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on Human Capital and Human Resource Management |
| By: | Simeonova-Ganeva, Ralitsa |
| Abstract: | Is it true that communist countries had well-developed human capital, or is it just a myth? What were human capital stocks at the beginning of transition to market economy? What happened to human capital formation during the transition? We attempt to answer these questions using evidence from Bulgaria. This is also a story about how a communist government had coped with labour market problems in a small closed economy. Unfortunately, during communism, there had been quite insufficient public information on human capital. Therefore, in the first place, we collect, synthesize and analyze all available information from official statistical publications as well as internal reference books and administrative documents, which used to be classified during communism, and at present are available at the Central State Archives. Next, we construct human capital indicators based on educational data for the communist period and track the dynamics in human capital formation for both communism and transition. Finally, we identify key policy and political measures which have affected human capital formation. Main findings show that communism started with extremely underdeveloped human resources. During the entire period the government had tried to provide favorable conditions for human capital formation. Communist policy measures gave significant results in the 60s, but had been ineffective in sustaining better education in the long run. As a result, the start of transition was characterized by poor levels of human capital due to an educational crisis in the last decade of communism (then, about 60% of the population in Bulgaria was with primary or lower-level of education). We assume that lack of economic incentives at individual level had determined weak pursuit of better education. |
| Keywords: | human capital; communism; transition; human capital formation; determinants of human capital; labour market policies in communism |
| JEL: | I2 E24 O15 P2 J48 J24 N34 J0 |
| Date: | 2005–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:34231&r=hrm |
| By: | Nakabayashi, Masaki |
| Abstract: | The impact of schooling, an observable signal, on wages decreases as the employers “publicly” learn about the workers’ ability from their experience. This symmetric employer learning hypothesis is empirically questioned by, first, the asymmetry in learning of the current and the potential employers, and second, the complementarity between schooling and work experience that could enshroud learning effect. A microanalysis of the Japanese steel industry shows that, (1) experience before entering into long-term employment is complementary to schooling, and (2) the employer learning effect dominates the complementarity effect after entering into long-term employment; the internal labor market facilitates the employer learning. |
| Keywords: | employer learning, schooling and wages, internal labor market effect |
| JEL: | N35 J31 J24 |
| Date: | 2011–04–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:30749&r=hrm |
| By: | Uwe Jirjahn; Vanessa Lange |
| Abstract: | Using unique survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, this study examines the influence of reciprocal inclinations on workers¿ sorting into codetermined firms. Employees with strong negative reciprocal inclinations are more likely to work in firms with a works council while employees with strong positive reciprocal inclinations are less likely to work in such firms. We argue that these findings conform to hypotheses derived from the experimental literature. Moreover, the results show striking gender differences in the relationship between reciprocity and taste for representation. These differences can be partially explained by gender-specific differences in the average degree of labor force attachment. |
| Keywords: | Works council, negative reciprocity, positive reciprocity, sorting, gender |
| JEL: | J52 J53 M50 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp402&r=hrm |
| By: | Robinson, Joshua J |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the causal pathway by which poor fetal health translates into reducing educational attainment and earnings as an adult. Using insights from the medical literature, I decompose low birth weight infants into two distinct subtypes: a symmetric type, which is characterized by cognitive deficits, and an asymmetric type, which exhibits little to no cognitive problems. Using data from a longitudinal survey of newborns, I establish three results: First, there is empirical evidence of brain sparing in the asymmetric subtype, but not in the symmetric subtype. Second, despite differences in cognitive impairment, both subtypes exhibit similar impairment to physical health. And finally, there is evidence that the causes and timing of onset during pregnancy are different for asymmetric and symmetric growth restriction. The results indicate that differentiating between these subtypes may offer new opportunities to identify the underlying casual relationships between health and human capital development, as well as uncovering the "black box" mechanism behind the fetal origins hypothesis. These results also have broad implications for the timing of policy interventions aimed at pregnant women. |
| Keywords: | Health; Fetal Growth Restriction; Human Capital; Education |
| JEL: | I0 I12 I18 J24 I10 |
| Date: | 2011–10–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:34175&r=hrm |
| By: | Paige Ouimet; Rebecca Zarutskie |
| Abstract: | We present evidence that young employees are an important ingredient in the creation and growth of firms. Our results suggest that young employees possess attributes or skills, such as willingness to take risk or innovativeness, which make them relatively more valuable in young, high growth, firms. Young firms disproportionately hire young employees, controlling for firm size, industry, geography and time. Young employees in young firms command higher wages than young employees in older firms and earn wages that are relatively more equal to older employees within the same firm. Moreover, young employees disproportionately join young firms that subsequently exhibit higher growth and raise venture capital financing. Finally, we show that an increase in the regional supply of young workers increases the rate of new firm creation. Our results are relevant for investors and executives in young, high growth, firms, as well as policymakers interested in fostering entrepreneurship. |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cen:wpaper:11-31&r=hrm |
| By: | Eric A. Hanushek; Ludger Woessmann; Lei Zhang |
| Abstract: | Policy debates about the balance of vocational and general education programs focus on the school-to-work transition. But with rapid technological change, gains in youth employment from vocational education may be offset by less adaptability and thus diminished employment later in life. To test our main hypothesis that any relative labor-market advantage of vocational education decreases with age, we employ a difference-in-differences approach that compares employment rates across different ages for people with general and vocational education. Using micro data for 18 countries from the International Adult Literacy Survey, we find strong support for the existence of such a trade-off, which is most pronounced in countries emphasizing apprenticeship programs. Results are robust to accounting for ability patterns and to propensity-score matching. |
| JEL: | I20 J24 J31 J64 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17504&r=hrm |