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Dr Tuomo Alasoini (born 1958) is currently working for the Finnish Ministry of Labour as Director of Employer and Work Organization Services. He graduated as Master of Science (production economics) at the Helsinki University of Technology in 1982. His doctoral dissertation (sociology) in 1990 at the University of Helsinki dealt with effects of industrial rationalization on employees at modern Finnish industrial sites. In 1995, Alasoini was appointed as Docent of Sociology at the University of Helsinki.

From 1983 to 1989 Alasoini worked as researcher for the Finnish Delegation for Labour Relations where he took part in research projects on industrial disputes, employee participation systems and workplace industrial relations, among others. From 1989 to 1995 Alasoini worked as Senior Researcher in the Ministry of Labour and the University of Tampere, and from 1996 onwards as Project Manager in a Government-initiated National Workplace Development Programme. He is a member of the European Work Organization Network EWON, which is an expert network coordinated by DG for employment and social affairs, and alternate member of the Administrative Board of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

Alasoini has written several reports and articles in scientific publications and taken part in development projects in Finnish engineering workshops. His main fields of interest are new forms of work organization and issues related to workplace development in general. 

Selected English Bibliography

Alasoini, Tuomo: Technological change, rationalization and neo-Fordist labour relations in Finnish industry. In Finne, Håkon (red.): Fra redskap til budskap. Rapport fra 2. nordiske forskerkonferanse om teknologi og arbeidsliv. IFIM. Trondheim 1990. (18p.)

Alasoini, Tuomo: Technological change and the gendered division of labour in the light electrotechnical industry: observations from a Finnish study. In Eriksson, Inger V. & Kitchenham, Barbara A. & Tijdens, Kea G. (eds.): Women, work and computerization: understanding bias in work and organization. North-Holland. Amsterdam - London - New York - Tokyo 1991, p.97-111.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Modernization strategies in Finnish manufacture: past experiences, prospects for the 1990s. In Kasvio, Antti & Mako, Csaba & McDaid, Michael (eds.): Work and social innovations in Europe. Proceedings of a Finnish-Hungarian seminar in Helsinki, September 11th-13th 1990. University of Tampere. Work Research Centre. Working Papers 25/1991. Tampere 1991, p.39-67.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Flexibility in the electronics industry: development of work organization in three Finnish plants. In Brödner, Peter & Karwowski, Waldemar (eds.): Ergonomics of hybrid automated systems III. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Human Aspects of Advanced Manufacturing and Hybrid Automation, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 26-28 August 1992. Elsevier. Amsterdam - London - New York - Tokyo 1992, p.405-410.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Toward a new model for rationalization and labor relations in the Finnish paper industry. International Journal of Human Factors in Manufacturing 2 (1992):4, 355-368.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Strikes in a changing technological context: cooperation and conflict in high-tech flexible manufacture. In Kettunen, Pauli (ed.): Strike and social change. Turku Provincial Museum. Publication Series 7. Turku 1993, p.131-151.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Transformation of work organization in time-based production management: the case of three Finnish electronics plants. International Journal of Human Factors in Manufacturing 3 (1993):4, 319-333.

Alasoini, Tuomo & Hyötyläinen, Raimo & Kasvio, Antti & Kiviniitty, Jyrki & Klemola, Soili & Ruuhilehto, Kaarin & Seppälä, Pentti & Toikka, Kari & Tuominen, Eva: Manufacturing change: interdisciplinary research on new modes of operation in Finnish industry. University of Tampere. Work Research Centre. Working Papers 48/1994. Tampere 1994. (125p.)

Alasoini, Tuomo: Creating a developmental structure within a manufacturing organization. In Kidd, Paul T. & Karwowski, Waldemar (eds.): Advances in agile manufacturing: integrating technology, organization and people. IOS Press. Amsterdam - Oxford - Washington DC - Tokyo 1994, s.606-609.

Kiviniitty, Jyrki & Hyötyläinen, Raimo & Alasoini, Tuomo: Shift to adaptable production as a social and cultural process: the Finnish research programme "Work, Culture and Technology" in an international comparison. In Kauppinen, Timo & Lahtonen, Maarit (eds.): Action research in Finland: Active Society with Action Research Conference, 25-27 August 1993, Helsinki, Finland. Ministry of Labour. Labour Policy Studies 82. Helsinki 1994, s.275-302.

Alasoini, Tuomo & Kauppinen, Timo & Ylöstalo, Pekka: Workplace Finland: new forms of bargaining and participation. Economic and Labour Relations Review 5 (1994):2, 62-83.

Mikola-Lahnalammi, Tuula & Alasoini, Tuomo: Finland: direct participation in a centralised industrial relations system. In Regalia, Ida & Gill, Colin (eds.): The position of the social partners in Europe on direct participation: country studies: volume 1. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Working Paper No.: WP/95/35/EN. Dublin 1995, s.79-102.

Alasoini, Tuomo: A new productivity strategy for Finland - the Finnish Productivity Programme 1993-95. In New visions and strategies for the next century: people, technology and productivity. Proceedings volume 2. Ninth World Productivity Congress, June 4-7 1995, Istanbul/Turkey. Productivity Centre of Turkey. Ankara 1995, s.1189-1197.

