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COVID-19 put people, organizations and societies under immense stress. That stress was related to fear. Fear meant trust was lost. When trust was lost, business and people were badly damaged, resulting in a massive societal disruption. The Old Normal from before the pandemic was based on presence at work, and the Pandemic Normal during the pandemic has been based on remote work; we believe that after the pandemic a New Normal based on hybrid work will be the dominant one. The three stages, Old Normal, Pandemic Normal and New Normal are all analysed from the perspective of the PPT (People, Processes and Technology) model of knowledge management (Edwards 2011). Underlying the analysis is the concept of safety as it refers to health, and especially perceptions of safety. Measures taken to prevent and/or mitigate the effects of COVID-19, such as lockdowns and compulsory wearing of masks, were completely beyond what most people, especially in Europe, Australasia and the Americas, had ever experienced. Assuming that government has a duty to ensure that its citizens feel safe, we look at both the pandemic period and the future in the light of this responsibility. The PPT model is used to consider various aspects of the situation, concentrating on the UK and Portugal as examples. The analysis includes what planning took place beforehand (if any), what preventative measures were put in place and when, how testing and contact tracing was organised and its links to the preventative measures, and the non-clinical aspects of vaccination and treatment. We consider what proved to be effective and what did not – at times a moving target; what lessons were learned during the pandemic; and crucially what lessons have been or should be learned for the future. Using the PPT terminology, the most critical area to get right seems to be the linkages from People to Processes.

Purpose The aim of the paper is to propose an integrative model of the leader competences through the analysis of the several models of competence found in the literature review. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used was qualitative, based partially on an integrative literature review (Torraco 2016). This paper aims to review, update and criticize the literature related to the competences approach in the organizational context and, on the other hand, to review, criticize and synthesize the literature, namely, the models and competences. Findings Difficulties in choosing and implementing a leader competency model led to the integration of competencies in a single model, seeking to simplify the choice and implementation process in organizations. The integrative model of leader competences arises from the literature review, more specifically from the analysis of the different approaches found. This model is grouped into four dimensions – intellectual competences, management competences, social competences and emotional competences. This research is a contribution to reduce the fragmentation of leadership and management theories and facilitates the choice and implementation of a leader competence model suited to the organization’s needs, contributing to the leadership effectiveness. Originality/value The integrative model of the leader competences allows the choice and implementation of a competence model with a wide range of competences considered as essential in the organizational context by several researchers. This model simplifies the process of identifying the competences that need to be developed, feeding the human resources development process within the organization.

In this paper we analyse the situation of the Portuguese Economy referring to the Covid-19. We start by contextualizing in the problematic “Bubble – Miracle” as described by Tomé, 2018. We then analyse the current situation in a Macroeconomic way, according to eight specific questions, and then we specify regarding four sectors, namely tourism, education, the public sector, and the industrial sector. We conclude that the Covid-19 is the ultimate and unexpected test to the Portuguese economy, and that it will contribute to solving the “Bubble vs. Miracle” question. Rather curiously, we believe that the Covid-19 will accelerate the change to the “Miracle” society, because solving the crisis will require changes that will direct the society towards the “Miracle” paradigm and will distance Portugal from the old and “Bubble” one.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of the investment in training in education by the European Social Fund (ESF) in four Eastern countries, namely, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Hungary. Those countries have some political, cultural, social and economic similarities and share some common ground in the human resource development (HRD) sectors. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the human capital theory with some extensions to analyze the context, operations and impacts of the ESF in the Visegrad four (V4) countries between 2007 and 2013. The authors use three levels of methodology to access each one of those problems. Findings The authors conclude that the ESF helped building the vocational training system in those countries, and to help them get near the equilibrium of high skills of the V4 Western European neighbors, and therefore, this one was a success story. However, quality issues remain to be addressed that may hinder the continuation of the success in the future. Research limitations/implications The research could be enlarged in time and space and deepened in terms of methodology. This is one a first clarifying step. Theoretical work should become aware of the dichotomy between absorption and scientific logic. Practical implications Detailed and precise evaluation practices must be implemented to guide and assess the policy. Social implications Precisely because funds are scarce this paper enlights the dilemma and the tension between quantity and quality in the European HRD policy, this is an important social problem. Originality/value The study is original because even if the HRD in those countries had already been studied (Sheehan and Buchelt, 2016), no study analyzing specifically the ESF in those countries has been carried out so far. The authors use an innovative methodology and address questions on context, operations and impact, which are also innovative and very relevant.

