The main purpose of this paper is to explore how the probability of taking continuing education programs towards no degree for job or career purposes after graduation will be affected by overeducation, which can be defined as having actual education levels that exceed requirements for the job. Using the data from the National Graduates Survey – Class of 2005-Public User Microdata File (PUMF) (Statistics Canada 2007), a probit model was estimated to test the hypothesis that graduates who are already overeducated would take fewer continuing education programs for job or career purposes. Possible reasons for the negative relationship between overeducation and the likelihood of taking continuing education programs after graduation were examined based on human capital theory.

21st century human resource (HR) managers face new challenges that require the management of employee resources and the management of information resources overload to support human resource management (HRM). The proposed research will examine the integrated approach that could be adopted by human resource information systems (HRISs) to identify, classify, store and evaluate human resource information assets to meet the strategic needs of HRM in the 21st century organisational era. The information assets may include databases, documents, policies, procedures, as well as the un-captured tacit expertise and experience stored in individual’s heads, in the form of knowledge. We live in an information economy powered by the human capacity to create value out of knowledge – an intangible asset that is referred to as Due to scarcity in natural resources, modern and knowledge organisations increasingly depend on the knowledge contained in the organisation to succeed and remain competitive. This study examines the perceptions of Human Resource Information System usage for knowledge management in the context of human resource management. Data for the study was obtained from a sample of 70 human resource employees employed at retail organisations within South Africa. The data was quantitatively analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The study indicated uncertainty about the use of HRIS functions while the respondents agree with using technology as a tool for sharing information. The concept of knowledge was explored as a strategic asset for the organisation to capitalise on as a competitive advantage, and the study explained that while HR employee’s value and recognise the various forms of the knowledge assets within employees, HR employees were uncertain about knowledge challenges. Although knowledge is generally shared within organisations, the benefits must be further explained in order to gain commitment and support. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

<p>My dissertation examines human capital investments and their role in individual's labor market outcomes. Chapter 2 analyzes how public school teachers decide to make human capital investments and the effects that these decisions have on their future labor market outcomes. In particular, I look at the decisions of employed teachers to obtain an advanced degree. Teachers' education and career decisions are modeled via a dynamic framework in the presence of teacher-specific unobserved heterogeneity. I find that teachers' decisions to obtain master's degrees are motivated by more than just an increase in salary. In particular, I observe teachers with master's degrees receiving a better draw on job characteristics, as measured by school quality, and that teachers are willing to pay between $1,500 and $20,000 to to move up one quartile in school quality. I also find that teachers value having broad access to online degree programs more than they dislike tuition costs. Counterfactual simulations by unobserved ability are consistent with a story that high-type teachers value both the salary increase and a better draw in career prospects, whereas low-type teachers are mostly interested in the salary increase.</p><p>Chapter 3 investigates the evolution over the last two decades in the wage returns to schooling and early work experience. Using data from the 1979 and 1997 panels of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we isolate changes in skill prices from changes in composition by estimating a dynamic model of schooling and work decisions. Importantly, this allows us to account for the endogenous nature of the changes in educational and accumulated work experience over this time period. We find an increase over this period in the returns to working in high school, but a decrease in the returns to working while in college. We also find an increase in the incidence of working in college, but that any detrimental impact of in-college work experience is offset by changes in other observable characteristics. Overall, our decomposition of the evolution in skill premia suggests that both price and composition effects play an important role. The role of unobserved ability is also important.</p> / Dissertation

Based on regularly published data we quantitatively assess the efficiency of UK secondary, private schools in providing quantity vs. quality of graduates on a per output basis. In economic terms the primary question is whether indeed an increase in the quantity of graduates with the observed inputs would be associated with a deterioration of average quality of graduates. The estimation framework is a new, statistically enriched type of Data Envelopment Analysis as detailed in Gstach (2002) to account for output-specific efficiencies. The results indicate that quantity clearly dominates quality as performance distinguishing criteria amongst sample schools, i.e. on average quantity efficiency is low while quality efficiency is high. The results also provide evidence that the abilities of schools to provide quantity resp. quality are positively correlated. These findings indicate considerable scope for increasing the number of graduates without sacrificing average graduation quality through improved school management. (author's abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

This thesis presents a portfolio of seven publications by the candidate from 1992 to 2001 that have explored the issues facing older workers in Australia during economic restructuring. Four of these publications are empirical, the remainder reflective and conceptual. Empirical data is presented from four samples testing a conceptual framework that explains how the contextual and individual circumstances facing older workers led them to opt for early retirement. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2001.

In this thesis I address several neglected issues relating to the theoretical and applied analysis of human capital and the impact of taxation. I begin with the problem of measuring the effective tax rate on human capital accumulation. I develop a forward-looking measure of the effective tax rate that is grounded in human capital theory, allowing for features that differentiate human capital formation from physical capital formation. These features include concavity of the earnings-investment frontier and adjustments in capital utilization through leisure. I argue that the few attempts that have been made to measure the effective tax rate on skill formation are either limited by the fact that they inherit assumptions applicable to the theory of the firm or have dubious theoretical foundations (Chapter Two). The new measure is used to derive the effective tax rate on human capital in 25 OECD countries, including Australia (Chapter Three). While there are numerous general equilibrium models which integrate nominal rigidities of one form or another, little attention has been devoted to nominal rigidities arising from partial indexation of income tax thresholds. No doubt one of the reasons for this gap in the literature is the difficulty associated with introducing a fully specified progressive tax regime into an applied general equilibrium model. I show that this hurdle can be overcome through a zero-profit condition for general equilibrium on the labour market. The condition is integrated into an aggregative model of the economy consisting of two sectors (consumption and education) and two factors of production (skilled and unskilled labour). Since skill formation is endogenous, the model allows us to reopen research into the optimal level of skill formation and the role of government (Chapter Four). An applied general equilibrium version of the model is used to evaluate the impact of recent tax reform proposals on skill formation (Chapter Five). A concluding chapter draws together these lines of enquiry with suggestions for future research (Chapter Six).

