Productivity, wages, and the returns to firm-provided training: fair shared capitalism?

In this study, we develop an alternative modelling that examines a) the determinants of firm productivity and wages and b) the internal rate of return (IRR) to firm training for both firms and workers. Using a six-year linked employer-employee dataset, our estimates indicate that an additional hour of training per worker results in an increase of 0.12% in productivity and 0.04% in wages, or an increase of 0.16% and 0.08%, respectively, if one uses firm training as a stock variable. We then find that 82% of the gains in productivity are captured by firms and 18% by workers. Given the training costs, we finally obtain an IRR of 13% for firms and 33% for workers at sample means. Firms are heterogeneous, and we do find that dispersion in the rates of return across firms is high.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A cyclic time-dependent Markov process to model daily patterns in wind turbine power production

Wind energy is becoming a top contributor to the renewable energy mix, which raises potential reliability issues for the grid due to the fluctuating nature of its source. To achieve adequate reserve commitment and to promote market participation, it is necessary to provide models that can capture daily patterns in wind power production. This paper presents a cyclic inhomogeneous Markov process, which is based on a three-dimensional state-space (wind power, speed and direction). Each time-dependent transition probability is expressed as a Bernstein polynomial. The model parameters are estimated by solving a constrained optimization problem: The objective function combines two maximum likelihood estimators, one to ensure that the Markov process long-term behavior reproduces the data accurately and another to capture daily fluctuations. A convex formulation for the overall optimization problem is presented and its applicability demonstrated through the analysis of a case-study. The proposed model is capable of reproducing the diurnal patterns of a three-year dataset collected from a wind turbine located in a mountainous region in Portugal. In addition, it is shown how to compute persistence statistics directly from the Markov process transition matrices. Based on the case-study, the power production persistence through the daily cycle is analysed and discussed

Gestão Participativa

O presente trabalho, cuja temática é Gestão Participativa, enquadra-se no âmbito de uma investigação efectuada para a realização da memória monográfica que servirá de suporte para a obtenção do grau de Licenciatura em Gestão e Planeamento da vertente Gestão e Direcção Escolar. Com as rápidas mudanças da sociedade e consequentemente a democratização do Sistema do Ensino, a participação das famílias, das comunidades, dos professores, dos alunos, ou seja de toda a comunidade educativa na vida da escola é uma exigência para a obtenção da qualidade que se quer do ensino.Universidade de Cabo Verd

Teaching with Moodle in higher education

Nowadays, with the use of technology and the Internet, education is undergoing significant changes, contemplating new ways of teaching and learning. One of the widely methods of teaching used to promote knowledge, consists in the use of virtual environments available in various formats, taking as example the teaching-learning platforms, which are available online. The Internet access and use of Laptops have created the technological conditions for teachers and students can benefit from the diversity of online information, communication, collaboration and sharing with others. The integration of Internet services in the teaching practices can provide thematic, social and digital enrichment for the agents involved. In this paper we will talk about the advantages of LMS (Learning Management Systems) such as Moodle, to support the presential lectures in higher education. We also will analyse its implications for student support and online interaction, leading educational agents to a mixing of different learning environments, where they can combine face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction, blended-learning, and increases the options for better quality and quantity of human interaction in a learning environment. We also will present some tools traditionally used in online assessment and that are part of the functionalities of Moodle. These tools can provide interesting alternatives to promote a more significant learning and contribute to the development of flexible and customized models of an evaluation which we want to be more efficient

Do mito aos mitos irrecicláveis: reflexões

No Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa encontramos as seguintes definições de mito: narrativa fabulosa de origem popular; relato das proezas de deuses ou de heróis, susceptível de dar uma explicação do real satisfatória para um espírito primitivo; alegoria, etc. O Dicionário esclarece ainda que a palavra mito provém do grego mÿthos, que significa palavra expressa, dando mais tarde origem à palavra latina mythu, que significa fábula. Nenhuma das definições anteriores parece convincente no contexto da sociedade pós-industrial, pós-capitalista, pós-moderna, pós-humana(?) em que vivemos. Assim, e porque esta matéria me interessa, tanto em termos pessoais, como académicos, centro-me em obras que abordem a temática com maior acuidade

Learning management systems in higher education

The use of Laptops and the Internet has produced the technological conditions for instructors and students can take advantage from the diversity of online information, communication, collaboration and sharing with others. The integration of Internet services in the teaching practices can be responsible for thematic, social and digital improvement for the agents involved. There are many benefits when we use a Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle, to support the lectures in higher education. We also will consider its implications for student support and online interaction, leading educational agents to a collaborating of different learning environments, where they can combine face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction, blended-learning, and increases the possibilities for better quality and quantity of human communication in a learning background. In general components of learning management systems contain synchronous and asynchronous communication tools, management features, and assessment utilities. These assessment utilities allow lecturers to systematize basic assessment tasks. Assessments can be straightaway delivered to the student, and upon conclusion, immediately returned with grades and detailed feedback. Therefore learning management systems can also be used for assessment purposes in Higher Education.

Os jovens na "era do jazz" ou "os belos e os malditos"

Os anos vinte foram anos de grande bulício e agitação em todas as esferas da vida social, cultural, económica e política. Porém, nenhum aspecto foi tão comentado e tratado com auras de maior sensacionalismo do que a dita revolta dos jovens: uma simples alusão aos anos 20 tem o efeito de evocar a primeira visita ao "speakeasy" (bar secreto escondido no subsolo); a primeira experiência sexual - que a privacidade e intimidade do automóvel proporcionavam -; a procura de uma felicidade concreta e imediata, etc. Contudo, a revolta dos jovens constituiu simplesmente o corolário de um desdém pelas condições económico - sociais vigentes, e não se confinou aos Estados Unidos da América, mas atingiu todo o mundo ocidental, em resultado da primeira grande guerra do século. Dado o "boom" na indústria americana, com as suas fábricas gigantescas e ruidosas e a resultante agressividade em larga escala, o culto da elegância nos modos e no porte (que a época anterior favorecera) foi progressivamente abandonado: com guerra ou sem guerra, cada vez se tornava mais difícil para os jovens adoptarem padrões de comportamento que não se ajustassem ao mundo de negócios em que teriam de competir