While the need to utilise knowledge from social research in processes of development in working life is growing, there is also a growing recognition of the problems posed by this utilisation. As the belief in universal reason and general theory about topics like work organization and leadership has faded, research has to find a place as a local development actor. As such it is part of broad groups of actors, or development coalitions, as they are called in this book. Each coalition acquires unique characteristics and demands unique contributions from participating researchers. At the same time there is still a need for generalisable knowledge since all local processes are linked to global ones. Using an ongoing research-supported development program in Norwegian working life as the basis, this book explores the issues and problems associated with a new role for research as a mediator, not between general theory and local application, but between local workplace actors and global trends. The program in case encompasses a substantial number of enterprises — many of them organized in networks — and more than 50 researchers organized in seven groups, or modules.

Work Organization has achieved recent prominence in European policy, as new employment guidelines are embodied in the policies of all European Member States. New forms of Work Organization, properly understood, offer collaborative competitive advantage to European enterprises. This book, based on decades of action research in separate European nations, identifies the research background from which these new insights and policy initiatives have emerged, with continuing lessons to be learned from differences. Work Organization is the missing link which enables innovation and training to produce sustainable increases in productivity: this is not mere academic theory but also vital practical business. The book launches a new European research agenda, which is attracting interest from across the developed world and beyond. Rather than arguing for a stronger role for the state, or simply leaving matters to the market, the book presents a “third way” based on networks and coalitions, illustrated with numerous current European case studies, which provide explanations for developments at the level of enterprises, regions and the European Union itself. The book provides valuable insights into new European Commission initiatives and Transatlantic Dialogue, and provides the foundations for renewed democratic dialogue.

The second of a series of Yearbooks in the Work Life 2000 programme, preparing for the Work Life 2000 Conference in Malmö 22 - 25 January 2001, as a part of the Swedish Presidency of the European Union

With the Handbook of Action Research hailed as a turning point in how action research is framed and understood by scholars, this student edition has been structured to provide an easy inroad into the field for researchers and students. It includes concise chapter summaries and an informative introduction that draws together the different strands of action research and reveals their diverse applications as well as their interrelations. Divided into four parts, there are important themes of thinking and practice running throughout.

The past is an increasingly unreliable guide to the future. European workplaces and the regions in which they are located face unprecedented pressures and challenges. Whereas in recent decades incremental adaptation has largely been sufficient to cope with external change, it is no longer clear that this remains the case. Globalisation, technological development and dissemination, political volatility, patterns of consumption, and employee expectations are occurring at a rate which is hard to measure. The rate of change in these spheres is far outstripping the rate of organisational innovation in both European enterprises and public governance, leading to a serious mismatch between the challenges of the 21st Century and the organisational competence available to deal with them. In this context, there is no clear roadmap. The contributors to this volume address these issues and demonstrate that building the knowledge base required by actors in this volatile environment requires continuous dialogue and learning – a context in which social partners, regional policy makers and other participants share diverse knowledge and reflect on experience rather than seeking and imitating any notion of ‘best practice’. Action Research has a crucial role to play, embedding shared learning within the process of innovation.

Human Development and Working Life - Work for Welfare explores whether the development of human resources at company level can improve individuals' quality of life, company's possibilities of development, and welfare and democracy in society. The book refers to cases where attempts have been made to improve quality of working life and competitiveness of the company. Possibilities and hindrances to combine social improvements and competition in the development of human resources are discussed. During the last 10 years most European countries have increased investments in the development of human resources at work as a vehicle for social development. The public investment in training, rehabilitation and support for innovation has increased; and at the same time the labour market has been deregulated to remove obstacles for flexibility and business development. The aim of the book is to promote knowledge about how to integrate social development and flexibility at the company level.

Since the first edition of this book was published, the subject of sustainability has risen to the forefront of thinking in almost every subject within business and management. Tackling the latest developments and integrating practical perspectives with rigorous research, this new edition sheds light on a vital aspect of working life. Current trends reveal that increasing intensity at work has major consequences at individual, organizational and societal levels. Sustainability in work systems thus requires a multi-stakeholder approach, emphasising a value-based choice to promote the concurrent development of various resources in the work system. This sustainability grows from intertwined individual and collective learning processes taking place within and between organizations in collaboration. In exploring the development of sustainable work systems, this book analyzes these problems, and provides the basis for designing and implementing 'sustainable work systems' based on the idea of regeneration and the development of human and social resources. The authors, who are leading researchers and practitioners from around the world, consider the existing possibilities and emerging solutions and explore alternatives to intensive work systems.

Innovation is a source of building long-term sustainability. If implemented successfully it can lead to superior organizational performance. To be competitive, companies and their leaders continuously strive to engage in new market spaces by developing and engaging in an innovative culture so as to differentiate themselves from their rivals. With contributions from scholars and practitioners, this Handbook provides evidence-based case studies to identify workplace innovation practices in developed and developing countries. Chapters are based on an organizational innovation framework and focuses on two major areas: the determinants of innovation and the process and outcome elements. It covers in-depth, cutting edge specialised topics such as frugal innovation, innovation associated with leadership as well as numerous organisational contexts such as for-profit and not for profit sectors and small, medium and large organisations. Essential reading for any student or scholar of innovation studies, this handbook provides novel coverage of innovation practices linked to organizational variables such as culture, ethics, leadership and performance.

Using a workplace development program as source of experience the book deals with the development of innovation processes. Since innovation means to explore the unique and the special to bring forth what does not (yet) exist, each innovation process must in itself be an innovation. The study explores the tools and activities needed to create such processes, like dialogue, networking, coalition building, and social partnership. The authors report from the position of collaborative actors involved in the innovation process rather than external observers.

Since the 1990ies, organizations from different sectors have been operating in increasingly dynamic socio-economic environments characterized by unexpected events and instability. Organizations tend to adjust to dynamic environments by change initiatives promoting permanent reorganization. Such change initiatives often induce unintended effects, e.g. an erosion of trust, the violation of ‘psychological contracts’ in employees’ eyes or a decrease in organizational effectiveness. This book explores and analyzes whether such unintended effects can be anticipated or constructively dealt with by mindful change. The latter refers to the concept of organizational mindfulness that originally is linked to risk and safety research, e.g. in respect to ‘High Reliability Organizations’. In this book, organizational mindfulness is re-conceptualized addressing organizational change in the perspective of organizational sustainability. Moreover, it is explored how institutions foster or restrict organizations’ capability of organizational mindfulness in change processes.