The Politics of Shutdown: Community,Property, Corporatism

I discuss the theoretical and empirical literature on the quantitative and qualitative employment impact of technological change. I also compare the relative explanatory power of competing economic theories, while detailing the macro, sectoral, and micro evidence on the issue with reference to advanced and developing economies. The main purpose of the paper is to offer a critical meta-analysis of both the theory and recent empirical achievements stemming from the relationship of technology and employment. More specifically, I draw some general conclusions about possible consequences of that relationship.     

面向就业的创业教育模式优化路径探析——基于高职院校创业教育的过程调研

依托高职院校创业教育实践过程开展研究,通过焦点组访谈和大样本调研并借助结构方程模型(Structural Equation Modeling,SEM),在创业教育的时间自主性、地点仿真性和学生对创业教育的就业价值认知及其参与创业教育意愿等方面建立多元回归模型,根据对创业教育过程数据的监测分析,为高职院校面向就业的创业教育模式调整实施提供依据。     

Employment Protection Versus Flexicurity: On Technology Adoption in Unionised Firms*

We analyse how different labour‐market institutions – employment protection versus ‘flexicurity’– affect technology adoption in unionised firms. We consider trade unions’ incentives to oppose or endorse labour‐saving technology and firms’ incentives to invest in such technology. Increased flexicurity – interpreted as less employment protection and a higher reservation wage for workers – unambiguously increases firms’ incentives for technology adoption. If unions have some direct influence on technology, a higher reservation wage also makes unions more willing to accept technological change. Less employment protection has the opposite effect, as this increases the downside (job losses) of labour‐saving technology.     

Human resource management and industrial relations in Italy

Evolution of industrial relations and human resource management in Italy in the last decade is analysed through qualitative case studies, quantitative surveys and a combination of qualitative/quantitative data originating from network researches.

In the 1980s, complementary industrial relations/human resource management in Italy were based on the trade-off between employment security, work flexibility and industrial adjustment. In the 1990s this complementarity is under pressure from a second restructuring process (and privatization) of Italian enterprises.

The last surveys underline that the basic features of industrial relations were not altered, but the data confirm the critical importance of the relationship between industrial relations and human resource management and also the fragility of this balance.     

A Comparison of Wage Determination in New South Wales and Queensland (Australian) Clubs

ABSTRACT

Australia's industrial relations framework has undergone substantial change since the 1990s. This has involved federal and state governments attempting to replace the centralised system, based on awards, to a decentralised system based on formalised enterprise and individual bargaining. The move to a decentralised system will supposedly, according to critics of the centralised system, provide significant improvements in flexibility, especially for the hospitality industry. This article examines the results from two studies of registered clubs, one undertakenin New South Wales (NSW)in 1996 and the other in Queensland in 2003, to examine the impact of regulatory changes on wage determination and associated variables in the sector. The findings indicate that despite the rhetoric of proponents of decentralisation, very few clubs have moved from the centralised system to the decentralised one. However, within the centralised system, clubs have undertaken a high level of informal bargaining, both in 1996 and 2003. Despite the level of informal bargaining club managers felt relatively restricted by awards and trade unions.     

试论服务战略的实施

服务战略的核心是把服务融入产品中 ,依靠各种服务和顾客关系的各种要素确立竞争优势。强调服务战略 ,并不是贬低技术质量战略、价格战略和形象战略的作用 ,而是把战略思考和管理决策的重心放在服务上。     

Conceptual and theoretical implications of tourism between partitioned states

Recent history regarding the partition or separation of single states is not new. The ramifications caused by these divisions are numerous. All too often, the problems associated with crossing the “new” border, visiting family and friends separated by the newly imposed border, or trying to establish or re‐establish business ties with past acquaintances are overlooked. Once a country is partitioned, there are several levels or stages which the newly partitioned states go through in a “maturing'’ process to build new identities and levels of trust. At the macro level, there are social, economic, and political differences which must be resolved before open dialogues can occur. Often, by allowing family members, in the two or more partitioned states, to visit each other, the governments begin a long process of reconciliation. The fact that travel and tourism is one of the fundamental aspects of this process is significant.     

New Neural Network Methods for Forecasting Regional Employment: an Analysis of German Labour Markets

Abstract

In this paper, a set of neural network (NN) models is developed to compute short-term forecasts of regional employment patterns in Germany. Neural networks are modern statistical tools based on learning algorithms that are able to process large amounts of data. Neural networks are enjoying increasing interest in several fields because of their effectiveness in handling complex data sets when the functional relationship between dependent and independent variables is not specified explicitly. The present paper compares two NN methodologies. First, it uses NNs to forecast regional employment in both the former West and East Germany. Each model implemented computes single estimates of employment growth rates for each German district, with a 2-year forecasting range. Next, additional forecasts are computed, by combining the NN methodology with shift-share analysis (SSA). Since SSA aims to identify variations observed among the labour districts, its results are used as further explanatory variables in the NN models. The data set used in our experiments consists of a panel of 439 German (NUTS 3) districts. Because of differences in the size and time horizons of the data, the forecasts for West and East Germany are computed separately. The out-of-sample forecasting ability of the models is evaluated by means of several appropriate statistical indicators.

