Research Report Research-to-Action Guide
A new, WorkRise-funded report, Centering Workers and Advancing Business Needs: Nine Case Studies of Partnerships in the Manufacturing Sector, uses case studies to examine the relationship between employers and workers at nine small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) that worked with local intermediaries across the United States. In the manufacturing industry, intermediaries can be nonprofit, public, or quasi-public organizations whose primary role is to connect smaller manufacturers with financial, network, informational, or other resources to enable strategic transitions. In these case studies, manufacturers—with the help of intermediaries—centered worker collaboration and advanced positive reforms in technological upgrading, business succession, and environmental sustainability. The case studies describe how involvement from these intermediaries encouraged businesses to consider worker involvement as a lever for improving worker mobility and productivity.
WorkRise’s Research-to-Action Guide, which accompanies the report, synthesizes findings and recommendations to inform next steps for businesses, regions, and local, state, and national policymakers.