scholarly journals The Swedish Platform for Sustainable Work inHorizon2020: in retrospect

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-66
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Lagerlöf ◽  
Maria Albin
Keyword(s):  
Working Life ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The nationwide Swedish advocacy platform “Sustainable work as a resource for health, innovation and growth” started in 2013 with the aims of i) identifying possible openings for the research area within Horizon 2020, ii) implementing a strategy to impact Horizon2020, and iii) to connect Swedish and European researchers.   The basis for this agenda was that although work and working conditions have a major influence on the health, wellbeing and prosperity, these aspects were lacking or extremely fragmented in Horizon2020. Since this is a strong research area in Sweden and seen as strategically important by the Social partners, it should be a Swedish priority for Horizon2020.  The initiative was funded by Vinnova, co-funded by the participating universities, and supported by the Social partners and other stakeholders.   The platform has extended the dialogue on the European research agenda within the Swedish research community, and gradually built a strategy to impact H2020. Over the years, our advocacy has also developed in interaction with the EU Agencies Eurofound and EU-OSHA, and with PEROSH. The focus has been on the pillars of Leadership and Societal Challenges (Horizon2020). The impact on the early Calls in Horizon2020 was minor, while work and working life is much more visible in the later calls, and on the agenda in the drafts for Horizon Europe (FP9). The focus will now be on making the opportunities known to Swedish researchers, and on facilitating participation in applications.  

scholarly journals Who benefits from ex ante societal impact evaluation in the European funding arena? A cross-country comparison of societal impact capacity in the social sciences and humanities

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan P L de Jong ◽  
Reetta Muhonen
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Societal Impact ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
Evaluation Procedures ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Increasingly, research funders include societal impact as a criterion in evaluation procedures. The European Commission is no exception to this trend. Societal impact determines one-third of a project’s success in receiving funding from the Societal Challenges in Horizon 2020 (H2020). Yet, there are large differences in terms of science and technology performance between countries that participate in the programme. In this article, we (1) compare societal impact practices in the social sciences and humanities in high-performing countries (HPCs) and low-performing countries (LPCs) to the evaluation of societal impact in funding procedures at the European level and (2) reflect upon consequences for the competition for research funding in the European funding arena. To this end, we introduce the concept of ‘societal impact capacity’ as well as a framework to analyse it. The analysis of 60 case studies from 16 countries across Europe shows that (1) researchers from HPCs have a higher impact capacity than those from LPCs and (2) researchers from HPCs report more details about impact than those from LPCs. This suggests that researchers from HPCs are better equipped to score well on the impact criterion when applying for funding than researchers from LPCs. We conclude with policy recommendations for the organization and evaluation of societal impact.

Between entrepreneurs and workers: Cleavages and compromises in rationales and policy solutions regarding ‘dependent contractors’

2021 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2110303
Author(s):  
Louis Florin ◽  
François Pichault
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Narratives ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Narrative Policy Framework ◽  
Policy Solutions ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Labour Regulation

The emergence of dependent contractors challenges the existing institutions regarding social protection and labour regulation. This article aims at identifying the political narratives that explain the emergence of New Forms of Employment (NFE) and dependent contracting along with the policy solutions proposed by the social partners at the EU and international level. By analysing policy documents from the social partners through the lens of a qualitative version of the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), the authors indentify two distinct narratives – ‘devaluation of work’ and ‘entrepreneurship and flexibility’. The authors show how these rationales lead to various policy solutions and identify oppositions and possible compromise.

scholarly journals RIGHT TO DISCONNECT: french and italian proposals for a global issue

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 110-129
Author(s):  
Matteo Avogaro
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Private Life ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Collective Agreements ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Increasing Process ◽  
Social Debate ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, the increasing process of digitization has gradually blurred the boundaries between work and private life. Therefore, new issues concerning workers’ protection arose. One of the main topics on this matter is related to employees’ tendency to utilize technological devices, as smartphones and tablets, to remain “connected” to their job outside ordinary business hours. In relation to this aspect, the paper addresses the debate and juridical solutions proposed and developed in France, through the Loi El Khomri, and in Italy, with the law No. 81/2017 recently approved by Parliament, to introduce a right (and/or an obligation) to disconnect in favour of digitized employees, and in order to protect workers’ private life, preventing diseases related to risk of burnout and the augmentation of stress. Furthermore, the analysis will be focused on the social debate related to the abovementioned topic. In particular, it will concern the positions assumed on this matter by main workers’ and employers’ organizations of the said countries, and their reactions to the initiatives undertaken by legislators, in order to realize a first evaluation concerning the impact of the solutions proposed. Afterwards, the attention will be cantered on praxis and tools introduced by collective agreements, in order to verify whether social partners have been able to find more efficient methods to balance work and private life, than the ones suggested by legislators. The outcome of the paper is referred to the actions that ILO could assume, on the base of the experience developed in France and in Italy, to address the future global issue of protecting employees’ work-life balance.

scholarly journals Qualitative Inquiry: A Key Element for Assessing the Social Impact of Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 948-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Sordé Martí ◽  
Ramon Flecha ◽  
José Antonio Rodríguez ◽  
José Luis Condom Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
European Union ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positivist Approach ◽  
The Eu

The need to develop adequate methodologies to comprehensively assess the impact of research, especially the social impact of European Union (EU)-funded research, is one of the main concerns within the European Commission as well as for EU citizens, who are more active than ever. This article discusses the rationale behind using a qualitative approach to better address these concerns. Drawing on the FP7 IMPACT-EV research project, the present article discusses how to overcome a positivist approach that evaluates the social impact of research conducted only for its economic objectives and using only quantitative data. The focus on what is needed and what research is expected to bring to society are emphasized and made possible through qualitative inquiry of the social impact of the EU social sciences and the humanities (SSH) research. Thus, the development of qualitative-based analysis of the social impact of research is increasingly required to be conducted in dialogue with citizens.

