| Abstract: | This paper aims at investigating empirically at the firm level the effect of the use of modern information and
communication technologies (ICT), and also of two other factors, the adoption of new forms of workplace
organization (which is regarded as a ‘complement’ of ICT), and trade (export) activities (a major characteristic
of modern economy), on the demand for employees’ (vocational) education and skills. The study is based on
firm-level data collected through a common questionnaire from firms’ samples of similar composition
(concerning firm sizes and industries) in Greece and Switzerland; from these data econometric models of similar
specification have been constructed for both countries. The results of multivariate analysis show that the
intensive use of ICT correlates positively with the employment shares of high-educated personnel and negatively
with the ones of the low-educated personnel. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of ‘skill-biased
technical change’. Further, the intensive use of “employee voice”-oriented organizational practices correlates
positively with the employment shares of high-educated employees in both countries, and also negatively with
the employment share of low-educated ones only for the Swiss firms. The results for the “work design”
organizational practices are more ambiguous. Thus, there is only partial confirmation of the hypothesis of
skilled-biased organizational change. Finally, we found some evidence in favour of the trade effect (export
activities) only for the Swiss firms. Our results show both similarities and differences in the above aspects
between Greece and Switzerland, and indicate that national context characteristics affect the relationship of the
demand for employees’ (vocational) education and skills with ICT use, adoption of new forms of workplace
organization and trade. |
|---|
Greek