Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Workplace Innovation as a Process: Examples from Europe

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Innovation

Abstract

Presenting a study in ten EU Member States, this chapter discusses the implementation of workplace innovation (WPI) by European companies. Central questions are: (1) Why do companies apply WPI and are there different strategies that they use? (2) How do these companies implement WPI interventions and provide employees a role in that process? (3) What types of WPI interventions are being implemented, and what are the (expected) effects of such interventions? The chapter concludes that successful WPI is a subtle interplay of management-driven business goals and employee-driven quality of work life goals. The main take away message is that constructive cooperation between management and employees is key for innovation, competitiveness and good quality jobs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Achterbergh, J., & Vriens, D. (2010). Organizations. Social systems conducting experiments. (2nd ed.; 1st ed. 2009). Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. L. (2000). Manufacturing Advantage. Why High-Performance Work Systems Pay Off. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, N., & van Reenen, J. (2010). Why Do Management Practices Differ Across Firms and Countries? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(1), 203–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boxall, P. (2012). High-Performance Work Systems: What, Why, How and for Whom? Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 50, 169–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boxall, P., & Macky, K. (2009). Research and Theory on High-Performance Work Systems: Progressing the High-Involvement Stream. Human Resource Management Journal, 19, 3–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, A. D. (1962). Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of American Industrial Enterprises. Boston, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, T. G., & Srivastva, S. (1977). Management of Work: A Sociotechnical Systems Approach. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Sitter, L. U., Den Hertog, J. F., & Dankbaar, B. (1997). From Complex Organisations with Simple Jobs to Simple Organisations with Complex Jobs. Human Relations, 50(5), 497–534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhondt, S., & van Hootegem, G. (2015). Reshaping Workplaces: Workplace Innovation as Designed by Scientists and Practitioners. European Journal of Workplace Innovation, 1(1), 17–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhondt, S., Vermeerbergen, L., & van Hootegem, G. (2017). Evidence of Workplace Innovation from Organisational and Economic Studies. In P. R. A. Oeij, D. Rus, & F. D. Pot (Eds.), Workplace Innovation: Theory, Research and Practice (Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being) (pp. 63–78). Cham (Switzerland): Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ennals, R. (2018). Democratic Dialogue and Development: An Intellectual Obituary of Björn Gustavsen. European Journal of Workplace Innovation, 4(1), 11–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrick, N. Q., & Maccoby, M. (1975). Humanizing Work: A Priority Goal of the 1970’s. In L. E. Davis & A. B. Cherns (Eds.), The Quality of Working Wife. I (pp. 64–66). New York, NY: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herriot, P. (2001). The Employment Relationship: A Psychological Perspective. Routledge: Hove.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howaldt, J., Oeij, P. R. A., Dhondt, S., & Fruytier, B. (2016). Workplace Innovation and Social Innovation: An Introduction. World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 12(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Høyrup, S. (2012). Employee-Driven Innovation: A New Phenomenon, Concept and Mode of Innovation. In S. Høyrup, C. Hasse, M. Bonnafous-Boucher, K. Møller, & M. Lotz (Eds.), Employee Driven Innovation: A New Approach (pp. 3–33). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Huselid, M. A. (1995). The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Turnover, Productivity, and Corporate Financial Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 38(3), 635–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karanika-Murray, M., & Oeij, P. R. A. (2017). The Role of Work and Organisational Psychology for Workplace Innovation Practice: From Short-Sightedness to Eagle View? In European Work and Organisational Psychology in Practice (Special Issue on Workplace Innovation) (Vol. 1, pp. 19–30).

