Since the 1990s, the world has entered a new phase of globalisation. Information and communication technology, trade liberalisation and lower transport costs have enabled firms and countries to fragment the production process into global value chains (GVCs). Many products are now designed in one country and assembled in another country from parts…

How can educators ensure that young people who attain a postsecondary credential are adequately prepared for the future? Matthew T. Hora and his colleagues explain that the answer is not simply that students need more specialized technical training to meet narrowly defined employment opportunities. "Beyond the Skills Gap" challenges this…

Although higher rates of substance use among young adults aged 16 to 24 are well-established (OAS, 2010), existing workplace substance use prevention and early intervention programs primarily target older workers. These data suggest that workplaces need substance abuse prevention and early intervention programs that are proven to be efficacious…

This book is the synthesis of a research project that explored innovative management practices in the domain of university-industry linkages. Managers from 12 higher education institutions in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America were invited to document their experiences in the management of interfaces, financial and personnel management, and…

A study examined the relationship between high-performance workplace practices and the performance of plants in the following manufacturing industries: steel, apparel, and medical electronic instruments and imaging. The multilevel research methodology combined the following data collection activities: (1) site visits; (2) collection of plant…

This guide is intended for librarians planning to start an information brokerage, whether as an entrepreneur or as a member of a document delivery group in a library. The guide identifies specific skills and relevant characteristics required to establish a successful information brokerage firm and describes a model to assist readers in the process…

The objective of this study was to gain enough familiarity with developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies to be able to advise the information service community on what can be applied today and what one might reasonably expect to be applicable to library and information services in the near future. The emphasis is on…

A study examined how the cross-national differences in the social contract among managers, unions, and government influenced adjustment strategies in steel. The restructuring process in eight major steel-producing countries was studied to determine who bore the costs of restructuring--employers, employees, or government--and which industrial…

In the past, economic development in the rural United States, particularly in the rural South, relied principally on the attractiveness of a low-wage work force to mass-production manufacturing industries. Now however, the viability of the traditional mass-production economy's organizational structure and operating procedures has been eroded by…

Four key trends will shape the American labor force in the final years of the 20th century. The American economy should grow at a relatively healthy pace. Despite its international comeback, however, U.S. manufacturing constitutes a much smaller share of the economy in the year 2000 than it does today. The work force will grow slowly, becoming…

This volume contains four studies covering various approaches and having different scopes for studying the problem of access to jobs and the role of education and training as criteria for recruitment. The first study, on the metropolitan area of Panama, covers all sectors of activity. It is based on a questionnaire administered to 80 companies to…

The quantitative relationship between factors previously identified as affecting the extent and intensity of training within organizations was explored through a survey of companies in Australia's entertainment and process manufacturing sectors. A self-completion questionnaire was mailed first to a sample of 446 companies across Australia (112 of…

Australia's construction industry employs nearly 600,000 workers, over 7% of total national employment. The industry is heavily dominated by males (nearly 88%) and full-time workers (86%). Much of the work in this industry involves subcontracting and is cyclical. Construction employers provided much less structured training than the average…

This book, which is based on a 7-month ethnographic study of working conditions and employment practices at a biomedical electronics factory, examines the impact that high tech has had on the relationship between management and workers in the manufacturing industry. The following are among the topics discussed in the book's 10 chapters: (1) the…