The Yugoslav Self-managed Firm in Historical Perspective

Abstract

Any discussion of the Yugoslav self-managed firm must stress the historical changes which it has undergone. It is obvious that the theory of the self-managed firm must take into account real-life experience if it is to provide an explanation for what is happening. This paper will therefore present the main institutional changes in the development of Yugoslav self-management and the main characteristics of self-managed production units in each individual period. The discussion here is organized as follows:1 (1) a discussion of the role that self-managed production units played in particular periods (i.e. the process of decision-making, organization of the enterprise, role of management, relations to the environment); (2) a presentation of some basic characteristics in the development of Yugoslav selfmanagement which might be of importance for the theory of the selfmanaged firm and the possible future direction of Yugoslav selfmanagement as it is practiced.