Published Date
2006
Editors
Enrico Gori
Daniele Vidoni
Eric A. Hanushek
Charles Glenn
Publication
Nijmegen, Netherlands: Wolf Legal Publishers
Pages
243 pages
Type
The theory of human capital places man at the heart of all production processes and identifies him as the factor determining income growth and a nation’s wealth. Onorato Grassi (2004), in particular, defines human capital as ‘the bringing together of individual resources and acquired knowledge, which are then used to put together theories, projects, solutions and plans of action within a dimension of social interaction and a system of inter-relations.These words express the interactive nature of the individual society, as he or she invests personal resources in the acquisition of knowledge, which then furthers the progress of society. The market allows individuals to transform acquired knowledge into quantifiable economic profits, at both a personal and social level, and improve their cultural know-how. However, the job market is regulated by certain, mostly conventional, rules, which, for example, prescribe the minimum age of the employee, demand a variety of skills and abilities immediately, as well as the ability to learn ‘on the job’. Moreover, in today’s post-industrial and highly specialized society, an individual’s admission to the job market is greatly determined by self-promotional and networking skills, i.e. the ability to come into contact with and sell oneself to those people who are in fact in need of certain skills.