The paper addresses the challenges of a better scientific understanding of the complexity
of
innovation processes. In this relation the authors are stressing the need to adopt
the so-called
“holistic” innovation strategy integrated into the national innovation governance
system in the
innovation “ front-runner” countries (i.e. Sweden, Finland, Denmark, etc.). The paper
has two
main parts. The first part presents the theoretical and methodological foundations
of the innovation
approaches and examines the following issues: macro- and micro (organisational) importance
of
innovations, innovation challenges in the public sector, comparison of variables measuring
public
and private sector innovations, notion and dimension of workplace innovations, hard
and soft
regulations of innovation, types and fast erosion of knowledge, underlining the growing
role of
knowledge management. The second part of the paper examines the empirical experiences
of workplace innovation
in the EU-27 countries, using certain waves (2005 and 2010) of European Working Conditions
Survey (EWCS) organised by the Eurofund (Dublin). Distinguishing four major types
of work
organisations (i.e. “discretionary learning organisation”, “lean organisation”, “Taylorean
organisation” and “traditional/simple organisation”) important cross-country differences
were
mapped. Comparing the period before and after the “Grand” financial crisis (2008–2009)
the
share of “discretionary learning organisation” declined, reflecting the strengthening
trend of
the short-term cost efficiency seeking strategy of the European companies, while other
strategies
based on knowledge-efficiency seeking have been overshadowed. Finally, the authors
outline the
need – in both public and private sector – for a knowledge management based on the
Employee
Driven Innovation (EDI) scheme in order to create high performance working systems
(HPWS).
