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7th January 2009

UKWON Journal Archive - UKWON Journals

UKWON Journal Archive

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UK WON Journal 4 (2003)
The Journal (2003) comprises the articles listed below.
Understanding the IT Productivity Paradox
Understanding the IT Productivity Paradox Extended. By Peter Brödner The IT productivity paradox points to the amazing fact that, despite massive and still growing investment in information technology over decades, no perceivable labour productivity increases can be observed.
UKWON The New Economy
UK WON The New Economy Seminar 9th July 2003 held at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), London Report by Joanna Bell. The Work Institute Nottingham The second UK WON seminar, hosted at the DTI conference centre, focused on the new economy. The seminar programme provided an opportunity for a selection of excellent speakers to share their views on the new economy within their specialism. It also acted as a platform for discussion and open dialogue on the subject with views from social partner organisations, the Engineering Employers’ Federation and the TUC.
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
CEDEFOP – European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training Volume I - key issues from a European perspective By Barry Nyhan, Peter Cressey, Massimo Tomassini, Michael Kelleher, Rob Poell Volume II - selected European writings Barry Nyhan, Michael Kelleher, Peter Cressey, Rob Poell (Editors) European goals related to ‘lifelong learning’ and the creation of a ‘knowledge-based society’ can only be attained if the organisations in which people work are also organisations in which they learn. This means that work organisations must become, at the same time, learning organisations.
European Works Councils
European Works Councils – Transforming European Industrial Relations? By Peter Cressey, Reader, University of Bath (This feature was commissioned for the Industrial Relations Journal - European Review 2003)
High Performance Workplaces
High Performance Workplaces. By Robert Stevens, IPA Research and Information Manager The concept of the high performance workplace has become increasingly important to employers, policy makers and the social partners over recent years. According to a recent DTI discussion document, “modern, high performance workplaces… build on the simple insight that individuals are more likely to give of their best if they feel valued and are given the opportunity to contribute their ideas; and that people who are well-prepared for change can help to introduce it and thereby help secure employment within the business”.
Managerial feedback motivates employees
Managerial feedback motivates employees. By Per-Olov Bergström, Swedish Trade Union Confederation Everyone knows the damage that can occur to a change project if an influential manager leaves. So what does a manager do that is so important? One important but seldom discussed aspect of a manager’s work is building a relationship with employees through frequent feedback.
Report on the Innoflex Car Network Meeting at Seat Plant and nearby Supply Facilities
Report on the Innoflex Car Network Meeting at Seat Plant, Barcelona and nearby Supply Facilities Visit to Seat Martorell (Barcelona) plant. By Campbell Ford This visit was arranged as part of the Innoflex project to examine innovative and flexible forms of work organisation particularly the role of workplace partnership and cooperation, including teamworking and supply chain issues.
The Action Research Travelling Circus: Enterprise Development and Working Life (EDWOR)
The Action Research Travelling Circus: Enterprise Development and Working Life (EDWOR). By Richard Ennals, Centre for Working Life Research, Kingston Business School. In Norway, social research is seen as a crucial element in regional economic development. After the recent success of the Enterprise Development 2000 (ED2000) programme, with networked modules of projects in seven regions, the current successor programme Value Creation 2010 (VC2010) includes a doctoral programme involving researchers from the participating projects, as well as international students from Denmark, Turkey and the USA.
Work organisation in the National Health Service
WORK ORGANISATION IN HOSPITALS Work organisation in the National Health Service: the missing link? The argument underpinning the two papers which follow is that performance management is not enough. Instead the increasingly tough regulatory regime has to be balanced by a stronger developmental perspective – in particular, support for workplace innovation leading to new ways of organising work.
Organising Work for Effective Clinical Governance
WORK ORGANISATION IN HOSPITALS Organising Work for Effective Clinical Governance. By Elaine Moss, Head of Governance, Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust and Professor Peter Totterdill, Director of The Work Institute, Clinical governance is well established in NHS acute hospital trusts reflecting government priorities within the Modernisation agenda including risk management, clinical effectiveness, patient involvement and enhanced professional competence. Its practice is largely defined by the controls with which government requires Trusts to regulate their activities. Whilst its purpose reflects aspirations and standards widely accepted in the NHS community, this paper argues that the regulation of hospital processes is not sufficient to ensure the organisational innovation required to sustain the reflexivity needed for safe, patient focused care.
