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on Human Capital and Human Resource Management |
| By: | Ferrante, Francesco; Sabatini, Fabio |
| Abstract: | There is wide consensus that entrepreneurial talent is the ability to discover and exploit market opportunities by taking the relevant risky decisions. Discovery and exploitation are separate but interlinked features of entrepreneurship requiring, in different proportions, the exploitation of innate and acquired skills. Institutions and technology, by determining the nature of the discovery and exploitation process and the need for such skills, play an essential role in shaping the nature of entrepreneurial talent and the specific role of education in entrepreneurial selection and performance. Empirical studies on entrepreneurship do not offer a neat picture of the actual contribution of education to entrepreneurial human capital or entrepreneurial talent. This unsatisfactory outcome is not surprising and is due to an inadequate assessment of the context-dependent factors shaping the latter. Building on these premises, the aim of our research work is to carry out a in depth analysis of the determinants of entrepreneurship in Italy, thus accounting for the role that variables like the educational qualification, the family background, and social capital play in determining the entrepreneurial selection. This paper attempts to constitute a first step for the improvement of our understanding by means of a preliminary, exploratory, analysis on the Italian data and a series of probit analyses aimed at identifying the main determinants founding the entrepreneurial choice. Rough data are taken from an original dataset built by the authors partly drawing on the Survey of Household Income and Wealth (SHIW) carried out by the Bank of Italy. The latter has been integrated with a wide variety of environmental variables drawn from different data sources describing the social and institutional context of the entrepreneurial activity. |
| Keywords: | Education; Work status; Employment; Self-employment; Entrepreneurship; Human capital; Social capital; Cognitive abilities |
| JEL: | I21 M13 J24 J23 I2 Z13 |
| Date: | 2007–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:2451&r=hrm |
| By: | Michael Burda; Daniel S. Hamermesh; Philippe Weil |
| Abstract: | Using time-diary data from 25 countries, we demonstrate that there is a negative relationship between real GDP per capita and the female-male difference in total work time per day -- the sum of work for pay and work at home. In rich northern countries on four continents, including the United States, there is no difference -- men and women do the same amount of total work. This latter fact has been presented before by several sociologists for a few rich countries; but our survey results show that labor economists, macroeconomists, the general public and sociologists are unaware of it and instead believe that women perform more total work. The facts do not arise from gender differences in the price of time (as measured by market wages), as women's total work is further below men's where their relative wages are lower. Additional tests using U.S. and German data show that they do not arise from differences in marital bargaining, as gender equality is not associated with marital status; nor do they stem from family norms, since most of the variance in the gender total work difference is due to within-couple differences. We offer a theory of social norms to explain the facts. The social-norm explanation is better able to account for within-education group and within-region gender differences in total work being smaller than inter-group differences. It is consistent with evidence using the World Values Surveys that female total work is relatively greater than men's where both men and women believe that scarce jobs should be offered to men first. |
| JEL: | D13 J16 J22 |
| Date: | 2007–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13000&r=hrm |
| By: | Mihhailova, Gerda |
| Abstract: | Purpose – Use of e-learning opens up a whole new range of business expansion and internationalization opportunities for many companies including higher education institutions. The paper seeks to explore the challenges a business college may encounter using e-learning as internationalization strategy. E-learning-related problems are analyzed from two main internal interest groups’ point of view – lecturers and students. The aim of the case study presented in the paper is to find out what are the major challenges from a student and academic personnel perspective using e-learning. This kind of analyses should be the first step introducing e-learning as a strategic tool for business expansion. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires, in-depth interviewing and semi-structured group interviews were used to find answers to the posed research questions. Research took place in two phases. In phase one, two types of questionnaires were distributed – Type A to lecturers (ten respondents) and Type B to students (115 respondents), Both types were constructed by the author. In phase two, two in-depth interviews and two semi-structured group interviews were conducted (ten students in one group of interview, eight lecturers in the second group of interview). Findings – The main problem areas for lecturers related to e-learning are: lack of time, lack of interest/motivation, lack of co-operation, compensation system does not take into account the specifics of e-learning and lecturers are concerned about the quality of teaching in a virtual environment. The most problematic of them appear to be lack of time and inappropriate compensation system. Students appear to have interest in e-courses, but the level of knowledge regarding specifics of web-based learning as well as about e-courses offered was unexpectedly low. This is an especially problematic case as open university students were the main target group for whom the e-courses were designed in the first place. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on one case study and thus the conclusions made may not exactly reflect the situation in all universities of Estonia. But due to the shared economic, cultural and historical background, at least to some extent the case study reflects the main problem areas of all Estonian universities using e-learning. Originality/value – The originality of the paper stems from an interdisciplinary approach to e-learning – use of e-learning as a tool for internationalization. The paper presents results of a case study research, conducted in an East-European business college and the results of the study are discussed in respect of historical, social and economic specifics of Estonia. |
