The skill paradox: Explaining and reducing employment discrimination against skilled immigrants

Using a social identity theory approach, we theorized that recruiters might be particularly biased against skilled immigrant applicants. We refer to this phenomenon as a skill paradox, according to which immigrants are more likely to be targets of employment discrimination the more skilled they are. Furthermore, building on the common ingroup identity model, we proposed that this paradox can be resolved through human resource management (HRM) strategies that promote inclusive hiring practices (e.g., by emphasizing fit with a diverse clientele). The results from a laboratory experiment were consistent with our predictions: Local recruiters preferred skilled local applicants over skilled immigrant applicants, but only when these applicants were qualified for a specific job. This bias against qualified and skilled immigrant applicants was attenuated when fit with a diverse clientele was emphasized, but not when fit with a homogeneous clientele was emphasized or when the hiring strategy was not explained. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on employment discrimination against skilled immigrants, including the role of inclusiveness for reducing discriminatory biases.

The Spatial effects of transportation on industrial employment

This paper examines the direct and indirect impacts of transport infrastructure on industrial employment. We estimate regressions with spatial econometric methods using data from the Spanish regions for the period 1995-2008. We find that the density of motorways and the amount of port traffic (particularly general non-containerized and container traffic) are significant determinants of industrial employment in the region, while the effects of railway density and the amount of airport traffic are unclear. Our empirical analysis shows the existence of significant negative spatial spillovers for the density of motorways and levels of container port traffic while the impact of general non-containerized port traffic seems to be mainly local.

Modelling the disability severity score in motor insurance claims: an application to the Spanish case

Bodily injury claims have the greatest impact on the claim costs of motor insurance companies. The disability severity of motor claims is assessed in numerous European countries by means of score systems. In this paper a zero inflated generalized Poisson regression model is implemented to estimate the disability severity score of victims in-volved in motor accidents on Spanish roads. We show that the injury severity estimates may be automatically converted into financial terms by insurers at any point of the claim handling process. As such, the methodology described may be used by motor insurers operating in the Spanish market to monitor the size of bodily injury claims. By using insurance data, various applications are presented in which the score estimate of disability severity is of value to insurers, either for computing the claim compensation or for claim reserve purposes.

Is Self-employment a Way to Escape from Skill Mismatches?

During the last two decades, skill mismatches have become one of the most important issues of policy concern in the EU (European Commission, 2008). Hence, the literature has stressed the necessity to reduce skill mismatches. We contribute to this literature by analyzing the impact of the transition from salaried employment to self-employment on self-reported skill mismatches. To do so, we resort to the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) covering the period 1994–2001. Using panel data, we track individuals over time and measure their self-reported skill mismatch before and after the transition. Our empirical findings indicate not only that the average self-employee is less likely to declare being skill-mismatched but also that those individuals who transit from salaried employment to self-employment reduce their probability of skill mismatches after the transition. Keywords: Self-employment, skill mismatches, salaried employment. JEL Classification: L26, J24, B23 __________________________