The paper aims to examine the Human Resource Development (HRD) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) in Poland between 2007 and 2013. The research is based on theories that support HRD investment specifically in SMEs, and uses the Human Capital Theory (HCT) with some extensions. The paper addresses the question of public support in HRD and international support for development purposes. Finally it stresses that the support may have national and international implications. The research methodology involved a series of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in a sample of 44 SMEs that received EU funding for HRD. It also included computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI) with experts in the ESF, participant observation and analysis of the project documentation. The findings indicate that the ESF effort of international scope had a positive impact in Polish SMEs.

The current pandemic is, above all, a crisis of knowledge—Humanity had to find a vaccine, and now we are not sure how to behave socially to minimize the pandemic bad effects. For organizations, this situation requires an update in the reflection regarding both the strategy and the actions that should be performed. Therefore, the current crisis requires new ways of applying knowledge strategies and dealing with dynamic capabilities. We first analyze the two questions (knowledge strategies and dynamic capabilities) in abstract and general terms, and then we specifically focus on business education during the COVID-19 crisis. We conclude that COVID-19 creates a need for all knowledge strategies in terms of business education. Data, information, knowledge, and wisdom will be needed, above all, it requires the Unknown-Knowns, which is the basis for Knowledge Sharing, and the Unknown-Unknowns that base Knowledge Exploration because both Knowledge Exploitation and Knowledge Acquisition are strategies business schools use to perform in times of crisis. They are more difficult to implement because both the Known-Knowns and the Known-Unknowns are less valuable to solve a crisis like this one: all this will result in “agile universities”, which will be (and already are) those that will use the right strategies and the right dynamic capabilities and will have better results. The paper is original because we link Knowledge Management and Human Resources Development Concepts to generate a broader and more comprehensive understanding of the organizational behavior about a very specific problem—business education—in a very specific time of the COVID-19 crisis. The limits of the paper relate to the evolution of society itself, we do not know when the crisis will end, and we are not sure how much of the “new normal” will remain in the “post-COVID-19” situation. The topic and analysis are of interest for practitioners because daily, they experience how their reality changed and their need to adapt, yet they do not know how. This topic and analysis are also of interest to scholars because science is based on questions, explaining and providing ways to improve one’s reality. COVID-19 has shown us, dramatically and uniquely, the need for new solutions in times of peace.

Background The incidence of totally implantable catheter fracture ranges from 0.48% to 5.00%, and these fractures represent a potentially fatal complication. The fracture mechanism of catheters implanted via the jugular vein is unclear, and whether extreme arm movements represent an additional risk factor for repetitive stress of the material remains unknown. The aim of this study was to demonstrate and classify catheter deformations caused by extreme arm mobilization and associations with changes in catheter function and displacement. Methods We analyzed the fluoroscopy images of 60 consecutive patients undergoing long-term indwelling port implantation via the jugular vein. Three images were taken: arm in maximal abduction, maximal frontal elevation, and maximal adduction. The images were compared with an image of the remainder of the arm. We analyzed three catheter regions to classify the deformity: A, connection between catheter and reservoir; B, the catheter's subcutaneous tunnel; and C, the catheter's entrance in the jugular vein. The deformations were classified in comparative manner as follows: 0 (no changes), 1 (minor changes, new slightly curvatures with an angle of >90°), and 2 (major changes, new severe curvatures with angles of ≤90°). In each position, catheter function (injection and aspiration) and displacement of the reservoir and tip were analyzed. Results Only 15% of patients did not show a deformity; 33.3% had a deformity in only one position, 47.7% in two positions, and 10% in three positions. Minor deformities were observed in 70% of patients and major deformities in 40%. Moreover, 25% of patients presented both major and minor deformities. Major deformities were observed in 25.0% of patients on maximal frontal elevation, in 23.3% on maximal adduction and in none on maximal abduction. Region B was the most affected, with 57.8% of all minor deformities and 78.1% of all major deformities. No change in function was noted in 91.7% of the catheters. Maximal arm adduction resulted in greater vertical and horizontal displacement of the catheter tip and horizontal displacement of the reservoir. Higher body mass index values were associated with major deformities. Conclusions Maximal frontal elevation and maximal adduction were associated with major catheter deformities, and the subcutaneous tunnel region was the most deformed catheter region. An association between major catheter deformity and high body mass index was noted; in contrast, no association between the severity of catheter deformity, tip or reservoir displacement, or worsened functioning was observed.