| Keywords: | E-learning; Higher education; Students; Academic staff; Estonia |
| JEL: | M1 M10 M12 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:2578&r=hrm |
| By: | Arntz, Melanie |
| Abstract: | By examining the destination choice patterns of heterogenous labor, this paper tries to explain the skill composition of internal job matching flows in Germany. Estimates from a nested logit model of destination choice suggest that spatial job matching patterns by high-skilled individuals are mainly driven by interregional income differentials, while interregional job matches by less-skilled individuals are much more affected by regional differentials in job opportunities. Regional differentials in non-pecuniary assets slightly contribute to spatial sorting processes in Germany. Such differences in destination choices by skill level are partly modified by different spatial patterns of job-to-job matches and job matches after unemployment. Simulating job matching patterns in a scenario of economic convergence between eastern and western Germany demonstrates that wage convergence is the most effective means of attracting human capital to eastern Germany. |
| Keywords: | interregional job matches, destination choice, human capital |
| JEL: | C35 J61 R23 |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:5456&r=hrm |
| By: | Maik T. Schneider (Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich) |
| Abstract: | The usual models of endogenous growth treat knowledge codification as a byproduct of R&D and as costless. In contrast to this, one can observe great efforts of private firms for the purposeful codification of knowledge. We incorporate costly knowledge codification in an overlapping generations framework of endogenous growth and show that the steady-state growth rate of capital being higher than that of the knowledge stock is a sufficient condition for knowledge codification. With decreasing codification costs, every overlapping generations economy will be codifying in the long run if the rate at which the costs decline is higher than or equal to the steady-state growth rate of knowledge. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge, Human Capital, Knowledge Codification, Economic Growth |
| JEL: | O11 O30 O41 |
| Date: | 2007–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eth:wpswif:07-65&r=hrm |
| By: | Jonathan B. Berk; Richard Stanton; Josef Zechner |
| Abstract: | We derive a firm's optimal capital structure and managerial compensation contract when employees are averse to bearing their own human capital risk, while equity holders can diversify this risk away. In the presence of corporate taxes, our model delivers optimal debt levels consistent with those observed in practice. It also makes a number of predictions for the cross-sectional distribution of firm leverage. Consistent with existing empirical evidence, it implies persistent idiosyncratic differences in leverage across firms. An important new empirical prediction of the model is that, ceteris paribus, firms with more leverage should pay higher wages. |
| JEL: | G3 G32 G33 J24 J3 |
| Date: | 2007–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13014&r=hrm |
| By: | Anneli Kaasa |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates how different dimensions of social capital influence innovation output. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that for measuring social capital, instead of one overall index, six factors are constructed of 20 indicators using principal components analysis. Then, human capital and R&D are also included in the analysis as factors of innovation. Unlike many previous studies, this one uses the structural equation modelling approach instead of regression analysis in order to take into account the relationships between the factors of innovation. Regional-level data from Eurostat Regio and the European Social Survey are analysed. Compared to preceding studies, a larger number of observations is used. The findings provide strong support for the argument that social capital indeed influences innovative activity and furthermore, that different dimensions of social capital have dissimilar effects on innovation. |
| Keywords: | innovation, social capital, human capital, R&D |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mtk:febawb:51&r=hrm |
| By: | Lionel Artige; Rosella Nicolini |
| Abstract: | The present paper aims at analyzing the sources of labor productivity in Europe at regional level. We study the productivity performance in a sample of twenty European regions belonging to four countries (France, Germany, Italy and Spain). Exploiting the increasing availability of disaggregated data at regional level, we propose both a descriptive statistics and an econometric analysis of productivity sources since 1995. Our main finding is that the levels and sources of labor productivity are rather heterogeneous across the sample. This heterogeneity is found to be associated with disparities both across sectors and regions. |
| Keywords: | Labor productivity, productivity determinants, European regions. |
| JEL: | J24 O11 O18 O52 |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rpp:wpaper:0608&r=hrm |
