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Work Organisation, Forms of Employee Learning and Labour Market Structure: Accounting for International Differences in Workplace Innovation

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  • Edward Lorenz

Abstract

Workplace innovation has attracted increasing attention within Europe both amongst researchers and policy makers. This paper begins by drawing on the results of the 5th European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) to map different forms of work organisation for the EU-27 and Norway. It then examines at both the individual level and the group or national level the relationships between a measure of process innovation and the use of what are referred to as the ‘discretionary learning’ (DL) forms of work organisation, characterised by high levels of employee learning, problem-solving and discretion in work. The results point to a systemic relation at the level of national innovation systems between the frequency of process innovations and the frequency of the DL forms. This is explained in part by the way the DL forms provide employees with opportunities for the exploration of new knowledge that can result in new process innovations that diffuse beyond the firm’s boundaries. The paper then proceeds to address the issue of labour market policies for promoting the adoption of the DL forms. It presents evidence to show that the likelihood of the DL forms is higher in nations with more developed systems of ‘flexible security’ characterised by high levels of labour market mobility, unemployment protection and active labour market measures. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

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  • Edward Lorenz, 2015. "Work Organisation, Forms of Employee Learning and Labour Market Structure: Accounting for International Differences in Workplace Innovation," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(2), pages 437-466, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:6:y:2015:i:2:p:437-466
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-014-0233-4
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    1. Nathalie Greenan & Edward Lorenz, 2013. "Developing harmonized measures of the dynamics of organizations and work," Chapters, in: Fred Gault (ed.), Handbook of Innovation Indicators and Measurement, chapter 10, pages 247-278, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Joe Tidd & Frank M Hull (ed.), 2003. "Service Innovation:Organizational Responses to Technological Opportunities & Market Imperatives," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number p294, August.
    3. Anthony Arundel & Edward Lorenz & Bengt-Åke Lundvall & Antoine Valeyre, 2007. "How Europe's economies learn: a comparison of work organization and innovation mode for the EU-15," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 16(6), pages 1175-1210, December.
    4. Tuomo Alasoini & Asko Heikkilä & Elise Ramstad & Pekka Ylöstalo, 2008. "High‐involvement innovation practices at Finnish workplaces," International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 57(6), pages 449-459, July.
    5. Edward Lorenz & Antoine Valeyre, 2005. "Organisational Innovation, HRM and Labour Market Structure," Post-Print halshs-00483643, HAL.
    6. Fagerberg, Jan & Martin, Ben R. & Andersen, Esben Sloth (ed.), 2013. "Innovation Studies: Evolution and Future Challenges," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199686353.
    7. Edward Lorenz, 2013. "Innovation, work Organisation and Systems of Social Protection," Post-Print halshs-00931547, HAL.
    8. Bruce Tether, 2003. "The sources and aims of innovation in services: Variety between and within sectors," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(6), pages 481-505.
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    2. Erdei Raul & Barnutiu Octavian, 2018. "Forms Of Work Organization And Regional Performance In Eu-28 And Norway," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 3, pages 171-178, June.
    3. LECHEVALIER, Sébastien & MOFAKHAMI, Malo, 2023. "Analyzing the diverse impact of digital use on the job quality : Comparing work organization and job satisfaction in Japan and France," Discussion Paper Series 740, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    4. Malo Mofakhami, 2022. "Is Innovation Good for European Workers? Beyond the Employment Destruction/Creation Effects, Technology Adoption Affects the Working Conditions of European Workers," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(3), pages 2386-2430, September.
    5. Kassem HAMMOUD, 2018. "Comparative Analysis Of Innovative Forms Of Work Organization At European Level," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 12(1), pages 367-377, November.
    6. Erdei Raul & Moroc Andrei, 2018. "Spatial Economic Impacts Of Workplace Innovation In Eu-28 And Norway," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 3, pages 253-260, June.
    7. Hassan Arouri & Adel Ben Youssef & Francesco Quatraro, 2016. "Entry, exit and net job creation in Tunisia: an exploratory analysis," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 6(3), pages 323-337, December.
    8. Christine Erhel & Mathilde Guergoat-Larivière & Malo Mofakhami, 2023. "Working time arrangements, innovation and job satisfaction: a workplace level analysis for France," Working Papers halshs-03180531, HAL.
    9. Caroline Lloyd & Jonathan Payne, 2023. "Digital skills in context: Working with robots in lower-skilled jobs," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(4), pages 1084-1104, November.

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