Changing the National Health Service
WORK ORGANISATION IN HOSPITALS Changing the National Health Service. By Rosemary Exton, Royal College of Midwives Steward The National Health Service been swept by continuous tides of change throughout its history. Led by politicians and bureaucrats at national level, the current health service modernisation agenda is dependent on a system of performance targets that reflect little understanding of the role of the frontline worker in improving the quality of patient care.
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UK WON Journal 3 (December 2002)
The Journal (December 2002) comprises the articles listed below.
Roskilde Conference: UK Minister's Speech
New forms of work organisation: the need for high performance workplaces. By Alan Johnson MP, Minister of State for Employment Relations, Industry and the Regions Alan Johnson’s speech at the Roskilde conference explains why the UK Government believes that new forms of work organisation and the spread of high performance workplaces are important if its goal of higher rates of productivity and employment are to beachieved.
Roskilde Conference: Background
New forms of work organisation: background to the Roskilde conference. By Peter Totterdill, The Work Institute. This paper provided some background for delegates at the conference on new forms of work organisation which was held on 12-13 November 2002 in Roskilde under the auspices of the Danish EU Presidency.
HI-RES Project
HI-RES PROJECT ‘Partners at work’ – a report of the Hi-Res project. Summary by Sue Milsome The report summarised here presents the findings of the Hi-Res project, funded by the EU. An electronic version of the full report will is available at www.hi-res.org.uk.
Project Job Swap
PROJECT JOB SWAP Project Job Swap. By Lizzie Mærsk Nielsen and Thomas Hermann, Danish Technological Institute Project Job Swap describes how employees in three major Danish enterprises shared knowledge and experience by swapping jobs. It is one of more than 100 case studies analysed as part of the Hi-Res project.
Policy Weaknesses
POLICY WEAKNESSES Lack of capacity to encourage and support the modernisation of work. By Richard Ennals, Centre for Working Life Research, Kingston University This article contains extracts from a study commissioned by the European Commission DG Employment and Social Affairs to identify gaps in the existing policy framework for the modernisation of work, and to assess the possible roles of actors to be involved in filling these gaps.
Work Organisation
WORK ORGANISATION – UK WON guiding principles and practice. By Campbell Ford, The Work Research Foundation UK WON is attempting to codify some guiding principles and practical advice on the introduction of new forms of work organisation. This working paper is published here to enable interested parties to comment or make suggestions for its improvement.
New Rules, New Technologies
NEW RULES, NEW TECHNOLOGIES: Changing the way we work. By Philippa Collins, School of Management, Heriot-Watt University Technological change is too often accepted without question, leading to accusations of technological determinism. This article appeals for more widespread involvement in decision making so that technology is used in ways that will benefit society, not just business.
Health and Safety - The balance of work and leisure in industry
HEALTH AND SAFETY The balance of work and leisure in industry. By Richard Ennals, Centre for Working Life Research, Kingston University ‘Balance’ has been a powerful and beguiling myth, used to sustain the economy and society during the industrial period. Now, as the UK enters a postindustrial phase, it is time to challenge such easy assumptions. Less work overall may not mean more leisure for all.
Health and Safety - The Lillestrøm Declaration
HEALTH AND SAFETY The Lillestrøm Declaration on Workplace Health Promotion. By Richard Ennals, Centre for Working Life Research, Kingston University The Lillestrøm Declaration on Workplaces Health Promotion was drawn up by 400 delegates at the Conference on Workplace Health Promotion which took place in the Arena Hotel, Lillestrøm in Norway on 6 and 7 November 2002.
Health and Safety -Working time reductions
HEALTH AND SAFETY Working time reductions – the French experience. By Sue Milsome Reducing the statutory working week to 35 hours in France has created jobs and increased employee satisfaction, according to Henri Rouilleault, chair of the commission ‘Working time reduction, lessons and observations’, who gave a UK WON seminar on the commission’s findings in July 2002.
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UK WON Journal 2 (Spring 2002)
The Journal (Spring 2002) comprises the articles listed below.
