Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Challenge Social Innovation pp 261–274Cite as

Social Innovation of Work and Employment

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Social innovation of work and employment are prerequisites to achieve the EU2020 objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It covers labour market innovation on societal level and workplace innovation on organisational level. This paper focuses on the latter. Workplace innovations are social both in their ends (quality of working life, well-being and development of talents together with organisational performance) and in their means (employee participation and empowerment). Complementary to technological innovations they regard innovations in social aspects of organisations such as work organisation, HRM and work relations. Workplace innovation – or innovative workplaces as it is sometimes called – deserves to be better incorporated in EU policies, as also has been recommended by the European Economic and Social Committee and the OECD. Some countries have experienced the benefits of national campaigns already.

This is a preview of subscription content, 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   149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   199.99
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

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Argyris, C., & Schön, D. (1978). Organisational learning. Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonitz, D., Eberle, G., & Lück, P. (2007). Wirtschaftlicher Nutzen von betrieblicher Gesundheitsförderung aus der Sicht von Unternehmen. Bonn: AOK-Bundesverband.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caulier-Grice, J., Kahn, L., Mulgan, G., Pulford, L., & Vasconcelos, D. (2010). Study on social innovation. Social Innovation Exchange (SIX)/Young Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Council of the European Union. (2010). Proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States. Part II of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines. Opinion of the Employment Committee, Brussels, 21 May 2010, Inter institutional File 2010/0115(NLE).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, T., Griffiths, A., & Rial-González, E. (2000). Research on work-related stress. Luxemburg: European Agency on Safety and Health at Work.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Sitter, L. U., 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., Gramberen, M. V., Keuken, F., Pot, F., Totterdill, P., & Vaas, F. (2011). Workplace innovation, Social Innovation Europe launch event. Nottingham: UKWON.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eeckelaert, L., Dhondt, S., Oeij, P., Pot, F., Nicolescu, G. I., Webster, J., & Elsler, D. (2012). Review of workplace innovation and its relation with occupational safety and health. Bilbao: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eurofound. (2005). New forms of work organisation. Can Europe realise its potential? Results of a survey of direct participation in Europe. Dublin: Eurofound.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (1997). Green paper on partnership for a new organisation of work. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2010a). Social innovation as part of the Europe 2020 strategy. Brussels: Bureau of European Policy Advisers.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2010b). Proposal for a council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the member states. Part II of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, Brussels: COM92010) 193/3.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2010c). Accompanying document to the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative Innovation Union, Brussels: Commission staff working document, COM(2010)546/SEC(2010)1161.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Economic and Social Committee. (2007). Promoting sustainable productivity in the European workplace, Brussels (SOC/266).

    Google Scholar 

  • European Economic and Social Committee. (2011). Innovative workplaces as a source of productivity and quality jobs, Brussels (SC/034).

    Google Scholar 

  • Flood, P. C., Guthrie, J. P., & Liu, W. (2008). New models of high performance work systems. Dublin: National Centre for Partnership & Performance.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goudswaard, A., Oeij, P., Brugman, T., & De Jong, T. (2009). Good practice guide to internal flexibility policies in companies. Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hacker, W. (2003). Action regulation theory: A practical tool for the design of modern work. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology, 12(2), 105–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Häusser, J. A., Mojzisch, A., Niesel, M., & Schulz-Hardt, S. (2010). Ten years on: A review of recent research on the Job Demand-Control (−Support) model and psychological well-being. Work and Stress, 24(1), 1–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howaldt, J., & Schwarz, M. (2010). Social innovation: Concepts, research fields and international trends. Dortmund: Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund, ZWE der TU-Dortmund.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D. C., Kalmi, P., Kato, T., & Mäkinen, M. (2008). The effects of human resource management practices on firm productivity – Preliminary evidence from Finland. Helsinki: The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Judge, T. A., Thoresen, C. J., Bono, J. E., & Patton, G. K. (2001). The job satisfaction – Job performance relationship: A qualitative and quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin, 127, 376–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalmi, P., & Kauhanen, A. (2008). Workplace innovations and employee outcomes: Evidence from Finland. Industrial Relations, 47(3), 430–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karasek, R. A., & Theorell, T. (1990). Healthy work: Stress, productivity and the reconstruction of working life. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kira, M., & van Eijnatten, M. (2008). Socially sustainable work organizations: A chaordic systems approach. Systems Research and Behavioral Sciences, 25, 743–756.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koningsveld, E. A. P. (2008). Factors of competitive advances through ergonomics interventions. In L. I. Sznelwar, F. L. Mascia, & U. B. Montedo (Eds.), Human factors in organisational design and management (pp. 265–270). Santa Monica: IEA Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koningsveld, E. A. P., Dul, J., van Rhijn, J. W., & Vink, P. (2005). Enhancing the impact of ergonomic interventions. Ergonomics, 48(5), 559–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2010a). The OECD innovation strategy: Getting a head start on tomorrow. Paris: OECD Publishing. www.oecd.org/innovation/strategy

