 
|
 |
The evolving workplace: Findings from the pilot workplace and employee survey
joint work of Business and Labour Market Analysis Division, Labour Division,
and Human Resources Development Canada,
Catalogue No. 71-583-XPE, May 1998
Economies are constantly evolving. There is a general sense that the pace
of change has accelerated in recent years, and that we are moving in new directions.
This evolution is captured in phrases such as the knowledge-based economy or the
information economy. Central to these notions is the role of technology, particularly
information technology, and the need for higher level skills. Increasingly, human
resources are seen to be the life-blood of a growing economy, along with technological
advancement. Also central to this economic evolution are globalization and the
influence of increasing international competition. All of these changes are thought
to have a significant impact on firms and workers. In this evolving environment,
firms are thought to have undergone dramatic change in the areas of technology
adoption, organizational change, training patterns, business strategies, levels
of competition, and the manner in which they engage labour. Workers, on the other
hand, experience this evolution through changes in job creation rates, job stability,
wages and wage inequality, training, the use of advanced technologies, and the
type of employment contracts available. The well-developed set of household surveys
describe the major changes in the labour market. However, much less is known about
changes occurring in firms, and about the link between these changes and the impacts
on the workers. The Workplace and Employee Survey was designed to partially fill
that gap. Preliminary results (because the pilot is a small sample not representative
of all firms and workers) are described in this overview report. Some of the findings
include: - Re-engineering and downsizing have been the most pervasive
form of organizational change in recent years.
- However, establishments that
invested in new computer-based technologies were no more likely to indicate that
they downsized than other employers.
- Firms that conducted product or process
innovations tended to employ better educated workers, pay them higher salaries,
provide more training, and retain them longer than less innovative establishments.
- Only 6% of establishments indicated that use of part-time, temporary and contract
workers was an integral component of their overall business strategy, and interestingly,
these establishment employed one in six workers.
- The adoption of computer
based technologies and the use of computers varied significantly by industry.
What are typically thought of as knowledge-based industries (business services,
communications and parts of manufacturing) tended to have the highest adoption
and use rates, construction, the primary and retail sectors the lowest.
View
the article in the Daily about this publication.
You need to use the free Adobe Reader to view PDF documents. To view (open) these files, simply click on the link. To download (save) them, right-click on the link. Note that if you are using Internet Explorer or AOL, PDF documents sometimes do not open properly. See Troubleshooting PDFs. PDF documents may not be accessible by some devices. For more information, visit the Adobe website or contact us for assistance.
|