This chapter analyses the evolution of theories and practices on the evaluation of Human Resource Development (HRD) since University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) conferences began in 1999. It seeks to identify new ideas about future trends in the field by reviewing publications in known databases and on the UFHRD website. The evolution of theories and practices are compared with the pre-existing theory on evaluation. This chapter tries to capture trends in this monumental intellectual effort carried out over the last 20 years. It concludes that the theory was densified, practice was diversified and both theory and practice were globalised. It is also believed that the next 20 years will bring even more densification, diversification and globalisation to the field.

This work aims analyze if citizens believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) may have the ability to replace humans in society. The question has become very important and sensible in the public domain, particularly since 4.0 technology was created and digitalization was implemented. A literature review on the topic was conducted and five sub areas of interest were defined, related to, and namely robots and AI in Human Resources, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, Organizations and Society. Due to the innovative characteristic of the study, a questionnaire was developed, composed of 30 questions and a 5 points Liekert scale. The study was implemented in Portugal. An exploratory factorial analysis was performed and 5 new factors were defined. The paper presents the results for the 5 initial questions and the five new factors. It was found that people accept that robots will have a massive influence in society but quite crucially, they will never succeed have emotions or feelings – and these are very interesting results. The studies’ main limitation is the small sample size, and we would like to see it replicated worldwide, particularly because we found a valid scale of 5 items. Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar se os cidadãos acreditam que a Inteligência Artificial (IA) pode ter a capacidade de substituir os seres humanos na sociedade. A questão se tornou muito importante e sensível no domínio público, principalmente desde que a tecnologia 4.0 foi criada e a digitalização foi implementada. Foi realizada uma revisão da literatura sobre o tema e foram definidas cinco subáreas de interesse, relacionadas a robôs e IA em Recursos Humanos, Gestão de Recursos Humanos, Desenvolvimento de Recursos Humanos, Organizações e Sociedade. Devido à característica inovadora do estudo, foi desenvolvido um questionário composto por 30 questões e uma escala de Liekert de 5 pontos. O estudo foi implementado em Portugal. Foi realizada análise fatorial exploratória e foram definidos 5 novos fatores. O artigo apresenta os resultados para as 5 questões iniciais e os cinco novos fatores. Verificou-se que as pessoas aceitam que os robôs terão uma influência maciça na sociedade, mas, de maneira crucial, eles nunca conseguirão ter emoções ou sentimentos - e esses são resultados muito interessantes. A principal limitação dos estudos é o tamanho pequeno da amostra e gostaríamos de vê-lo replicado em todo o mundo, principalmente porque encontramos uma escala válida de 5 itens. &nbsp