Alasoini, Tuomo & Hyötyläinen, Raimo & Klemola, Soili & Seppälä, Pentti & Toikka, Kari: Building a networking cell: the case of a Finnish engineering workshop. In Brandt, Dietrich & Martin, Tomas (eds.): Automated systems based on human skill (Joint design of technology and organisation). A proceedings volume from the IFAC Symposium, Berlin, Germany, 26-28 September 1995. Pergamon. Oxford 1996, s.35-40.

Alasoini, Tuomo: The networking cell: a new aspect of cellular manufacturing. In Özok, Ahmet F. & Salvendy, Gavriel (eds.): Advances in applied ergonomics. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Applied Ergonomics, (ICAE’96), Istanbul, Turkey, May 21-24 1996. USA Publishing. Istanbul - West Lafayette 1996, s.120-123.

Alasoini, Tuomo: A learning factory: experimenting with adaptable production in Finnish engineering workshops. International Journal of Human Factors in Manufacturing 6 (1996):1, 3-19.

Alasoini, Tuomo: The Finnish National Workplace Development Programme: background, starting premises and initial experiences. In Alasoini, Tuomo & Kyllönen, Mari & Kasvio, Antti (eds.): Workplace innovations - a way of promoting competitiveness, welfare and employment. Ministry of Labour. National Workplace Development Programme. Reports 3. Helsinki 1997, p.53-71.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Process management as an approach to corporate development - a challenge for labour policy. In Alasoini, Tuomo & Kyllönen, Mari & Kasvio, Antti (eds.): Workplace innovations - a way of promoting competitiveness, welfare and employment. Ministry of Labour. National Workplace Development Programme. Reports 3. Helsinki 1997, p.324-338.

Alasoini, Tuomo: The networking cell as a new form of flexible teamworking. In Booth, Ann & Haines, Lizzie & McLellan, Jessica & Totterdill, Peter (eds.): Teamwork review: an edited collection of articles. Nottingham Trent University. Centre for Work and Technology. Work and Technology Research Papers. Nottingham 1997, p.53-68.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Workplace development as part of national innovation policy (Introduction). In Alasoini, Tuomo & Kyllönen, Mari (eds.): The crest of the wave. Ministry of Labour. National Workplace Development Programme. Reports 5. Helsinki 1998, p.1-16.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Networking as support for the development of small and medium-sized industrial companies - experiences from the early stages of the National Workplace Development Programme. In Alasoini, Tuomo & Kyllönen, Mari (eds.): The crest of the wave. Ministry of Labour. National Workplace Development Programme. Reports 5. Helsinki 1998, p.113-132.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Networking as a strategy to promoting organizational innovations - the case of the Finnish National Workplace Development Programme. In Karwowski, Waldemar & Goonetilleke, Ravindra (eds.): Manufacturing agility and hybrid automation - II. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Human Aspects of Advanced Manufacturing: Agility & Hybrid Automation, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, July 5-8, 1998, Hong Kong. IEA Press. Hong Kong 1998, p.295-298.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Organizational innovations as a source of competitive advantage - new challenges for Finnish companies and the national workplace development infrastructure. In Schienstock, Gerd & Kuusi, Osmo (eds.): Transformation towards a learning economy: the challenges for the Finnish innovation system. Sitra 213. Helsinki 1999, p.205-219.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Companies, industrial communities and workers amid post-industrial upheaval. In Hänninen, Sakari, Salmi-Niklander, Kirsti & Valpola, Tiina (eds.): Meeting local challenges - mapping industrial identities. The Finnish Society for Labour History. Papers on Labour History V. Helsinki 1999, s.41-53.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Learning organizations in a learning society - the National Workplace Development Programme as a new labour policy strategy. In Alasoini, Tuomo & Halme, Petteri (eds.): Learning organizations, learning society. Ministry of Labour. National Workplace Development Programme. Reports 8. Helsinki 1999, p.1-16.

Alasoini, Tuomo & Heikkilä, Asko: Participation in workplace development projects and the impact of projects on performance and service capability. In Alasoini, Tuomo & Halme, Petteri (eds.): Learning organizations, learning society. Ministry of Labour. National Workplace Development Programme. Reports 8. Helsinki 1999, p.17-31.

Alasoini, Tuomo: The Finnish National Workplace Development Program as a new approach in public policy. Concepts and Transformation 5 (2000):1, 139-142.

Alasoini, Tuomo: On the cutting edge? – the Finnish National Workplace Development Programme and the Norwegian Enterprise Development Programme as approaches to workplace renewal. Teoksessa Gjelsvik, Martin & Hansen, Kåre (red.): Nordisk arbeidslivs konference 1999: Norden i verden og verden i Norden. Nordic Council of Ministers. TemaNord 2000:575. Copenhagen 2000, s.459-479.

Alasoini, Tuomo: Promoting network-based organizational innovations: a new approach in Finnish labour and technology policies. International Journal of Technology Management 22 (2001):1/2/3, 174-188.