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Innovation
TenCaTe preSenTeD wiTH awvn innovaTion awarD
recognition for
social innovation
royal Ten Cate has received the quarterly innovation award and with
this has also been nominated for the awvn annual innovation
award 2010. awvn (the general employers’ association) praised TenCate
for its integrated approach to technological and social innovation.
40 txtures | number 4 | winter
According to the jury, TenCate sets the trend in product and
process innovation in its core markets through ‘an appealing
vision, entrepreneurship, the consistent implementation of
the strategy and corresponding core values: progressiveness,
proficiency, inventiveness and reliability. These core values
are translated within the organization and the HR policy in
such a way that the AWVN Innovation Trophy for social
innovative policy is thoroughly deserved.’
Ron Bijkersma, TenCate corporate director HRM, sees it as an
‘award for the whole body of work. The AWVN is enormously
impressed by the transformation we have undergone. We
have consistently reinvented ourselves, and you can only do
that by taking good care of your people and by innovating.’
Development
Social innovation is an integral part of TenCate’s whole
company policy, especially the management model and the
company philosophy. The company applies a clear business
model and a flat management model. Authorities and
responsibilities are established decentrally as far as possible,
with the exception of those matters that must be centralized.
‘In this way you get entrepreneurs rather than managers. By
giving employees freedom and responsibilities, there is room
for creativity and you create entrepreneurship. That’s how
innovative power is stimulated within the company. There’s
no actual blueprint but this philosophy incorporates an
important basis for innovative entrepreneurship. We’re
therefore on the lookout for entrepreneurial people. And the
fact that people like working for TenCate is also a
contributive factor.’
Ron Bijkersma, corporate director HRM
Schooling and training
Social innovation also takes shape within the TenCate
People Programme, a schooling and training programme
that stimulates employees to look at new or other
product-market-technology combinations. Within the
TenCate Active programme, which is part of this, potential
managers from different market groups worldwide work
intensively together. ‘We try to see that exchange
between managers and workers takes place as much as
possible,’ says Ron Bijkersma. ‘This cross-fertilization
leads to new ways of working and new products and
services.’
Because of the economic circumstances, TenCate
soft-pedalled the training programme to a certain extent in
2009 and at the start of 2010. Nevertheless, the
international TenCate Business Game was wound up in
2010. Activities will again be initiated within the TenCate
Active and TenCate Talent programmes in 2011.
• awvn impressed by the transformation that
TenCate has undergone
• By giving employees freedom and responsibilities,
TenCate provides room for creativity and
entrepreneurship
• activities will again be initiated within the TenCate
active and TenCate Talent programmes
www.tencate.com