16910 - The Economics Of Human Resources

Learning outcomes

Adopting an eclectic approach, this course deepens the analytical tools and the empirical evidence concerning the development of human resources on both macro and the microeconomic level.

This course provides students, who should have already an average degree of understanding of the fundamentals of economics and of the juridical and socio-political disciplines, with a body of valuable knowledge for the analysis, evaluation and solution of problems related to the development of human resources in families, business and society.

At the end of the course, the students will be familiar with the concepts, developed in the economic literature after World War II, for the study, on the one hand of the main relations between labor, human capital and human development and, on the other hand, of issues related to economic development, competitiveness and welfare. Given their increased importance in the long-run strategies of many European and emerging countries, the notions of knowledge-based economy and smart development will be the arrival point of this course.

In this way, the student will learn critically the three main theoretical frameworks which have been developed in order to interpret the role of human resources in economic systems: the main approaches to the economics of education; models of analysis and measurement of human capital from the labour supply side, founded on wage competition; models of analysis and measurement of human capital from the labour demand side, founded on job competition. Finally, the student should know the distinctive elements of the training systems that characterize the main models of capitalism, in order to apprehend the useful tools for comparison between countries and regional areas with different levels of development and to understand the priorities, the critical points (such as the impact on inequality) and the relevant policies.

Course contents

A Master (Laurea Magistrale) course should provide deepening of topics and methods already known to the students, favouring their active participation in teaching activities. For this reason, various experts cooperate to the teaching activities. This course is divided into five modules; a significant part of each module, after few hours devoted to a general overview of the main issues,  is devoted to the presentation and discussion of the works prepared by the students, following the bibliographical references provided by the lecturers. The subdivision into modules enhances  the flexibility on the amount of credits provided by the course.

Module 1. Human resources and economic development

1.1. Human resources and broad production factors

1.2. Growth potential and its exploitation in the formation and utilization of human resources

1.3. Comparative and absolute advantage

1.4. Creation and destruction of human resources: interaction between cyclical and strucrural dynamics

1.5. Need of retrospective and perspective tools

1.6. Creation and destruction of jobs

1.7. Human resources and human development 

Module 2 Human resource and labour supply

2.1. Economics of education and education supply

2.2. Demand for education 

2.3. Human capital theory

2.4. Wage competition

2.5. Stylized facts in the Italian and international experience

2.6. Human capital as a private or social good

Module 3. Work organization in the firm

3.1. High volume production: performance and organization 

3.2. Tayloristic organization and burocratic competition

3.3. Dual labour market and segmentation

3.4. High value production: performance e organizzazione

3.5. Flexible specialization: toyotist organization; SMS firms 

3.6. Firms as cognitive systems, innovation and unboundling

3.7.  Labour markets and value chains

3.8. New organizational practices: incentive schemes; corporate social responsibility (CSR); corporate university; public policies

Module 4. Human resources and demand for labour

4.1. Job competition 

4.2. Labour cueue and allocation of jobs

4.3. Demand for human capital by firms

4.4. Competences pipelines

4.5. Fragmentation of production, off-shoring and value chains

4.6. New international division of labor and new geography of jobs

Module 5. Priorities, problems, policies

5.1. Models of capitalism and priorities

5.2. Flexibility in labour markets

5.3. Sustainable and unsustainable inequality

5.4. Taxonomy for employment and labour policies

5.5. Policy evaluation

5.6. Human Resource Management (HRM) and diversity in models of capitalism

5.7. The European case

Readings/Bibliography

The lecturer will assign specific readings to the students according to their choices about work presentations.

Module 1.

Compulsory  lecture: G. Antonelli (2012), Politiche del lavoro e della crescita nell'economia dei servizi dopo la crisi globale: sviluppo umano o efficienza?, Economia dei Servizi, Vol. VII, N. 1, pp. 3-23.

 Optional lectures:

M. Abramovitz (1991), The elements of social capability, paper presented at the International Conference on Economic Development of LDC's, July 1-2, Seoul, Korea Development Institute, mimeo.

G. Antonelli (1997), Broad production factors and technological systems”, in G. Antonelli e N. De Liso (a cura di), Economic analysis of structural change and technical progress, London, Routledge, pp. 86-106.

G. Antonelli and G. Pegoretti (1995), Paths of technological change, markets for production factors and the social cost of knowledge, Dynamis - Quaderni IDSE, N. 6, pp. 34.

G. Antonelli and G. Pegoretti (2008), Knowledge endowment and composition as dynamic capabilities, in R. Leoncini, S. Montresor (a cura di), Dynamic capabilities between firm organization and local systems of production, London, Routledge, pp. 289-323.

G. Antonelli and R. Leoncini (1994), Creation and destruction of human resources in the process of economic growth: Some thoughts on the Italian experience, International Journal of Technology Management, Special Issue on Technology, Human Resources and Growth, Vol. 9, NN 3/4, pp. 367-393.

