Employee-driven innovation in the context of Italian industrial relations: the case of a public hospital

Abstract

This article looks at the role of various forms of participation in experiences of employee-driven innovation in Italy. On the one hand, it analyses the extent to which forms of direct and representative participation have fostered processes of organizational innovation driven by the knowledge and creativity of employees. On the other hand, the article identifies the specific limits of these forms of employee involvement in processes of organizational innovation. Innovative experiences of employee involvement will be presented on the basis of a case study. The new approach to employee involvement applied in the analysed case provides indications for reflection on the innovation of the Italian system for the representation and participation of employees. The study shows that by integrating and coordinating various forms of participation, employees' knowledge and creativity can be used more effectively in the context of organizational innovation processes.