The competitiveness of European companies is largely dependant on their ability to adapt to new social and technical innovations. This often involves major realignments of their business ideas, work organisation and technology, and also requires the development of new competencies on the part of production personnel. This book examines the processes which take place within companies undergoing such realignments. It provides a frame of reference for evaluating the character, depth and stability of the changes taking place, and the nature of the new competencies which emerge. This framework offers a tool which management and unions can utilise when dealing with these issues in real life. The application of this framework is illustrated by eleven case studies based on manufacturing and process industry companies from different European countries.