Understanding the meaning of participation: views from the workplace

Abstract

It is now generally agreed that there has been a growth in the extent of employee involvement (EI) in the UK in recent years. However, the value of this information is limited because many of the studies rely heavily on management viewpoints about the impact of EI. Even when surveys of employee opinion are undertaken, however, the results are typically abstracted from the organizational context in which they are located. Information from 6 organizations collected as part of a larger study of EI in the UK is presented. This information illustrates that employee attitudes toward EI are dependent, among other things, upon: 1. the prior experiences that employees have of EI and work in general, 2. management's approaches to employee relations, and 3. the recent and projected corporate performance of the organization. This evidence suggests that EI is as much affected by the prevailing organizational culture and environment as it is a source of change.