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The purpose of this paper is to understand how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cope with the need for labour flexibility. Most previous studies ignore the labour flexibility practices of SMEs, especially in times of economic growth and tight labour markets.

A multiple case study approach is applied, with ten Dutch SMEs located in one small province with a similar labour market. A survey was executed as an intake, followed by 48 interviews with the entrepreneurs, HR and other managers and employees, and two focus groups in each company. The findings are based on an analysis of the approved case descriptions.

SMEs, like big companies, do not rely on one flexibility practice. Volume fluctuations are countered with all flexibility strategies, the mix fluctuations and the product innovations are mostly countered with flexible functions and flexible production technology. In general, the data suggest that flexibility strategies of SMEs can be characterised as ad hoc, reactive and with a short-term orientation.

Future research should include other sectors and regions enabling to generalise the findings. Future research should have a longitudinal design to include the pathway dependencies of flexibility practices.

This study identifies the need to analyse flexibility demands; reduce flexibility demands before investments in flexibility practices; create production process flexibility; invest in labour flexibility practices only after the first three steps are taken; and develop basic and more advanced levels of flexible contracts, flexible functions and flexible working times.

This study contributes to the authors’ knowledge on the use of labour flexibility practices in SMEs. In addition, it brings empirical data on how these labour flexibility practices relate to the needs for flexibility and how they relate to other sources of organisational flexibility, such as a flexible market approach and flexible production technologies. Dynamic capabilities should include the suggested operationalisation of the flexibility practices.

Sociotechnical systems theory (STS) does not address in full the implications of the team‐context relations, despite its open systems character. There is a need to open STS into a sociotechnical business systems (STBS) theory and practice. We observe three interrelated aspects that are important for STBS. First, the design of the production structure is a traditional STS aspect. Second, the design of the control structure on the team level needs an elaboration compared with STS. The third aspect is the social‐dynamic alignment. We describe the mini‐company concept and argue that this concept is a specification of STBS covering the three aspects. The case of the implementation of mini‐companies in a Dutch manufacturing plant illustrates the strengths of the concept.

The key issue of continuous improvement (CI) seems to be the problem of combining extensive employee involvement with market orientation and continuation of CI. In this article we review some existing organisational designs for CI on these three essential characteristics of CI. As an alternative to the shortcomings of current organisational designs for CI we present the mini‐company concept, related to the sociotechnical concept of the self‐managing team. The mini‐company concept incorporates the three key issues: it has a self‐propelling capacity for CI, involving everyone on the shop floor. A constant and market‐oriented source for improvement is found in the clients and suppliers of the mini‐company. Results of an in‐depth case‐study are presented, showing some strong effects of the mini‐company concept.

Despite important differences in labour flexibility patterns in different countries and despite clear indications of the important role of institutional factors with respect to HRM, to date there has been little research on the interaction between the institutional context and the HRM of companies. This paper seeks to address this issue with regard to labour flexibility strategies and reveals a promising approach to learning how the development of a topic, such as labour flexibility, takes place in practice. The case of The Netherlands clearly shows the interaction between the institutional context and company flexibility strategies. The institutional context was found to influence company strategies but, in return, these strategies were later seen to impact the institutional setting. In The Netherlands the system of labour relations has been adapted in response to calls from companies for more flexible labour relations. This has led to changes in labour laws and regulations, which, in turn, have stimulated new company strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of human resource management (HRM) frames, to identify frame domains, and to explore their role in implementing HRM innovation. HRM innovation implementation is considered through the theoretical lens of social cognitive theory, and defined as a process for achieving the appropriate and committed use of HRM innovation by targeted employees.

An explorative case study in a construction company is conducted to illustrate the role of HRM frames in the implementation of HRM innovations. Interviews are held with 21 line managers and human resource (HR) specialists, and intensive document analysis added further data. Respondents described their understanding, assumptions and expectations of a new HRM programme, which enabled analysis of the contents of interview transcripts.

Four HRM frame domains are identified: strategic motivation, essence of HRM innovation, HRM innovation‐in‐practice and ownership. Where the HRM frames are significantly different, difficulties and conflicts in HRM innovation implementation are observed. Empirical findings illustrated how the nature, value and reasons behind the HRM innovation are interpreted by HR specialists and line managers, and that incongruent frames resulted in outcomes that deviated from those expected.

