1 ResOrg and EU2020: Social Innovation and Workplace Innovation Frank Pot NSM Research Seminar Nijmegen 21 April 2011.

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ResOrg and EU2020: Social Innovation and Workplace Innovation

Frank Pot

NSM Research Seminar Nijmegen 21 April 2011

Outlines of ResOrg and EU2020

ResOrg:

•Meeting social demands

•Multiple value creation

•Dynamics in stakeholder configurations

•Institutional arrangements

•Accountability and reliability

EU2020:

•Smart growth: based on knowledge and innovation

•Sustainable growth: more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy

•Inclusive growth: high-employment economy, delivering economic, social and territorial cohesion 2

Most important policy documents

• EU2020 + accompanying document 2010• Flagship Innovation Union 2010• Flagship Skills and Jobs 2010• Draft Guidelines for the Employment Policies 2010• Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) on social

innovation 2010• Speech Barroso Social Innovation Europe 17 March 2011• Opinion European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

on Innovative workplaces/workplace innovation March 2011• Opinions of European Parliament on documents flagships and

guidelines (summer 2011)• New policy occupational safety and health 2013 – 2016 (in

progress) 3

Conceptual confusion

• Social innovation (EU)• Sociale innovatie (sometimes: working smarter) (NL, BE)• Social entrepreneurship (EU)• Non technological innovation (Eurostat)• Organisational innovation; new forms of work organisation • Workplace development (FI)• Innovative Arbeitsgestaltung (DE)• Workplace innovation (FI, IE, UK, USA, EF, EESC, EP)• Innovative workplaces (OECD, EESC)• Sustainable work (systems) (SE)• High performance workplaces (USA, UK)• High involvement workplaces (USA, UK) 4

Reduction number of concepts

• Social innovation• Non technological innovation• Workplace innovation

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Definitions

• Social innovation is about new responses to pressing social demands, which affect the process of social interactions. (aims: human well-being)

• Workplace innovation is the implementation of new and combined interventions in the fields of work organisation, HRM and work relations.(aims: org. performance and QWL)

• Non- technological innovation also covers dynamic management, new business models and marketing practices and external collaboration. (aims: org. performance)

Social innovation in EU documents

• Development of new forms of organisation and interactions to respond to social issues, addressing:

• Social demands not addressed by markets or existing institutions and directed to vulnerable groups

• Social challenges of social and economic nature (climate, migration, ageing, poverty)

• The need to reform society in direction more participative arena; empowerment and learning sources of well-being

• Social enterprises: care for children, elderly, disabled; work integration long-term unemployed, disadvantaged groups; education (compare commercial companies in these fields)

• Collaboration with companies possible (CSR); SME’s in CIP• Referred to in almost all policies and programmes 7

‘Social’ in ‘social innovation’ meaning:

• Complementary to technological innovation• Addressing societal problems• Directed at society as a whole and well-being• Solutions: new behaviours, institutional arrangements• Agency: voluntary and community based civil society

organisations• Opposed to business innovation or economic innovation

Disputable:• Agency• Opposed to business innovation• Example: EU pilot ‘active and healthy ageing’ 8

Workplace innovation subject of social innovation?• Regarding ‘workplace innovation’ there is probably a

problematic match with EU social innovation. Opponents could say:

• Although it could be considered to be a societal problem legislation and institutions (Labour Inspectorate, co-determination etc.) are in place

• If workplace innovation implies a win win situation for organisations and employees why extra attention or subsidy would be needed?

• This is primarily business innovation• Improving work organisation, working conditions and HRM

is nothing new9

Social innovation of work and employment

• Societal demands that cannot be met by individual companies: inclusive labour markets including the ageing workforce, sustainable employability

• Implementing workplace innovation is not self evident for organisations because of short-term perspectives, waiting for others to find out, fear to loose/share power

• Responsibilities and logics of action different for organisations and public authorities

• To meet these demands cooperation is needed of public authorities, social partners, organisations, knowledge institutes

• Supportive programmes help10

Elements of the concepts 1

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Concepts:

Elements:

Social innovation of work and employment

Non-technological innovation

Workplace innovation

Needs Increase of labour productivity, development of competences, more flexible organisation, innovative capacity.

Ibid Ibid

Societal challenges Global competition, knowledge economy, decreasing/ageing workforce, technology gap.

Ibid Ibid

Values Sustainable, smart and inclusive growth

Competitiveness and performance

Competitiveness and performance, optimal utilisation of the workforce, quality of working life

Process dimensions New forms of collaboration of social partners, governments and research institutions, among which industrial relations on national and sector level.