 

Module 2.

Compulsory lecture : G. Antonelli and G. Guidetti (2008), Economia del lavoro e delle risorse umane, Torino, Utet, Ch. 3.

As an alternative: G.J. Borjas (2010), Labor Economics, New York, McGraw-Hill, Chs. 6, 7 and 9.

 

Optional lectures :

G. Antonelli (ed.) (2003), Istruzione, economia e istituzioni, Bologna, Il Mulino.

G. Antonelli and G. Guidetti (2008), Formazione professionale e domanda di lavoro in Italia, in G. Ghisla, L. Bonoli and M. Loi (eds.), Economia della formazione professionale: stato dell'arte, apporti empirici, letteratura critica, Novara, UTET-De Agostini, pp. 221-264.

G. Antonelli (2008), Principi economici di base nella valutazione dell'istruzione universitaria, in A. Cammelli, G. Vittadini (ed.), Capitale umano: Esiti dell'istruzione universitaria, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 17-59.

G. Antonelli and L. Campiglio (2009), Retribuzioni e potere d'acquisto dei laureati, in AlmaLaurea (ed.), XI Rapporto sulla condizione occupazionale dei laureati italiani. Occupazione e occupabilità dei laureati. A dieci anni dalla Dichiarazione di Bologna, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 153-178.

A. Cammelli, G. Antonelli A. di Francia , G. Gasperoni and M. Sgarzi (2011), Mixed outcomes of the Bologna process in Italy, in H. Schomburg and U. Teichler (eds.), Employability and mobility of bachelor graduates in Europe, Rotterdam, Sense Publishers, pp. 143-170.

 

 Module 3.

Compulsory lecture : G. Antonelli and G. Guidetti (2008), Economia del lavoro e delle risorse umane, Torino, Utet, Chs. 6 and 7.

As an alternative: G.J. Borjas (2010), Labor Economics, New York, McGraw-Hill, Capitolo 12.

 

Optional lectures :

Modulo 3.

Lettura di base : G. Antonelli e G. Guidetti (2008), Economia del lavoro e delle risorse umane, Torino, Utet, Capp. 6 e 7.

In alternativa: G.J. Borjas (2010), Labor Economics , New York, McGraw-Hill, Cap. 12.

Letture a scelta :

(3.a.)

M. Aoki (1990), Toward an economic model of the Japanese firm, Journal of Economic Literature, 28 (1), pp. 1-27.

M. Aoki (1991), La microstruttura della economia giapponese, Milano, Franco Angeli, Cap. 2, pp. 24-80, Cap. 3, pp. 81-144.

(3.b.)

R.B. Reich (1992), The work of nations, New York, First Vintage Books Editions, Parte 1, pp. 13-77, Parte 2, pp. 81-168.

e

G. Antonelli (2008), Nuovi mercati del lavoro, formazione, fallimenti sistemici, in A. Brugnoli e G. Vittadini (a cura di), La sussidiarietà in Lombardia. I soggetti, le esperienze, le policy, Milano, Guerini e Associati, pp.57-61.

(3.c.)

P.B. Doeringer e M.J. Piore (1971), Internal labor market and manpower analysis, New York, D.C. Heath and Company, Parte 1, pp. 13-92.

e

G. Guidetti (2001), Teoria della segmentazione e dei mercati interni del lavoro. Attualità, limiti ed evoluzioni dell'analisi istituzionalista, Economia Politica, Vol. XVIII, N. 2, pp. 249-306.

(3.d.)

R. Leoni, A. Tiraboschi, B. Vanoncini (1998), Accordi di partecipazione, performance d'impresa e guadagni di competitività: ipotesi per uno sviluppo dell'occupazione produttiva, Bergamo, Università di Bergamo, mimeo.

e

G. Pedrini e G. Cappiello (2013), Le corporate university italiane, L'Industria, Il Mulino, Vol. XXXIV, n. 2, pp. 295-328.

(3.e.)

G. Pedrini e G. Cappiello (2013), Le corporate university italiane, L'Industria, Il Mulino, Vol. XXXIV, n. 2, pp. 295-328.

e

G. Antonelli, G. Cappiello e G. Pedrini (2013), The corporate university in the European utilities industry, Utilities Policy, Vol. XXV, pp. 33-41.

 

Module 4.

Compulsory lecture : G. Antonelli and G. Guidetti (2008), Economia del lavoro e delle risorse umane, Torino, Utet, Ch. 6.

 

Optional lectures :

G. Antonelli and G. Cappiello (eds.) (2016), Smart development in smart communities, London, Routledge.

G. Antonelli (2012), Governo e governance dei servizi di pubblica utilità per lo sviluppo umano: un'introduzione, Economia dei Servizi, Vol. VII, N. 2, pp. 217-236 .