The purpose of this paper is to make sense of the situation of Knowledge Management in the BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The question is important because we believe that in the current world economy the emergence of any country will be done first and foremost by using knowledge and by managing knowledge. Using an analogy from the Human Resources national studies we believe there are low, medium and high equilibria regarding the knowledge economy. We analyze the five BRICS according to the following methodology: 1 Context background; 2 Broad KM systems; 3 Institutional actors; 4 Political contexts; 5. KM systems at the national level; 6. Organizational KM; 7. Impact; and 8. Summary. We concluded that KM is a good investment for the BRICS, but it is still a very rare one. South Africa stands a cut above the other countries being benefited by the smaller dimension and the relations with the Western UK, and the USA led investments; also the fact that the regime change happened when the Knowledge economy was beginning, helped. China, Russia, India, and Brazil are four giants that will emerge stronger and faster the more and the better they will use KM. So as implications, we expect a bright future of KM in the 21st century, as bright as the BRICS future! The BRICS emergence will only be consolidated by KM. and KM will dominate the world with the BRICS emergence. The study is only the first step in what could be a major field of research, and that its limitation and suggestion for research.

This case history critically reflects upon the implementation of an OCD initiative designed to improve the efficiency and productivity of management meetings and team meetings within one part of a large multinational financial bank situated in Portugal. It describes why the initial change strategy failed, and how a subsequent evidence-based approach to change agency practice helped bring about more effectively the desired improvements in the behavior and performance of managers and staff when attending meetings.

Purpose – This paper aims to explore whether individual intellectual capital of a fund manager allows mutual fund to outperform market. Design/methodology/approach – The sample includes 85 Russian equity funds for the period of 2013. First, Jensen’s alpha for each fund has been calculated, and then cross-sectional regression analysis has been used. While only a part of fund managers publish biographic sketches, the authors use the Heckman procedure to control for self-selection issues. Findings – The results support the idea that the individual characteristics indicate the possibility to earn abnormal alpha. Managers with economic education and with Moscow education perform better than others. Relationship between both fund performance measures and manager’s experience has inverted U-shape. Jensen’s alpha reaches its highest level at the point of 9 years, whereas beta – at 10 years of manager’s experience. Research limitations/implications – Investigation can be improved by including more variables that influence the disclosure of managers’ personal information, for example, by conducting surveys. Additionally, cross-sectional data restrict the analysis. Practical implications – The discovered characteristics of managers’ intellectual capital can be used as additional screening tool for the investor who is deciding on mutual fund choice in Russia. While individual intellectual capital is observable and more persistent in time in comparison with the past fund performance, such tool allows better decision-making. Originality/value – This is the first paper that explores which characteristics of Russian fund managers are connected with higher abnormal return (measured by Jensen’s alpha) and risk (beta) of mutual funds.

The growth of technological modernization, associated to increased specialization, has contributed to important changes in the structure and positioning of companies, with a demand for more sophisticated and more innovative instruments of intervention. Intellectual capital constitutes the source which can meet these demands and is capable of generating wealth. It is found in people, structures and customers. In this new economy, information and knowledge – the main components of intellectual capital – are the main factors in the creation of value, producing intangible assets of great importance in companies. Thus, knowledge constitutes the most important resource for companies. This paper focuses on the theme of continuous education and its repercussion on the intellectual capital of companies, as well as on its market value. Thus it aims to analyse the existing correlations between these variables. The study will focus on companies quoted on the Portuguese Stock Market in the period (2011-2013).To analyse the relationship between investment in continuous education and the market value relevance of the company’s intangibles, will be used Tobin’s Q (Andriessen, 2004). There is empirical evidence that intellectual capital increases companies’ market value. Studies have shown that investment in training results in an increase in worker productivity which, in turn, is translated into an increase in financial performance and, consequently, on market value of the companies. The implementation of policies for continuous training is a way of disseminating individual and organizational knowledge, which can be translated into an increase in the human and intellectual capital of companies.

We analyse if intellectual capital can have an impact in political terms namely in what comes to influence the outcome of elections. We base our analysis in usual and well-known concepts and theories about intellectual capital which has been widely used in relation with companies, organisations, and regions, and that in this paper we extend to apply to billionaires in the context of political power. We find that both conceptually and in practice intellectual capital seems to have a major impact in the political process and in the political results, particularly when it is the case of billionaires. Intellectual capital generates billionaires and is also a major enabler of the political success of billionaires. However, and quite decisively, intellectual capital only becomes decisive if billionaires are good at political knowledge management. Finally, this influence in elections is itself a mirror of the growing influence of intellectual capital in societies.

