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The article proposes a conceptual framework for exploring processes of expert knowledge creation in policy fields using recent advances in the sociological field theory. It rests on an observation that policy fields are no longer autonomous, but increasingly embedded in public life, and include actors from other fields who create knowledge for policy-making. While existing research clarifies many aspects of the relationship between expertise and policy-making, little is known about how multiple interrelated actors create expert knowledge and how this knowledge is institutionalized in policy fields. Addressing this gap, the article outlines mechanisms of expert knowledge creation in policy fields. It argues that actors mediating between different field domains succeed in creating influential expert knowledge, as they combine knowledge from disconnected areas and influence the operation of field-level mechanisms. Drawing on examples from the literature, the authors demonstrate the application of the theoretical framework to examine difficult-to-observe knowledge creation mechanisms operating in policy fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The goal of this article is to conduct macro-level analysis of human capital (HC) development strategies, pursued by four countries commonly referred to as BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). Design/methodology/approach: This analysis is based on comparisons of macro indices of human capital and innovativeness of the economy and a review of related academic literature and government publications. Findings: The study results suggest that in terms of present human capital capacity Russia and Brazil are ahead of China and India. However, during the last decade the governments of the latter two countries have initiated impressive national programs of HC development, which include significant investment and targeted government regulation in such areas as primary and secondary education, vocational education and training, and higher education, especially in science and technology fields. Russia and Brazil have targeted programs in some of the above areas, but lack comprehensive long-term strategies, covering all the above areas and coordinating effort of various agencies and constituencies. Research limitations/implications: It is recommended to expand the scope of analysis to include other fast growing developing economies (e.g. Mexico, Indonesia, and Turkey). Originality/value: The article provides, for the first time, a comparison of human capital development indices and strategies of the four largest developing economies. The original feature of the article is a combination of the analysis of macro-level indices with an in-depth analysis of policy documents and academic literature. (Contains 6 tables.)

Changes in Russian education are described: one-third of children are being educated at home; state universities face dwindling financial support; private institutions are being established; freedom of curriculum design has replaced uniform pedagogical processes; and new forms of higher education are emerging. (SK)

The literature suggests that the success of innovation clusters is based on personal networks that connect members of scientific, educational, and business organizations, stimulating more formalized cross-boundary collaborations between the three sectors. But it is still unclear if such organizational collaborations actually correspond with these personal ties and which aspects of personal communication are most strongly associated with organizational collaborations. To investigate these issues, the authors applied network analysis to study an innovation cluster in Algarve, Portugal. They found that cross-boundary organizational collaborations corresponded with personal ties. Moreover, they found that collaborations appeared to correlate most strongly with emotional attachments between individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the theoretical framework provided by sociological research on eating practices, family meals, self-cooked meals and time use, this study examines national differences and similarities in the use of convenience food in Northern Europe. The study draws on two quantitative sets of data, the primary data set ( N = 8248) collected in 2012 in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and the complementary data set ( N = 800) collected in St. Petersburg area in 2013. In general, consumers' attitudes towards convenience food were negative. Time saving was an important motivator for convenience consumption in all countries. The effects of other attitudes were diffuse and factors such as low cost, health effects, and taste of convenience food, affected convenience consumption differently in different countries. In the four Nordic countries women used less convenience food than men. In Finland and in Norway older respondents used convenience food less often than the young. Generally, the use of convenience food was most frequent among those living alone. The effects of education and occupation were small, implying that the phase of life is more important than social stratification in explaining convenience food consumption. In the St. Petersburg data, there were no differences related to social background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss educational technologies that meet modern requirements for training and retraining managers. The authors demonstrate the potential of interactive learning technologies in the development of independent thinking of graduates as an example of implementation of Graduate School of Management (GSOM), St Petersburg University, educational programs. Design/methodology/approach – The data in this paper are drawn from a survey by the authors in 2010 of students attending the programs for executives in GSOM (n=49). Findings – The survey reported that intellectual competitions contribute to achieving independence of participants thinking. The most popular intellectual competitions methods are panel discussion (first place); simulation games with varying roles (team-consultant and team-client) and case studies (second place), and modeling professional situations with limited information in writing and calculations (third place). Research limitations and implications – It would be valuable to explore similar questions with a larger sample of program participants as well, as it would be valuable to gather longitudinal data to explore how students' preferences regarding intellectual competitions methods change, and why. Originality/value – The authors prove the feasibility of intellectual competition as the technology of training, oriented to the development of independent thinking and creativity of executives and describe the experience of using this technology in business education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we argue that institutional conditions should be taken into consideration when consumers trust in food safety is analysed. Our survey results demonstrate that levels of trust in food safety varies considerably across our three selected countries: Russian consumers expressing the lowest level of trust, Norwegian consumers the highest and Danish consumers expressing levels of trust in food safety which were in between. We find empirical evidence in all countries that consumers trust in food safety is related to their evaluation of how their national food control authorities perform, as well as to what extend they trust market mechanisms to secure food quality. However, while trust in food safety in the Scandinavian countries is more likely to rest on trust in public food control, trust in food safety more often depend on trust in market mechanisms in the St. Petersburg region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]