Discusses the tendency in the United States to blame either Japanese business or the educational system for the economic woes of the United States. Argues that, instead of choosing scapegoats, the United States should focus on solving social problems. Suggest that social studies teachers work to help students overcome prejudice toward the…

Examines the impact of underutilizing workers' educational skills (or "overeducation") on a firm's productivity. Using both production and individual employee data, the study estimated a production function for 22 U.S. Bell companies during 1981-1982. Overeducation was negatively and significantly related to firm output. Discusses…

Briefly reviews the declining enrollment rates for undergraduate economics majors. Observes that after record enrollments during the 1980s, interest in a bachelor's economics degree dropped sharply in the 1990s. Discusses possible reasons for this decline and provides statistics. (MJP)

Postulates five reasons for declining undergraduate enrollment in economics including corresponding decline in business enrollment; slowdown in financial services; competition from other subjects; decline in student academic skills; and a decline in faculty teaching skills. Discusses strengths and weaknesses of each argument. (MJP)

Potential effects of wider adoption of graduate-level business administration degree programs in central and eastern European universities are considered, including better employment prospects for graduates, increased productivity, impact on income distribution and educational attainment patterns, and creation of an internationally mobile…

Maintains that high enrollment figures for undergraduate economics majors in the 1980s reflected social and economic trends more than any substantive interest in the subject. Argues that the discipline is better off without a preponderance of students whose only interest is business applications. (MJP)

Discusses options for the financing of postcompulsory education. Describes developing and developed nations where a funding crisis has resulted from an increased demand for education when new technologies require ever more highly trained workers. Includes discussion of public versus private funding, business contributions, international…

The collegiate options considered by more than one-half million high school seniors in the eastern third of the nation are analyzed, and perspectives are offered on enrollment planning. A framework for public and institutional policies is provided, along with a vocabulary to describe the actual workings of the higher education market. The origins…

Reports preliminary findings of a new project aimed at understanding the nature of time-series fluctuations in degrees awarded in various disciplines, including economics. Examines the consequences of such fluctuations for resource allocation within universities. Compares statistics among economics, history, and political science degrees. Includes…

Notes that economics is often the second choice of students screened out of an undergraduate business program. Argues that the increased enrollment in business programs during the 1980s led to a transient rise in economics enrollment. Current declining enrollment in economics corresponds to a decline in business. (MJP)

Compares characteristics of those schools that have experienced an increase in awarding undergraduate economics degrees with those suffering a decrease. Findings suggest that business/management degrees offer competition against economics degrees. Schools not offering business/management are less at risk. (MJP)

The behavior of universities is considered from an economic perspective. It is assumed that both the administration and the faculty pursue goals consistent with their own self-interests. In addition to reviewing studies from other disciplines, the market in which institutions compete is described, and a formal model of the university as a…

The mission of vocational education has always been to provide a skilled work force for society. As society and work evolve through the influence of demographic, social, economic, technological, and political changes, the essential purposes of vocational education must be made appropriate for the emerging advanced technical society. To devise…

This report documents five objectives for the Canadian post-secondary education system: (1) quality; (2) access for all qualified applicants; (3) differentiation (diversity of educational opportunity); (4) accountability; and (5) responsiveness to changing student and labor market requirements. The report also discusses the changing political…