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This article examines cross-national differences and trends in perceived job quality, defined in terms of five dimensions -extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, work intensity, working conditions and interpersonal relationships -as well as overall job satisfaction. We analyse country differences in 1989, 1997 and 2005, using data for four countries from the International Social Survey Programme. Job security, the ability to work independently and the quality of working conditions and interpersonal relationships tend to be greater in Norway and West Germany than in the USA and Great Britain; American workers tend to be most satisfied with advancement opportunities, intrinsic rewards and overall job quality. We find convergence in job in security and work intensity over time, which may reflect increased market pressures that encourage a 'lean and mean' management strategy.

Organizations are traditionally designed through the vertical structuring of units in a hierarchy. Business Process Management challenges this approach, and emphasizes horizontal work processes that cut across hierarchical units and competence areas. Few studies have analyzed what happens when the hierarchy is confronted by the mechanisms set up to manage business processes. Here, based on a case study, we describe and analyze the relation between a process owner (a key role in Business Process Management) on the one hand, and the line organization and hierarchy on the other hand. In New Firm, process owners are integrating managers, with coordination tasks horizontally across the line organization. We describe mechanisms for aligning process ownership and line management in a matrix organizations, as well as challenges related to standardization of work processes, control versus support, people deployment and internationalization. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recent research suggests that nonstandard employment relations may be a source of innovation for the firm. In this article, we analyze firms' strategic correlates and perceived benefits from using two types of employment in‐termediaries—consulting firms and temporary help agencies—in their core activities. Organizations with an innovation strategy are more likely to use consulting firms in their core activities, while organizations that compete on the basis of low cost are more apt to use temporary help agencies. Moreover, managers say that consulting firms are more likely than temporary help agencies to provide them with special competencies in their core activities. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Working Papers on the Reconciliation of Work and Welfare in Europe series seeks to promote the diffusion of research and research integration activities taking place within the network and being produced by other researchers working on issues of work and welfare in Europe. Working papers are published either within the framework of a series of closed calls, which follow the different stages in the life-cycle of the network's activities, or as part of an open call, which aims to privilege both research focussed on cross-national comparative analysis of the various tensions between work and welfare and research focussed on the role of the European level in addressing these tensions. All papers are peer-reviewed.

Research on the consequences for employees of opportunities to participate in decision-making (defined here as having autonomy and being able to consult in organizational decisions and to work in teams) has produced inconsistent results. Some writers argue that worker participation is a good thing for workers, since they are able to make decisions and develop skills. Others, especially those in the critical management tradition, regard workers' opportunities to participate in decisions as another form of exploitation that results in increased work intensity, more ambiguity and greater stress. In this article, we examine the consequences of Norwegian workers' participation in decisions on job stress — both directly and through their effect on skill development, workload, support and ambiguity. We find that autonomy and consultation in decisions reduce job stress, while teamwork increases job stress.

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Purpose -This paper aims to analyze how formal, horizontal knowledge communities contribute to knowledge application. In large, complex organizations employees face multiple roles that compete for their time and may be conflicting. The paper seeks to analyze the interplay between the communities, the line organization, and the employees; specifically, to examine how the quality of management of the communities, the attitudes of line managers, and the employees' motivation for participating in the communities facilitate knowledge application.Design/methodology/approach -The authors conducted a survey in an organization with several specialized, horizontal knowledge communities. In total, 2,517 responses were obtained from members of 131 different communities.Findings -First, community management, line support and intrinsic motivation have a positive impact on knowledge application. Second, the effect of line support is stronger when employees are intrinsically motivated.Research limitations/implications -The study is limited to one organization. Future research could study knowledge processes in matrix-like organization, as well as the role of community coordinators for knowledge sharing and application.Practical implications -To enhance knowledge sharing and knowledge application, commitment from both line managers and community coordinators is vital. In a matrix-like organization, dialogue and communication are important in order to reconcile supplementary goals and considerations.Originality/value -The paper presents a study that is one of the first to analyze antecedents of knowledge application in formal communities of practice.