Human Capital in Low-Tech Manufacturing: The Geography of the Knowledge Economy in Denmark

Abstract

An essential feature associated with the rise of the knowledge economy has been the increasing focus on the importance of human capital as a precondition for economic growth. Human capital has been found to have a positive impact on the economic growth of high-tech industries, however, the influence of human capital on the development of low-tech industries is yet to be analysed. This paper provides such an examination of low-tech industries based on an analysis of employment data within manufacturing industries in Denmark in the period 1993–2006. The findings highlight, first, that human capital appears to be equally important for economic development in low-tech industries and, second, that the divide between the large urban regions, especially Copenhagen, and the rest of the country plays the primary role in explaining the geography of human capital. These findings stress the relevance of a broad conception of the knowledge economy which goes beyond high-tech industries.     

Heritage,Tourism and Museums: the case of the North Atlantic islands of Skye,Scotland and Prince Edward Island,Canada

Heritage tourism, and the products and experiences related to it, represent a growing attraction in international tourism and the museum is a potential partner in the development of heritage activities for tourists. This paper explores the relationship between tourism and museums and analyses their roles in relation to heritage. It recognises that the shared characteristics of tourism and museums provide a basis for the two to work together in the development of heritage tourism. This exploration is illustrated by the comparison of case studies of legislated museum provision and their relation to tourism on two North Atlantic islands. In conclusion, the paper argues that while in some cases museums may be seen as somewhat reluctant partners in the process of heritage tourism they are in fact constrained by traditional roles and responsibilities and influenced by both differing jurisdictional contexts and views as to their functions.     

Lessons From Privatization Task Forces

This study provides evidence on an aspect of privatization that is increasing in popularity yet rarely considered in the literature: the effect that private-sector task forces have on privatization efforts. It uses case studies from Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, to provide evidence on the role of task forces in reengineering government and suggests how future privatization efforts can benefit from this knowledge. Specifically, it suggests that task forces need to establish realistic timetables, understand that there are fundamental differences between the public and private sectors, and work without predetermined biases to achieve desired ends. In addition, they need to identify services that are appropriate for privatization, understand the nature of privatization, and accept both the strengths and weaknesses of it. While the results of privatization endeavors may vary, they may be enhanced by adopting a new awareness of how private-sector task forces influence privatization efforts.     

Book reviews

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Decolonizing Feminisms: race, gender and empire‐building. Laura E. Donaldson, 1992. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Press.

African Encounters with Domesticity. K. T. Hansen (Ed.), 1992. New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University Press. 315 pp., $42.00 hardback, $16.00 paperback. ISBN 0–8135–1803–2 hardback, 0–8135–1804–0 paperback.

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Defining Females. S. Ardener (Ed.), 1993. Oxford, Berg. 216 pp., £10.95/$17.95 paperback.

Modernity and Identity. S. Lash & J. Friedman (Eds), 1992. Oxford, UK and Cambridge, MA, USA, Blackwell. 379 pp., £15.99/$19.95 paperback. ISBN 0–631–17586–5.