Creativity and innovation in labour relations. Maarten van Riemsdijk Stephan Corporaal Janina Banis

2 Outline Introduction and Context The Next Generation (Stephan) Pro-Activity as an asset (Janina) Discussion

3 Differentiation in HRM Unique Strategic Core Commitment Productive Performance Spot market Cost Specialist Temp hire Adapted from Lepak & Snell 2002

4 New Labour Reality Need for flexibility increases in companies Labour policies are designed for more flexibility and longer working lives In Holland, demographic trends lead to predicted labour shortages

5 New labour Relations Assumption: This leads to a labour reality that is: more prolonged more flexible more volatile more precarious and uncertain But offers new opportunities and challenges as well (for some).

6 In it: Employees are more responsible for their own career biography and prolonged employability. Companies will be held accountable for employability in and outside of the organisation. Keeping up will be a joint interest of companies and employees alike.

7 Employees know their employment will be temporary; They will ask how the work enables them to develop and stay employed. Companies know work will be temporary, yet they need good quality people; What will they offer to attract them?

8 Boundaryless careers ? “…..Boundaryless careers are the opposite of ‘organizational careers’ – careers conceived to unfold in a single employment setting”. (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996 p.5). Boundaryless career does not characterize any single career form, but, rather, a range of possible forms that defies traditional employment assumptions. The key concepts are flexibility, networking, marketable skills, and continuous learning, which workers exchange for performance in a career that unfolds across organizational boundaries (Sullivan and Arthur, 2006).

9 In this reality We still need ‘core’ employees with high strategic value and unique contributions And plain highly productive employees. New recruits are essential: they have been labeled Gen Y: How to get them in, how to retain them….what do they want/need? Pro active people are what companies need, what are their characteristics?

10 The New Employee: The Gen-Y Myth

11

12

13 Challenge 1.Doing tasks that are related to existing knowledge or education 2.Learning new things 3.Tasks with a clear impact (improving customer satisfaction or improving business results) Variety 1. Variety in workplace 2. Variety in social contacts 3. Variety in type of tasks Autonomy 1. Clarity about how to perform the job 2. Freedom in method of work 3. Receiving trust to perform a job independently

14 Colleagues 1.Work atmosphere: humour, no slander, openness, honesty Opportunities to develop friendships 3. Social support from colleagues Manager 1. Respect: dignity, openness, honesty 2. Participative style: involvement in decision making process 3. Attention for personnel life Opportunities for training/development Physical workplace 1. A clean, safe, tidy and well ventilated workplace 2. Availability of materials and digital tools at work Flexibility 1. opportunities to work from home 2. Timely and fixed work schedules 3. Flexibility in working days 4. Flexibility in working times

15 Thus - We have wrong perceptions about Generation Y. They associate job and organizational charateristics with different aspects than other generation’s - Generation Y is not that different from other generations - Gen Y’ers are more conservative than they thought, Pro-Activity as an asset

16 Pro-Activity as an asset Our society is characterized by constant change In our ‘flat’ world, the nature of work has irrevocably changed, bringing challenges and opportunities… The global workforce's ability to get things done as it has been doing them "will no longer suffice" (Friedman, 2005, p, 361).

17 From Satisfied Proactive and Committed

18 Proactive behaviour In the modern boundaryless career individuals need to be in pursuit of ‘‘opportunities to obtain training, enhance their human capital, and remain marketable” (Cheramie, Sturman, & Walsh, 2007, p. 360). This is exactly what proactive people do….

19 Proactive behaviour Influences: Creativity (Zhou & George, 2001) Network building (Thompson, 2005) Job search effectiveness (Brown, Cober, Kane, Levy & Shalhoop, 2006) Job performance (Crant, 1995) Leadership (Crant & Bateman, 2000) Organizational innovation (Parker, 1998)

20 Proactive personality Workers with an innate willingness to change are the driving force for success of individuals and competitive advantage of organizations (Fuller Jr. & Marler, 2009) The prototypic proactive personality is described as ‘‘one who is relatively unconstrained by situational forces, and who effects environmental change” (Bateman & Crant, 1993, p. 105).

21 Research Predictive value of proactive personality for succes in honours programs and work…

22 Discussion Organisations make Generation Y more happy with clarity and managerial trust than with autonomy! Focusing on a satisfied and committed workforce is no longer enough, we need a proactive workforce to gain competitive advantage!