Special Issue: Workplace Innovation

Special Issue: Workplace Innovation

to be published in:

EWOP In PRACTICE

e-journal of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology

In PRACTICE is a journal that is open access and accessible for both practitioners and academics and focuses on the application of Work and Organizational Psychology in Europe.

Due Date for Proposals (1,000-1,500 words): September 1, 2015

Due Date for Paper Submissions (max. 7,000 words): January 15, 2016

Editors

Diana Rus, Creative Peas, The Netherlands

Angela Carter, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

Colin Roth, BlackBox Open, Germany

Background 

The wider recognition and adoption of workplace innovation across various countries and industries has yielded promising new opportunities for organisations to create value and increase or maintain their position of competitive advantage (Kesselring, Blasy, & Scopetta, 2014). Workplace innovation (WPI) can be conceptualised as a developed and implemented practice or a combination of practices that structurally (division of labour) and/or culturally empower and/or enable employees to participate in organizational change and renewal to improve the quality of working life and organizational performance (Oeij et al., forthcoming 2015).

This conceptualisation of WPI implies that Work and Organisational Psychologists (WOPs) need to look at the organization as a whole and consider the reciprocal effects of strategy, structure and culture, if they are to reap the benefits associated with WPI. For instance, hierarchical organizational structures may lead to more directive leadership styles and Human Resource Management (HRM) practices that focus on a clear division of labour and control, whereas less hierarchical structures may lead to leadership styles and HRM practices that are geared at promoting employee involvement, engagement and commitment (MacDuffie, 1997; Pot, 2011) In short, to understand WPI, it might be fruitful to not only focus on certain types of HRM practices and their consequences, but to also take into consideration the organizational structure and the management philosophy underlying strategic choices.

Obviously, while WOPs do not focus as much on strategy and structure, they deal with their consequences in many ways. For instance, WOPs often try to understand individual and group behaviours that emerge within these strategic and structural contexts. If WPI is, at least partly, rooted in how organizations are designed, what does this imply for the application of WOP research and practices related to WPI?

Aim of the Special Issue and possible topics

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to: a) present research and organizational practices that try to establish links between strategic and/or structural and/or cultural aspects of the application of WPI; and b) discuss and debate the role of WOPs in promoting the application of WPI.

We invite both empirical and theoretical submissions focusing on the application of WPI and especially welcome contributions from practitioners who are/have implemented initiatives aimed at promoting WPI. In particular, we encourage submissions that address issues related (but not limited) to the following areas:

• Case studies on the practice of 
• Survey studies on determinants and effects of WPI;
• Theoretical contributions on WPI made applicable for practice;
• Practical applications of WPI;
• The role of WOPs in promoting the application of WPI.

Submissions

In order to be considered for publication in the Special Issue, a proposal of 1,000-1,500 words (can include a figure/table) should be submitted by September 1, 2015. The editors will review the proposals and contact authors, before October 1, 2015, with an invitation to submit full manuscripts up to a maximum of 7,000 words. Proposals and full papers must be written in English and in the style of In Practice (see http://www.eawop.org/style-guide). The deadline for the full papers is January 15, 2016. Full paper submissions to this Special Issue should be prepared in accordance with the EWOP In Practice author guidelines described at: http://www.eawop.org/style-guide. Submitted papers must be unpublished and not be in the process of being submitted to other journals. Publication of this Special Issue is planned for July, 2016.

Authors, who have been invited to submit a full manuscript, have the opportunity to participate (at their own expense) in a session on ‘Social Innovation & Workplace Innovation’, 18^th of November, 2015 in Vienna during the event “Social Innovation 2015: Pathways to Social Change: Research, policies and practices in European and global perspectives". This event is hosted by two projects under the EU 7th Framework Programme (Social Innovation – Driving Force of Social Change (SI-DRIVE), and Transformative Social innovation Theory (TRANSIT)0 , and Net4Society, a network of National Contact Points in Horizon 2020.  At this event, authors have the opportunity to present their contribution to the Special Issue on Workplace Innovation to be published in EWOPInPractice.

Send proposals to: 

Dr. Diana Rus: d.rus@creative-peas.com

The editors are happy to discuss ideas for proposals and provide further information about the content of the special issue. For further information, contact Diana Rus.

References

Kesselring, A., Blasy, C., & Scopetta, A. (August, 2014). Workplace Innovation: Concepts and indicators. Brussels: European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry.

MacDuffie, J.P. (1997). The road to “root cause”: Shop-floor problem-solving at three auto assembly plants. Management Science, 43:4, 479-502.

Oeij, P., Žiauberyt?-Jakštien?, R., Dhondt, S., Corral, A., Totterdill, P. & Preenen, P. (forthcoming 2015). Workplace innovation in European companies. Dublin: Eurofound.

Pot, F.D. (2011). Workplace innovation for better jobs and performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 60:4, 404-415.