This paper presents the first draft of a future World Atlas on Intellectual Capital (IC). We believe IC is a global phenomenon and that analysing the distribution of IC in the world can help understanding much of the social and economic problems of today. The Atlas is made according to an economic point of view. therefore we analyse IC through twelve relevant economic issues: demand, supply, equilibrium, price, quantity, market forces, role of the State, investment, stock, need, international flows and returns. Those twelve economic perspectives are grouped in four classes: market, agents, assets and international flows. For a start we use twelve economic spaces: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Muslim World, Latin America and Mexico, the Anglo-Saxon countries, Russia, India, China, Japan and the Asian Tigers. We achieve the description of a very complex, but very valuable, socio-economic mosaic. We depict the difference between many of those areas in IC terms and as a result the difference in their socio and economic well-being. We hope to carry on the study in order to make a book on IC distribution in the world. Contributions are welcome.Classification-JEL: R00, Z0

O presente trabalho propõe pesquisar a relação entre processos mentais, improvisação musical e performance. Realiza essa investigação partindo da perspectiva da psicologia cognitiva das décadas de 1980 e 1990 que concebe a improvisação musical enquanto um sistema de expertise. Incorpora à pesquisa as novas abordagens fundamentadas em princípios da neurociência realizadas na primeira década do século XXI, que investigam a improvisação enquanto um comportamento criativo espontâneo e, através de experimentos com neuroimagem funcional, buscam as possíveis bases cerebrais para a criatividade. O objetivo deste estudo é apropriar-se de parte do conhecimento produzido pela psicologia cognitiva e pela neurociência acerca dos mecanismos psicológicos e neurobiológicos que geram a improvisação, a fim de sugerir possíveis interfaces entre esse conhecimento, as rotinas de estudo do músico improvisador e as estratégias pedagógicas do professor de improvisação. This paper intends to research the relationship between mental processes, musical improvisation and performance. The investigation starts from the cognitive psychology perspective in the 1980s and 1990s, considered a system of expertise, and go forward on new approaches, based on principles of neuroscience from the first decade of this century, that understood the cognitive psychology as a creative and spontaneous behavior. Through experiments with functional neuroimaging, the study reffered here in seeks the possible cerebral basis for creativity. The aim of this study is to appropriate part of the knowledge, produced by cognitive psychology and neuroscience, about the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms that generate improvisation. The research suggests, eventually, possible interfaces between cognitive psychology and neuroscience, the routines of study for an improvising musician and the pedagogical strategies of a teacher of improvisation.

1. Global Human Resource Development: Landscaping the Anatomy of an Evolving Field Thomas N. Garavan, Alma M. McCarthy and Michael J. Morley Section 1: Asia and Oceania 2. Human Resource Development in Australia and New Zealand Peter McGraw and Robin Kramar 3. Human Resource Development in East Asia Roziah Mohd Rasdi and Maimunah Ismail 4. Human Resource Development in South Asia Satish Pandey, Gertrude I. Hewapathirana and Dinyar M. Pestonjee 5. Human Resource Development in China and North Korea Judy Sun and Greg Wang 6. Human Resource Development in Malaysia and Singapore Maimunah Ismail and Roziah Mohd Rasdi Section 2: Africa and the Middle East 7. Human Resource Development in Sub-Saharan Africa Fredrick M. Nafukho and Helen M. A. Muyia 8. Human Resource Development in Middle East Hussain A. Alhejji and Thomas N. Garavan 9. Human Resource Development in North Africa Hussain A. Alhejji and Thomas N. Garavan Section 3: The Americas 10. Human Resource Development in Canada and the United States Gary N. McLean and Nadir Budhwani 11. Human Resource Development in Latin America Consuelo L. Waight, Jose Ernesto Rangel Delgado and Johana Lopez 12. Human Resource Development in Brazil Renato Ferreira Leitao Azevedo, Alexandre Ardichvili, Silvia Casa Nova and Edgard B. Cornacchione Jr. Section 4: Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the Former Soviet Union 13. Human Resource Development in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Maura Sheehan and Beata Buchelt 14. Human Resource Development in Russia and the Former Soviet Union Alexandre Ardichvili, Elena Zavyalova and Oleksandr Tkachenko Section 5: Western Europe 15. Human Resource Development in Ireland and the UK Alma M. McCarthy 16. Human Resource Development in the Nordic Countries Britta H. Heidl and Indravidoushi C. Dusoye 17. Human Resource Development in Germanic Europe Regina H. Mulder and Loek F.M. Nieuwenhuis 18. Human Resource Development in Southern Europe Eduardo Tome Section 6: Emerging Markets 19. Human Resource Development in CIVETS Thomas N. Garavan and Mesut Akdere

