, there are a number of institutionalized enterprise connections for division-of-labor and cooperation purposes which produce concentration effects. Most important among these are Production Groups and Cooperative Associations, which constitute a centralization of selected functions (for instance research, production, and distribution). Product Groups have been promoted since 1963, Cooperative Associations increasingly since 1970, after the wave of frantic formation of Combines had passed and attention was again devoted to the concentration possibilities offered by cooperation.