In April 2013, the International Network on Innovative Apprenticeship (INAP) hosted its fifth international conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, in co-operation with the International Labor Organization (ILO), bringing together researchers, policy makers, and practitioners from 34 nations. The title of the conference - "Apprenticeship in a Globalized World: Premises, Promises and Pitfalls" - points out the need for apprenticeship to deliver on its promise of workplace skills and for it to develop and change as world economies develop. An international exchange of ideas among researchers from all over the world is necessary to identify cases of good practice and facilitate the transfer of knowledge and innovation, also within the frame of informal apprenticeships. This book, a summary of the papers presented and discussed at the Johannesburg conference, is split up equally into five key topics: Introducing Apprenticeship: Backgrounds, Changes, and Difficulties * Enabling Learning Opportunities in Workplaces and Informal Contexts * Competence Assessment and Development * Managing Transitions from VET into the World of Work * Curriculum Design, Apprenticeships, and National Qualification Frameworks. (Series: Bildung und Arbeitswelt - Vol. 27)

All managers face a business environment where international and macroeconomic phenomena matter. Understanding the genesis of financial and currency crises, stock market booms and busts, and social and labor unrest is a crucial aspect in making informed managerial decisions. Adverse macroeconomic phenomena can have a catastrophic impact on firm performance — witness the strong companies destroyed by the Mexican tequila crisis. Yet, at the same time, such episodes also create business opportunities — and not just for the hedge funds and speculators that profit from them. Managers that have and use a coherent framework for analyzing these phenomena will enjoy a competitive advantage.This book presents a series of case studies taught in the Harvard Business School course “Institutions, Macroeconomics, and the Global Economy.” The course addresses the opportunities created by the emergence of a global economy and proposes strategies for managing the risks that globalization entails.

As the world continues to evolve, globalization remains a key topic area among scholars and practitioners across disciplines and industries. It is essential for managers to stay informed and look out for potential threats that can negatively affect global operations. Geopolitics and Strategic Management in the Global Economy is a pivotal reference publication featuring the latest scholarly research on an international view of the challenges and opportunities organizations face in the global marketplace. Including coverage on a broad range of topics such as firm competitiveness, project management, and social capital, this book is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, students, and managers seeking current research on best ways to handle international management issues.

‘Standard’ employment relationships, with permanent contracts, regular hours, and decent pay, are under assault. Precarious work and unemployment are increasingly common, and concern is also growing about the expansion of informal work and the rise of ‘modern slavery’. However, precarity and violence are in fact longstanding features of work for most of the world’s population. Lamenting the ‘loss’ of secure, stable jobs often reflects a strikingly Eurocentric and historically myopic perspective. This book argues that standard employment relations have always co-existed with a plethora of different labour regimes. Highlighting the importance of the governance of irregular forms of labour the author draws together empirical, historical analyses of International Labour Organisation (ILO) policy towards forced labour, unemployment, and social protection for informal workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Archival research, extensive documentary research and interviews with key ILO staff are utilised to explore the critical role the organization’s activities have often played in the development of mechanisms for governing irregular labour. Addressing the increasingly widespread and pressing practical debates about the politics of precarious labour in the world economy this book speaks to key debates in several disciplines, especially IPE, global governance, and labour studies. It will also be of interest to scholars working in development studies and critical political economy.

The first collection in the area of mentoring that applies theory to real-world practice, research, programs, and recommendations from an international perspective In today’s networked world society, mentoring is a crucial area for study that requires a deep international understanding for effective implementation. Despite the immense benefits of mentoring, current literature on this subject is surprisingly sparse. The Wiley International Handbook of Mentoring fills the need for a comprehensive volume of in-depth information on the different types of mentoring programs, effective mentoring practices, and emerging practical and applicable theories. Based on sound research methodologies, this unique text presents original essays by experts from over ten different countries, demonstrating the ways mentoring can make a difference in the workplace and in the classroom; these experts have an understanding of mentoring worldwide having worked in mentoring in over forty countries. Each of the Handbook’s four sections—mentoring paradigms, practices, programs, and possibilities—include a final synthesis chapter authored by the section editors that captures the essence of the lessons learned, applies a global context, and recommends research avenues for further exploration. This innovative volume demonstrates how mentoring in any culture can help employees to complete tasks and advance in their positions, aid in socialization and assimilation in various settings, provide diverse groups access to resources and information, navigate through personalities, politics, policies, and procedures, and much more. Offers an inclusive, international perspective that supports moving mentoring into a discipline of its own and lays a theoretical foundation for further research Shows how emerging practical theories can be implemented in actual programs and various scenarios Examines a wide range of contemporary paradigms, practices, and programs in the field of mentoring, including a panorama of introspections on mentoring from international scholars and practitioners Includes historical and epistemological content, background information and definitions, and overviews of fundamental aspects of mentoring The Wiley International Handbook of Mentoring is an essential volume for a global readership, particularly teachers of mentoring courses, trainers, and researchers and practitioners in a variety of fields such as business, education, government, politics, sciences, industry, or sports.

This open access book presents contemporary perspectives on the role of a learning society from the lens of leading practitioners, experts from universities, governments, and industry leaders. The think pieces argue for a learning society as a major driver of change with far-reaching influence on learning to serve the needs of economies and societies. The book is a testimonial to the importance of ‘learning communities.’ It highlights the pivotal role that can be played by non-traditional actors such as city and urban planners, citizens, transport professionals, and technology companies. This collection seeks to contribute to the discourse on strengthening the fabric of a learning society crucial for future economic and social development, particularly in the aftermath of the coronavirus disease.

The International Handbook of Research in Professional and Practice-based Learning discusses what constitutes professionalism, examines the concepts and practices of professional and practice-based learning, including associated research traditions and educational provisions. It also explores professional learning in institutions of higher and vocational education as well the practice settings where professionals work and learn, focusing on both initial and ongoing development and how that learning is assessed. The Handbook features research from expert contributors in education, studies of the professions, and accounts of research methodologies from a range of informing disciplines. It is organized in two parts. The first part sets out conceptions of professionalism at work, how professions, work and learning can be understood, and examines the kinds of institutional practices organized for developing occupational capacities. The second part focuses on procedural issues associated with learning for and through professional practice, and how assessment of professional capacities might progress. The key premise of this Handbook is that during both initial and ongoing professional development, individual learning processes are influenced and shaped through their professional environment and practices. Moreover, in turn, the practice and processes of learning through practice are shaped by their development, all of which are required to be understood through a range of research orientations, methods and findings. This Handbook will appeal to academics working in fields of professional practice, including those who are concerned about developing these capacities in their students. In addition, students and research students will also find this Handbook a key reference resource to the field.