abstract: 'The study examines the extent to which disaggregated training variables

  are related to technological upgrading, in the context of a

  middle-income developing country trying to manage its integration into

  the global economy. For a developing country, successful integration

  into the global economy requires that local manufacturing firms are able

  to competitively restructure, as a precondition for survival and

  long-term growth. Consequently, skills and technological upgrading are

  crucial in raising the international competitive advantage of local

  firms. Enterprise-provided training is one means that can be used by

  local firms to continuously upgrade their knowledge bases, increase

  their international competitiveness, and enhance employment growth over

  time. This paper uses South Africa as a case study, to demonstrate how

  economic reform measures can expose skills deficiencies in the

  manufacturing sector and lead to an increase in capital intensity of the

  sector. Exposure of skills deficiencies, in turn, raises the importance

  of skill-upgrading through schooling and training of existing workforce.

  Despite a couple of studies on the evolution of the labour market in

  South Africa, no previous research has explicitly examined the

  relationship between technological upgrading and disaggregated

  training/learning variables at the firm level. This paper aims to fill

  that gap by focusing on disaggregated enterprise-based training efforts.

  The study uses the Human Capital theoretical framework to answer the

  main research question: Which disaggregated learning variables (i.e.,

  on-the-job or off-the-job training offered to different occupational

  groups) are significantly associated with technological upgrading? The

  study raises possible issues of heterogeneity in returns to training

  offered to different occupational groups in the context of

  technological-upgrading. On the other hand, technological upgrading may

  not necessarily always disadvantage all unskilled workers. Possible

  policy implications of research findings are outlined.'
affiliation: 'Mainga, W (Corresponding Author), 97 Highland Rd, Coventry, W Midlands,
  England.

  Hirschsohn, Philip, Univ Western Cape, Dept Management, Fac Econ \& Management Sci,
  ZA-7535 Bellville, South Africa.

  Shakantu, Winston, Univ Cape Town, Dept Construct Econ \& Management, ZA-7700 Rondebosch,
  South Africa.'
article-number: PII 915179442
author: Mainga, Wise and Hirschsohn, Philip and Shakantu, Winston
author-email: wmainga@yahoo.com
author_list:
- family: Mainga
  given: Wise
- family: Hirschsohn
  given: Philip
- family: Shakantu
  given: Winston
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/09585190903142340
eissn: 1466-4399
files: []
issn: 0958-5192
journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
keywords: 'enterprise training; globalisation; learning; manufacturing; technology

  upgrading'
keywords-plus: 'SKILLS; GLOBALIZATION; DETERMINANTS; PERFORMANCE; INVESTMENT;

  EMPLOYMENT; RETURNS; GROWTH; IMPACT; CHINA'
language: English
number: '9'
number-of-cited-references: '65'
pages: 1879-1895
papis_id: 63bba92033a3649d24793b64c6586ea5
ref: Mainga2009exploratoryreview
times-cited: '7'
title: 'An exploratory review of the relationship between enterprise training and
  technology upgrading: evidence from South African manufacturing firms'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000270138000003
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '25'
volume: '20'
web-of-science-categories: Management
year: '2009'