Project Outline
Structure of ROWER
In order to achieve its goals and objectives, ROWER proposes a certain structure to enhance collaboration of leading researchers with a certain orientation in order to maximise effectiveness. This oriented research effort requires a basis – point of reference. Basic principles have to be structured and agreed in order to build upon. This basis will be a knowledge repository of OHS Economics. It will be developed from literature review starting from the beginning of the project. All researchers on the topic will undertake this task under co-ordination of the co-ordinator of the project. The initial stage of this report is expected to be completed by October 2008 but this report will be continuously developed and enriched throughout the project, absorbing contributions and comments, in order to become a completed knowledge repository (i.e. handbook and map of research) on OHS Economics allowing each person to be informed at any level and in any subtopic s/he is interested in. It will be the binding element between all activities included in ROWER.
There is also a structured online forum (forum/index.php), open to everyone.
The 1st Conference will be an important milestone for the project. OHS Economics researchers will be gathered together and areas of interest will be written down. This is a great opportunity to form groups of researchers (round tables) that will set certain assignments to their groups and will start with their active participation in ROWER. Additionally, the 1st Conference will be a great opportunity to discuss the State of the Art report that will already be available on-line, as well as the activities of ROWER, seeking for suggestions for improvement and new ideas. Moreover, the 1st Conference will also provide the benefits of new contributions of researchers in the topic, as well as discussion in new trends in OHS Economics, especially with regard to recent changes in working environment, employment, labour structure, legislation, etc. These new contributions will be embedded in the developing Repository, along with a separate presentation of the Proceedings of the Conference.
The 1st Working Group (WinG) meeting will take place by June 2009. Its theme will be OHS Macroeconomics, in order to focus on this specific area of interest and obtain a satisfactory depth of analysis. Specific round tables will be invited to present their progress in the specific topics that will be have been defined in 1st Conference. Conclusions and results will be also embedded in the repository.
The 2nd Working Group (WinG) meeting will follow at by December 2009. Its theme will be OHS Microeconomics, in order to proceed in an in-depth analysis of this aspect of OHS Economics, which is receiving most attention lately, due to trends for cost internalisation, i.e. transfer of costs of occupational accidents and diseases to the enterprises. Specific round tables will be invited to present their progress in the specific topics that will have been defined during the 1st Conference. Conclusions and results will be also included in the Repository.
Both WinGs with their different (vertical) themes will be examined with regard to a common (horizontal) set of issues concerning recent changes in the society (e.g. globalisation of competition, weakening of trade unionism, etc.) and the working environment (new forms of work organisation, new forms of employment, etc.) and particularities of the EU (SME’s, ageing, etc).
Analysis in macro and micro level is considered as very important in order to examine separate aspects in depth, isolating (for the moment) the effect of interaction between these two levels. This will be subsequently done in the 2nd Conference, who’s theme will be exactly this interaction with respect to policy development. Certain (existing or not) policies will be analysed and presented. Specific parameters of policy development (legislation, insurance, economic motives, etc.) will be systematically discussed in all proposed suggestions for policy development. Additionally, certain factors representing recent changes in the society will be systematically discussed for all suggestions (ageing of workforce, increase in female employment, new forms of employment relations, weakening of trade unionism, globalisation of competition, small and medium enterprises, new forms of work organisation new technologies, developing and declining sectors of economy, new risks, etc.)
The 2nd Conference will be held around October 2010. 3 months will be allowed for the Proceedings and embedding contributions to the final completed Repository.
