scholarly journals HUMAN CAPITAL THEORY AND EDUCATIONAL POLICY STRATEGIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: A RETROSPECTIVE OVERVIEW

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-107
Author(s):  
Moses Oketch

Human capital theory is a powerful, and yet also viewed as a narrowly conceived, understanding of the benefits of education to individuals and society. For many years since its proper formulation in the early part of 1960, during which time education has been modelled as investment leading to economic growth and development, the theory has informed government policies in education and attracted criticism and generated debate over the tension concerning who benefits from education and how education should be organised and funded. This article reviews the influence of the theory in the education policy strategies of sub-Saharan Africa from the ‘manpower planning’ era, through the ‘rate of return’ era, the ‘endogenous growth and endogenous development’ tenets and the debates over ‘quality versus attainment’. These are all discussed in relation to educational access, expansion, finance and curriculum relevance.

Author(s):  
Tristram Hooley

This chapter analyses the relationship between career development, education, and human capital theory. It argues that education lies at the heart of our understanding of how individuals develop their careers and how purposeful career development interventions can support them in this endeavour. Career development services are most evident and accessible in the education system. This relationship is not accidental but is rooted in both the historical development of the field and in the importance of human capital theory to the ideology of both education and career development. The chapter finishes by critiquing the dependence of policymakers and advocates for the field on human capital theory and by considering alternative relationships that could be built between education and career development.


Author(s):  
Stefan Schmid ◽  
Sebastian Baldermann

AbstractIn this paper, we study the effect a CEO’s international work experience has on his or her compensation. By combining human capital theory with a resource dependence and a resource-based perspective, we argue that international work experience translates into higher pay. We also suggest that international work experience comprises several dimensions that affect CEO compensation: duration, timing and breadth of stays abroad. With data from Europe’s largest stock market firms, we provide evidence that the longer the international work experiences and the more numerous they are, the higher a CEO’s compensation. While, based on our theoretical arguments, we expect to find that later international work experiences pay off for CEOs, our empirical analysis shows that earlier international work experiences are particularly valuable in terms of compensation. In addition, our data support the argument that maturity allows a CEO to take advantage of the skills, knowledge and competencies obtained via international experience—and to receive a higher payoff. With our study, we improve the understanding of how different facets of a CEO’s background shape executive remuneration.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paschal Anosike

Previous research has focused on stable developed economies to predict that human capital and entrepreneurship education (EE) provision at the higher education (HE) level will positively affect entrepreneurial success. This article draws on the outcome of recent EE projects in two HE institutions in a conflict-torn northern Nigeria as a proxy to advocate the introduction of entrepreneurship as a compulsory component into the secondary school curriculum in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using semi-structured interview data, it is found that the provision of EE at secondary education level could help to facilitate human capital development and assist efforts to curb youth unemployment. Specifically, the study suggests that EE comprises both generic and specific human capital that increases an individual’s ability to identify and exploit opportunities, particularly for young people, and in doing so helps to reduce their vulnerability to poverty and involvement in armed conflict. Suggestions for future research and policy considerations are provided.


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