Can knowledge be the key determinant of an individual's economic worth? Are trained workers the potential wealth of an organization? Is intellectual capital the most valuable corporate asset? Such unconventional parameters characterise the knowledge-based economy of the twenty-first century. With the individual as the cornerstone of the new economic order, personal skills, innovation and creativity are not merely factors of production, but sources of wealth and imperatives for economic growth. ECSSR's Seventh Annual Conference, held in Abu Dhabi from February 9-11, 2002 brought together renowned scholars and specialists. The stimulating conference presentations in this book highlight not only global trends in human resource development but also the particular challenges confronting the Gulf region.