Patterns of workplace innovation in the Basque Country: Challenges and lessons from Gipuzkoa

Resumen

The importance of Workplace Innovation to improve competitiveness and employability strategies in the Basque Country has been a key ingredient of policy discussions in this region. This paper is focused on the analysis of the context and current state of workplace innovation and productivity skills in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country-Spain).The action-research study was conducted in 2015 (different economic sectors and organizations of the area) with the funding and support of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (Department for Economic Promotion) and the European Social Fund co-financing. The project was included as a specific case study of the workforce and workplace conditions of territorial organisations through the identification of the drivers and barriers of workplace innovation practices in 496 SME’s.The aim of this investigation is to build a new model of economic and social development that looks to understand the diverse and complex workplace environment of an important part of the Basque Country’s work organisations and companies.The evaluation of their practical learning activities, management as intervention, work organization, and worker participation, and their influence in the employment skills of their workers, is a crucial part of this research.This article takes a close look to these organizations, through a detailed analysis of their main changing processes in their workforce skills, their organizational knowledge and their economic and competitive performance.