Creating Sustainable Work Systems ─ Developing Social Sustainability

Since the first edition of this book was published, the subject of sustainability has risen to the forefront of thinking in almost every subject within business and management. Tackling the latest developments and integrating practical perspectives with rigorous research, this new edition sheds light on a vital aspect of working life.


Current trends reveal that increasing intensity at work has major consequences at individual, organizational and societal levels. Sustainability in work systems thus requires a multi-stakeholder approach, emphasising a value-based choice to promote the concurrent development of various resources in the work system. This sustainability grows from intertwined individual and collective learning processes taking place within and between organizations in collaboration.


In exploring the development of sustainable work systems, this book analyzes these problems, and provides the basis for designing and implementing 'sustainable work systems' based on the idea of regeneration and the development of human and social resources. The authors, who are leading researchers and practitioners from around the world, consider the existing possibilities and emerging solutions and explore alternatives to intensive work systems.

Peter Docherty is Professor at the Centre for Healthcare Improvement and Department of Quality Sciences at the Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg and a Senior Researcher at ATK Arbetsliv AB.

Mari Kira is an Academy Research Fellow at the Helsinki University of Technology, Finland.

A.B. Rami Shani is Professor and Chair of Management at California Polytechnic University, USA and Research Professor at the School of Management, Politechnico di Milano, Italy.

1. What the World Needs Now is Sustainable Work Systems (Peter Docherty, Mari Kira and A.B. (Rami) Shani)2. Organizational Visions of Sustainability (Keith Cox) 3. The Interface Journey to Sustainability: Identity Dynamics within Cultural Incrementalism (Mona Amodeo) 4. Sustainability in Knowledge-Based Companies (Peter Brödner) 5. Sustainability and the Ageing Workforce – Considerations with regard to the German Car Manufacturing Industry (Julia Weichel, Markus Buch, Dirk Urban and Ekkehart Frieling) 6. Utilizing Technology to Support Sustainability (James Sena and A.B. (Rami) Shani) 7. Creating Sustainable, Desired Change in Teams through Application of Intentional Change and Complexity Theories (Richard Boyatzis) 8. Sustainable Heritage in a Rapidly Changing Environment (Lena Wilhelmson and Marianne Döös) 9. Learning Mechanisms in Sustainable Work System Design (Mike Stebbins and Judy Valenzuela) 10. Financial Management to Support Sustainability (Doug Cerf and Arline Savage) 11. A Development Coalition for Sustainability in Health Care (Svante Lifvergren, Tony Huzzard and Peter Docherty) 12. Three Powers of Feedback for Sustainable Multi-organizational Learning (Hilary Bradbury) 13. Labelling and Sustainability: The Case of Specialty Coffee (Mikael Román) 14. An Initial Exploration of Sustainable Work Systems in China: An Issue of Imbalance between Economic and Social Reform (Sharon Moore and Julie Jie Wen) 15. Sustained by Work: Individual and Collective Sustainability in Work Organizations (Mari Kira and Frans M. van Eijnatten) 16. Toward a Sustainable Work Systems Design and Change Methodology (Michael Stebbins and A.B. (Rami) Shani) 17. Sustainable Work Systems: Past, Present and Future of Social Sustainability (Peter Docherty)