This study explores the validity of key assumptions and arguments about the nature, extent, depth, causes, and consequences of poverty that underpinned the statements and policy of the Howard Government during its decade in office. One important assumption appeared to be that an inability to afford the essentials of life plays a relatively unimportant, even negligible role in generating the low levels of human capital and school achievement exhibited by many ??poor?? parents and their children. Drawing on extensive secondary evidence from disciplines as diverse as economics, sociology, neurobiology, epidemiology and developmental psychology, the study demonstrates that these assumptions and arguments do not stand up to close empirical scrutiny. The adequacy of income support payments as a ??safety net?? from poverty, and the validity of various poverty ??lines?? are examined against the costs of obtaining the ??essentials?? that Australians believe no citizen should have to go without. This analysis reveals that the depth and prevalence of poverty in Australia is considerably more serious than has been admitted by the Howard Government and in many academic analyses. Next, the study demonstrates that the rise in so-called ??welfare dependence?? is a product of economic, rather than cultural developments; that income support ??customer?? data contradicts the claim that poverty is mostly a transitory phenomenon; and that ??work first welfare to work policies?? are not a solution to poverty, even during an economic boom. The second half of the thesis explores evidence from a variety of disciplines that suggests that the financial stress and material hardship associated with poverty have direct, indirect and cumulative impacts which commonly include compromised brain function and development and a reduced capacity for physiological and behavioural self-regulation. These consequences undermine physical and mental health, inter-personal relationships, parenting and health behaviours, learning capacities, and the development and maintenance of cognitive and non-cognitive abilities that are valued in the labour market. Contrary to the policy conclusions that flow from mis-characterisation of these consequences as symptoms of the intrinsic deficits of the poor, the multi-disciplinary evidence suggests that the real economic costs of allowing poverty to continue are likely to be higher than the costs of preventing it.

Bibliography: leaves 148-155. / ix, 155 leaves: ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis investigates whether cross-country variations in schooling quality (the productivity of the time spent studying) affect the empirical results in studies of economic growth based on an augmented method of Solow. It was found that schooling quality is positively and statistically significantly associated with mean economic growth rates in regressions which control for physical capital investment rates, population growth rates and secondary school enrolment rates. Education levels of parents, hours of homework and the non-teaching duties of teachers were also significant determinants. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Economics, 2001

This study explores the validity of key assumptions and arguments about the nature, extent, depth, causes, and consequences of poverty that underpinned the statements and policy of the Howard Government during its decade in office. One important assumption appeared to be that an inability to afford the essentials of life plays a relatively unimportant, even negligible role in generating the low levels of human capital and school achievement exhibited by many ??poor?? parents and their children. Drawing on extensive secondary evidence from disciplines as diverse as economics, sociology, neurobiology, epidemiology and developmental psychology, the study demonstrates that these assumptions and arguments do not stand up to close empirical scrutiny. The adequacy of income support payments as a ??safety net?? from poverty, and the validity of various poverty ??lines?? are examined against the costs of obtaining the ??essentials?? that Australians believe no citizen should have to go without. This analysis reveals that the depth and prevalence of poverty in Australia is considerably more serious than has been admitted by the Howard Government and in many academic analyses. Next, the study demonstrates that the rise in so-called ??welfare dependence?? is a product of economic, rather than cultural developments; that income support ??customer?? data contradicts the claim that poverty is mostly a transitory phenomenon; and that ??work first welfare to work policies?? are not a solution to poverty, even during an economic boom. The second half of the thesis explores evidence from a variety of disciplines that suggests that the financial stress and material hardship associated with poverty have direct, indirect and cumulative impacts which commonly include compromised brain function and development and a reduced capacity for physiological and behavioural self-regulation. These consequences undermine physical and mental health, inter-personal relationships, parenting and health behaviours, learning capacities, and the development and maintenance of cognitive and non-cognitive abilities that are valued in the labour market. Contrary to the policy conclusions that flow from mis-characterisation of these consequences as symptoms of the intrinsic deficits of the poor, the multi-disciplinary evidence suggests that the real economic costs of allowing poverty to continue are likely to be higher than the costs of preventing it.

The purpose of this thesis is to assess the effects of China???s growth, investment in higher education and trade liberalisation on China and its neighbouring East Asian economies. The study is conducted within the framework of a dynamic multi-sector, multi-region computational general equilibrium model, which incorporates endogenous capital and skill accumulation. China???s trade liberalisation induces substantial investment spending and accumulation of capital and skilled labour in China and East Asia. There is a positive wage outcome for skilled and unskilled labour in both regions. The expanded trade opportunities with China should compensate East Asia for the loss of exports to the rest of the world. Complementarity exists between the exports of China and East Asia with East Asia supplying China???s skill-intensive manufacturing sectors with components and parts which are then used as inputs into China???s exports. Furthermore, the simulation results indicate that China???s trade reforms will support the industrial upgrading process in China but the impact is more apparent in the long term. As China transforms into a more skill oriented, open and competitive economy, it will impose significant structural adjustments on itself and East Asia. A large increase in the output and exports of low tech manufacturing is seen in China, as well as in the high skill sectors of intermediate manufacturing, durables and traded services. China???s exports and imports surge, further rising its presence in the global trading system. The exports of East Asia to the rest of the world decline across the sectors except for the durables sector. However, the decline in the exports of several sectors in East Asia to the rest of the world was offset by the increase in the exports of these sectors to China.