Pk-yritysten kehittäminen työllisyyden näkökulmasta

Tämän työn tarkoituksena on hahmottaa pk-yrityksien työllistämismahdollisuuksia teollisuuden rakennemuutoksen karsiessa suurteollisuuden työpaikkoja. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään työllistämistä estäviä ja vaikeuttavia tekijöitä pk-yrityksissä sekä pyritään löytämään niihin liittyviä kehittämisehdotuksia. Tutkimus on kirjallisuuspohjainen katsaus, johon liittyy haastattelututkimus, jossa kohderyhmänä ovat julkisen sektorin edustajat ja toisena osapuolena yksityisen sektorin yrittäjät. Tutkimuksen työn pääongelmana on kartoittaa työllistämisesteitä pk-yrityksissä ja etsiä kehittämistoimenpiteitä, joilla työllistämismahdollisuuksien edistämiseksi. Lisäksi etsitään keinoja edistää yrittäjyyttä erityisesti työllisyyden näkökulmasta. Yrittäjyys ja pk-yritykset ovat voimavara, jonka kasvu- ja kehitysongelmia pienentämällä voidaan merkittävästi vaikuttaa uusien työpaikkojen syntymiseen. Työn alaongelmia ovat: irtisanomissuoja, keskitetty työmarkkinajärjestelmä ja ay-liike, työaikamääräykset, työvoimakustannukset ja paikallisen sopimisen puutteellisuus. Muita työllistämisen ongelmia ovat mm. ammattitaitoisen työvoiman saanti, työttömyysturva ja ensimmäisen työntekijän palkkaaminen. Työn lopputuloksina esitetään mm. irtisanomissuojan heikentämistä, ay-liikkeen saamista mukaan paikalliseen sopimiseen ja joustoihin, työaikamääräysten joustoja, työvoimakustannuksista verotuksen kannustavammaksi rakentamista ja sova-maksujen porrastamista pk-yrityksille oikealla tavalla ja paikallisen sopimisen vahvistamista. Lisäksi työttömyys-turvaa tulee muuttaa kannustavammaksi, ammattitaitoisen työvoiman saantia edistää ja ensimmäisen työntekijän palkkaamista on tuettava.

Pk-yritysten kehittäminen työllisyyden näkökulmasta

Tämän työn tarkoituksena on hahmottaa pk-yrityksien työllistämismahdollisuuksia teollisuuden rakennemuutoksen karsiessa suurteollisuuden työpaikkoja. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään työllistämistä estäviä ja vaikeuttavia tekijöitä pk-yrityksissä sekä pyritään löytämään niihin liittyviä kehittämisehdotuksia. Tutkimus on kirjallisuuspohjainen katsaus, johon liittyy haastattelututkimus, jossa kohderyhmänä ovat julkisen sektorin edustajat ja toisena osapuolena yksityisen sektorin yrittäjät. Tutkimuksen työn pääongelmana on kartoittaa työllistämisesteitä pk-yrityksissä ja etsiä kehittämistoimenpiteitä, joilla työllistämismahdollisuuksien edistämiseksi. Lisäksi etsitään keinoja edistää yrittäjyyttä erityisesti työllisyyden näkökulmasta. Yrittäjyys ja pk-yritykset ovat voimavara, jonka kasvu- ja kehitysongelmia pienentämällä voidaan merkittävästi vaikuttaa uusien työpaikkojen syntymiseen. Työn alaongelmia ovat: irtisanomissuoja, keskitetty työmarkkinajärjestelmä ja ay-liike, työaikamääräykset, työvoimakustannukset ja paikallisen sopimisen puutteellisuus. Muita työllistämisen ongelmia ovat mm. ammattitaitoisen työvoiman saanti, työttömyysturva ja ensimmäisen työntekijän palkkaaminen. Työn lopputuloksina esitetään mm. irtisanomissuojan heikentämistä, ay-liikkeen saamista mukaan paikalliseen sopimiseen ja joustoihin, työaikamääräysten joustoja, työvoimakustannuksista verotuksen kannustavammaksi rakentamista ja sova-maksujen porrastamista pk-yrityksille oikealla tavalla ja paikallisen sopimisen vahvistamista. Lisäksi työttömyysturvaa tulee muuttaa kannustavammaksi, ammattitaitoisen työvoiman saantia edistää ja ensimmäisen työntekijän palkkaamista on tuettava.

Stress testing practices in risk management - Empirical evidence from the Finnish banking and insurance sectors

The main purpose of this study was to analyze how stress tests are used in risk management in the Finnish banking and insurance sectors. In order to enhance understanding of the topic, stress testing was explored in the context of corporate governance and regulato-ry implications of Basel II and Solvency II on stress testing were examined. In addition, the effects of the global financial crisis on stress testing were mapped and the differences in stress testing practices between the banking and insurance sector were discussed. The research method was qualitative case study and it was conducted by interviewing risk managers from ten institutions and a representative from FIN-FSA. Findings pointed out that stress testing practices vary significantly between different institutions. Interesting observations were made in terms of stress testing practices in the banking and insurance sectors. The increasing importance and use of stress tests were recognized as a result of the financial crisis. Stress testing was even considered more like art than science given the amount of challenges it involves. In general, improvements in stress tests were suggested, with an emphasis on stress concentration between different types of risks.

