The Survival of Apprenticeship Training: A British, American, Australian Comparison

This paper examines the development of apprenticeship training in three English-speaking countries where apprenticeship has fared very differently. It declined at an early date in the USA in most sectors of the economy; it survived intact in Britain well into the post-Second World War period; and it has survived relatively strongly in Australia up to the present day. The reasons for decline and survival are examined and an explanation is proferred in terms of the interaction between the institutional supports and the ability and need felt by employers to sustain the system.     

Recent Developments in the German Apprenticeship System

After passing through a period of relative crisis in the first half of the 1980s, by the end of the decade the 'dual system' appeared once again capable of providing Germany with the highly skilled work force it needed to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. This paper reviews the changing nature of apprenticeships and apprentices that has taken place over the last decade and the responses of government, the training authorities and employers to the sharp decline in the number of young people entering the labour market in recent years. Particular attention is given to the process of reforming and updating training regulations — a major concern of the parties involved in training over the last two decades. Finally, the paper suggests that unification of the two Germanies makes the future of the youth labour market and the labour market for skilled workers very unclear.     

Innovation and the Survival of New Firms in the UK

This paper analyzes the survival over the subsequent 5-year period of the complete cohort of nearly 162,000 limited companies that incorporated in Britain in 2001. The paper focuses on the relationship between innovation and survival at the firm-level. The data available allow us to look at the intellectual property (IP) activity of all British firms, including that of the cohort of new firms in 2001. The results indicate that IP activity, measured as patenting and trade-marking, is associated with a considerably lower probability of exit. We also find substantial differences in survival probabilities across sectors. In some sectors patenting is associated with a lower probability of exit; however, trade-marking is associated with lower probability in almost all sectors.     

Apprenticeship Training and Day Release in UK Engineering: Some Cross-sectional Evidence

Cross-sectional evidence is presented on the determinants of the number of apprentices and employees on day release in a sample of UK engineering firms. Firm size, unionization, skill levels and turnover appear crucial for both measures of training.     

The Evolution of Industrial Relations in UK Nationalized Industries

This paper explores the development of industrial relations in the UK nationalized industries by examining strategy, structure and industrial relations decisions, and the political influences upon them. It is suggested that the distinctive features of nationalized industry industrial relations lies not so much in particular institutions as in the specific effects of business strategy and organization structure, along with the extent to which political factors influenced industrial relations directly. Three phases of industrial relations development are identified according to the extent and objectives of governmental involvement in the formulation of business strategies, structures and labour relations: the 1950s, the 1960s and 1970s, and the period beginning in 1979.     

英国建筑安全管理实践之研究与借鉴

建筑业由于其特殊性质,在世界各国都是高危行业之一。当今我国建筑业的安全形势仍然十分严峻,因此发展我国建筑安全管理具有很大的实际意义。安全管理在本质上都有其相似性,借鉴和学习发达国家的经验和成功做法是提高我国建筑业安全管理水平的有效途径。英国是世界上建筑安全状况最好的国家之一,本文在分析英国建筑安全管理机构对建筑安全的管理以及行业协会对建筑安全管理作用的基础上,借鉴其安全管理机构及行业协会在建筑安全管理方面的成功经验,探索适合我国国情的安全管理思路,并对我国建筑安全管理模式和发展提出了相应的建议。     

Erosion of the Ghent System and Union Membership Decline: Lessons from Finland

Union density declined in Finland by more than 10 percentage points in less than 10 years. This paper analyses the reasons behind the decline, using micro data from the 1990s. According to our results, the changes in the composition of the labour force and the changes in the labour market explain only about a quarter of this decline. The main reason for the decline appears to be the erosion of the Ghent system, due to the emergence of an independent unemployment insurance fund that provides unemployment insurance without requiring union membership. We also find that the decline in the union density can be attributed to the declining inclination of the cohorts born after the early 1960s to become union members.     

技术体制与本土高技术产业经济效率研究

高技术产业是国民经济发展的主要生力军,本文基于高技术产业行业数据,验证技术体制与本土高技术产业经济效率的关系。实证结果表明:技术机会(OPPO)、知识基础特性(PROP)、外部知识获取性(ACEE)的统计量分别是19.897、2.816、2.074,对应的显著性概率分别是0.000、0.009、0.047,说明技术机会OPPO、知识基础特性PROP、外部知识获取性ACEE通过了t检验,且技术体制3个变量与经济效率(EFFI)也存在显著的正相关;创新的独占性(APPR)与高技术产业经济效率(EFFI)也存在正相关,但这种相关不是显著的。根据实证研究结果提出了相应的建议。     

Youth Apprenticeship in a Laboratory of Democracy

Wisconsin became the only state to adopt the German apprenticeship system for a sustained period of 1911 to 1933. The actual implementation is compared across sectors to identify the institutional conditions of successful state policy. The generalization of apprenticeship in metalworking and construction highlights the importance of secondary associations between government and the market. The subsequent divergence of these sectors suggests that the reconstruction of regional labor market institutions must accompany contemporary policy developments.     