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasek Jr., R. A. (1979). Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285–308. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2392498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDuffie, J. P. (1997). The Road to “Root Cause”: Shop-Floor Problem-Solving at Three Auto Assembly Plants. Management Science, 43(4), 479–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMurray, A., Islam, M. M., Sarros, J. C., & Pirola-Merlo, A. (2013). Workplace Innovation in a Nonprofit Organization. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 23(3), 367–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B., & Lampel, J. (1998). Strategy Safari. The Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management. London: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oeij, P., Dhondt, S., Žiauberytė-Jakštienė, R., Corral, A., & Preenen, P. (2017). Implementing Workplace Innovation: Why, How and What. In P. R. A. Oeij, D. Rus, & F. D. Pot (Eds.), Workplace Innovation: Theory, Research and Practice (Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being) (pp. 149–170). Cham (Switzerland): Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Oeij, P. R. A., & Dhondt, S. (2017). Theoretical Approaches Supporting Workplace Innovation. In P. R. A. Oeij, D. Rus, & F. D. Pot (Eds.), Workplace Innovation: Theory, Research and Practice (Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being) (pp. 63–78). Cham (Switzerland): Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Oeij, P. R. A., Rus, D., & Pot, F. D. (Eds.). (2017). Workplace Innovation: Theory, Research and Practice (Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being). Cham (Switzerland): Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oeij, P. R. A., Žiauberytė-Jakštienė, R., Dhondt, S., Corral, A., Totterdill, P., & Preenen, P. T. Y. (2015). Workplace Innovation in European Companies. Study Commissioned by Eurofound. Luxemburg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osterman, P. (2018). In Search of the High Road: Meaning and Evidence. ILR Review, 71(1), 3–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pot, F. D. (2011). Workplace Innovation for Better Jobs and Performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 60(4), 404–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preenen, P. T. Y., Oeij, P. R. A., Dhondt, S., Kraan, K. O., & Jansen, E. (2016). Job Autonomy Matters for Young Companies’ Performance Growth. World Review of Entrepreneurship Management and Sustainable Development, 12(1), 74–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Putnik, K., Oeij, P., van der Torre, W., de Vroome, E., & Dhondt, S. (2019). Innovation Adoption of Employees in Logistics: Individual and Organisational Factors Related to the Actual Use of Innovation. International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 16(3), 251–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, N. H. (2017). Arendt’s Anti-Humanism of Labour. European Journal of Social Theory, 22(2), 175–190. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431017746326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Totterdill, P., & Exton, R. (2014). Defining Workplace Innovation: The Fifth Element. Strategic Direction, 30(9), 12–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trist, E., & Murray, H. (1993). The Social Engagement of Social Science: A Tavistock Anthology. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (2003). Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This chapter is based on the study ‘Workplace innovation in European companies’ (Oeij et al., 2015). Parts of this chapter were published elsewhere. The authors and publisher gratefully acknowledge the following permission to use the material in this book:

  • Oeij, P., Dhondt, S., Žiauberytė-Jakštienė, R., Corral, A., & Preenen, P. (2017). Implementing Workplace Innovation: Why, How and What. In P. R. A. Oeij, D. Rus, & F. D. Pot (Eds.), Workplace Innovation: Theory, Research and Practice (Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being) (pp. 149–170). Cham (Switzerland): Springer; Oeij, P., Dhondt, S., Žiauberytė-Jakštienė, R., Corral, A., & Preenen, P. (2017). Implementing Workplace Innovation Across Europe: Why, How and What? EWOP in Practice, Special Issue on Workplace Innovation (1), 46–60; Oeij, P., Dhondt, S., Žiauberytė-Jakštienė, R., Corral, A., & Totterdill, P. (2016). Implementing Workplace Innovation Across Europe: Why, How and What? Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast, 5(47), 195–218; Howaldt, J., Oeij, P. R. A., Dhondt, S., & Fruytier, B. (2016). Workplace Innovation and Social Innovation: An Introduction. World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 12(1), 1–12.

We thank our research partners of the Eurofound study: IKEI Research & Consultancy (Spain), Workplace Innovation Limited (United Kingdom), ARC Consulting EOOD (Bulgaria), Centre for Working Life Research, Roskilde University (Denmark), Gesellschaft für Empirische Arbeitsforschung und Beratung, GEA (Germany), Institute for Modelling and Analysis of Public Policies, IMAPP (Poland), Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), University of Piraeus Research Centre (UPRC) (Greece).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. TNO Innovation for Life, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Peter R. A. Oeij, Paul T. Y. Preenen & Steven Dhondt

  2. KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Steven Dhondt

Authors
  1. Peter R. A. Oeij
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul T. Y. Preenen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Steven Dhondt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter R. A. Oeij .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Adela McMurray

  2. School of Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Nuttawuth Muenjohn

  3. Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia

    Chamindika Weerakoon

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Oeij, P.R.A., Preenen, P.T.Y., Dhondt, S. (2021). Workplace Innovation as a Process: Examples from Europe. In: McMurray, A., Muenjohn, N., Weerakoon, C. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Innovation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59916-4_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation