Journal Article

In this article, we present the results of a synthesis of knowledge to describe the skills of the 21st century skills and sustainability skills in information and communication technologies (ICT) that researchers regard as essential to develop in current society workers. It was also noted, among those skills, those in the elementary science curriculum Canadian provinces. Some skills recommended for work in the contemporary world gather little in the studied programs: creation and problem solving with ICT, entrepreneurship, management, strategic action, adaptability, systemic thinking, connective and prospective ... We offer ways to insert these new competences in science programs. [googletranslate_en]

The "sharing economy" represents a growing challenge to regulatory policy. In this article, I argue that these debates about the sharing economy are better understood as a broader normative and policy problem of updating our regulatory tools for the new dynamics of 21st century capitalism. The new "on-demand" economy reflects more widespread trends in the structure of business organization, driven by new developments in finance and technology. I argue that we should analyze these changes through the normative lens of the balance of economic power: what is especially troubling about the on-demand economy is the way in which it outstrips the modes of accountability and countervailing power enabled by 20th century labor, safety net, and economic regulations. The article then suggests key frontiers for regulatory innovation, in particular: (1) expanding regulatory oversight of concentrated market and economic power among on-demand platforms; (2) expanding the relative power of workers to counteract the concentrated power of platforms in the on-demand economy (for example by expanding safety net protections and the ability to organize collectively); and (3) by reinventing systems of collective urban planning processes in the face of the on-demand economy. All three of these focus areas for regulation would entail a variety of specific interventions but share a common premise of rebalancing economic power in this new economy. The payoffs of these shifts would be more than an expansion of welfare or efficiency, but rather the creation of a policy regime that enables a richer form of economic freedom that achieves more genuine economic independence from domination of various kinds.

The article presents the main features of the fourth industrial revolution based on some experts opinions, the most important papers delivered and debated at Davos World Economic Forum in 2016 on the theme of this revolution and some estimation regarding the impact/effects of this last phase of industrial development in the world.

About half a billion years ago, life on earth experienced a short period of very rapid diversification called the "Cambrian Explosion." Many theories have been proposed for the cause of the Cambrian Explosion, one of the most provocative being the evolution of vision, allowing animals to dramatically increase their ability to hunt and find mates. Today, technological developments on several fronts are fomenting a similar explosion in the diversification and applicability of robotics. Many of the base hardware technologies on which robots depend—particularly computing, data storage, and communications—have been improving at exponential growth rates. Two newly blossoming technologies—"Cloud Robotics" and "Deep Learning"—could leverage these base technologies in a virtuous cycle of explosive growth. I examine some key technologies contributing to the present excitement in the robotics field. As with other technological developments, there has been a significant uptick in concerns about the societal implication of robotics and artificial intelligence. Thus, I offer some thoughts about how robotics may affect the economy and some ways to address potential difficulties.

The intergenerational issue is growing in management concerns. Yet the reality of generational differences remains speculative. The objective of this article is to theorize and empirically analyze the differences in relation to the career of French engineers from different generations. The concept of career path is mobilized to examine the combined influences of the generation and organizations on individuals. The results are collected from a sample of 613 engineers representing three generations of working age. The career paths of engineers are structured by four independent factors; generating variable has no influence on these four factors. [googletranslate_en]

In the wider perspective of lifelong learning, the continuing education and training play a significant role in the up-skilling of individuals. Rapid transformations due to the technological development and globalisation generated a continuous need for competence and skills improvement. The paper begins with the exploration of the needed competences and qualifications in the current context of globalisation and attempts to emphasize the future competences, skills and qualifications required by the knowledge economy. A study is conducted on the Romanian continuing training market to identify changes in the demand for particular qualifications and competences. Research findings reveal efforts for upskilling from the workforce in Romania. Training courses for transversal competences enjoyed much popularity, together with qualification courses for white-collar, highly skills occupations. Nonetheless, training courses for several agricultural occupations had a significant demand over the investigated period of 2007-2011, due to the large agricultural potential of Romania in the context of European integration.

Telecommuting describes a wide variety of work situations and proves so difficult to define as its scope is still fluctuating. It challenges the traditional role of coaching manager and defines new control procedures. This article proposes a reflection on the conditions of application of telework through the notions of control and autonomy. Through the study of ninety-six interviewed - independent and employee-we study how to organize the activity of the teleworker subject to a double imperative, self-employment and control of its business. Organized around four themes, the proposed analysis shows the various telework situations and attitudes of teleworkers face these situations. Various similarities and points of divergence are used to compare independent and employees statutes. To address the problem posed a typology is finally proposed that describes six categories of teleworkers. [googletranslate_en]

As an agent of economic and social change, robotization has elicited considerable concern about technological unemployment. Focusing on youth, this paper makes four contributions to the debate over this labour-displacing technological change's effects. First, to clarify the magnitude of the job threat to young people, the paper accentuates the conceptual distinction between technological unemployment and frictional unemployment. Second, the possibility of persistent technological unemployment, which the young are currently facing, is linked to strong uncertainty stemming from the rapidity of invention in robotics and artificial intelligence. Third, the paper advances a plausibility-based argument about the inevitability of technological unemployment. Fourth, coping behaviour is shown to be logically compatible with rationality and well-suited to dealing with fear of joblessness. Fifth, to the extent that robotization threatens future jobs, we maintain that coping strategies are needed to help members of the younger generation. A resilience-based strategy is suggested but we believe that there may be other coping strategies complementary to our proposal.

In recent years, all economically developed countries of the world experience formation of knowledge economy as the highest stage of postindustrial economy development. International companies, basing their activity on accumulation of human capital according to the principles of innovativeness, scientific nature, continuity and progressiveness, play an important role in activation of this process. Owing to global nature of their activity it influences all spheres of human life in the world, improving it, as well as having an adverse impact (enhancement of poverty in some regions of the word, environment pollution, etc.). Achievement of these conditions of sustainable economic growth is possible just by the way of prevention of the adverse impact, which, among other things, depends on the active social position of the management of international companies. Therefore, this paper is aimed at identification of priority focuses of socially responsible activity of international companies. This goal was achieved through generalization of basic program initiatives of the activity of three companies, leading in innovations (Apple, Samsung and IBM). Adoption of the above-mentioned initiatives by other companies of the world as guides while developing their own development strategy has to facilitate the growth of positive effects from enhancement of knowledge economy in the world.