  • OECD. (2010b). Innovative workplaces. Making better use of skills within organisations. Paris: OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/9789264095687-en

  • Oeij, P., Dhondt, S., & Wiezer, N. (2006). Conditions for low stress-risk jobs: Europe’s case. European Journal of Social Quality, 6(2), 81–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oeij, P., Dorenbosch, L., Klein Hesselink, J., & Vaas, F. (2010). Slimmer werken en sociale innovatie (Working smarter and social innovation). Den Haag: Boom Lemma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oeij, P., Dhondt, S., & Korver, T. (2011). Social innovation, workplace innovation and social quality. International Journal of Social Quality, 1(2), 38–49.

    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 

  • Pot, F. D., & Koningsveld, E. A. P. (2009). Quality of working life and organizational performance – Two sides of the same coin? Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 35(6), 421–428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pot, F. D., Peeters, M., Vaas, F., & Dhondt, S. (1994). Assessment of stress risks and learning opportunities in the work organization. European Work and Organisational Psychologist, 4(1), 21–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pot, F. et al. (forthcoming). Workplace innovation in the Netherlands. In I. Houtman (Ed.), Quality of working life in the Netherlands, vol 2, Hoofddorp: TNO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramstad, E. (2009). Promoting performance and the quality of working life simultaneously. Internal Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 58(5), 423–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabel, C. F. (2006). A real-time revolution in routines. In C. Heckscher & P. Adler (Eds.), The firm as a collaborative community (pp. 106–156). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline. New York: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taris, T. W., Schreurs, P. J. G., Eikmans, K. J. L., & van Riet, P. (2008). Werkkenmerken, welzijn en organisatieprestatie: een toets van de happy-productive worker hypothese op organisatieniveau. (Work characteristics, well-being and organisational performance: A test of the happy-productive worker hypothesis on organisation level). Gedrag & Organisatie, 21(1), 3–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Totterdill, P. (2010). Workplace innovation. Europe 2020’s missing dimension. Report of a workshop hosted by DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, 23 June 2010. Nottingham: UKWON.

    Google Scholar 

  • Totterdill, P., Dhondt, S., & Milsome, S. (2002). Partners at work? A report to Europe’s policymakers and social partners. Nottingham: The Work Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Totterdill, P., Exton, O., Exton, R., & Sherrin, J. (2009). Workplace innovation policies in European countries. Nottingham: UKWON.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Hauw, P. A., Pasaribu, M. N., & van der Zeijden, P. T. (2009). Slimmer werken: gebruik, mogelijkheden en opbrengsten in de praktijk (Working smarter: application, opportunities and proceeds in practice). Zoetermeer: EIM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vink, P., Koningsveld, E. A. P., & Molenbroek, J. F. (2006). Positive outcomes of participatory ergonomics in terms of greater comfort and higher productivity. Applied Ergonomics, 37(2006), 537–546.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volberda, H. W., Van den Bosch, F. A. J., & Jansen, J. J. P. (2006). Slim managen & innovatief organiseren (managing smartly and organising innovatively). Rotterdam: Eiffel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volberda, H., et al. (2010). Sociale innovatie: nu nog beter! (Social innovation, today even better!). Rotterdam: INSCOPE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westgaard, R. H., & Winkel, J. (2011). Occupational musculoskeletal and mental health: Significance of rationalization and opportunities to create sustainable production systems – A systematic review. Applied Ergonomics, 42(2), 261–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands

    Frank Pot

  2. TNO Work and Employment, Hoofddorp, Netherlands

    Steven Dhondt & Peter Oeij

Authors
  1. Frank Pot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven Dhondt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter Oeij
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank Pot .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zentrale Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung, Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund, TU Dortmund, Evinger Platz 17, Dortmund, 44339, Germany

    Hans-Werner Franz

  2. Centre for Social Innovation, Linke Wienzeile 246, Vienna, 1150, Austria

    Josef Hochgerner

  3. Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund, Evinger Platz 17, Dortmund, 44339, Germany

    Jürgen Howaldt

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Pot, F., Dhondt, S., Oeij, P. (2012). Social Innovation of Work and Employment. In: Franz, HW., Hochgerner, J., Howaldt, J. (eds) Challenge Social Innovation. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32879-4_16

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation