How can workplaces benefit from innovation that is shaped by workers themselves? This report from Jessica Thorne for the Autonomy Institute, commissioned and published by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), argues that rather than relying on top-down managerial strategies, businesses should embrace worker-led innovation. Here’s a summary of the main points:
• This report examines how workers have historically challenged the conventional ‘scientific’ top-down management approach, presenting viable alternatives through self-directed initiatives. Drawing on fourteen interviews, five detailed case studies, and extensive archival research, it offers a nuanced understanding of worker-led innovation over the past century.
• The report begins with an in-depth history and reappraisal of the Lucas Plan, a 1970s initiative by workers of the British-based Lucas Industry Group advocating for ‘socially useful production.’ This examines how workers reimagined production processes, shifting focus from military outputs to socially beneficial technologies such as renewable energy systems and medical devices.
• The second section explores various models of worker-led innovation with varying degrees of state and company influence. It delves into the history of workers’ councils in Yugoslavia, the transformative efforts of worker-recuperated enterprises in Argentina, and contemporary examples like China’s Haier Group and platform cooperatives. Each case study highlights unique approaches to empowering workers and fostering innovation under different circumstances.
• The final section synthesizes the findings from the first two parts and offers conclusions relevant to trade union leaders and other stakeholders working on issues such as climate change, the labour movement, and technology. It argues that with access to versatile technology, workers are more than capable of driving meaningful innovation, particularly in areas overlooked by traditional market forces.