Peer Hull Kristensen
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199594535
- eISBN:
- 9780191724909
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199594535.003.0006
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
This chapter summarizes what characterizes an enabling welfare state, identifies its core institutions and how it makes possible distinctive business strategies based on highly autonomous forms of ...
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This chapter summarizes what characterizes an enabling welfare state, identifies its core institutions and how it makes possible distinctive business strategies based on highly autonomous forms of work organization. Then it interprets this institutional formation as an alternative risk-sharing system to that of the Anglo-Saxon model. While the latter is based on markets and financialization/securitization the Nordic one allows for different actors and modes of search for future comparative advantages and positions in the international innovation system. The comparative differences, advantages, and weaknesses of the Nordic countries are highlighted, and what they can learn from each other to gain more comprehensiveness. Finally the chapter indicates what will be important issues if the enabling welfare state and its experimentalist economy are to be cultivated in a much more deliberative way in the future.Less
This chapter summarizes what characterizes an enabling welfare state, identifies its core institutions and how it makes possible distinctive business strategies based on highly autonomous forms of work organization. Then it interprets this institutional formation as an alternative risk-sharing system to that of the Anglo-Saxon model. While the latter is based on markets and financialization/securitization the Nordic one allows for different actors and modes of search for future comparative advantages and positions in the international innovation system. The comparative differences, advantages, and weaknesses of the Nordic countries are highlighted, and what they can learn from each other to gain more comprehensiveness. Finally the chapter indicates what will be important issues if the enabling welfare state and its experimentalist economy are to be cultivated in a much more deliberative way in the future.
Reijo Miettinen
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199692613
- eISBN:
- 9780191750762
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199692613.003.0008
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Innovation, Political Economy
Chapter 8 summarizes the argument of the book by outlining a model of an enabling welfare state. An enabling welfare state can be regarded as a new stage in the development of the Nordic welfare ...
More
Chapter 8 summarizes the argument of the book by outlining a model of an enabling welfare state. An enabling welfare state can be regarded as a new stage in the development of the Nordic welfare state. It reconstructs the old ideal of a virtuous cycle between economic development, welfare, equality, and democracy. An enabling welfare state develops further the capability-cultivating services created by the traditional welfare state. It takes the role of enhancing and organizing learning and local experimentation in hybrid communities and developmental networks. It extends democracy by mobilizing well-educated professionals and practitioners in all spheres of society to innovate. It recognizes the limitations of a national view: the basic moral principles of the welfare state such as equality of educational opportunity need to be extended into the principles of an emerging global governance.Less
Chapter 8 summarizes the argument of the book by outlining a model of an enabling welfare state. An enabling welfare state can be regarded as a new stage in the development of the Nordic welfare state. It reconstructs the old ideal of a virtuous cycle between economic development, welfare, equality, and democracy. An enabling welfare state develops further the capability-cultivating services created by the traditional welfare state. It takes the role of enhancing and organizing learning and local experimentation in hybrid communities and developmental networks. It extends democracy by mobilizing well-educated professionals and practitioners in all spheres of society to innovate. It recognizes the limitations of a national view: the basic moral principles of the welfare state such as equality of educational opportunity need to be extended into the principles of an emerging global governance.
Peer Hull Kristensen and Kari Lilja (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199594535
- eISBN:
- 9780191724909
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199594535.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
This book is an original study of why and how Nordic countries by the turn of the century rated at the top on many socio-economic performance indexes. Why did they adapt to globalization and the ...
