This paper analyses the characteristics of firms that operate at the global productivity frontier and their relationship with other firms in the economy, focusing on the diffusion of global productivity gains and the policies that facilitate it. Firms at the global productivity frontier – defined as the most productive firms in each two-digit industry across 23 countries – are typically larger, more profitable, younger and more likely to patent and be part of a multinational group than other firms. Despite the slowdown in aggregate productivity, productivity growth at the global frontier remained robust over the 2000s. At the same time, the rising productivity gap between the global frontier and other firms raises key questions about why seemingly non-rival technologies do not diffuse to all firms. The analysis reveals a highly uneven process of technological diffusion, which is consistent with a model whereby global frontier technologies only diffuse to laggards once they are adapted to country-specific circumstances by the most productive firms within each country (i.e. national frontier firms). This motivates an analysis of the sources of differences in the productivity and size of national frontier firms vis-à-vis the global frontier and the catch-up of laggard firms to the national productivity frontier. Econometric analysis suggests that well-designed framework policies can aid productivity diffusion by sharpening firms’ incentives for technological adoption and by promoting a market environment that reallocates resources to the most productive firms. There is also a role for R&D tax incentives, business-university R&D collaboration and patent protection but trade-offs emerge which can inform the design of innovation-specific policies.

We study the job training provided under the US Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to adults and dislocated workers in two states. Our substantive contributions center on impacts estimated non-experimentally using administrative data. These impacts compare WIA participants who do and do not receive training. In addition to the usual impacts on earnings and employment, we link our state data to the Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics (LEHD) data at the U.S. Census Bureau, which allows us to estimate impacts on the characteristics of the firms at which participants find employment. We find moderate positive impacts on employment, earnings and desirable firm characteristics for adults, but not for dislocated workers. Our primary methodological contribution consists of assessing the value of the additional conditioning information provided by the LEHD relative to the data available in state Unemployment Insurance (UI) earnings records. We find that value to be zero.

AI, Algorithms and Machine based automation of executive functions in enterprises and institutions is an important niche in the current considerations about the impact of digitalization on the future of work. Building platforms for CxO automation is challenging. In this paper, design principles based on computational thinking are used to engineer the architecture and infrastructure for such CxO automation platforms.

The Green Industrial Policy: Concept, Policies, Country Experiences report, jointly produced by UN Environment and the German Development Institute (DIE) in the framework of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), provides an overview of the debate on green industrial policy, highlights what countries can gain economically from pursuing environmental integrity, and explores the policy options available to accelerate the transformation in ways that enhance both human well-being and environmental sustainability. A special focus is given to developing countries, because of their need for growth and their high potential for transformation, as they are not yet locked into unsustainable pathways. Practical examples are included in all chapters, and four national examples of successful green structural change are presented in detail, covering countries at very different levels of income and technological capacity (namely, China, Morocco, Brazil and Germany).

There is an urgent need to shift mindsets in our approach to jobs, careers and work. New big data analysis provides us with insights into the patterns of skills young people now require navigating complex and uncertain working lives. We must act now to ensure young Australians can thrive in the new world of work.

Technological change has long been a source of anxiety for workers. Today, improvements in communication technology, robotics, and machine intelligence are rekindling age-old concerns that technology will soon force millions of people out of work. This report provides a fresh perspective. Automation is, at its core, an opportunity to harness the power of machines to improve human lives. If we get it right, automation could significantly boost Australia's productivity and national income - potentially adding up to 2.2 trillion Australian dollars in value to our economy by 2030.

Among the challenges facing Canada’s economy in 2016, tackling vulnerabilities in labour markets will be essential to the prosperity of Canadians. The nation’s labour markets are being transformed by structural forces of globalization, technical change and aging demographics, while being buffeted by cyclical factors like the recurring boom-bust in commodity prices. These forces have displaced many workers and have led to persistent and – amid the current commodity price shock – growing slack in the labour market. Moreover, the structural trends are raising demand for high-skilled positions relative to middle- and low-skill jobs. Questions arise about whether the composition of labour supply is keeping pace with the changing times. In this brief, I address four key policy priorities to reduce labour market vulnerabilities: (i) better support for displaced workers, (ii) improving labour market information, (iii) increasing skills development for the workers of today and tomorrow, and (iv) removing barriers to success for marginalized or underutilized workers.

Canada’s policy makers should focus on four priorities to spur growth in Canada’s economy, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Job One is Jobs: Workers Need Better Policy Support and Stronger Skills,” author Craig Alexander outlines the key policy priorities that will reduce Canada’s labour market vulnerabilities.

The purpose of this applied dissertation study was to create an intervention to assist in helping virtual team members develop interpersonal relationships necessary for successful project achievement and thus, the enhancement of organizational effectiveness. A void in the literature and research studies prompted the design of a 2-day workshop and its evaluation by expert reviewers. Personal experience in virtual teams and the need apparent in governmental agencies in California precipitated the motivation for the design. The following research question formed the basis of the research: Will an intervention, designed as a workshop, to assist virtual team members in building interpersonal relationships enhance the effectiveness of virtual teams? A formative evaluation method was utilized to collect data in order to modify the training design prior to considering a pilot workshop. Thirty-six evaluators were selected and invited to evaluate the design, each possessing experience and knowledge of virtual teams, including backgrounds in information technology, training and development, management experience, and or organization development. An evaluator packet was provided to the evaluators that included a formal invitation, a summary of the workshop and a detailed design. A mixed methodology for gathering quantitative and qualitative data was utilized using Qualtrics, a third-party search engine, for gathering the data. A total of 18 evaluators (50%) completed a 16-question survey by the deadline utilizing a Likert-type scale and by providing written comments for each question. The results indicated the design would meet the objectives, be beneficial to organizations, and that the training supported evaluators’ perception of what they felt was needed for geographically dispersed teams. The evaluators confirmed the validity of the topics, activities, flow of the design, length, pace and method of delivery. The major themes that emerged from the data included (a) a need for training on the specific technology used by virtual teams, (b) the importance of introspection by each individual member of the team, (c) the importance of developing interpersonal dynamics and relationships, (d) the need for the development of virtual team members and its resulting benefit to the organization, and (e) support for the design, its content, activities, pace and flow.