Workplace innovation: a converging or diverging research field?

The scientific and non-scientific literature on workplace innovation is reviewed and categorised against the type of research and the level of analysis. A description is provided of how the term ‘workplace innovation’ is interpreted by authors who apply the term. For the distinguished categories of workplace innovation research, the prominent representative examples will be described, i.e. research that contributed to the understanding and dissemination of workplace innovation research. While there is variety in definitions, approaches and applications, models and tools, measurement, and operationalisation, the common ground is that workplace innovation is concerned with the ‘advancement of work’ and more or less contributes to a ‘good jobs strategy’. With this in mind, the chapter outlines four social scientific research streams with ‘work’ as a central theme that are possibly connected to advanced work and good jobs, namely: sociology and organisation research; safety science and organisation research; economic strategy and human resources research; and psychology and behavioural research. It is concluded that convergence seems hard from a scientific point of view but looks desirable from a practical standpoint. After all, it is rare for anyone to have opposing views of high-quality work.