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Using cross-sectional data, collected via a survey from the Greek healthcare sector, we estimate both the private (direct) and public/social (indirect) returns to education from an increase in an employee's educational level. By utilising a spatial econometrics approach, we control for the aggregation problems that plague the majority of the existing literature. The results demonstrate the existence of statistically and economically significant spillover effects, irrespective of whether the educational 'distance' between employees is increased or decreased, and indicate that traditional estimates of the rate of return to education are significantly biased when not accounting for spillover effects.

Published online: 3 January 2013 [c] International Atlantic Economic Society 2012 Abstract A considerable amount of literature argues that environmental taxation fails to create a double-dividend outcome and leads to [...]

The increasing demand for continuing professional updating and development on health services has created the need to recognize the potentials of training needs. The present study aims to establish the occupational profiles and identify the training needs of the health care professionals employed both in the public and the private sector in Greece. A psychometrically valid Greek version of the Training Needs Assessment questionnaire by Hennessy and Hicks has been used, which was administered to 453 participants. The training needs of the health care professionals were examined by using a series of unrelated t-tests and multivariate linear analysis. Significant training needs were reported for all 30 items of the questionnaire and by all staff. The majority of the health care professionals believe that the organizational development should be a priority in contrast to training course. No significant differences were found between training needs and sex. Eight items were identified being important for the public sector's workers. The TNA tool could be considered reliable due to Cronbach's score of >0.6. The results of this survey suggest that the health care professionals need further training. The study also highlights the importance of training for the workers in the public sector, especially in the domain of research/audit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foundation of new economies has shifted from natural resources to intellectual assets and top managers have been forced to focus on Knowledge Management that has been acknowledged as the most important resource and capability of modern firms' advancement. Knowledge-creating companies may establish a sustainable competitive advantage in the turbulent business environment where markets shift, competitors multiply and products may be outdated almost overnight. Additionally, knowledge can help companies to enjoy improved levels of business competitiveness due to their ability to respond to their customers' needs, create new markets, develop innovative products and finally dominate ambitious technologies. Through knowledge, conventional firms and organizations may break up their limitations, improve their national and local economic and social development and also create healthier employment chances. In this context, knowledge society can also be viewed as the society that is basically attached to knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge application in order to improve prosperity and well being of people. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the ways knowledge management may increase the performance of modern firms and organizations, support the creation of more and better jobs and promote equal opportunities and gender equality in a more integrative society. Data from actual cases have been employed in order to provide an empirical support to the theoretical development of a conceptual model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]