Volvo recently announced the closure o f their factories at Kalmar and Uddevalla which were internationally renowned for the innovative methods of work organization as an alternative to the assembly line. In this and the following article the authors question the rationale of management's reasons for the closure, and assess the effect o f the closures for those social scientists who saw Volvo as a shining example o f work redesign
What is distinctive about the Swedish contribution to progressive work–life reform, and what does it contribute to the current job quality literature? Sweden has produced a disproportionate share of the world’s research into social and organizational aspects of work, and for a time led work democratization research and practice. In the late 1980s and 1990s work design at Volvo Uddevalla was a counterpoint to lean production. We argue that institutional and political characteristics of Sweden, partially registered as the ‘Swedish model’ underpinned these developments. In the ‘golden age’ of work-life reform from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, an unusual degree of employer support for job quality complemented trade union activism and supportive government research policies. The chapter argues that Sweden’s key contribution to current discussions around job quality lay in exploring the limits of work democratization by developing teamwork with high levels of autonomy, interacting with action-oriented research and design.
Promotion of the new media industry has become a significant focus for regional development strategies, as it is generally believed that the new media industry is a highly desirable form of economic activity.But is this really so? The question was put to a group of international researchers. The article which summarizes their discussion and policy recommendations states that it is by no means clear that new media activities are preferable to other forms of economic activity in a region, which might be more sustainable or better address the specific development problems of an area. The interest being focused on a few successful sites has obscured wider questions regarding the spatial and geographical distribution of new media activities.New Media Industry, Regional Development, Policy,
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