Techno-organizational change and skill formation: Evidence from Italian manufacturing firms

This paper emphasizes the role of labour demand as a determinant of working skill formation. In particular, we study the relationship between techno-organizational innovation and skill formation from a labour demand perspective. In this respect, we investigate if activities aimed at increasing the international commitment and the technological and organizational change do have an effect on both the propensity of firms to train and on the intensity of training. On this purpose, by relying on a job-competition-like framework about the operation of the labour market in allocating skills, we first estimate which factors do affect the propensity of firms to invest in work-based training activities, and, secondly, we estimate if the same factors do also play a role in determining the degree of intensity of such a training activity. Relying on a new dataset on Italian manufacturing firms active over the period 2001-2006, we first estimate a probit model on the probability for a firm to train; then we employ a Heckman two-stage selection model on the share of trainees with which we can control for selectivity bias. Our results point to a positive and significant effect of both firms’ characteristics, like size, specialization and capital intensity, and firms' techno-organisational activities on both training incidence and on training intensity. A particularly significant role, in this respect, is played by the combination of process innovation and the adoption of new organizational practices.human capital, international commitment, labour demand, organizational change, skill, technological innovation, work-based training

L’analisi empirica della segmentazione e della flessibilità del lavoro utilizzando le tecniche di job creation e destruction

The aim of this paper is to provide an empirical investigation of labour market segmentation and flexibility. For this purpose, the techniques based on the analysis of job creation and destruction ( see, Davis et al, 1996) have been used. The data analysed stem from a sample of manufacturing firms located in Emilia-Romagna and cover a period of eight years. This dataset allows to analyse the level of employment of both blue and white collars. The analysis shows in details the different dynamics of those two component of manufacturing employment. It is argued that white and blue collars can be considered as two different occupational sub-systems (see, Osterman 1982, 1984) and that internal la-bour market segmentation gives rise to divergent indicators of numerical flexibility for the two components of em-ployment

Systemic flexibility and human capital development: the relationship between non-standard employment and workplace training

The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between non-standard contracts (part-time, fixed-term) and workplace training by discussing the implications of two different theoretical frameworks grounding on human capital theory and strategic management, respectively. To achieve this purpose we develop alternative hypothesis on the association between the presence of nonstandard workers and four different outcome variables related to workplace training and job-related practices. By using data on Italian firms we get different results according to the type of nonstandard contract and training. Part-time and temporary contracts carry out distinct functions with respect to off-the job training as far as labour flexibility is concerned. On the other hand, although non-standard work seems to be unrelated to on-the-job training decisions, this is not the case when the overall number of job-related practices is taken into account. Overall, our evidence can reflect the decision to substitute off-the-job training with job-related practices in presence of part-time workers. Conversely, the recourse to temporary employment can be associated with the need to enhance systemic flexibility throughout the organization

Assessing the incidence and wage effects of overeducation among Italian graduates using a new measure for educational requirements

This paper investigates three dimensions of overeducation: incidence, impact on earnings and possible determinants. The analysis focuses on Italian graduates and refers to the cohort that graduated in 2007 using data from the AlmaLaurea survey on graduates' career paths. A new measure of overeducation is introduced and it is jointly examined along with other pre-existing measures based on workers' self-assessment. The analysis is carried out by comparing the different results obtained adopting the two different measures of overeducation. Results show that the newly introduced measure can deal with the biases affecting workers' self- assessment measures

Organizational Change, Skill Formation, Human Capital Measurement: Evidence From Italian Manufacturing Firms

Basing on a job competition approach, in this paper we provide a labour demand-oriented measure of human capital as defined by the amount of specific skills a firm generates through work-based training (WBT) activities. By merging three rich firm-level datasets, we estimate the impact of a set of variables that are supposed to affect both the propensity to invest in WBT and the intensity of training within the Italian manufacturing industry over the period 2001-2005.The estimates show that the effects of innovation on WBT is higher when the introduction of new technologies is supported by organizational innovations. When looking at the nature of WBT, we investigate the different determinants of the firms' propensity to provide both in-house and outside training. Finally, we estimate training intensity in terms, respectively, of the number of training activities provided, private and total training costs and the share of trainees

Assessing perceived job quality among seasonal tourism workers: The case of Rimini, Italy

none3noThis article aims at discussing the perceived job quality especially among seasonal workers in the tourism industry through the analysis of a sample of 407 seasonal workers hired in the summer of 2013 in the Province of Rimini, one of the most popular sun, sand and sea tourism destinations in Europe. The identification/construction of a job quality index is the most original contribution of this article as it integrates the subjective components with a selection of objective items related to skills endowment and training opportunities and with a set of job holders’ characteristics, qualifications and occupations. The impact of each component is then evaluated and discussed in the article by means of several statistical and econometric techniques including analysis of variance and cluster analyses as well as ordinary least squares regressions. Results show that the perception of seasonal work seems thus to be more multifaceted than usually assumed. Although it is intrinsically precarious and characterized by objectively bad jobs under many aspects, such as stability, career opportunities and skill requirements, workers’ perception of job quality is mixed, being positively influenced by the assignment to part-time and front-line positions. Such evidence provides relevant insights to design better jobs in the tourism industry and improve its long-term sustainability in contexts characterized by high seasonality.openGuidetti G.; Pedrini G.; Zamparini L.Guidetti, G.; Pedrini, G.; Zamparini, L

Work Flexibility and Workplace Training in Italy Before and After the Jobs Act Reform

This paper analyses the complex relationship between work flexibility strategies and workplace training at the firm level, thus filling a gap in the relative literature that only takes into account supply-side factors and fails to discriminate between on- and off- the job training. To achieve this purpose, we discuss the implications of two different theoretical frameworks grounding on human capital theory and systemic flexibility, respectively, and go on developing alternative hypotheses on the association between the presence of temporary and part-time workers at firm-level and training investments, both off-the-job and on-the-job. By using data on Italian firms, we get different results according to the type of non-standard contract and training. Part-time and temporary contracts carry out distinct functions with respect to off-the-job and on-the-job training, respectively. The former is more consistent with the human capital approach, whereas the latter is in line with the strategic management approach. These results are discussed in view of a structural labour market reform enacted by the Italian government in 2015, the so-called “Jobs Act”.

NMR spectroscopy of single sub-nL ova with inductive ultra-compact single-chip probes

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy enables non-invasive chemical studies of intact living matter. However, the use of NMR at the volume scale typical of microorganisms is hindered by sensitivity limitations, and experiments on single intact organisms have so far been limited to entities having volumes larger than 5 nL. Here we show NMR spectroscopy experiments conducted on single intact ova of 0.1 and 0.5 nL (i.e. 10 to 50 times smaller than previously achieved), thereby reaching the relevant volume scale where life development begins for a broad variety of organisms, humans included. Performing experiments with inductive ultra-compact (1 mm2) single-chip NMR probes, consisting of a low noise transceiver and a multilayer 150 μm planar microcoil, we demonstrate that the achieved limit of detection (about 5 pmol of 1H nuclei) is sufficient to detect endogenous compounds. Our findings suggest that single-chip probes are promising candidates to enable NMR-based study and selection of microscopic entities at biologically relevant volume scales