Purpose and Relevance of
Activities
Work has steadily evolved since
the industrial revolution; the rise in educational
levels, the complexification of social relationships
in companies, and the development of production
and communication technologies are among the many
factors that have contributed to its evolution.
Only now are we beginning to understand the effects
of this evolution. Among other factors, correlations
between work organization, organizational effectiveness
and personal health warrant further understanding
within the contact of the 21st century.
As well, more and more managers
are finding it difficult to control costs associated
with rising absenteeism rates due to psychological
health problems. In Canada, these costs figure
in the billions, and forecasts are far from encouraging.
It is therefore pivotal to develop specific tools
and models that are capable of mastering this
phenomenon. While several factors appear to explain
the occurrence of psychological problems, particularly
organizational factors, studies in this field
are only in their infancy.
Finally, more and more private companies
and public organizations are confronting manpower
problems, including an increase in retirement
rates, recruitment issues, staff retention problems
and intergenerational conflicts. Part of the solution
to such problems seems to lie in optimizing work
organization and working conditions in order to
incite senior employees to extend their active
life, increase the desirability of jobs offered
to candidates, stimulate the emotional commitment
of employees and promote the transmission of knowledge
from senior employees to new recruits.
CRITEOS was created by a group of
professors/researchers on the initiative of Estelle
M. Morin in order to bring major contributions
to the resolution of these ongoing issues.
Mission, Values and Principles
The Research Centre for Work, Health
and Organizational Effectiveness, or CRITEOS ,
is a university research center established at
HEC Montreal.
The Center’s mission is to
promote work as a pivotal activity for the development
of individuals, organizations and societies.
More specifically, CRITEOS’s general objective
is the development of work-related management
knowledge and practices and its correlations with
organizational effectiveness and personal health.
More information: http://web.hec.ca/criteos
Organization,
work condition and quality of life