PurposeThis article aims to review the application of the funds awarded by the European Social Fund (ESF) to Portugal, since 1986, from a human resource development (HRD) perspective.Design/methodology/approachSeveral variables are analyzed: investment, absorption, people, impact of investment, evolution of skills, main programs, supply and demand for training and the role of the state.FindingsThe main conclusion of the paper is that, even if the ESF was extremely important in quantitative terms in Portugal, its qualitative implications were modest.Research limitations/implicationsThe Portuguese ESF case should be compared with other national cases in the European Union and elsewhere. The ESF patterns should be compared with other cases of international support made by multinationals, non‐governmental organizations or bodies like the World Bank or the United Nations.Practical implicationsEuropean monetary stability and integration has to be based on social stability and integration. The ESF consequences in the “national” HRD markets may be far‐reaching, effectively defining the main elements of the HRD market. Great attention should be paid to positive impacts while defining the priorities of the ESF intervention.Social implicationsThe ESF was responsible for the funding of a very considerable part of the Portuguese training market. Precisely because of that huge importance, quality is a very important issue.Originality/valueThe article is an attempt to analyze and evaluate 20 years of intervention in the HRD field with an international dimension in a relatively poor and struggling country in European terms.

PurposeIn July 2009 the Universidade Lusíada de Famalicão organized the International Conference on Managing Services in the Knowledge Economy 2009 (MSKE 2009). http://clegi.fam.ulusiada.pt/MSKE2009/. MSKE 2009 was an interesting forum which gathered 60 specialists from 20 countries in different areas such as knowledge management, intellectual capital, human resource development, social policy, law and international economics. In the human resource development field, five relevant contributions were selected to compose the current issue. The purpose of this introductory paper is to review the literature on the role of human resource development (HRD) in the current knowledge based and services driven economy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the importance of knowledge as a crucial economic factor and the importance of services as the main area of economic business. It shows how HRD relates to services and knowledge.FindingsStarting at the time of the Agricultural Revolution when human resources (HR) were marginally considered, the paper ends in the globalized and technologic advanced world of 2010 in which HR are a decisive production factor and are analyzed by different very important scientific perspectives. Crucially, in the present new order of the world, services are the main economic sector in advanced countries. The important role of HRD as a factor of success in a world dominated by services and knowledge is explained. The major open questions and controversies related to HRD are enumerated.Research limitations/implicationsQuite a number of open questions remain in the HRD field. Those questions relate to individuals, educational system, organizations, and to society as a whole. Those questions are analyzed in detail in this introduction. The current special issue includes papers dealing with five separate topics related to the open questions: academic curricula needed for the service sector; role of universities and workplace work‐related arrangements of the educational system; intellectual capital management; career advancement; career aspirations.Originality/valueThe paper introduces the special issue of the Journal of European Industrial Training on “HRD in the knowledge based and services driven economy”.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze critically the most important methods that are used in the evaluation of human resource development (HRD).Design/methodology/approachThe approach is to ask two questions: What are the methods available to define the impact of HRD in the economy? How can we evaluate the evaluations that have been made?FindingsThere are two main perspectives to evaluate any program, by results (counting occurrences) and by impacts (calculating the differences the investment made in the society). The first type of method does not find the impact of the program, the second type does.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis is limited by existing studies on HRD. The implications are that the conditions that underline the existence of HRD programs define the type of evaluation that is used.Originality/valueThe results of this paper put the evaluation problem in a new perspective. It explains the difference between methodologies (results and impacts) and scientific fields used (public administration, social policy, HRD, KM, IC, microeconomics, HR economics) by the type of person responsible: public administrator, private manager, HRD expert, knowledge manager, IC expert, microeconomist. The differences between the applications of those methodologies based on the type of funding – private, public, external – are also explained.