Technical efficiency is the ability of a firm to produce its maximum output using a set of inputs or to minimise the use of its inputs to produce a certain level of output. When a firm is operating at its most efficient, operating costs can be minimised, profits maximised and competitiveness improved. This study investigates the role of a firm's…

It has become a received wisdom that the completion of a work placement as part of a sandwich undergraduate degree is of positive benefit both to graduates and employers, particularly in an era that stresses the economic contribution of higher education through developing graduate employability. This benefit is twofold: first, work placements…

This document reports on a 2.5 day workshop that trained 23 middle managers from Wisconsin school districts in developing and using information on trends relevant to vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE) program planning, including trends in technology, the labor market, demographics, and education. A nine-page description covers the…

Exploratory, descriptive research was conducted to identify potential and existing shortages of skilled manpower in the petroleum industry. Data came from interviews with 60 individual companies, governments, industry groups, and professional associations. Company characteristics that were significant determinants of training were size, foreign or…

Three presentations are provided from Symposium 16, Improving Human Resource Development (HRD) Practice through Research, of the Academy of HRD 2000 Conference Proceedings. "Why HRD Practitioners Can Lack Respect: Sizing the Credibility Gap between What Top Managers Want and HRD Professionals Deliver" (Robert L. Dilworth, Timothy…

This guide and reference book is designed to help those involved or training to be involved in employee relations in the hotel and catering industry. Chapter 1 attempts to define employee relations. Chapter 2 describes the institutions and parties involved in employee relations in the hotel and catering industry. The focus of chapter 3 is on…

As the roles and responsibilities of vocational education have increased and expanded it has become necessary to identify, select, educate and train leaders. Recognizing this need for leadership development this study assessed the behavior and the leadership dimensions of management in four occupational settings as reported by inservice management…

This report concludes the final phase of a project designed to help occupational and manpower training administrators apply the best available management concepts to the analysis and solution of a wide variety of problems. This 2-week experimental institute was presented to a group of Massachusetts administrators from such organizations as public…

These three papers are from a symposium that was facilitated by R. Wayne Pace at the 1995 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD). "High Performance Work Systems" (Martha A. Gephart) assesses the state of theory and research on high performance work from a "systems" perspective and identifies challenges…

One of five modules in the curriculum development series designed to train vocational education curriculum specialists, this module is intended for use in classes or individual study arrangements at the preservice or inservice level by students with varying amounts of experience in vocational education. (These modules are revised versions of…

Focusing on contributions of educational resources to the growth of nonfarm enterprises in small towns and sparsely populated areas of the Southeast, this paper discusses four major problems which are at least partly amenable to educational solutions and examines various educational means for overcoming those problems. Research and development…

This documentary study is based on 12 national dossiers on vocational education and training in the tourist industry. Part 1 is an overview of school vocational training diplomas and curricula and the provision of training programs in the tourist industry. The description of the provision of training in this sector is followed by a review of…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on charting the future of human resource development (HRD). "Choose Your Future: Independent Technomancer or Holistic Human Developer" (Steven W. Semler) reports a study that used an historical vector analysis approach to identify three major changes in the roles of HRD professionals…

The current United States industrial policy is not working in the new international economy. As jobs are increasingly exported overseas, the United States faces a major problem in revitalization of its economy. Occupational education has a major role in the revitalization of the country's economy through the upgrading of the training and…

The proceedings of this seminar, attended by state directors and other leaders in vocational and technical education from 41 states, the District of Columbia, Saipan and Puerto Rico, contain presentations by 18 leaders from industry, government, and education. Specific objectives were to: (1) provide a forum for presentations concerning personnel…