169,969 research outputs found
The Growth and Valuation of Generic Skills
Using a method for measuring job skills derived from survey data on detailed work activities, we show that between 1997 and 2001 there was a growth in Britain in the utilisation of computing skills, literacy, numeracy, technical know-how, high-level communication skills, planning skills, client communication skills, horizontal communication skills, problem-solving and checking skills. Computer skills and high-level communication skills carry positive wage premia, as shown both in cross-section hedonic wage equations and through a within-cohorts change analysis. No part of the gender pay gap can be accounted for by differences in levels of generic skills between men and women.skills, wages, computers
Monitoring and evaluation of human resources for health: an international perspective
BACKGROUND: Despite the undoubted importance of human resources to the functions of health systems, there is little consistency between countries in how human resource strategies are monitored and evaluated. This paper presents an integrated approach for developing an evidence base on human resources for health (HRH) to support decision-making, drawing on a framework for health systems performance assessment. METHODS: Conceptual and methodological issues for selecting indicators for HRH monitoring and evaluation are discussed, and a range of primary and secondary data sources that might be used to generate indicators are reviewed. Descriptive analyses are conducted drawing primarily on one type of source, namely routinely reported data on the numbers of health personnel and medical schools as covered by national reporting systems and compiled by the World Health Organization. Regression techniques are used to triangulate a given HRH indicator calculated from different data sources across multiple countries. RESULTS: Major variations in the supply of health personnel and training opportunities are found to occur by region. However, certain discrepancies are also observed in measuring the same indicator from different sources, possibly related to the occupational classification or to the sources' representation. CONCLUSION: Evidence-based information is needed to better understand trends in HRH. Although a range of sources exist that can potentially be used for HRH assessment, the information that can be derived from many of these individual sources precludes refined analysis. A variety of data sources and analytical approaches, each with its own strengths and limitations, is required to reflect the complexity of HRH issues. In order to enhance cross-national comparability, data collection efforts should be processed through the use of internationally standardized classifications (in particular, for occupation, industry and education) at the greatest level of detail possible
Knowledge workers and job satisfaction: Evidence from Europe
This article analyzes the determinants of job satisfaction among knowledge workers (KWs). Data from a representative sample of 14,096 employed workers from the European Social Survey (2010) are used for an empirical analysis drawing on multiple binary logistic regression models. Job satisfaction among KWs in 21 EU countries is found to be explained better by non-financial characteristics than by monetary rewards. Career advancement opportunities, flexible work schedules, colleague support, and work-family relations, as well as job security, emerge as central in explaining job satisfaction among KWs in our sample. Unlike the case for other workers (OWs), opportunities for further training and career experience are not determinants of job satisfaction among KWs. Management divisions in companies employing KWs would be well-advised to take these points into account
Use of the terms "Wellbeing" and "Quality of Life" in health sciences: A conceptual framework
Background and Objectives: The assessment of wellbeing is a top priority
in health sciences. The aim of this paper is to review the history of the concept of wellbeing
and “Quality of Life” (QoL), and to understand the theories and assumptions that
guided this field in order to provide a conceptual framework that may eventually facilitate
the development of a formal synset (grouping of synonyms and semantically similar
terms) of health-related wellbeing
Methods: The history of the concept of wellbeing and QoL was reviewed in order to
provide a conceptual framework.
Results: Huge differences exist on the definition of “Wellbeing” and its relationship
with QoL, “Happiness” and “Functioning” in the health context. From a dimensional perspective,
health related wellbeing could be regarded as an overarching construct characterised
by asymmetrical polarity, where “wellbeing” embeds the concept of “ill-being” as
“health” incorporates de concept of “disease”.
Conclusions: A common conceptual framework of these terms may eventually facilitate
the development of a formal synset of health-related wellbeing. This terminological
clarification should be part of a new taxonomy of health-related wellbeing based on the
International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework that
may facilitate knowledge transfer across different sectors and semantic interoperability for
care management and planningThe research leading to these results has received
funding from the European Community’s
Seventh Framework Programme under
grant agreement numbers 223071 (COURAGE
in Europe) and 282586 (ROAMER), from the
Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FIS research
grant number PS09/00295, and from the
Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
ACI-Promociona (ACI2009-1010 and ACI-
2011-1080). The study was supported by the
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de
Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de
Salud Carlos II
Supervised Classification: Quite a Brief Overview
The original problem of supervised classification considers the task of
automatically assigning objects to their respective classes on the basis of
numerical measurements derived from these objects. Classifiers are the tools
that implement the actual functional mapping from these measurements---also
called features or inputs---to the so-called class label---or output. The
fields of pattern recognition and machine learning study ways of constructing
such classifiers. The main idea behind supervised methods is that of learning
from examples: given a number of example input-output relations, to what extent
can the general mapping be learned that takes any new and unseen feature vector
to its correct class? This chapter provides a basic introduction to the
underlying ideas of how to come to a supervised classification problem. In
addition, it provides an overview of some specific classification techniques,
delves into the issues of object representation and classifier evaluation, and
(very) briefly covers some variations on the basic supervised classification
task that may also be of interest to the practitioner
Understanding Preferences For Income Redestribution
Recent research suggests that income redistribution preferences vary across identity groups. We employ a new pattern recognition technology, tree regression analysis, to uncover what these groups are. Using data from the General Social Survey, we present a new stylized fact that preferences for governmental provision of income redistribution vary systematically with race, gender, and class background. We explore the extent to which existing theories of income redistribution can explain our results, but conclude that current approaches do not fully explain the findings.
CHORUS Deliverable 2.2: Second report - identification of multi-disciplinary key issues for gap analysis toward EU multimedia search engines roadmap
After addressing the state-of-the-art during the first year of Chorus and establishing the existing landscape in
multimedia search engines, we have identified and analyzed gaps within European research effort during our second year.
In this period we focused on three directions, notably technological issues, user-centred issues and use-cases and socio-
economic and legal aspects. These were assessed by two central studies: firstly, a concerted vision of functional breakdown
of generic multimedia search engine, and secondly, a representative use-cases descriptions with the related discussion on
requirement for technological challenges. Both studies have been carried out in cooperation and consultation with the
community at large through EC concertation meetings (multimedia search engines cluster), several meetings with our
Think-Tank, presentations in international conferences, and surveys addressed to EU projects coordinators as well as
National initiatives coordinators. Based on the obtained feedback we identified two types of gaps, namely core
technological gaps that involve research challenges, and “enablers”, which are not necessarily technical research
challenges, but have impact on innovation progress. New socio-economic trends are presented as well as emerging legal
challenges
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