This paper takes a process‐based approach and considers the implementation of HRM in organisations rather than focusing on factor‐based research into HRM practices. It shows how the implementation of HRM is constructed through social‐cognitive interpretations by organisational members.

The internationalisation of enterprises is expected to undermine national systems of employee representation. This paper assesses the extent to which this expectation can be confirmed. Using a survey of Dutch works councils, we compare national, Dutch multinational and foreign multinational firms. Using another survey, we then assess the role of European works councils within Dutch MNEs. The results of the first survey show that the influence of works councils in multinational firms, especially with respect to strategic policy, but also, to a lesser extent, regarding organisational and personnel issues is decreasing. From the second survey, we learn that European works councils have so far not compensated for this decrease in influence. We conclude that the undermining of employee representation at the national level can only be counteracted by a combination of further regulations at the European level, a change in (top) management attitudes in European MNEs and the close co‐operation of employee representatives within the respective countries and at the different levels.

Innovation is an engine that drives the organization and allows it to outcompete in the economic environment. This paper aims to analyze scientific publications between 1980 and January 2021 concerning innovation indicators at organizational and individual levels. The study identifies 11 unique indicators to evaluate innovation, thus enhancing existing knowledge in the domain.

A total of 175 randomly selected journal articles were systematically analyzed.

While innovation has received significant attention in the commercial sector, the focus on the construct in academic research has remained relatively narrow. The analysis offers a comprehensive view of innovation drivers at an organizational and individual level.

The literature review offers a deeper understanding of the indicators of innovation impacting organizational performance.

The analysis and methodology discussed aim to assist managers, researchers and policymakers in comprehending the various innovation indicators; such understanding may enhance individual and organizational efficiency.

Industrial revolutions have been induced by technological advances, but fundamentally changed business and society. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the fourth industrial revolution (I4.0) and derive guidelines for business strategy, it is, therefore, necessary to explore it as a multi-facet phenomenon. Most literature on I4.0, however, takes up a predominantly technical view. This paper aims to report on a project discussing a holistic view on I4.0 and its implications, covering technology, business, society and people.

Two consecutive group discussions in form of academic world cafés have been conducted. The first workshop gathered multi-disciplinary experts from academia, whose results were further validated in a subsequent workshop including industry representatives. A voting procedure was used to capture participants perspectives.

The paper develops a holistic I4.0 vision, focusing on five core technologies, their business potential, societal requests and people implications. Based on the model a checklist has been developed, which firms can use a tool to analyze their firm’s situation and draft their industry 4.0 business strategy.

Rather than focusing on technology alone – which by itself is unlikely to make up for a revolution – this research integrates the entire system. In this way, a tool-set for strategy design results.

This study aims to examine the relationship between discretionary human resource (HR) practices and job satisfaction, as well as the mediating role of job crafting in the relationship between discretionary HR practices and job satisfaction.

Data were collected from 302 employees working in an information and communications technology (ICT) industry in Turkey. Structural equation modelling and bootstrapping procedure were used to test the hypothesized relationships.

The findings suggest that discretionary HR practices are significantly and positively related to employees' job satisfaction. The results also show that discretionary HR practices stimulates job satisfaction through job crafting.

Because this study was conducted using a cross-sectional research methodology with data acquired from the same source, conclusions concerning the causality of the variables cannot be inferred. The findings in this study have significant implications for human resource practitioners and business owners who invest in their employees to enhance both employee and organizational performance. The findings show that investment in HR practices prompt employees to be more proactive in devising measures and ways of performing their jobs which increases their job satisfaction hence bringing about desirable and favorable organizational outcomes.

This study adds to the growing body of research on the relationship between HRM and job satisfaction by investigating at the predictive influence of discretionary HR practices as well as the mediating role that job crafting plays.

Food waste behavior in the workplace or work-related gatherings has been less researched compared to that in household context. This study aims to bridge this gap through unfolding how and when quality of food waste prevention communication mitigates food waste behavior among frontline employees in the hospitality workplace.

Participants in this research comprised employees from four- and five-star hotels operating in Vietnam.

The results lent credence to the dual mediation channels of moral attitudes toward food wasting and meaningfulness of food waste reduction for the impact of quality of food waste prevention communication on employees’ food waste reduction intention and their reduced food waste behavior. The contingency role of employees’ green role identity was marginally confirmed for the nexus between employees’ food waste reduction intention and their food waste behavior.

This inquiry advances the understanding of mechanisms underlying work-related food waste behavior among hospitality employees.