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to analyse critically the youth labour market (YLM) and the YLM policies in Portugal. The analysis covers essentially the period after 1986, when Portugal entered the European Union.Design/methodology/approachThe paper consists of three main sections. In the first the main players dealt with (government, private sector, third sector) are defined, and the main theories on the YLM exposed. In the second section the evolution of the YLM and of the YLM policies in Portugal, are analysed in three main phases. In the third section the paper's conclusions are presented, and some further research is suggested.FindingsUntil 1986 YLM policy in Portugal was almost non‐existent. Then, as a consequence of the adhesion to the European Communities, massive investments began to be made. As a consequence, in the last 20 years, young persons (less than 25 years of age) have been given much more support in the labour market than older persons (more than 25 years‐of‐age). That advantage means that since 1986 quality, and not quantity, is the problem of YLM policies in Portugal.Research limitations/implicationsThe study should be complemented with a large microeconomic analysis of the “young” and “old” cohort. The findings suggest that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, “young” persons have been given too much support in the last years, and more support should be given to “older” members of the workforce, especially the least qualified. The problem with the support to “young” people is quality, not quantitiy.Originality/valueThe paper provides an analysis of the development of a Portuguese Education and Training (E&T) strategy. Few studies in the field of E&T and Human Resources Development (HRD) have emanated from Portugal and this paper presents an opportunity to gain an insight into Portuguese developments in the field.

This chapter examines the cross-cultural influence of training on the adjustment of international assignees. We focus on the pre-departure training (PDT) before an international assignment. It is an important topic because in the globalized world of today more and more expatriations are needed. The absence of PDT may generate the failure of the expatriation experience. Companies may neglect PDT due to cost reduction practices and ignorance of the need for it. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to 42 Portuguese international assignees and 18 organizational representatives from nine Portuguese companies. The results suggest that companies should develop PDT programs, particularly when the cultural distance to the host country is bigger and when there is no previous experience of expatriation to that country in the company. The study is original because it details in depth the methods of PDT, its problems, and consequences. Some limitations linked to the research design and detailed in the conclusion should be overcome in future studies.

PurposeTo compare in a fruitful way the human resources (HR) policies that exist in the European Union (EU) and in the United States of America (USA). Nowadays, the world is evolving to a situation in which big economic spaces like Brazil, Russia, India, China, Japan, the EU and the USA are becoming dominant. Those spaces can learn from one another on how to guide their HR policies. The comparison between the EU and the USA is further justifiable because the EU seeks to become the world leader by 2010, and is facing a strong “neo‐liberal” ideological trend.Design/methodology/approachHaving in mind the known theories on HR, the various types of welfare states that may underlie HR policies and also some basic questions regarding the practical organization of those policies are analyzed.FindingsThe EU comprises five different types of welfare states, the USA one. Regarding specific aspects of HR policies, for example, the role of the Federal authority, redistribution, eligibility and policy priorities and the evaluation procedures, the USA has the edge over the EU.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an initial work. Further analysis could be made both enlarging the analysis to another cases (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Japan) and trying to find more specific and actual data on all the questions addressed.Practical implicationsMuch caution should be taken in comparing HR practices, and transferring them, because E&T systems have historic roots and depend on the economic characteristics of the country in question. The EU should increase and improve its role in the command of HR policies in Europe.Originality/valueAn original study on the way of looking at the EU's HR policy framework and on the way of dealing with the question of the “Americanization” of the world, namely in the HR field.

