As a research centre, the ESADE Institute of Labour Studies (IEL) focuses its activity on the generation of scientific and technical knowledge about the workplace and the creation of added value based on the knowledge of its people.
The IEL is also interested in research exploring how to advance towards the development of a knowledge society with an employment model based on professional qualifications, quality of life, and respect for the dignity of work, all in an environment of sustainable growth.
The IEL is a research centre, but it is also a space for reflection. Publishing the results of its research, creating forums for discussion, and organising conferences about contemporary topics and issues are some of the activities included within this space, a space open to the initiatives of all of us within the ESADE community.
The IEL consists of various divisions, each led by a head researcher. Currently, these divisions include:
- Job Market
- Corporate Culture and Values
- Emerging Policies in Human Resource Management
- Health and Safety in the Workplace
- Diversity Management
The IEL research team consists of :
- Senior Researchers: ESADE Professors with extensive research backgrounds.
- Junior Researchers: PhD students currently preparing their theses.
- Student Assistants: University students in the Business Administration and Law programmes who either collaborate as assistants or who are preparing their undergraduate theses through the IEL.
- External Collaborators: Prestigious PhDs or professionals who collaborate in joint research projects.
The IEL at ESADE is recognised as a “Unique Research Group” (Grup de Recerca Singular) by the Generalitat of Catalonia. The IEL is also the oldest institute at ESADE, founded in the 1960s by Juán García Nieto S.J. as a collaborative centre for the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It suspended its activities in 1997, though it reopened once more in 2002. The current IEL still maintains the values with which it was founded originally: modernity, scientific rigour, a respect for individuals, and a universal vocation.
