The dissertation comprises of two chapters that use applied econometric techniques to analyze policy related questions that have implications for educational outcomes and one chapter that assesses factors that influence foreign direct investment inflows. In the first chapter I study the impact of equity premiums on the completion numbers of…

The aim is to explore challenges related to the integration between product development and production in product introduction and, given these challenges, to analyse the learning potential of boundary crossing in the context of product introduction. The paper draws on evidence from a Swedish manufacturing company. The theoretical framework is…

As the New York City economy becomes increasingly reliant on workers who have some postsecondary education or training in a specialized field, there is a growing need for local policymakers and educators to identify the most efficient ways to prepare high school students to take on these "middle-skill jobs." These needs are particularly…

Europe hosts a significant number of global organizations in the transport market, the largest industrial R&D investor in the EU [European Union]. The market contains a significant number of jobs, and thus, there is a need for learning solutions in its domain. One of the pillars for its expansion is advanced manufacturing technology. The EU…

The authors review past and current funding/support for U.S. K-12 educational technology companies. They review both who provided the funding for product development and the reasons why. They look back to the 1960s and 1970s, when federal government agencies helped produce computer-based materials, then how the schools' access to technology…

Today's shop floor, the area of a factory where operatives assemble products, is a complex and demanding work environment. The employed and produced technology becomes ever more complex, and employees are responsible for an increasing amount of tasks. As a consequence, the employee is under constant pressure to solve problems occurring on the shop…

Sustainable manufacturing has significant impacts on a company's business performance and competitiveness in today's world. A growing number of manufacturing industries are initiating efforts to address sustainability issues; however, to achieve a higher level of sustainability, manufacturers need methodologies for formally describing, analyzing,…

The industrial revolution can be termed as the catalyst of human growth. The establishment of various industries has been detrimental to the meteoric rise of any commodity, product or service across the world. Industries fuel the economy of countries and form the main constituent of their GDP. Industries not only generate the production of the…

This account of practice describes how a manufacturing company in the North of England transformed their approach to problem-solving and action through the use of a Critical Reflection Action Learning (CRAL) methodology. The company, who had been in business for over 25 years, experienced problems due to a diminishing customer base and substantial…

The main purpose of this research is to verify the relevancy of knowledge and skills acquired by engineering graduates from university to automotive industry in Malaysia. Hence, this paper aims to identify to what extent the knowledge and skills acquired by the new engineers in the university have equipped them with job competency in the…

The design of balanced assembly lines, especially when considering workforce, material, and cycle time factors, is an important managerial decision-making activity in manufacturing firms. Numerous active learning activities are available to assist instructors in teaching assembly line balancing to students. While effective in improving student…

GPS Education Partners is a community-based nonprofit organization and the only manufacturing-specific, statewide Department of Workforce Development Youth Apprenticeship Program in Wisconsin. During 1-2 years of study at GPS, students meet high school graduation requirements, receive industry-specific and job-specific training and technical…

The U.S. workforce is increasingly comprised of older adults, women, and minorities who lack basic skills and are unable to acquire these skills through traditional educational and training programs. New approaches are needed to provide effective training to the adult learner and flexible support for nontraditional students who must balance…

Purpose: This study aims to examine the features of training evaluation process in Russian manufacturing companies. On the basis of three assumptions regarding the differences in group of employees involved in training, duration and costs of a training program, the authors tried to find out the peculiarities of training evaluation tools and levels…

Saudi Arabian Petrochemical Company (SAPCO), a petrochemicals manufacturer, has decided to make some major internal changes to gain increased market share and continue its success. It has been easy going for some time now, and business has been very good, but in order to take that next step, SAPCO needs to attain the Responsible Care…