Mapping the Current Social Sustainability Practices of the European Manufacturing Industry

A survey among European production companies was carried out to map the level of understanding and action regarding social sustainability practices. In order to determine whether sufficient measures are in place to tackle upcoming demographic challenges. The study explored topics of labour practices, human capital development, job design, work-life balance, talent management, employee turnover & satisfaction management and stakeholder and community practices. The results indicate that although many companies report having a strategy in place for social sustainability, practices in place appear to only address the fundamental hygiene factors of the workplace, rather than focusing strategically on combating demographics challenges.

[1]  Joachim H. Spangenberg,et al.  Assessing Social Sustainability , 2002 .

[2]  Jill R. Kickul,et al.  Embracing the whole individual: Advantages of a dual-centric perspective of work and life , 2009 .

[3]  Robert T. Brennan,et al.  Exploring the relationship of workplace flexibility, gender, and life stage to family-to-work conflict, and stress and burnout , 2008 .

[4]  Wendy R. Boswell,et al.  Individual job-choice decisions and the impact of job attributes and recruitment practices: A longitudinal field study , 2003 .

[5]  Fabian J. Sting,et al.  How BMW is defusing the demographic time bomb. , 2010, Harvard business review.

[6]  U. Backes-Gellner,et al.  Avoiding Labor Shortages by Employer Signaling - On the Importance of Good Work Climate and Labor Relations , 2007 .

[7]  F. M. Eijnatten,et al.  From intensive to sustainable work systems: The quest for a new paradigm of work. , 2000 .

[8]  J. Antonakis,et al.  Could lean production job design be intrinsically motivating? Contextual, configurational, and levels-of-analysis issues , 2006 .

[9]  Michael J. Ellenbecker,et al.  Indicators of sustainable production: framework and methodology , 2001 .

[10]  Paola Fantini,et al.  Social Sustainability: Perspectives on the Role of Manufacturing , 2013, APMS.

[11]  B. Littig,et al.  Social sustainability: a catchword between political pragmatism and social theory , 2005 .

[12]  K. A. Kovach,et al.  What motivates employees? Workers and supervisors give different answers , 1987 .

[13]  Michael Lewis,et al.  Lean production and sustainable competitive advantage , 2000 .

[14]  J. Spangenberg,et al.  Sustainability indicators : a compass on the road towards sustainability , 1998 .

[15]  J. Stiglitz,et al.  The measurement of economic performance and social progress revisited , 2009 .

[16]  Johan Stahre,et al.  Social Sustainability Challenges for European Manufacturing Industry: Attract, Recruit and Sustain , 2013, APMS.

[17]  Mari Kira,et al.  From Good Work to Sustainable Development - Human Resources Consumption and Regeneration in the Post-Bureaucratic Working Life , 2003 .

[18]  Klaus Fischer,et al.  Do we need sustainability as a new approach in human factors and ergonomics? , 2013, Ergonomics.

[19]  H. Walker,et al.  Sustainable supply chain management across the UK private sector , 2012 .

[20]  Andrea Colantonio,et al.  Social sustainability: a review and critique of traditional versus emerging themes and assessment methods , 2009 .

[21]  Jamie Ladge,et al.  Work–Life Integration:: Present Dynamics and Future Directions for Organizations , 2009 .

[22]  J. Ruggie Protect, Respect and Remedy: A Framework for Business and Human Rights , 2008, Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization.

[23]  Eva Collins,et al.  Sustainability practices: trends in New Zealand businesses , 2010 .

[24]  Andres Sousa-Poza,et al.  Well-being at work: a cross-national analysis of the levels and determinants of job satisfaction , 2000 .

[25]  Graham Hubbard,et al.  Measuring organizational performance: beyond the triple bottom line , 2009 .

[26]  J. Pfeffer Building Sustainable Organizations: The Human Factor , 2010 .

[27]  Waldemar Karwowski,et al.  The effect of cognitive demands and perceived quality of work life on human performance in manufacturing environments. , 2009 .

[28]  R. Klassen,et al.  Social issues in supply chains: Capabilities link responsibility, risk (opportunity), and performance , 2012 .

[29]  M. D. Brito,et al.  Towards a sustainable fashion retail supply chain in Europe: Organisation and performance , 2008 .

[30]  Joe Miemczyk,et al.  Sustainable procurement: Past, present and future , 2012 .