RÉSUMÉ

Nouvelles Méthodes de Prévisions Fondées sur les Réseaux Neuronaux Appliquées l'Emploi Régional: Une Analyse des Marchés du travail dans l'Allemagne Réunifiée

Dans cet article, les auteurs ont développé une série de modèles utilisant les réseaux neuronaux (RN) pour calculer des prévisions à court terme des paramètres de l'emploi, par région allemande. Les RN sont des outils statistiques modernes fondés sur des algorithmes d'apprentissage, capables de traiter de grandes quantités de données. On s'intéresse de plus en plus aux RN car ils permettent de gérer efficacement des séries de données complexes, bien que la relation fonctionnelle entre les variables dépendantes et indépendantes n'est pas définie explicitement. Cet article compare deux méthodologies fondées sur les RN. D'abord, il utilise les RN pour prévoir l'emploi régional dans les deux régions anciennement appelées Allemagne de l'Ouest et Allemagne de l'Est. Chaque modèle réalisé calcule de simples estimations des taux de croissance d'emploi pour chaque district allemand, sur une durée de 2 ans. Puis, il calcule des prévisions complémentaires, en combinant la méthodologie RN avec une analyse shift-share (ASS). Comme l'ASS a pour but d'identifier les variations relevées sur le marché local du travail, on emploie les résultats obtenus comme variables indépendantes complémentaires dans les modèles RN. Notre échantillon de données utilisé dans nos expériences se compose de 439 districts allemands. Comme les districts composant l’échantillon présentent de grandes différences en matière de taille et d'horizon temporel, les prévisions pour l'Allemagne de l'Ouest et l'Allemagne de l'Est sont calculées séparément. La capacité des modèles à établir des prévisions hors – échantillon est évaluée avec différents indicateurs statistiques appropriés.

RESUMEN

Nuevos métodos de redes neurales para la previsión de empleo regional: un análisis para los mercados laborales de Alemania

En este documento desarrollamos una serie de modelos de redes neurales (RN) para calcular las previsiones a corto plazo de los modelos de empleo regional en Alemania. Las RN son modernas herramientas de estadísticas basadas en algoritmos de aprendizaje capaces de procesar un gran número de datos. Las RN se están popularizando cada vez más en diferentes campos porque son capaces de manejar grupos de datos complejos cuando la relación funcional entre las variables dependientes e independientes no está explícitamente especificada. En este artículo comparamos dos metodologías de RN. Primero, utilizamos las RN para pronosticar el empleo regional en Alemania del oeste y del este. Cada modelo aplicado computa por separado los cálculos de las tasas de crecimiento de empleo para cada distrito alemán, con un intervalo de previsión de 2 años. Luego se calculan las previsiones adicionales combinando la metodología de las RN con el análisis shift-share. Dado que los análisis shift-share identifican las variaciones observadas entre los distritos laborales, sus resultados se utilizan como otras variables explicatorios en los modelos de RN. El grupo de datos utilizado en nuestros experimentos abarca un panel de 439 distritos alemanes. Las previsiones para Alemania del oeste y este se computan por separado debido a las diferencias en los horizontes de tamaño y tiempo de los datos. La capacidad de previsión a partir de las muestras en los modelos es evaluada mediante varios indicadores adecuados de estadísticas.     

Visible Hands – Invisible Women: Garment Production in Turkey

Abstract

The economic liberalization policies that started in the early 1980s marked a turn in Turkey's growth strategy by shifting it from import substitution to export orientation. Since then, the garment industry has been one of the top exporters, drawing on women as the main suppliers of informal labor for the industry through subcontracted and home-based piecework. Based on fieldwork, this paper examines the gender inequalities that underlie the export success of the garment industry, in which the organization of production and workplace relations embed and reproduce gender ideology and norms. Women's engagement in garment production is ensured through the articulation of women's subordinate position with the social organization of garment production and the mobilization of kinship relations. The continued expansion of garment exports and the ongoing informalization of nonagricultural employment, according to official estimates, suggest that these arrangements are becoming more extensive over time.     

Union commitment and participation among Hong Kong firefighters: a development of an integrative model

This paper examines the factors influencing members' intent to participate in their union, drawing on a study of Hong Kong firefighters. As in Western studies, the main direct predictor of intent to participate is affective union commitment, but instrumentality is a relatively more important antecedent of affective union commitment and participation than in the Western studies. We found some evidence of frustration-aggression effects on intent to participate in ‘militant’ and ‘general’ union activities, although the latter was significant only among individuals who perceive management–employee relations as co-operative and trusting.