Innovations in Work Organisation as a Response to the Employment Implications of Technological Change

Many of the more fundamental changes occurring around us can be traced to some underlying technological change. Around these fundamental changes, new technologies also weave a network of more minor modifications, nuances in the fabric of society itself. The subject of this Conference has been the implications of technological change for employment (and unemployment). We should not lose sight of the fact that employment is just one aspect of the overall picture. Indeed, it can be argued, with some conviction, that it is difficult to build up a comprehensive picture of the consequences for employment without considering these wider issues. In particular, we would want to stress that the literature on induced invention, innovation and diffusion clearly indicates that technological change is, itself, influenced by underlying economic, social and legal forces. In addition, it is often very difficult to separate the parts played by technological changes and the organisational changes that often accompany them. This chapter therefore examines some of the broader consequences of technological change for employment, outlines some government responses that will help counteract the more adverse effects and, in particular, shows how many of these remedial actions lie in the area of innovations in work organisation.