Introduction
The Work Research Foundation: a national coalition for working life and organisational competence. By Richard Ennals, Kingston University, Peter Totterdill, and Campbell Ford, Work Research Foundation, UK, The Work Institute. Despite its early contributions to the development of working life research, the UK has lagged behind much of the rest of Northern Europe in establishing a coherent approach to the modernisation of work organisation. This articledescribes how UK WON and the Work Research Foundation have emerged to help the UK catch up.
New forms of Work Organisation
New Forms of Work Organisation, the benefits and impact on performance, Employment and Social Affairs. European Commission. Summary by Sue Milsome Europe cannot succeed in improving its living standards, employment opportunities and quality of working life while many of its organisations retain outmoded work practices reminiscent of the industrial revolution, according to a paper presented to DG Employment and Social Affairs by the European Work Organisation Network (EWON).
Building New Relationships at East Midlands Electricity
Building new relationships at East Midlands Electricity. By Sue Milsome Privatisation, changes in ownership, and pressure from the regulator to reduce costs and improve services have resulted in a roller coaster ride for staff, unions and management at East Midlands Electricity over the last decade. This case study outlines how a ‘partnership environment’ has been created to help workers and their representatives understand the need for change, to have a voice in the direction of the business and to share in its success.
Working Time Flexibility
‘The time of our lives working project’: a case study on changes in working time and positive flexibility. By Peter Cressey, University of Bath This UK Work Organisation Network member report describes a project, sponsored by the EU Fourth Action Programme on Women and Equal Opportunities, which has been led by social partners in the form of the national Trade Union Congress and the Local Government Management Board. The project has a comparative dimension in that it has British, Dutch and Italian partners.
Trade Unions
The unions in a knowledge-based economy. By Tony Huzzard, Programme for Organisational Development and Learning, National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm Worldwide, trade unions are commonly perceived as operating in an era where the issue of change is of central significance.
Benchmarking
Taking photographs improves organisational benchmarking. By Eva-Carina Norskov, Danish Technological Institute Company visits can be enriched by using photography as a basis for observation. ‘Photo safari’ makes visitors ‘curious and active’ and thus stimulates dialogue between participating organisations, its originators claim.
Health and Safety
Profiting from partnerships – working together on health and safety. By Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission I am glad to provide my personal support to UKWON in promoting the concept of partnership-based approaches to work organisation. This has much resonance with the work of the HSE.
Health and Safety in Small Enterprises
Health and Safety in Small Enterprises: European Strategies for Managing Improvement. By D. Walters, Work & Society Book Review by Richard Ennals, Centre for Working Life Research, Kingston University
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UK WON Journal 1 (Winter 2001)
This is the prototype issue of the journal of UK WON, providing a means of communication and dissemination, in text and electronic form, of a wide range of materials concerning work organisation. The Journal, intended primarily for practitioners, is linked with the UK WON website, developed since 1998, and hosting an extensive database of case study material.
Editorial
Campbell Ford introduces the new UK WON journal and describes the plans and opportunities for UK WON.
New forms of Work Organisation (NFWO): The Benefits And Impact On Performance
This is a major paper, presented by the European Work Organisation Network to DG Employment & Social Affairs. It looks at the impact of NFWO on a variety of business issues, and examines the implications for the future. Pat Savage (ed).
Healthy Work
A new political theme of "healthy work" is emerging, with roots in human rights and occupational health and safety. One consequence of this new emphasis is the development of a new business model, human centred, with health chains alongside value chains. The model challenges current assumptions and accounting approaches. Richard Ennals.
Technology Transfer In Action
HEROBAC (Higher Education Reach-Out to Business and the Community) is a Government funded initiative to support the bringing together of industry and Higher Education. HEROBAC funds have been used for a new Kingston University qualification, the MSc by Learning Contract, where the individual earns University accreditation for learning arising from work-based activities. MSc students do not have to attend taught courses, although this can be built into the individually designed MSc by Learning Contract programmes. Anne Marie McEwan.
Much Ado About Something
Businesses in Nottingham have been seeing themselves on stage. In an innovative project, the Partners@Work Theatre Company have been turning discussions with employees, at all levels in a company, into plays. These plays were performed for the workforce and used to provoke reflection and discussion on how to improve work organisation and partnership in particular. Mike Thornett of North Midland Construction Plc said: " Some staff were initially quite sceptical of this approach - but we've found it to be an exciting method of opening up the debate and harnessing the creativity and experience of our staff." Jeremy Hague
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