Tag

SMEs

Apr 24
0

Violence @ work: A guide for SMEs to prevent violence in the workplace

By | Guide, Social dialogue

CNV International and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency present a new publication Violence @ work, a guide to prevent violence in the workplace.

The factsheet aims to support preventing and eliminating violence. It informs about characteristics of violence in the workplace, as well as its causes and effects. The guide provides tips to tackle and discourage violence at work in effective ways.

By sharing workplace initiatives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), brands, unions and other key players, this guide explains how companies can contribute to the elimination of violence at work in their international supply chain. It helps SME’s to take steps to create a positive working environment where violence will not be tolerated.

For the original source, please click here.

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Apr 19
0

Enterprise Sustainability and HRM in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

By | Social dialogue

Abstract

This chapter looks at the specific challenges, expectations and opportunities small medium-sized enterprises in emerging countries face regarding enterprise sustainability in today’s worldwide economy characterized by the strong interconnection of supply chains. In its experience with small enterprises development in emerging countries, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has recognized that quality human resource management (HRM) and good workplace practices are a key determinant of enterprise performance and productivity, as well as in practice at the community, national or even international level. Based on the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda (ILO, Decent work, report of the ILO Director-General, 87th session of the International Labour Conference. ILO, Geneva, 1999), the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. ILO, Geneva, 1998) and the technical cooperation experience of ILO’s Job Creation and Enterprise Development Department, the HRM practices described here are intended to improve enterprise sustainability, understood in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Practical examples from the ILO’s practice demonstrate the implementation of labour rights in SMEs in emerging countries.

 

For the original source, please click here.

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Apr 13
0

Productivity, innovation strategies and industrial relations in SMEs. Empirical evidence for a local production system in northern Italy Article

By | Case-study, Italy, Social dialogue
Abstract
The paper aims to provide an original contribution to evaluating several kinds of relations between four areas of innovation activities – training, technology, organization, ICT (information and communication technologies) – and industrial relations and firm’s economic performance. Quantitative evidence for a SME‐based local production system is provided by exploiting two datasets: the first is derived from a direct survey carried out in 2005 collecting data on innovations, labour flexibility and industrial relations; the second is represented by a panel of official balance sheets data for the period 1998–2004. The analysis is divided in two consequential parts. We first examine the drivers of different innovation strategies and subsequently we exploit innovation indicators as potential drivers of firm’s productivity. The results show that training activities and organizational changes have strong links with many industrial relations indicators, thus emerging as industrial relations driven innovations. On the contrary, ICT and technological innovation seem to be more influenced by firms’ past performances than by industrial relations. The analysis on labour productivity drivers shows that training activities are the most relevant factors; then, ranked consequently, technological innovation, organisational innovations and, finally, ICT also appear to impact on productivity levels. It is worth noting that the role of ICT emerges more robustly when endogeneity is specifically addressed. Finally, the role of firm size seems here to be overshadowed by other drivers.

 

For the original source, please click here.

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