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The Fifth Element: conceptualising workplace innovation
Peter TotterdillTwo things are clear. Firstly a vast and growing body of evidence shows that workplace innovation practices which empower employees to make day-to-day-decisions, challenge established practices, contribute ideas and be heard at the most senior levels lead to better business results as well as enhanced workforce health and engagement. Secondly it is clear that most businesses are either unaware of this evidence or that they are unable or unwilling to act on it. Successive surveys demonstrate a substantial gap between “what works” and common workplace practice. Part of the problem is the lack of an easily communicable way of sharing actionable knowledge generated by diverse bodies of research and experience with enterprise-level decision-makers, public policymakers and other actors. We need a “joint intelligence” shared by all stakeholders in the workplace and at the wider economic and social level. This task has been taken up by UK WON and its partners in the European Workplace Innovation Network (EUWIN). The literature emphasises the importance of internally consistent policies and practices in achieving superior outcomes for organisations and their employees greater than the sum of individual measures. The metaphor of The Fifth Element is a useful way of capturing this essential quality, providing a framework for the creation of sense-making narratives that build bridges between researchers and practitioners. Finally the article argues that much can be learned from the minority of European countries that are proactive in building long-term relationships, joint intelligence and collaborative action between policymakers, researchers, social partners, consultants and enterprises.
