Abstract
Europe needs to create more jobs but, at the same time, it strives to preserve its social values and its commitment to social protection. This paper explores the thinking behind the European Commission's strategy, as set out in the Green Paper on Partnership for a New Organisation of Work, to protect and develop this social model while, at the same time, promoting workplace flexibility. It uses the EPOC survey results to examine the connections, if any, between organisational flexibility, innovation and employment. To establish the extent of innovation in European workplaces the paper draws on the survey to evaluate the link between participation and innovation and, finally, the relationship between participation, innovation and growth in employment. This analysis of the EPOC data shows that these relationships are, in reality, very complicated and an attempt is made to explain these complexities.
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