Social dialogue in candidate countries: what for?

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Lado ◽  
Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
The Real ◽  
Social Dialogue ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Dialogue Process ◽  
Eu Candidate Countries ◽  
The Eu

In their negotiations for accession to the EU, candidate countries have made important social policy commitments. These include the promotion of social dialogue up to EU standards and the application of the principles and values that prevail in this area. Accordingly, governments of candidate countries are trying to promote appropriate conditions for such social dialogue to take place, while social partners are reinforcing their structures to play their full role in the social dialogue process. Nevertheless, there has been little debate about the real objectives of social dialogue in the candidate countries. What is social dialogue for, what has it achieved so far, and why is it so important to develop it further? Who are expected to be the ultimate beneficiaries of social dialogue mechanisms and practices? What implications might current features of social dialogue in candidate countries have in the enlarged European Union? This article provides a first tentative assessment of the coverage of social dialogue - and thus of the effectiveness of social dialogue mechanisms - in the candidate countries.

scholarly journals State regulation of sustainable innovation project funding in the EU countries and Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 374-390
Author(s):  
Viktor Oharenko ◽  
Anzhela Merzlyak ◽  
Viktoriia Tomareva-Patlakhova ◽  
Iuliia Vikhort ◽  
Daria Skriabina
Keyword(s):  
State Regulation ◽  
The State ◽  
Innovation Activity ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Sustainable Innovation ◽  
Funding Program ◽  
Innovation Project ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The effective implementation of innovations is broadly determined by the ways of their financing, among which project funding is particularly important today. This paper examines the impact of project funding on the innovative growth of the state in the EU countries and Ukraine in the context of sustainable development. Using theoretical and empirical methods, this study identifies and systematizes traditional and innovative forms of sustainable innovation project funding, which are practically used by the EU member states and Ukraine. Based on statistical methods, data analysis for the period from 2014 to 2020 and indicators characterizing the participation of countries in the largest European project funding program Horizon 2020 and other similar programs, the study revealed a close relationship between the conditions created by the state for participation in project funding programs and indicators of innovation activity and the climate of the state. The study allowed determining that funding from international sources, including funds from leading European institutions, which support the dissemination of sustainable innovations, can be a good alternative for innovation project funding under limited domestic resources. The study concluded that diversification of sources and forms of project funding, use and support from the state influences and accelerates the development of innovation infrastructure in a country (clusters, business incubators etc.), as well as the interaction between various participants in a sustainable innovation process (state, regions, large enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, communities).

scholarly journals The generative relationship between job quality, innovation, and employment

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-186
Author(s):  
Christopher Mathieu ◽  
Susanne Boethius
Keyword(s):  
Technical Change ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Partners

Recent qualitative and quantitative research on the interrelationships between innovation, job quality and employment shows a strong association between job quality and product, process, and to a lesser extent organizational innovation. This is theorized as the interaction of two systems – job quality and innovation systems. Increased employment and improved job quality are found to result from innovation, while specific employment dimensions are found to impact innovation and job quality. Much of the evidence for this recursive interaction between innovation, job quality and employment derives from qualitative and quantitative studies carried out under the Horizon 2020 project QuInnE that specifically targeted these interrelations for analysis. Findings largely support the skill-biased technical change thesis, leading to the conclusion that while innovation tends to improve job quality, it will exacerbate societal inequalities. Strong evidence is also presented from several studies that higher innovation results from higher job quality, in line with previous research. None of these relationships are found to operate in a deterministic manner, and the actions of management, workers and the social partners play important mediating roles.

Social divisions and social differences

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Chris Gilleard ◽  
Paul Higgs
Keyword(s):  
Working Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Differences ◽  
Social Divisions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Communities Of Interest ◽  
A Site ◽  
Distinct Features ◽  
The Impact

This chapter draws the distinction between social divisions that reflect structural patterns of inequality and social differences that express social identity and the articulation of communities of interest. It then goes on to consider some of the distinct features of such divisions and differences that help define the social locations of later life. These include the impact of the transition from working to post working life, the intersectionality that exists amongst these divisions and the growing salience of the body as both a site and source of division.

Entrepreneurial Education in Schools – a Prerequisite in European Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-74
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Serb Tanislav ◽  
Madalina Maria Oachesu ◽  
Delia Mioara Popescu
Keyword(s):  
Formal Training ◽  
Initial Training ◽  
Entrepreneurial Education ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Entrepreneurial Culture ◽  
The Social ◽  
Training Institutions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Abstract In our complex society, based on knowledge, is important the introduction and development in formal and informal training of transversal competences especially entrepreneurship, to provide competences, knowledge and attitudes which are essential for the development of an entrepreneurial culture in Europe. Starting from this premise, although some countries have already committed to encourage entrepreneurial education for more than a decade, others are just starting. The present article focuses on identifying the impact that entrepreneurial development has both in Romania and in the EU countries, and the results shown that the measures taken follow the reaching of Target Europa 2020. The paper presents the social context regarding the introduction of entrepreneurship in initial training and in non-formal training, the causes, the actors involved and the measures taken by the EU Member States regarding this phenomenon. The conclusion of the study show that entrepreneurial education in initial training represents a complex task, as more than three quarters of the countries/regions of Europe give autonomy to training institutions regarding the curricular aspects or have no regulations/recommendation at all regarding entrepreneurial education during initial training.

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