G. Antonelli and M. Nosvelli, Demand for skilled labour services, job design and the ‘revealed' learning function”, in R. Leoncini and S. Montresor (eds.), Dynamic capabilities between firm organization and local systems of production, London, Routledge, 2008, pp. 107-135.

G. Antonelli, R. Antonietti and G. Guidetti, Misurazione del capitale umano dal lato della domanda di lavoro. Un inquadramento teorico, in L. Tronti (ed.), Capitale umano. Definizione e misurazione, Padova, Cedam-Kluwer, 2012, pp. 43-74.

G. Antonelli, R. Antonietti and G. Guidetti, Le scelte di investimento in capitale umano delle imprese italiane, in L. Tronti (ed.), Capitale umano. Definizione e misurazione, Padova, Cedam-Kluwer, 2012, pp. 225-272.

E. Moretti (2012), La nuova geografia del lavoro, Milano, Mondadori, Capitolo 2, pp. 45-72, Ch. 3, pp. 73-120,  Ch. 4, pp. 121- 153 .

 

Module 5.

Compulsory lectures : G. Antonelli and G. Guidetti (2008), Economia del lavoro e delle risorse umane, Torino, Utet, Ch. 10.

 G. Antonelli, Convergenza tra mercati del lavoro e modelli di capitalismo in Europa, Atlantide, Vol. X, N. 31, 2014, pp. 53-60.

Optional lectures :

B. Amable (2000), Institutional complementarity and diversity of social systems of innovation and production, Review of International Political Economy , Vol. 7, N. 4 , pp. 645–687.

B. Amable (2003), The diversity of modern capitalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press, Ch 1, pp. 13-37, Ch.  2, pp. 38-65.

G. Antonelli (2011), Emerging powers development, global economic crisis and value chains restructuring, in B. Rehbein (ed.), Globalization and inequality in emerging societies, Houndmills, Palgrave Macmillan, pp.175-193.

G. Antonelli and M. Nosvelli (2005), L'evoluzione delle politiche del lavoro europee all'inizio del Terzo Millennio, Istituzioni e Sviluppo Economico / Institutions and Economic Development, Vol. III, N. 1-2, pp. 27-66.

G. Antonelli and P. Pini (1995), Risorse umane e modelli di capitalismo. Anomalie dell'Italia tra mercato e sistema, Sociologia del Lavoro, NN. 59-60, pp. 80-117.

P. Boxall, J. Purcell and P. Wright (2007), Human resource management: scope, analysis, and significance, in P. Boxall, J. Purcell and P. Wright (eds.), Oxford handbook of human resource management, Oxford, Oxford University Press, p. 1-18.

M. Estevez-Abe, T. Iversen and D. Soskice (1999), Social protection and the formation of skills: A reinterpretation of the welfare state, in Hall P., Soskice D., (eds.), Varieties of capitalism: The institutional foundations of comparative advantage, Oxford and New York, Oxford University Press, pp. 145–83.

D. Grimshaw  e J. Rubery J (2007), Economics and HRM, in P. Boxall, J. Purcell and P. Wright (eds.), Oxford handbook of human resource management, Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 68–87

 

 Specific readings aimed at integrating or substituting those above will be indicated in the lectures.

Teaching methods

Students will be actively engaged in individual and class work presentations.

Experts of labour economics and economics of human resources collaborate in the course.

Students with at least two courses in economics in their cv (including first degree courses) are better equipped in following this course.

Specific readings will be suggested during the course, in addition or in substitution to those listed in the bibliographical references for the course. Updating and changes will be promptly communicated during the course.

For further explanation and analysis, students can contact and speak to lecturers during their office hours or through e-mail.

The help of librarians is useful to find both basic and specific bibliographical references.

Assessment methods

The exam aims at verifying the students' achievement of the following teaching objectives:

·                    the mastery of the key concepts proposed in the economic literature after World War II  dealing with human resources;

·                    the knowledge of the main approaches in the economics of education;

·                    the knowledge of theoretical and applied human capital models on both labour supply side and labour demand side;

·                    the knowledge of useful economic tools for comparing countries and regions at different stages of economic development, in order to explore priorities, issues and policies and  evaluate human capital development projects;

The examination will consist of a written exam evaluated with a mark of “out of 30”.

Students who regularly attend the course have the chance to do one or more oral presentations supported by power-point slides specifically prepared, addressing separate parts of the modules in which the course is articulated. All the presentations will be discussed with the class participation.

Teaching tools

Any clarification or explanation concerning the course contents can be requested both in the office hours and through e-mail. During office hours specific parts of the course can also be explained or deepened.

Assisted web navigation will be carried on in order to retrieve on-line references and statistical sources on relevant topics.

The help of librarians is useful to find both basic and specific bibliographical references.

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/gilberto.antonelli/cv http://www.sdic-school.org/

Office hours

See the website of Gilberto Antonelli