3 November 2005 The Search for Innovation: The HR Challenge for Irish Universities Edna Jordan National Centre for Partnership and Performance Leadership Through Change - Irish Universities Conference The Helix – DCU

Overview The Search for Innovation Strategic Challenges Irish Education Workplace Innovation –Forum on the Workplace of the Future –Vision of the Workplace of the Future –National Workplace Strategy HR Management: A source of high performance and competitive advantage

The search for innovation Investment in technology and R&D is only one part of a broader national system of innovation Establishing the institutional basis for innovation through linkages between government, industry, research and education Building capabilities in marketing and customer service Developing the capacity of workplaces to engage in innovation and harness knowledge

Workplace Innovation “Developing our indigenous technology and innovation base depends, as much on improving the ability of workplaces to change and innovate as it does on investment in research and development.”

Education Sector - Strategic Challenges Changing demographic situation – shrinking market Maintaining and increasing student numbers Improving student retention Teaching and learning innovations New opportunities in the market arising from life-long learning Changing political and economic circumstances Change drivers in the education sector –Cromien Report – increased devolution to education institutes –OECD Report –Consultative process in charting a new vision for education –Calls for change from industry and thought leaders –Demands for increases in science and technology offerings –Legislation

Irish Universities – Strategic Challenges To be more outward looking partners in the development of the learning society To provide leadership and service at local, regional, national and global levels To make efficiency gains, more effectively management themselves to achieve performance targets in teaching and research, more accountable, transparent To maintain standards and high quality with reducing unit costs Demonstrate ability to obtain new and additional sources of revenue Increase infrastructure and capacity for R&D

Meeting the strategic challenge The human factor –Readiness to mobilise the enormous talent –Polices and programmes to bring in ‘new blood’ and continuing development of existing staff –Harnessing the potential of new technologies in teaching, learning, research, management information –Improved resource utilisation with consideration for all members of the institution –Strengthening and broadening interpersonal links with the wider community including industry –Maintaining morale of staff and rewarding performance –Enhanced staff capabilities for strategic planning, performance targeting, monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching, research, work processes and practices A commitment to workplace innovation

Workplace innovation requires Organisational structures and processes Management capacity Leadership values Employee relations Working arrangements Human resource management

Forum on the Workplace of the Future

Forum on the workplace of the Future Why? Critical to our competitive and social ambitions Unprecedented pressures People’s lives are changing Very little analysis of the workplace to date Need: –More and better information –More analysis –More dialogue –Better communication of the changes that are needed

Forum model and activities Largest ever survey of Irish workplaces Forum task force Forum steering committee Four expert / practitioner panels Written and oral presentation Six public conferences Working to our Advantage: A National Workplace Strategy

Gaps identified by the Forum Limited adoption of bundles of work practices that contribute to high performance –Performance management and remuneration –Training and development –Communication and participation Undertilisation of workforce –insufficient employee involvement and participation re organisational performance and change –Uneven investment in workplace T&D –Participation in lifelong learning, problems with access to workplace training Opportunities divide –Social class, educational attainment and gender –Barriers to exercising choice – women, single parents, and people with disability Quality of working life –Scope to address employee satisfaction issues, stress levels more effectively

 Proactively diverseWe are better because we are diverse Proactively diverseWe are better because we are diverse  Continually learningWe are supported and expected to learn and develop Continually learningWe are supported and expected to learn and develop  Involved and participatoryWe seek out and value all voices and ideas Involved and participatoryWe seek out and value all voices and ideas  Highly productiveWe continuously improve our ways of working Highly productiveWe continuously improve our ways of working  NetworkedWe build internal and external relationships NetworkedWe build internal and external relationships  Responsive to employee needsThis is a great place to work Responsive to employee needsThis is a great place to work  Knowledge intensiveWe search for and harness all sources of knowledge Knowledge intensiveWe search for and harness all sources of knowledge  Customer – centredCustomer needs are paramount Customer – centredCustomer needs are paramount  AgileWe are constantly changing AgileWe are constantly changing Vision of the Workplace of the Future

 Proactively diverse Proactively diverse  Continually learning Continually learning  Involved and participatory Involved and participatory  Highly productive Highly productive  Networked Networked  Responsive to employee needs Responsive to employee needs  Knowledge intensive Knowledge intensive  Customer – centred Customer – centred  Agile Agile From Vision to Action Five strategic Priorities Commitment to innovation Capacity for change Developing Future Skills Access to the Workplace Quality of Working life

National Workplace Strategy Build commitment to workplace innovation High Level Implementation Group 42 Recommendations Recognises the critical role of HR management in improving organisations –Employee and student outcomes

Strategic HR Greater strategic HRM capability –Benchmarks, guidelines, financial incentives Professionalise HR function within Public Service Accelerate initiatives for open recruitment and promotion Implementation of Information and Consultation Directive opportunity to improve quality of I&C Enhance approaches to dispute resolution and avoidance and encourage Enhance the critical role of front line managers –Employee engagement, team working, understanding the needs of employees, information and consultation

HR Management A Source of Competitive Advantage Positive relationship between HR and high performance Emphasis on utilising a system of management practices giving employees –Skills, information, motivation and latitude Improves –Client outcomes –employee retention –productivity –innovation

High Performance Work Systems A system of HR policies/practices “A set of distinct but interrelated HRM practices used to select, develop, retain and motivate a workforce that has superior abilities, who apply these in their work- related activities, and whose work-related activities result in achieving superior (organisational) performance.” (Huselid, 1995)

Report of Forum on the Workplace of the Future –Arrangements –Presentations –Summary of Proceedings –Submissions Newsletter – Update (1 – 6) Research/Case Studies –International review benefits of partnership –4 Irish Commercial Unionised Companies –Civil Service x 5 –Local Government x 4 –Health Sector x 6 –Information and Communication Directive –High Performance Work Systems in Ireland – The Economic Case Tools –Learning by Monitoring –Competency Framework