Globalisation, Company Strategies and Quality of Working Life in Europe

Today, from the point of view of the European Social Model, one of the most important challenges regards how to manage globalisation and, in this context, how to guarantee a policy approach capable of reinforcing economic development as well as employment and social policy. One answer seems to lie in the role of quality. This volume focuses on the role of the quality of work as the European strategic response to the challenges deriving from globalised competition. It shows how an increase in the quality in work can contribute to increasing productivity, improving living standards and fostering sustainable economic growth. This book assembles the most relevant contributions presented at the European Conference organized by the international network Regional and Local Development of Work and Labour (RLDWL) on «Globalisation, Company Strategies and Quality of Working Life in Europe», which took place in Bologna in June 2003.

Autorentext

The Editors: Francesco Garibaldo is director of the Institute for Labour Foundation in Bologna. For several years active work in trade unions at high levels of responsibility. From 1992 to 1998 director of IRES (Institute for Social and Economic Research) in Rome. Studies and publications in the fields of work organization, governance and regional development policies, production decentralisation and SME networking. Specific studies in the automobile, machine tools and information technology industry. Experience in advanced action research methodologies, groupware and search conferences. He is director of the international network 'Regional and Local Development of Work and Labour'.
Volker Telljohann is project leader at the Institute for Labour Foundation in Bologna and secretary general of the international network 'Regional and Local Development of Work and Labour'. His fields of activity regard new tendencies in regional, national and European industrial relations as well as the role of social dialogue for local development policies. He coordinated several projects on the role of collective bargaining and new models of participation in the context of restructuring processes in the private and public sector.

Inhalt
Contents: Francesco Garibaldo/Volker Telljohann: Foreword Volker Telljohann: Introduction Francesco Garibaldo: What we Have Learnt from our Experiences Peter Brödner/Erich Latniak: Innovation Strategies, Work Organisation and Competitiveness. Experiences in EU Member States Volker Telljohann: Globalisation, Enterprise Restructuring and the Role of Pacts for Employment and Competitiveness Rainer Zoll: The Paradoxes of Subjectivization of Work Kevin P. O'Kelly: Strategies for Organisational Change and the Role of Participation Ulrich Pekruhl: Contested Terrain: Employee Participation in Companies Michiel Drucker/Jean Kees Looise: New Forms of Work Organisations, Direct and Indirect Worker Participation. Evidence from the Netherlands Erich Latniak/Anja Gerlmaier: Challenges of Work Design. The Changing Role of Direct Participation Giovanna Altieri: Call Centres in Europe: Recommendations for the Union? Carmina Pérez: Training and Human Capital in Companies Lauge Baungaard Rasmussen: Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Quality of Work Juan Monreal: Training in Organisation and Sector Development Giuseppe Strina: The Industrial Development Dynamics and Work in Selected Sectors in Europe. An Introduction Martin Upchurch/Mike Richardson/Andy Danford: Globalisation and Corporate Turbulence: Trade Union Response in UK Manufacturing Wolfgang Potratz: Health Care Work in Europe - Introduction to the Workshop Rosemary Exton/Peter Totterdill: Partnership, Governance and Innovation at Nottingham City Hospital Palle Banke/Annemarie Holsbo: Can Apnea be Avoided when Developing Work Organisation in Hospitals? Examples from a Partnership Project Rainer Greca: Adding new Problems to Old Ones: Public Sector Management in Social Services in the Age of Neo-Liberalism and the «Third Way» Alma McCarthy: Work-Life Balance in the Public Sector - The Irish Experience Béla Galgóczi: Passing from Low-Road to High Road Competition Strategies in CEE Countries with a View to Working Relations Isabel da Costa/Udo Rehfeldt: Economic Integration and Transnational Social Regulation: a Comparison between the European Union and NAFTA Alain Chouraqui/Kevin P. O'Kelly: Which European Social Model? A challenged Balance between Regulation and Deregulation György Széll: The Role and Prospects of RLDWL Europe.