Employee Involvement In Decision Research Articles

Can We Legislate for Participation?

Introduction One of the major problems facing work organisations in contemporary society is that of employee involvement in decisions taken within the organisation. The extensive debate on industrial democracy in the United Kingdom has received impetus through the Directives and Statutes of the European Economic Community urging the various parties to reach some form of agreement. Some behavioural scientists seem to have little difficulty in documenting the benefits derived by both the employee and the organisation emanating from the experience of a more participatory organisational style in many British and foreign organisations. More recently the cudgels for increased participation have been wielded by members of all three major political parties in the UK, clearly none to be outwitted by the others when it comes to offering a “better” package to the electorate. The late 80s are likely to be a time when election time pronouncements and commitments are put to the test. Trade unionists and industrialists, through their respective representative bodies, are naturally enough taking a lively, though somewhat more guarded, interest in the subject. Whether the issue is regarded as political, moral or ideological there is a strong climate of opinion, from all of these bodies, in favour of an increase of employee influence over organisations' decision‐making structures. This concern is reflected in legislation both at national and EEC level.

Worker Participation in the Dynavac Organization

This paper traces the development of the participatory management scheme of Dynavac Pty Ltd and examines the organizational forms which currently provide every employee with the opportunity to contribute to, and participate in, the decision-making processes. Employee opinion of the scheme and the problems encountered in its operation are canvassed. Specific attention is paid to the relevance of Dynavac's experience to other Australian firms. It is argued that collective decision-making in the Dynavac organization represents only one of many alternative management styles. It should not be seen as a blueprint for worker participation per se, as mere duplication of the model would be fraught with difficulty. Dynavac's organizational form is a product of its employees' attitudes, its technology, size and, more importantly, its ownership. Nevertheless, Dynavac is capable of providing valuable guidance to individuals and organizations concerned with fostering greater employee involvement in decision-making.