IWOTT22 September 2018

22 September 2018

Higher Education in a Knowledge Society: How to Close the Knowledge Divide

In this chapter, Higher Education in a Knowledge Society: how to close the knowledge divide, Richard Ennals and Hans Christian Garmann Johnsen discuss education policy in UK and Norway, and how national conditions might influence the role that universities take in social development. The new communicative reality: mobilisation and education breaking the institutional barriers. They can be met by initiatives like Quality Circles, or a Penny University. The underlying big problem is to what extent universities are really taking a role in reducing the serious knowledge and education level divide we see in western societies.

Sustainable Manufacturing as Mutual Competence Building

In this chapter, Sustainable Manufacturing as MCB, Halvor Holtskog, Richard Ennals, and Hans Chr Garmann Johnsen argue how sustainable manufacturing can be seen as combining the traditional manufacturing management perspective with organisational development and participatory perspectives. The definition of Sustainable Business Systems is different from other uses of sustainability. The chapter tries to link arguments for business and for education. Arguably Working Life Research has an integrative role. One might ask: how can universities be seen as sustainable work systems, and how can they develop an account of empowerment?

Democratic Dialogue and Development: An Intellectual Obituary of Björn Gustavsen

Abstract Bjorn Gustavsen, with an original professional background as a lawyer and judge in his native Norway, had a formative role in organisational development processes in Norway, Sweden, Scandinavia and the European Union over four decades. Following in the tradition of Norwegian working life research by Trist and Thorsrud, he provided the conceptual framework and practical case studies which have driven major national and international programmes. He learned from different experience of organisational change in, for example, the USA and Japan, but he identified a distinctive way forward for the European Union, where he acted as a senior adviser. In contrast to conventional Taylorist to…

Higher Education in a Sustainable Society: Addressing Knowledge Disparities and Enabling Debate

Sustainability is a comprehensive concept. It addresses the complex relation between and effect of social and economic development. It is a concept that challenges us to see things in relation to each other and in a larger perspective. The sustainability challenge however, comes at a time when sciences and research has expanded but at the same time is more fragmented than ever. In this chapter we introduce Mutual Competence Building a concept for guiding the sustainability engagement of Higher Education.

Quality Beyond Borders

Review of "Quality Beyond Borders: Dantotsu, or How to Achieve Best in Business", by David Hutchins, London, Routledge 2019.  ISBN 978 1 138 56510 4.

Management as Intervention

In this chapter, Management as Intervention, Richard Ennals presents ideas on an alternative perspective on management. The chapter seeks to apply ideas of sustainability, which is seen as mutual competence building development, to business management and business education. Management is presented in the context of the project “Higher Education in a Sustainable Society”. It takes the opportunity to offer a distinctive Norwegian perspective, going beyond conventional capitalist accounts of business and business education. It offers alternative links to the university curriculum, and recognises that universities are themselves businesses. Management as Intervention may help unify the discour…

Workplace Innovation Forum: A section in the EJWI

Launching a new journal means beginning a distinctive new conversation. WorkplaceInnovation is about practice, and not just academic theory. The journal needs a place wherepractice is presented, and can influence the development of theory. Short articles arewelcome for the Forum Section in EJWI, facilitating debate and collaboration.

Editorial: How to understand

Preface to EJWI Special Double Issue

Book review: Microcosmographia Academica: Being A Guide for the Young Academic Politician

F.M. CornfordBowes Bowes Cambridge 1908ISBN 0 370 00145 1

Coping with the future

October 8th, 9th and 10th, 2018

The Challenge of Mutual Competence Building

Mutual Competence Building has emerged as a key concept when working on this book with our colleagues at the University of Agder. In this conclusion we develop and explore the concept further in relation to sustainability. Our point of departure is the definition we presented in the introduction: mutual competence building is a conversation between scholars and societal and work life partner organisations about what sustainability, and efforts to create a sustainable society, might entail for distinct sectors.

Book review: Workplace Innovation: Theory, Research and Practice

Peter R.A. Oeij, Diana Rus and Frank D. Pot (Editors)In the series Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-BeingSpringer, Switzerland 2017ISBN 978-3-319-56332-9 413 pp

Balancing Organisational Design Principles: A Pragmatic Scandinavian Approach to CSR

One can argue that Scandinavian countries have much of the essence of CSR incorporated in their culture and society. We use Norway as an example for this argument, by looking at the development of work-life since the 50s. Further, we use one highly industrialised area, Raufoss, as further proof of our claim of the lack of separate popularity of CSR, as it is already covered in the context of society. However, this is not the same as saying that there are no challenges to this model. One of the most challenging topics is innovation: this should be socially responsible innovation. The Norwegian, social model can seem to promote stability, so that people and companies become risk averse.

Editorial: Coping with the future

The Dialogical Approach to Workplace Innovation

This chapter presents a Nordic-based research approach, aimed at encouraging dialogical processes and broad participation at work, in order to support workplace innovation. The approach has been implemented in Norway and Sweden. The chapter (a) presents the theoretical underpinning related to the dialogical approach to workplace innovation; (b) presents findings from three large successive workplace innovation programmes based on this foundation in Norway; (c) connects (a) and (b) by presenting the programme designs, evaluations and research output and finally (d) reflects upon learning points from this programme history. The overall thesis is that the dialogical approach to workplace innov…

Book review: Learning Factories: The Nordic Model of Manufacturing

Halvor Holtskog, Elias G. Carayannis, Aris Kaloudis and Geir RingenPalgrave Studies in Democracy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship for GrowthPalgrave Macmillan, Switzerland 2018ISBN 978-3-319-41886-5