More
This book is an original study of why and how Nordic countries by the turn of the century rated at the top on many socio-economic performance indexes. Why did they adapt to globalization and the knowledge economy in a comparative successful way? The introductory chapter argues that the Nordic countries have been able to create new forms of economic organization because welfare institutions made it possible to work in novel ways. The chapters on Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden reveal the dynamics and transformations of their national business systems, and the emerging new patterns of interaction between firms, labour markets, and institutions. Focus is on how firms operate globally, how they organize internally, and how they interact with local and national institutions to tap into open innovation networks in highly surprising ways. These case studies show significant differences among the countries but also great similarities concerning how they are able to construct and de-construct complementarities. The concluding chapter interprets comparative findings and suggests how an experimentalist economy backed by enabling and risk-sharing welfare institutions might be further elaborated. The book crosses the usual boundaries between studies of welfare regimes, varieties of capitalisms, and national innovations systems. It also speaks directly to current high-profile policy debates within and beyond the European Union.Less
This book is an original study of why and how Nordic countries by the turn of the century rated at the top on many socio-economic performance indexes. Why did they adapt to globalization and the knowledge economy in a comparative successful way? The introductory chapter argues that the Nordic countries have been able to create new forms of economic organization because welfare institutions made it possible to work in novel ways. The chapters on Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden reveal the dynamics and transformations of their national business systems, and the emerging new patterns of interaction between firms, labour markets, and institutions. Focus is on how firms operate globally, how they organize internally, and how they interact with local and national institutions to tap into open innovation networks in highly surprising ways. These case studies show significant differences among the countries but also great similarities concerning how they are able to construct and de-construct complementarities. The concluding chapter interprets comparative findings and suggests how an experimentalist economy backed by enabling and risk-sharing welfare institutions might be further elaborated. The book crosses the usual boundaries between studies of welfare regimes, varieties of capitalisms, and national innovations systems. It also speaks directly to current high-profile policy debates within and beyond the European Union.
Reijo Miettinen
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199692613
- eISBN:
- 9780191750762
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199692613.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Innovation, Political Economy
The Nordic welfare states have been at the top of the lists of national competitiveness throughout the 2000s. The Nordic welfare model is deemed able to combine equality, welfare and economic ...
More
The Nordic welfare states have been at the top of the lists of national competitiveness throughout the 2000s. The Nordic welfare model is deemed able to combine equality, welfare and economic efficiency. Among the Nordic countries, Finland has been considered as an epitome of information society, of high-quality education and systemic innovation policy. In order to make sense of the Finnish development, this book puts political economy, innovation studies, welfare state research, organizational institutionalism and cultural-historical psychology into dialogue with each other. It develops an approach of studying institutional change and learning based on cultural-historical activity theory. This approach is used to analyze the emergence and development of the Finnish comprehensive school system. The steadfast success of Finnish students in the PISA studies shows, against neoliberal principles, that a public school system inspired by educational equality can achieve excellent results with moderate costs. The book outlines a model of an enabling welfare state which develops further the capability cultivating universal services created by the welfare state in the 1960s–1980s. In future these services — produced by multi-professional collaboration — will be increasingly tailored to meet the needs of different individuals and specific life situations. They enable citizens to cope with risks and to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing labour market. An enabling democratic welfare state fosters local experimentation as well as learning in collaborative communities and developmental associations. It mobilizes well-educated professionals and practitioners to innovate in all spheres of society and in this way deepens democracy within the society.Less
The Nordic welfare states have been at the top of the lists of national competitiveness throughout the 2000s. The Nordic welfare model is deemed able to combine equality, welfare and economic efficiency. Among the Nordic countries, Finland has been considered as an epitome of information society, of high-quality education and systemic innovation policy. In order to make sense of the Finnish development, this book puts political economy, innovation studies, welfare state research, organizational institutionalism and cultural-historical psychology into dialogue with each other. It develops an approach of studying institutional change and learning based on cultural-historical activity theory. This approach is used to analyze the emergence and development of the Finnish comprehensive school system. The steadfast success of Finnish students in the PISA studies shows, against neoliberal principles, that a public school system inspired by educational equality can achieve excellent results with moderate costs. The book outlines a model of an enabling welfare state which develops further the capability cultivating universal services created by the welfare state in the 1960s–1980s. In future these services — produced by multi-professional collaboration — will be increasingly tailored to meet the needs of different individuals and specific life situations. They enable citizens to cope with risks and to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing labour market. An enabling democratic welfare state fosters local experimentation as well as learning in collaborative communities and developmental associations. It mobilizes well-educated professionals and practitioners to innovate in all spheres of society and in this way deepens democracy within the society.
