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Small and medium-sized enterprises
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are defined by the European Commission as having less than 250 employees. SMEs are the backbone of Europe's economy. They represent 99% of all businesses in the EU. In the past five years, they have created around 85% of new jobs and provided two-thirds of the total private sector employment in the EU. The European Commission considers SMEs and entrepreneurship as key to ensuring economic growth, innovation, job creation, and social integration in the EU. The European Commission policy in relation to SMEs supports start-ups and scale-ups in particular. Internationalisation beyond the EU increases SMEs' performance, enhances competitiveness, and reinforces sustainable growth.
Faigh an t-ábhar is déanaí ar an ábhar seo thíos.
SME digitalisation in the EU: Trends, policies and impacts
This report discusses the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the European Union, highlighting its importance for their competitiveness and the EU’s economy. The report explores the degree of digitalisation in SMEs in the EU, including the adoption of digital technologies, e-commerce and e-business practices.Cleachtais cuideachta chun dul i ngleic le ganntanas saothair
Díríonn an tuarascáil seo ar na bearta earcaíochta agus coinneála atá curtha i bhfeidhm ag eagraíochtaí chun dul i ngleic le ganntanas saothair, bunaithe ar 17 cás-staidéar in earnálacha éagsúla agus ar fud 13 Bhallstát. Cuimsíonn an tuarascáil nuashonrú ar thaighde Eurofound roimhe seo maidir le treochtaí i nganntanas saothair agus i laghad an mhargaidh saothair.Company practices to tackle labour shortages
This report provides updated evidence on the persistence of labour shortages amid declining levels of labour market slack in the EU and at Member State level. This serves as a background to the main focus of the report, which is on organisational policies aimed at attracting workers to occupations in which shortages are common. Case studies were conducted across sectors and Member States to gain an insight into how organisations deal with recruitment and retention challenges in a tight labour market. The report offers lessons on steps employers can take to fill vacancies, whether acting alone or in partnership with other organisations. It builds on previous Eurofound research that developed a taxonomy of actions employers adopt aimed at addressing labour shortages.
Is rogha é seo de na torthaí is tábhachtaí don ábhar seo.
12 September 2022
Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine
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.
30 June 2021
Innovation in EU companies: Do workplace practices matter?
The EU has long supported innovation in business and in workplaces. The challenges facing Europe as it emerges from the COVID-19 crisis make the need for innovation more urgent. The NextGenerationEU recovery package requires a reorientation of business activities towards innovation for resilience. Looking to the longer term, policies such as the European Industrial Strategy aim to support the transition to a green and digital economy.
Against this background, this policy brief investigates the workplace practices of innovative companies and examines the evidence linking them with innovation. These practices aim to encourage employees to work and problem-solve independently, to develop their skills, to include them in organisational decision-making, to motivate them to surpass their job description and to reward them for doing so. Analysis of these workplace practices can improve understanding of how they contribute to increasing the innovation potential of companies. It also provides an evidence base to support the work of policymakers and practitioners.
5 November 2020
Working conditions in sectors
Megatrends, such as digitalisation, globalisation, demographic change and climate change, are transforming the world of work, with knock-on effects for working conditions and job quality. Against this background, this report examines working conditions and job quality from a sectoral perspective, using data from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). The report first outlines the sectoral characteristics underpinning employment – economic structure, demographics, occupational level and employment status. It then goes on to focus on four main topics: changing tasks, skills, training and employability; non-standard employment and employment security; health, well-being and flexible work organisation; and employee representation and voice. Differences in working conditions arising from age, gender, occupation and education level are taken into account. According to the analysis, developing measures to address relevant issues such as skills development, job security and work intensity should be a priority for policy. The data also show that the presence of employee representation and voice is key to improving the situation of employees.
15 June 2020
Social dialogue and HR practices in European global companies
This study examines the interaction between social dialogue practices and human resources management (HRM) policies in European multinational companies (MNCs). It looks at the changing role of HRM and its interaction with European Works Councils (EWCs), which can act as a link between different levels of social dialogue. Both HRM functions and social dialogue are under pressure from a variety of trends and dynamics – not least, ongoing technological change. Sharing practices related to the involvement of EWCs in corporate decisions has made a valuable contribution to company operation and culture across the EU. The positive interaction between HRM policies and worker representation structures should help companies and sectors restructure and adapt accordingly, including dealing with the risk of increasing wage inequality and polarisation in working conditions.