| By: | Alexander Kemnitz (Institut für Volkswirtschaft und Statistik (IVS)) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates how the abolishment of a ban on tuition fees affects the quality of higher education with centralized and decentralized decision making. It is shown that tuition fees fully crowd public funds under centralization and quality of university education does not improve. However, with decentralized decisions total higher education spending increases in the tuition level. Therefore, decentralization can lead to a higher quality of university education than centralization although the opposite holds when funding is restricted to be public. |
| JEL: | H77 I22 D78 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mea:ivswpa:617&r=hrm |
| By: | Kenn Ariga (Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University); Giorgio Brunello (Department of Economics, University of Padova) |
| Abstract: | There is substantial cross - country variation in secondary school design, with some countries tracking students into different ability schools very early, and other countries with little or no tracking at all. Does tracking length affects school performance, as measured by standardized test scores? We use the international data from the International Adult Literacy Survey to estimate the relationship between the experienced tracking length and the performance in standardized cognitive test scores of young adults, aged between 16 and the mid - twenties. Our IV estimates suggest that the contribution of tracking to performance is positive and statistically significant: conditional on total years of schooling, one additional year spent in a track raises average performance by 3.3 to 3.4 percentage points, depending on the estimates. |
| Keywords: | tracking, secondary schools, efficiency |
| JEL: | I21 I28 |
| Date: | 2007–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kyo:wpaper:630&r=hrm |
| By: | Marcus Tamm |
| Abstract: | The German schooling system selects children into different secondary school tracks already at a very early stage in life. School track choice heavily influences choices and opportunities later in life. It has often been observed that secondary schooling achievements display a strong correlation with parental income.We use sibling fixed effects models and information on a natural experiment in order to analyze whether this correlation is due to a causal effect of income or due to unobservable factors that themselves might be correlated across generations. Our main findings suggest that income has no positive causal effect on school choice and that differences between high- and low-income households are driven by unobserved heterogeneity, e.g. differences in motivation. |
| Keywords: | Child poverty, educational attainment, secondary schools, sibling differences, natural experiment |
| JEL: | D31 I21 J13 |
| Date: | 2007–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rwi:dpaper:0055&r=hrm |
| By: | Kuan Xu; Zhengxi Lin (Department of Economics, Dalhousie University; Policy Research and Coordination, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada) |
| Keywords: | Training; Canada; adult; education |
| Date: | 2007–03–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dal:wparch:paperb1_7_ic_workingpaper&r=hrm |
| By: | Hujer, Reinhard; Thomsen, Stephan L.; Zeiss, Christopher |
| Abstract: | Short-term training measures are the most important intervention of German active labor market policy in terms of persons promoted. However, evidence on the impacts of programs is missing. This study analyzes the effects of these programs on the individual unemployment duration in West Germany. By applying a multivariate mixed proportional hazards model, we are able to consider information of the timing of treatment in the unemployment spell as well as observable and unobservable factors to control for selectivity. Moreover, we allow treatment effects to vary over time and take account of heterogeneity in the effects due to individual differences. |
| Keywords: | Training Measures, Active Labor Market Policy, West Germany, Multivariate Mixed Proportional Hazards, Time-Varying Treatment Effects |
| JEL: | C14 C41 I28 J24 J64 |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:5459&r=hrm |
| By: | Alexander Kemnitz (Institut für Volkswirtschaft und Statistik (IVS)) |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the impact of university finance reforms on teaching quality. It is shown that the graduate tax can achieve efficiency with tuition fees administered by the government, while student grants, pure and income contingent loans are bound to fail. All options are inefficient when universities have the autonomy to set tuition fees. Then, pure loans dominate the graduate tax and are more efficient than income contingent loans unless peer group effects are strong. However, properly chosen uniform administered fees create an even higher surplus. Moreover, pure loans may make the majority of students worse off than a central assignment system with very poor quality incentives. |
| JEL: | H52 I22 L13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mea:ivswpa:610&r=hrm |
| By: | Erich Neuwirth |
| Abstract: | As noted in the OECD's PISA 2000 Technical Report (OECD, 2002), the Austrian sample for the PISA 2000 assessment did not adequately cover students enrolled in combined school and work-based vocational programmes as required by the OECD's technical standards for PISA. The purpose of this working paper is to quantify the comparability problems resulting from the inadequate coverage of the PISA target population in the Austrian PISA 2000 assessment and to establish adjustments that could be used to correct for this and thus to allow reliable comparisons between the 2000 and 2003 data. Using the supplementary data for the number of students in the PISA strata provided by the Austrian Ministry Education, this report presents adjusted student weights for analysing the PISA 2000 Austrian data. |
| Date: | 2006–06–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:eduaab:5-en&r=hrm |