IT service catalog : a case study of the implementation need in a Pan-Nordic Insurance Company

IT service catalog is an increasingly important issue as many IT organizations have been realizing it as a central communication and visualization tool to bridge the gap between IT and the business. This study reviews relevant literature on IT service catalog and related issues on IT services delivery. Furthermore, the study shows how IT service catalog can enhance IT effectiveness as well as provide more benefits when integrating with Configuration Management Database. In order to analyze whether IT service catalog is needed to be implemented in a Pan-Nordic Insurance Company, this study also investigates the current IT services delivery of a case study. The findings of the study show the problems in the current situation of IT services delivery in the case. The characteristics of IT service catalog are recommended in order to help with the mentioned flaws.

Configuration management process improvement : a case study of a Pan-Nordic insurance company

Configuration management is often seen as an enabler for the main IT Service Management (ITSM) processes such as Incident and Problem management. A decent level of quality of IT configuration data is required in order to carry out routines of these processes. This case study examines the state of configuration management in a multinational organization and aims at identification of methods for its improvement. The author has stayed five months with this company in order to collect different sources of evidence and to make observations. The main source of data for this study is interviews with some of the key employees of the assigned organization who are involved into the ITSM processes. This study concludes the maturity level of the existing configuration management process to be repeatable but intuitive, and outlines the principal requirements for its improvement. A match between the requirements identified in the organization and the requirements stated in the ISO/IEC 20000 standard indicates the possibility of adopting ITIL guidelines as a method for configuration management process improvement. The outcome of the study presents a set of recommendations for improvement that considers the process, the information model and the information system for configuration management in the case organization.

The geographic dynamics of industry employment in Brazilian metropolitan areas: lessons for São Paulo

ABSTRACTWe discuss historic trends in large metropolitan areas in Brazil showing that manufacturing has decreased its share in the country but the movement was, in general, more intense in large metropolitan areas and particularly in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA). This movement was more intense in the 1980s and in the first half of the 1990s. From mid 1990s up to the end of the 2000s, the manufacturing share trend became flat. We speculate that the first period reflects the exhaustion of the process of import substitution that took place in the previous three decades (1950 to 1980). The second period, from 1993 to 2009, is representative of a new model of growth and the evidence that manufacturing share became flat is reinforcing the idea of a new period in terms of manufacturing employment. While concentration has risen from 1996 to 2005, it decreased again in the second half of the first decade of the 2000s. The SPMA reinvented itself very quickly from late 1970s to mid-2000s.

Self-directedness, personality type and success in self- employment

The new economy has spirited a transformation ofwork organizations from big business structures into smaller, more flexible enterprises, many of which are launched as self-employment initiatives. The growing trend towards increasing selfemployment in Canada demands aeritical review of how educational programs support and encourage entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities for students ofpost-secondary and adult training programs. The focus ofthis study was threefold. First, the study examined whether a relationship exists between self-directedness and success in self-employment. Secondly, the purpose of this research was to determine whether a relationship exists between psychological type as defined by Jung and success in selfemployment. Finally, this research effort attempted to develop a model for identifying individual potential for self-employment based on combined factors of self-directedness and psychological type. Success was measured in three stages: 1) Did the subject start a selfemployment initiative? 2) Did the business survive six months? 3) Did the business survive one year? The research went beyond classroom training activities to determine whether individuals actually started a business enterprise while participating ina self-employment program designed for individuals who were unemployed. Given that many people initiate a self-employment venture.without actually operating the business beyond the initial start-up, this research effort measured success based on a commitment of at least one year to the selfemployment initiative. Results ofthe study revealed that individuals with a high level of selfdirected learning readiness tended to be more likely to succeed in business in terms ofbusiness starts, survival for six months, and survival for one year. In addition, it was discovered that individuals who were extraverted intuitive types succeeded more often in business at all three levels than any other type. These findings supported a model using the SDLRS and the PET Type Check as predictors for success in entrepreneurial ventures.