Work organisation
Work organisation is about the division of labour, the coordination and control of work: how work is divided into job tasks, bundling of tasks into jobs and assignments, interdependencies between workers, and how work is coordinated and controlled to fulfil the goals of the organisation. It encompasses the tasks performed, who performs them and how they are performed in the process of making a product or providing a service. Work organisation thus refers to how work is planned, organised and managed within companies and to choices on a range of aspects such as work processes, job design, responsibilities, task allocation, work scheduling, work pace, rules and procedures, and decision-making processes.
Find the latest content on this topic below.
The shift to hybrid working: Management challenges - Digital story
This digital story presents headline findings on how hybrid work is reshaping management practices at the line manager level: Why hybrid work demands new forms of coordination; How managers maintain visibility and performance oversight without physical co-presence; What sustains team cohesion and well-being across dispersed teams; How equitable access to information and opportunities can be ensured; Where policy guidance or support is most needed.The shift to hybrid working: Management challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to hybrid work, where employees split their time between working remotely and on-site. While this model offers greater flexibility, it also introduces new challenges for line managers and other supervisors. This report examines how hybrid work reshapes work organisation and influences day-to-day management practices at the line manager level, focusing on changes in coordination, communication, performance management and employee well-being.Algorithmic management in European workplaces: Implications for work organisation and working conditions
This study presents a secondary analysis of data from Eurofound’s Seventh European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS 2024) that explores the prevalence of digital technologies in modern workplaces and the spread of algorithmic management practices. By linking workers’ reported exposure to computer programmes that monitor performance, allocate tasks, and schedule work with indicators of job quality, the analysis assesses how technology reshapes work. It also identifies distinct worker profiles based on patterns of digital technology use and the characteristics associated with each profile. The findings will inform policymaking aimed at promoting high-quality jobs in increasingly digital workplaces.Eurofound research examines the different ways in which work is organised across organisations and their potential effects on productivity, efficiency and competitiveness, as well as on working conditions, worker well-being and the sustainability of work over the life course. Some types of work organisation are associated with a better quality of work and employment. These, more people-centred, forms of work organisation emphasise the value of teamwork, skills use and skills development, as well as employee involvement and autonomy.
Work organisation is a key element underpinning economic and business development, with important consequences for productivity, innovation, working conditions and worker-well-being. Promoting certain forms of work organisation contributes to attaining the objectives set by the European Commission’s European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience launched on 1 July 2020 and its workplace innovation projects. These objectives aim to move Europe towards a more competitive knowledge-based economy, centred on a skilled workforce and innovation – not only in products and processes but also in the organisation of work and quality of work standards, as it transitions to a digital and carbon-neutral economy. The European Commission dedicated 2023 as the European Year of Skills to support skills development and help companies to address skills shortages in the EU.
Workplace innovation and the link with how work is organised can happen in a variety of ways including changes in business structure and business models, human resources management, relationships with clients and suppliers, or in the work environment itself. Social dialogue also has an important role to play in the organisation of work aimed at fostering employee potential, as highlighted in the EU Directive on informing and consulting employees. The European Pillar of Social Rights reiterates the importance of social dialogue and involving workers in processes related to work organisation.
European Commission: Skills Agenda for Europeopens in new tab
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European Commission: The European Pillar of Social Rights in 20 principlesopens in new tab
This is a selection of the most important outputs for this topic.
25 May 2023
Hybrid work in Europe: Concept and practice
The term ‘hybrid work’ was popularised with the upsurge of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic, when companies and employees started to discuss ways of organising work after the crisis. The term has been increasingly used to refer to situations in which (teleworkable) work is carried out from two sites: at the usual place of work (normally the employer’s premises) and from home (as experienced during the pandemic) or other locations. However, the concept of hybrid work is still fuzzy and various meanings are attributed to it. This report aims to bring clarity to this concept by exploring the available information from two main sources: recent literature and contributions provided by the Network of Eurofound Correspondents from across the European Union. It summarises the main debates around hybrid work in the Member States and shows how hybrid work has been implemented in practice across Europe. The main hindrances, challenges, benefits and opportunities of hybrid work are also discussed.
