Social innovation potential in working arrangements of R&D employees: Repeated employee survey from Estonia

Abstract

Success of research, development and innovation depends strongly on the work outcome of R&D employees, complementing the various technological aspects. Optimal organisation and regulation of the work of R&D employees is therefore a crucial element in the transformation of societies into increasingly knowledge intensive ones. There are various statutory and company level regulations of working time, including regulation of the durations and timing of a working day and a working week, which often apply to creative R&D employees. We have undertaken a study aiming at understanding some of the relationships between working time arrangement, work results, and work satisfaction of creative R&D employees. Our twice repeated survey covers an Estonian sample of total 217 creative R&D employees. This conference proceedings paper briefly outlines some aspects of our survey, including its information technological design, while more detailed results will be available in separate journal papers. Overall, a majority of the surveyed creative R&D employees would prefer a different working schedule compared to the standard working week and the standard working day. The surveyed employees who work under a flexible regime appear to be significantly more satisfied with their working time arrangement. The employees working under a fixed working time regime, appear to perceive more strongly the negative effect that work time arrangement has on their creativity. Social innovation in terms of changed regulations and business practices as well as social norms at large could address these issues.