Participation in change

Eurofound — European Foundation For The Improvement Of Living And Working Conditions

Description

New technology and the role of employee involvement
Working conditions
Information technology and telecommunications

Sujets

• Innovation
• Technological change
• Vocational education
• Workers' control
• Information technology
• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: EUROFOUND-EUROPEAN-FOUNDATION-FOR-THE-IMPROVEMENT-OF-LIVING-AND-WORKING-CONDITIO
• Nombre de lectures: 19
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

PARTICIPATION
IN CHANGE
NEW TECHNOLOGY AND THE ROLE
OF EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT
European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions It is the aim of the Foundation
to contribute to the planning
and development of the
improvement of living and
working conditions in the
future, through action designed
to increase and disseminate
knowledge likely to assist these
ideas. With this aim in view
the task of the Foundation is to
develop and pursue ideas on
the medium and long term
improvement of living and
working conditions in the light
of practical factors leading to
change (Council Regulation
[EEC] No. 1365/75
of 26 May 1975, Article 2).
European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working
Conditions
Loughlinstown House, Shankill,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
Telephone: 826888
Telex: 30726 EURF EI
Fax: 826456 PARTICIPATION IN CHANGE
New Technology and the Role of
Employee Involvement PARTICIPATION IN CHANGE
New Technology and the Role of
Employee Involvement
Research Results on Participation in
Technological Change
PETER CRESSEY, UNIVERSITY OF BATH
ROBIN WILLIAMS,Y OF EDINBURGH
European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions
Loughlinstown House, Shankill, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Telephone: 826888 Telex: 30726 EURF EI Fax: 826456 This booklet is also available in the following languages:
ES ISBN 92-826-0233-8
DAN 92-826-0234-6
DE ISBN 92-826-0235-4
GRN 92-826-0236-2
FR ISBN 92-826-0238-9
ITN 92-826-0239-7
NL ISBN 92-826-0240-0
PTN 92-826-0241-9
Luxembourg: OFFICE FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS
OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 1990
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
ISBN: 92-826-0237-0
Catalogue number: SY-58-90-384-EN-C
© Copyright: THE EUROPEAN FOUNDATION FOR THE
IMPROVEMENT OF LIVING AND WORKING
CONDITIONS, 1990. For rights of translation or
reproduction, application should be made to the
Director, European Foundation for the
Improvement of Living and Working Conditions,
Loughlinstown House, Shankill, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Typesetting and Print Production:
Printset & Design Ltd., Dublin
Original language: English
Printed in Ireland Preface "Consultation of workers", "Involvement",
"Participation" — these are all aspects of an
issue high on the agenda in the development of
the social dimension of the internal market in
Europe.
The social partners in Europe, the governments
and the European Commission all have shown
a genuine interest in developing and increasing
the level of involvement in the work places of
Europe. Expression to this has been given in a
joint agreement in Val Duchesse. The strategies
of the involved partners cover a wide range of
means and in recent years many different
approaches have been tried at European,
Member State and Sector level.
The differences in attitudes towards means of
increasing the level of involvement are based on
complex patterns of national and cultural
traditions in industrial relations in the Member
States.
To assist the participants in the debate, the
Foundation has in its recent programmes of
work gathered a range of information pertinent
to this issue. Through case studies in public and
private sector it has studied factors facilitating
involvement in technological change. In an
attitudinal survey, it has explored employer and
employee representatives' perceptions of the
level, and consequences, of different forms and
degrees of participation. In 1988-1990 the Foundation has held a series
of national round tables where the social
partners have been able to discuss the options
and the Foundation's findings.
The present booklet summarises the findings of
the Foundation's work as they have been
presented to the social partners. It is our hope
that this booklet will further stimulate the
debate on means of increasing the level of
involvement at work places in Europe.
Clive Purkiss Eric Verborgh
Director Deputy Director Contents
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION
The Research Background 12
Why Participation? 13
Technological change at work 18
Participation and technological change 21
Chapter 2 THE FOUNDATION'S RESEARCH
PROGRAMME
Methodology 28
The Research Questions 32
Chapter 3 THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY
The Profile of Current Involvement 38
Why this Pattern of Participation? 43
50 The Benefits of Participation
54 Involvement in the Future
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON Chapter 4
64 Different National Models
Implications of International Comparison 72
Chapter 5 CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions 76
Questions for the Social Partners 77
Appendix 1 International Comparative Data on Remaining
Six Countries 82
Relevant European Research Studies 85 Appendix 2 List of Tables
Table 1 Management responses to current involvement in
planning and implementation 39
Table 2 The paradox of participation 40
Table 3 Management responses to the coverage of participation 41
Table 4t responses to the coverage of more intense
forms of participation 42
Table 5 Assessment of participation by employee representatives 51
52 Table 6 Assessment of participation by management
Table 7 Involvement currently, and sought in future by
54 management
Table 8 Involvement currently, and sought in future by
employee representatives 55
Table 9 More intense forms of involvement currently, and
sought in future by management 56
Table 10 More intense forms of involvement currently, and
sought in future by employee representatives 57