The aim of this paper is to study the relation between intellectual capital (IC) and economic development (ED). The analysis presented aims to have both theoretical and practical relevance. The main hypothesis assumed is that IC, although fundamental, is not sufficient to assure the existence of ED. Instead, argues that, for a developing country to become a modern economy some facts have to happen. Those facts are: a process of stable political democratisation; a process of economic stabilization; a process of economic and political integration; a process of investment in development tools, like physical capital and intellectual capital. Furthermore, it is shown that the process of investment in IC implies the development of active social policies, but it is difficult for a developing county to make those social policies by itself. In consequence, in the future, due to the need of economic and political stability, the growing globalisation and the lack of development resources (IC, infrastructures, etc.) in developing countries, some Economic and Political Unions (EPUs) may emerge, or consolidate. Those EPUs are the European Union, the American Union (around Canada and the USA), the Asian Union (centred in Japan), the African Union (based in South Africa), the Oceanic Union (beginning with Australia and New Zealand), and the Arab Union (mainly constituted by Middle East oil producers).

This paper aims at studying the importance of intellectual capital as a catalyser of the development of border regions. The topic is relevant because traditionally border regions are less cared by central governments due to distance and therefore they have to rely on themselves to develop; IC and border connections can be, theoretically two ways of helping to solve the development problem of those regions. In a century marked by increased globalisation, the topic becomes ever more present and pertinent. Specifically we study two pairs of cross-border regions: Portugal and Spain, Hungary and Romania. We use a method to define stable cross-border coalitions of cities in both sets of countries. We use data about social and economic indicators, intellectual capital and travel distances. We find evidence of two stable cross border coalitions in Iberia and three in Eastern Europe. Sin financiación 0,172 SJR (2014) Q3, 200/338 Business and international management, 248/357 Strategy and management; Q4, 132/271 Management of technology and innovation UEP

This paper intends to analyze the interesting case of Portugal as sporting force. We do the study by analyzing the statistics on the Portuguese success in sport when available; specifically we end up comparing football with all the other Olympic sports. We conclude that there is a big divide, between football, and all the other Olympic sports put together. In Europe Portugal ranks in the first 6 regarding football but only in 30th (historically) or worse (taking into account the fact that some countries are very new) when regarding the Olympic Games. The reasons for that difference are related with culture, dimension and policy. In short, Portugal has a well-developed national policy and system on football, which produces results; but the country has nothing comparable in terms of the Olympics and therefore results don’t happen. We therefore recommend a more balanced investment and the presence of the 4 big football clubs in the Olympic sports as a way of improving the Portuguese performance in the Olympics. That improvement would have reflections in the country health and productivity, and would be socially beneficial. The paper is original because for our knowledge it is the first time the Portuguese sports have been analyzed with such a methodology and with those results.

Compares the evaluation methods of vocational training public programs. Studies the US case, the other national cases (mostly OECD countries), and the European Union case. Suggests that OECD countries, and especially the EU, should follow the US trend, and make impact microeconometric studies, in order to assess the training effects of those programs; thus, it will be possible to conduct better policies, and to spend public money in better ways. Additionally tries to explain why the USA is much more advanced in those studies than the EU and other countries; links the reasons to scientific history and to the administrative actions. Finally, presents some ideas about the Portuguese case, which is a fine example of the problem.

This paper analyses the reporting of intellectual capital (IC) in Portugal. The paper surveys the studies made on the reporting of IC considering the traditional, company based idea, that IC explains the difference between the market value and the book value. But additionally, a new approach to the reporting of IC related with the economic notion of market is presented. The two approaches are critically compared. The new approach is applied. Some conclusions are drawn, namely on the need for a mixture of approaches in order to comprehensively study the IC of nations.