Dynamic management, external cooperation

Participation of stakeholders, trust

Levels of action European, national regional and sector.

Public and private organisations, sector, region

Public and private organisations, sector, region

Elements of concepts 2

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Content dimensions

Social innovation of work & employment

(National/European) Policy measures on labour market, social security, education, flexicurity, innovation systems, innovation infrastructure and innovation programmes (e.g. Social Innovation Europe (SIE) and Flexicurity as active labour market & social protection policy (European Commission); and competencies & training (ESF), promotion of non-technological innovation and workplace innovation (Flagship Initiatives).

Non-technological innovation

Sectoral and organisational measures on strategy, business, knowledge management and local/ regional/ sectoral innovation infrastructure (e.g. organisational innovation, the introduction of new business models, marketing strategies, and service delivery modes, absorption of new knowledge and open innovation)

Workplace innovation

Organisational measures on work organisation, labour relations and network relations (e.g. The combination of organisational innovation, ergonomics, development of competences, employment relations within the organisation).

Concepts used in documents EU

• Social innovation: BEPA July 2010; Social Innovation Europe 2011; Marginal reference in Flagship Innovation Union 2010+ accompanying document 2010 and Flagship Skills and Jobs 2010; draft guidelines employment policies 2010

• Workplace innovation: opinion EESC 2007, 2011; workshop launch event SIE 2011; EP response to FS IU?

• Non technological innovation: Eurostat; marginal in FS Innovation Union

• New/innovative forms/patterns of work organisation: FS Innovation Union; FS Skills and Jobs; draft guidelines employment policies 2010; ESF 2010; OSH 2007-2012

• Job quality and OSH: FS Skills and jobs; marginal in employment guidelines

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Social innovation and workplace innovation

• Although the connection between social innovation and workplace innovation can be explained and should be explained, we better do not count on social innovation alone because objections will probably appear over and over again

• Also, or maybe better, argue for the need for workplace innovation as such and refer to successes

• Argue how workplace innovation contributes to EU objectives competitiveness, innovation, high quality jobs, development skills/competences for smart, inclusive and sustainable growth

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Workplace innovation and OSH

• Workplace innovation and occupational safety and health are different policies with different objectives and instruments. Do not mix up.

• Workplace innovation is not directed at fewer occupational diseases or accidents or less absenteeism although it might help

• The overlap between workplace innovation and OSH regards ergonomics and work organisation as well as the effects for well-being, learning opportunities, prevention of work-related stress and physical workload.

• EU OSH policy refers to ‘healthy and productive jobs’

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Urgency for workplace innovation

• Decreasing workforce – increasing labour productivity• Global competition and knowledge based economy –

development of competences and skills• Making new technology work through innovative work

organisation• Workplace innovation explains a larger part of innovation

success than technological innovation

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‘National’ ‘programmes’

• Finland: workplace development• Germany: innovative Arbeitsgestaltung;

Innovationsfähigkeit• Belgium: sociale innovatie; Flanders Synergy• Netherlands: sociale innovatie; slimmer werken; NCSI• Norway: value creation• UK: workplace innovation• Ireland: workplace innovation• Sweden: management and work organisation renewal

Definitions in the Netherlands

• Slimmer Werken (Working Smarter)• Sociale Innovatie (narrow definition; workplace

development)• Sociale innovatie (broad definition; non-technological

innovation)• Het Nieuwe Werken (HNW; the New World of Work):

working independent of time and place

• See article by FP in next issue of M&O

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ResOrg matches with EU2020: examples

• Green products• Gender• CSR• Employability and ageing• New organisational designs• New marketing models• Organisational learning• Responsible decision making• Smart innovation• Interrelatedness of societal and organisational interests• Healthy workers• European Manufacturing Survey 19

Supporting theories/approaches: examples

• Modern sociotechnology• Job demands-control model• Action regulation theory• Human capital and social capital theory• Resource based view; dynamic capabilities• Absorptive capacity• Innovative firm; open innovation• Democratic dialogue• Strategic HRM• Leadership theories• Etc.

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EU Research opportunities: examples

Research:•FP7 WP 2011 Theme 8 Socio-economic sciences and humanities•Eurofound WP 2011: data EWCS 2010, ECS 2009, etc.•Sometimes DG Employment•?

Indirect opportunities, accompanying research via companies:•European Social Fund (ESF), Agentschap SZW•Community Innovation Programme (CIP), DG Enterprise•?

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