22 January 2020
Game-changing technologies: Transforming production and employment in Europe
Innovation and technological advancement are natural features of developed economies, and they are necessary to maintain and improve sustainable competitiveness in an era of globalisation. However, while most innovation tends to be incremental, some has a disruptive effect on production and service provision, the labour market and social dialogue. This report discusses a selection of eight so-called ‘game-changing technologies’ (advanced robotics, additive manufacturing, the Internet of Things, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, industrial biotechnologies, blockchain and virtual and augmented reality). Each of these has the potential to substantially change business activities, work and employment in Europe. Looking at both the manufacturing and services sectors, this report gives an indication of how these technologies might be adopted and how they are expected to affect the labour market.
Soláthraíonn taighdeoirí Eurofound léargas saineolaithe agus is féidir teagmháil a dhéanamh leo le haghaidh ceisteanna nó fiosrúcháin ó na meáin.
Franz Ferdinand Eiffe
Research managerIs bainisteoir taighde é Franz Eiffe san aonad Saoil Oibre ag Eurofound. Tá baint aige le tionscadail maidir le hobair inbhuanaithe, anailísí cainníochtúla agus cóineasú aníos san AE, chomh maith le hullmhú an cheathrú Suirbhé Eorpach ar Chuideachtaí. Sula ndeachaigh sé isteach i Eurofound in 2016, bhí sé ina Cheann ar an Aonad 'Anailís' ag Staitisticí na hOstaire i Vín agus ina cheannaire tionscadail ar 'Conas atá an Ostair? Saibhreas agus dul chun cinn níos faide ná OTI a thomhas'. Tá PhD aige san Eacnamaíocht ó Ollscoil Eacnamaíochta Vín (WU), áit ar oibrigh sé freisin mar chomhlach taighde ó 2005 go 2009 agus mar léachtóir go dtí 2016.
Gijs van Houten
Senior research managerIs bainisteoir taighde sinsearach é Gijs van Houten san aonad Fostaíochta ag Eurofound. Tá saineolas ar leith aige ar mhodheolaíocht suirbhé trasnáisiúnta agus ar anailís ar chleachtais agus straitéisí eagraíochtúla san ionad oibre. Tá sé i gceannas ar thascfhórsa Eurofound maidir le bailiú sonraí agus tá sé freagrach as dearadh agus modheolaíocht an tSuirbhé Eorpaigh ar Choinníollacha Oibre 2024, a bheidh ina chéim thábhachtach i suirbhéanna atá cruthúnas sa todhchaí in Eurofound. Sula ndeachaigh sé isteach i Eurofound in 2010, d'oibrigh sé in Institiúid Thaighde Sóisialta na hÍsiltíre (SCP). Chaith Gijs bliain ar shiúl in 2016, ag obair ag Ionad Taighde Pew i Washington, DC. Tá Máistreacht aige sa tSocheolaíocht ó Ollscoil Radboud Nijmegen agus PhD san Eolaíocht Shóisialta ó Ollscoil Utrecht.
Stavroula Demetriades
Senior research managerIs bainisteoir taighde sinsearach í Stavroula Demetriades san aonad Fostaíochta ag Eurofound. Tá sí freagrach as taighde i réimsí an aistrithe ghlais agus chóir, idirphlé sóisialta, cleachtais bhainistíochta, nuálaíocht agus obair hibrideach. Tá PhD aici sa tSocheolaíocht ó Ollscoil Aalborg, an Danmhairg. Tá MSc aici freisin i mBeartais Eacnamaíochta ó Choláiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath agus MSc i bhForbairt Réigiúnach ó Ollscoil na hAithne. Sula ndeachaigh sí isteach i Eurofound i 1999, d'oibrigh sí in institiúidí taighde, i bpoist éagsúla san earnáil phoiblí agus san earnáil phríobháideach, agus rinne sí staidéir eagraíochtúla agus socheacnamaíocha. I measc na bpríomhspéiseanna taighde atá aici tá an t-aistriú glas agus cóir, bainistíocht acmhainní daonna, córais oibre, nuálaíocht, fostaíocht agus idirphlé sóisialta. Is ollamh cúnta í freisin sa Scoil Ghnó sa Choláiste Ollscoile, Baile Átha Cliath.
Tugann an rannán seo rochtain ar an ábhar ar fad a foilsíodh faoin ábhar.
