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More jobs through better work

As the National Workplace Development Programme enters a new phase it is an appropriate time to cast a glance both back over what has been achieved so far and forward to the challenges of the future. The Programme was motivated by a wish to simultaneously boost productivity while also improving the quality of working life, and the positive experiences gained so far have contributed to the inclusion of workplace development in the new Government programme for 2000-03.

Another aim of the Programme was to spread expertise on workplace development and reinforce the development infrastructure. It would of course be unreasonable to expect enormous changes in just a few years, but we can in fact already see a substantial increase in awareness of both the need and the opportunities for workplace development. The Programme has affected workplaces in different parts of the country employing almost 45,000 people.

Workplace development is one of the ways in which we can raise the level of national competitiveness in an increasingly competitive international market. The main idea of the Programme is that it is possible to link quality of working life and productivity in a way which will be of benefit to both. The key here lies in applying new models of work which can strengthen levels of expertise and the personal resources of employees by increasing interaction, teamwork and networking on the job.

This issue of the journal concentrates on perspectives on workplace development. Under this loose heading we present descriptions of a number of very different projects supported by the National Workplace Development Programme. Despite the different natures of the various projects, the experience gained from the Programme can be readily summarized as: more jobs through better work.

Matti Salmenperä
Director
Chairman of the Programme Management Group