9 December 2021
Business not as usual: How EU companies adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic
This report aims to support European businesses in navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on workplace practices and features that have helped establishments across the EU to develop operational resilience while keeping employees and customers safe. The report investigates how EU establishments initially reacted to the external shock brought about by the outbreak of the pandemic and how they subsequently adapted their workplaces. It also explores the impact of the pandemic on the health and well-being of workers and how the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent disruptions affected business operations and work organisation.
24 October 2021
Digitisation in the workplace
Research into the transformative potential of the digital revolution tends to take a quantitative approach in an attempt to monitor changes in employment levels due to digitalisation. The fear of potential job losses and negative disruption brought about by digital technologies has permeated the policy debate on digitalisation. In contrast, this report, based on case study research, takes a more qualitative approach to exploring the impact of selected digital technologies (internet of things, 3D printing, and virtual and augmented reality) in the workplace. While digital technologies can bring many opportunities and have been shown to be beneficial for both workers and organisations, there is a need to put safeguards in place to ensure employee data protection and privacy. A well-functioning social dialogue is also key to reaping the benefits of digital technologies and preventing – or minimising – any negative outcomes.
26 February 2021
Working conditions and sustainable work: An analysis using the job quality framework
This flagship report summarises the key findings of Eurofound’s research on working conditions conducted over the programming period 2017–2020. It maps the progress achieved since 2000 in improving working conditions and examines whether all workers have benefited equally from positive change. It highlights which groups are the most at risk of experiencing poor working conditions and being left behind. Given the changes in the world of work, emerging challenges for good job quality are identified. The report also provides evidence for measures that could lead to the further improvement of work and the achievement of fair working conditions for all in the EU. The analysis shows that, overall, job quality in the EU is improving, if slowly. Not all workers are benefiting to the same extent, however. Furthermore, gender, age and contractual status have a significant bearing on a person’s working conditions. And while digitalisation helps to address some job quality issues, it also creates new challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated trends, reinforcing concerns and highlighting the importance of achieving job quality for all.
12 October 2020
European Company Survey 2019 - Workplace practices unlocking employee potential
This report is based on the fourth edition of the European Company Survey (ECS), which was carried out jointly by Eurofound and Cedefop in 2019. It describes a wide range of practices and strategies implemented by European companies in terms of work organisation, human resource management, skills use and skills development, and employee voice. The report shows how these practices are combined and how the resulting ‘bundles of practices’ are associated with two outcomes beneficial to employees and employers: workplace well-being and establishment performance.
The analysis finds that the establishments that are most likely to generate this win–win outcome are those that combine a high degree of worker autonomy, a balanced motivational strategy, a comprehensive training and learning strategy, and high levels of direct employee involvement in decision-making, as well as offering managerial support for these practices. To boost the adoption of employee-oriented practices – particularly in relation to autonomy, skills and employee involvement – managers should be offered appropriate support, as they play a key role in the decision to initiate workplace change. They are also crucial to its success, as they must continuously support the workplace practices implemented.
6 July 2020
How does employee involvement in decision-making benefit organisations?
How do organisations get the best out of their employees? Research on human resource management has found that a key practice is employee involvement: enabling employees to make decisions on their own work and to contribute to organisational decision-making. A high degree of employee involvement creates work environments that are highly motivational and that emphasise skill development. And this is the type of work environment that organisations need to meet the demands for innovation and adaptability to technological change in a knowledge-driven economy. This policy brief examines the empirical evidence that workplaces where employee involvement is high are more successful in developing the capacity for high performance in workers than workplaces with lower levels of involvement. It examines the influence of work organisation on two factors contributing to performance: work engagement and skill development.
Researchers at Eurofound provide expert insights and can be contacted for questions or media requests.
Gijs van Houten
Senior research managerGijs van Houten is a senior research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. He has specific expertise in cross-national survey methodology and the analysis of workplace practices and organisational strategies. He currently leads the preparations for the European Company Survey 2028, is in charge of methodology for the European Quality of Life Survey 2026, and is analysing the online data collected as part of the European Working Conditions Survey 2024, which will inform decision making on the future of surveys in Eurofound. Before joining Eurofound in 2010, he worked at the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP). Gijs spent a year away in 2016, working at the Pew Research Center in Washington, DC. He holds a Masters in Sociology from Radboud University Nijmegen and a PhD in Social Science from Utrecht University.
This section provides access to all content that has been published on the topic.