Youth Apprenticeship in Britain: Lessons for the United States

Britain's effort to introduce youth apprenticeships over the past decade offers important general lessons about the role of employers in school-to-work initiatives. In particular, the incentives facing employers work against efforts to provide skills training. Alternative arrangements for such programs are suggested that create incentives for employers to improve the skills of youth apprentices.     

对煤炭企业实行主辅分离过程中有关财务管理问题的探讨

随着煤炭企业全面走向市场和企业内部改革的不断深化 ,一些企业已不同程度地将后勤辅助单位从主业中分离出来 ,促其加强管理 ,逐步实现依靠自身求生存的目标。在主辅分离的过程中 ,为保全国有资产 ,财务管理工作应注意处理好以下几个方面的问题。一、分离后的后勤辅助单位的财务管理方式实行主辅分离的目的是为了培育后勤辅助单位自主生存、自我发展的能力 ,又由于其现阶段生存能力差 ,所以应实行内部模拟法人运行机制 ,各主办单位对后勤辅助单位应坚持自主经营 ,以收抵支 ,自负盈亏的原则。后勤辅助单位对内对外提供劳务和出售商品 ,均应按…     

Trade Union Growth and Decline in Asia

We examine trends in union density and union influence in several Asian countries. Though we find variation in union density, all countries experienced union decline in the 1990s. Asian countries also vary on our new union influence measure. We use a logics of action framework to examine the institutional context surrounding union growth, decline and influence in each country. Based on our examination of how these institutional contexts are changing, and what we know about the strategies of unions, we are not hopeful regarding the near term prospects for reversing union decline.     

2004年世界和中国石化工业综述

2004年,全球石油石化工业景气回升,产品需求快速上涨,跨国石油石化公司利润大幅度增加;乙烯产能继续小幅度增加,亚洲成为世界乙烯产能增长最多的地区;世界石化生产基地明显向中东地区偏移,东南亚地区的投资稳步推进;沙特基础工业公司(Sabic)有望成为世界石化巨头之一;并购活动扩展到更多的战略投资者、金融投资者和私有资本投资者,跨国石油公司趋向全球巨型并购。2004年,我国石化产品消费量持续稳步增长;主要石化产品产量和主要进口指标再次刷新记录;乙烯装置建设投资高涨,新增产能39万吨;国外石化产业加速向中国转移,民营企业快速发展,石化行业形成投资主体多元化格局;出口退税减免政策使出口依赖型企业景气受阻;生物质深加工己具备一定规模,也取得可喜的进展。在良好的内外部经济环境下,2005年,我国石化行业将持续快速发展,石化产品产量继续上升,产品进口增幅减缓,石化产品需求依旧强劲增长,石化行业增长速度估计略低于2004年。     

计量体系的建设与应用

计量体系包括标准的建设及以技术为手段的计量管理。标准是衡量质量高低的基本依据,各项标准的实施,又要以相应的计量检测和科学的计量管理为技术手段和管理基础。企业计量体系运行的成功与否,直接关系到产品质量结果的控制。经过陕西省质量技术监督初审和2次复查考核,2008年1月份,建标申请经考核合格后获得了授权,并于2月份,压力类强检仪表也获得了对内强检资质。长庆油田分公司第二采气厂计量体系的建设与运行步入正规化、运行基本实现了专业化。     

电建企业:加入WTO后的生存与发展

加入WTO是我国的战略选择,也是我国主动参与经济全球化必须要走的一步,同时标志着我们即将由“市场开放阶段”向“规则开放阶段”过渡。作为电建企业,在这个更为深刻的变革中如何发展,如何定位,笔者就此谈些看法：海尔集团CEO张瑞敏曾说过一句话,大意是要敢“与狼共舞”,就首先要把自己变成“狼”,如果把自己当成“羊”,最后肯定被狼吃掉。那么电建企业是羊还是狼？前几天,有机会与一位电建企业老总接触,谈到企业发展,在他的思维中,根本看不到一点狼的影子,连羊的影响都找不见,依然停留在计划经济“会哭的孩子有奶吃”的…     

Firm Survival in the Netherlands

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the dynamics of industrial organization differ in the Netherlands from what has emerged as a Stylized Fact in other countries. Because the Netherlands has pursued a unique set of institutions and policies comprising what has become known as the Polder Model, the factors leading to firm failure may systematically differ from those in other countries. We address this question using a longitudinal database from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) that identifies over two thousand firms in manufacturing and then tracks their performance over time.