Job switching and knowledge transfer: The case of Norwegian mining and metallurgy, 1787–1940
研究了1787至1940年挪威采矿与冶金业中受过教育的工人（如采矿工程师）的职业路径，发现他们主要在大型企业间流动，并转向机械、能源等相关部门，促进了知识转移，尤其是有国际经验的工程师更受青睐。
This paper explores the career paths of educated workers, including mining engineers and other professionals, in Norway’s mining and metallurgical industries from 1787 to 1940. Employing the HISCO classification to track job switches, it analyses knowledge transfer within these industries, in line with Cohen and Levinthal’s absorptive capacity theory. The results show that educated workers primarily joined large firms, frequently moving between mining and metallurgical branches and transitioning to related sectors such as mechanical workshops, energy, and chemicals. This pattern underlines employers’ preference for prior experience in technically similar yet specialised sectors, enhancing knowledge transfer much in line with Cohen and Levinthal’s theory. Internationally experienced engineers were particularly valued. Many professionals ended their careers in public mining institutions, contributing to a significant pool of practical knowledge there. The study notes the state’s proactive role in fostering the mining and metallurgical industries, emphasising the partnership between the government and these industries.