Session Information
32 SES 09 B, Innovation in/of Healthcare Organizations
Paper Session
Contribution
Through the lenses of one single innovation, the purpose is to showcase the working form of Employee-driven innovation (EDI) (Høyrup 2010; 2012). EDI can be termed as one variant of workplace learning, as workplace innovation (WPI) (Totterdill, Dhondt, & Milsome, 2002). The special thing about EDI is that this is innovation work where everyone in the workplace not only participates, but also drive the process of change; from plan to execution and evaluation. Innovation work based on broad, inter disciplinary participation, supported by management and union representatives at the workplace. In our case, this development work is included as curriculum in a study program, where employees can take credits (ECTS) on bachelor as well as masters level.
Method
The empirical basis is an action research project (Gustavsen 2005) in Municipal Nursing- and Care Work, nick-named #Læringslivet (Learning life) (Amble 2014). The project has three sub-goals first, to develop a manual, a handbook in employee-driven innovation (Høyrup 2010; 2012) based on true innovation processes in the employees' own workplaces. The innovation processes (Aasen & Amundsen, 2015) will organize broad participation in development work and the handbook intends to be a spreading mechanism, from practice to practice. Secondly, all participants are allowed to take credits (ETCS) at their own level of competence. This means that the study program itself is interdisciplinary and depends on adaptation between a school part and working life. We call this a symbiotic, coherent learning system (Eikeland 2012 c). All 'school activity' takes place in the workplace. And thirdly, process must be documented in a scientific manner. In this article, the purpose is to present one, single innovation as it has performed at one of the four workplaces. The data is collected through discussions, presentations, written work requirements and written individual exam essay.
Expected Outcomes
What makes a case a good example? First, a case, that is a good example of WPI practice, should exhibit real, substantial WPI practices. Second, for a case to be a good example of WPI practice, a thorough description of the case needs to be available. Third, the case has to be inspiring (Vaas, Žiauberytė-Jakštienė & Oeij, 2017). The idea is that the innovation described and analyzed in this paper; "Tacit report - Changing and testing the routine for reporting between shifts", will illustrate what employee driven innovation can be. What roles, elements and activities contribute in the innovation process. Last, I will discuss what is general and local in this innovation work. The action research and the study program are metaphorically a double decker bridging the gap between academic and practical knowledge. Indicating how the two efforts under-pin each other and make it possible to twist together, formal, non-formal and informal learning at the workplace and create innovations. 80 students started in the study program, 63 passed the three work requirements, 34 passed the exams. 17 innovations were registered.
References
Aasen, T. M. & O. Amundsen (2015). Innovasjonsarbeid. Organisasjon, kultur og ledelse. Gyldendal akademisk. ISBN 978-82-05-47212-9. Amble, N. (2015). #Læringslivet (#Learning life) as Symbiotic Learning of Employee-driven innovation in care work. Project description Norwegian Research Council (NFR) Application Number: ES546430 Project Number: 246718. Eikeland, O. (2012 c). Symbiotic Learning Systems: Reorganizing and Integrating Learning Efforts and responsibilities between Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and Work Places. Journal of Knowledge Economy. http.//dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13132-012-0103-x. Springer. Gustavsen, B. (2005). Innovation and Action Research. International Journal of Action Research 1(3), 267-289. ISSN 1861-1303. Rainer Hampp Verlag. Høyrup, S. (2012). Employee-driven innovation: A new phenomenon, concept and mode of innovation. In: K. Møller et al. (eds.), Employee-driven innovation. A new approach to innovation. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Høyrup, S. (2010). Employee-driven innovation and workplace learning: Basic concepts, approaches and themes. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 16, pp. 143-154. Høyrup, S. (2012). Employee-driven innovation: A new phenomenon, concept and mode of innovation. In: K. Møller et al. (eds.), Employee-driven innovation. A new approach to innovation. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Pålshaugen, P. (2014). On the Diversity of Action Research 3(1+2), 9-14. ISSN 1861 - 9916. Rainer Hamp Verlag. [1] #Læringslivet (Learning life) as Symbiotic Learning System of Employee-driven Innovation in Municipal Care Work (246718 in NFR's FINNUT program). Totterdill, P., Dhondt, S. & Milsome, S. (2002). Partners at work? A report to Europe's policy makers and social partners. Nottingham: The Work Institute. Vaas, F., Žiauberytė-Jakštienė, R. & Oeij, P. R. A. (2017). Case studies can support definitions of workplace innovation in practice. Ewop in Practice, European Work and Organizational Psychology in Practice, ejournal of the European Association of Work and Otganizational Psychology (EAWOP). Special Issue on Workplace Innovation, Volume 1, pp 61-72.
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