In Search of Employee Perspective: Understanding How Lithuanian Companies Use Employees Representatives in the Adoption of Company’s Decisions

Civinskas Civinskas,Dvorak Dvorak

doi:10.3390/admsci9040078

Civinskas Civinskas, Dvorak Dvorak

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci9040078

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Abstract

The article analyzes the factors of the use of employees’ representatives in the adoption of a company’s decision in Lithuanian companies. The methodology of current research is based upon the data collected through a quantitative expert-based survey and qualitative interviews with representatives of trade unions. The survey method has been used in order to obtain the data from the experts involved in the field of industrial relations in Lithuania. The interviews with representatives of trade unions gives a possibility to look at how people perceive the employee participation methods proposed by the employers, what benefits they see in their use and what policy does their organization or collective apply towards these means (trade unions etc.). According to the research findings, the employee’s participation is called a social dialogue at the company level. The results of the current research in favor evaluate the constructive cooperation between the employee representatives and employers (when this does not encompass important areas of industrial relations (i.e., collective agreements, negotiations regarding wages, employment conditions etc.)).

Highlights

Many, often very complex, factors may determine the points of view of the employee representatives and decisions regarding the forms of employee participation proposed by the employers
The interviews with representatives of trade unions gives a possibility to look at how people perceive the employee participation methods proposed by the employers, what benefits they see in their use and what policy does their organization or collective apply towards these means
Often very complex, factors may determine the points of view of the employee representatives and decisions regarding the forms of employee participation proposed by the employers

Summary

Introduction

Often very complex, factors may determine the points of view of the employee representatives and decisions regarding the forms of employee participation proposed by the employers. For Lithuanian trade unions, the indirect participation of the employee (the mechanisms, by which the employees may be included in the adoption of company’s management decisions, save for information, consultation and negotiation processes) is slightly familiar, but not always understandable This is one of the reasons why the representatives of the employees react differently to the indirect forms of involvement (financial participation, teamwork, quality circles, schemes of innovative proposals etc.) proposed by the employers. Sometimes, they take-up the pluralistic standpoint,—they think about common benefits for the employees, as well as for the employers. They react towards all of the proposals of the employers regarding the involvement of employees by using managerial and other means

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Conclusion