Peer Hull Kristensen

Ledelse af arbejdsmiljø giver et bud på, hvordan arbejdsmiljøledelse kan styrkes på den enkelte virksomhed, og hvordan koblingen mellem virksomheden og den statslige regulering kan sikre en høj kvalitet for arbejdsmiljøet. Certificeret arbejdsmiljøledelse baseret på systematiske ledelsessystemer er blevet interessant for danske virksomheder, der siden 2001 har kunnet opnå certifikat på, at deres arbejdsmiljøledelsessystemer er i orden. Et godt arbejdsmiljø er således vigtigt for både ledelse og medarbejdere, og det er væsentligt at kunne dokumentere, at man har styr på arbejdsmiljøet i forhold til kunder, samarbejdspartnere, myndigheder samt nuværende og kommende medarbejdere. Bogen giver svar på en række spørgsmål, og viser hvordan ledelse af arbejdsmiljø udvikler sig i praksis: Hvordan opbygger og driver virksomhederne disse nye ledelsessystemer? Hvilke erfaringer har virksomhederne gjort? Fungerer den certificerede arbejdsmiljøledelse efter hensigten? Bliver arbejdsmiljøet integreret i forhold til de øvrige ledelsesopgaver i virksomhederne? Hvordan går det med medarbejdernes indflydelse på arbejdsmiljøet? Sikrer ledelsessystemerne, at virksomhederne kontinuerligt udvikler arbejdsmiljøet? Hvordan fungerer samspillet mellem virksomheder, myndigheder og certificeringsorganerne? Bogen er resultatet af et flerårigt forskningsprojekt, der er gennemført i samarbejde mellem Det Nationale

What happens when previously autonomous firms from different countries, each with their own identities, routines, and capabilities, come together inside a single multinational corporation? Can a cooperative strategy be established that advances the development of the multinational as a whole, or do mutual misunderstandings and the unintended consequences of strategic interaction among the players lead instead to endemic conflict and disintegration? This book tackles these novel and important questions through an empirical study of the strategic constitution of an 'actually existing' multinational. It does so by tracing the historical construction of the multinational corporation from the confluence of multiple formerly independent firms and analyzing the interacting web of strategies pursued by different actors within it. The analysis reveals how workers, unionists, subsidiary managers, and corporate executives pursue separate strategic games rooted in their local contexts, whose global outcome contrasts sharply with idealized views of the multinational as an integrated and coordinated organization. By comparing these findings to those of the broader literature, the book proceeds to a theoretical examination of the challenges of managing the multinational, and the difficulties of resolving them through conventional organizational means. The authors propose new procedural solutions aimed at fostering mutual recognition and knowledge exchange within the multinational corporation, and explore how a multinational public may be created to press for the necessary reforms in corporate governance. As the success of such reforms is far from preordained, the book concludes with a series of alternative scenarios that illustrate the many obstacles to a smooth continuation of the globalization process. This is an important and original study of significance for researchers, academics, and advanced students of international business, business strategy, economics, organizational studies, economic sociology, economic geography, and international political economy.

What happens when previously autonomous firms from different countries, each with their own identities, routines and capabilities, come together inside a single multinational corporation? Can a cooperative strategy be established that advances the development of the multinational as a whole, or do mutual misunderstandings and the unintended consequences of strategic interaction among the players' lead instead to endemic conflict and disintegration? This book tackles these novel and important questions through an empirical study of the strategic constitution of an 'actually existing' multinational. It does so by tracing the historical construction of the multinational corporation from the confluence of multiple formerly independent firms and analyzing the interacting web of strategies pursued by different actors within it. The analysis reveals how workers, unionists, subsidiary managers, and corporate executives pursue separate strategic games rooted in their local contexts, whose global outcome contrasts sharply with idealized views of the multinational as an integrated and coordinated organization. By comparing these findings to those of the broader literature, the book proceeds to a theoretical examination of the challenges of managing the multinational, and the difficulties of resolving them through conventional organizational means. The authors propose new procedural solutions aimed at fostering mutual recognition and knowledge exchange within the multinational corporation, and explore how a multinational public may be created to press for the necessary reforms in corporate governance. As the success of such reforms is far from preordained, the book concludes with a series of alternative scenarios that illustrate the many obstacles to a smooth continuation of the globalization process. This is an important and original study of significance for researchers, academics, and advanced students of international business, business strategy, comparative management and organizational studies.

Throughout Europe, governments have acted in accordance with the conviction that a larger and uniform market would enable greater economies of scale and the growth of large corporations. The contributions to this volume, in contrast, show how the nature of firms is embedded in the larger societal context of nations, preventing a homogenised firm-type spreading across European countries. It becomes clear that researchers should locate the firm in the social context in which it is rooted, rather than looking to economic science to explain a 'non-ideal type.'