THE CONSEQUENCES OF WORKER PARTICIPATION: A CLARIFICATION OF THE THEORETICAL LITERATURE

• Published in: Social science quarterly Vol. 56; no. 2; pp. 191 - 209
• Main Author: GREENBERG, EDWARD S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Austin, Tex Southwestern Social Science Association and The University of Texas at Austin 01.09.1975; University of Texas Press, in cooperation with the Southwestern Social Science Association
• Subjects: Alienation; Capitalism; Decision-making; Democracy; Democratic theory; Employees' representation in management; Humans; Industrial management; Labor; Of General Interest; Participate/Participatory/ Participation/ Participative; Personality psychology; Socialism; Worker/Workers; Workplaces
• ISSN: 0038-4941; 1540-6237

THE NEED FOR POPULAR PARTICIPATION IN WORKPLACE DECISIONS IS ESPOUSED BY CONVERGENT & DIVERGENT IDEOLOGIES, SYSTEMS, POLITICS, BUSINESSES, & HIERARCHIES--EAST & WEST, CAPITALIST & SOCIALIST. THE UNIVERSALITY OF CONCERN HAS CLOUDED, NOT CLARIFIED THE THEORETICAL ISSUES INVOLVED. THE 'MANAGEMENT SCHOOL', AWARE OF THE INCREASED EDUCATIONAL LEVEL OF THE YOUNGER LF, THEIR NONHESITATION TO STRIKE, ABSENTEEISM, & OVERT FORMS OF ALIENATION IN A TECHNOLOGICAL WORKPLACE HAS CONCERNED ITSELF WITH MINOR ALTERATIONS TO APPEASE THE POTENTIAL EXPLOSIVENESS OF THE WORK SITUATION. CHANGES IN DECISION-MAKING AT THE WORKPLACE HAVE CENTERED ON MUNDANE CONCERNS, TEND TO BE LOCAL, & ARE ONLY PRODUCTIVITY, EFFICIENCY, & PROFITABILITY CENTERED. PARTICIPATION OF THE WORKER IS SEEN AS NECESSARY TO OUTPUT, NOT TO THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED. THE 'HUMANIST-PSYCHOLOGY SCHOOL' CONTENDS THAT THE WEBERIAN MODEL OF ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT RUNS COUNTER TO THE VALUES & INHERENT CAPABILITIES OF THE MATURE ACTUALIZED INDIVIDUAL. BY REVAMPING MOST WORK LIFE IN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES THROUGH DRASTIC PERSON-CENTERED MEASURES, THE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN BEING WILL BE ALLOWED TO MAXIMIZE HIS POTENTIAL, & THUS HIS OUTPUT, FOR THE BENEFIT OF WORKER & MANAGEMENT. SIMILAR TO THIS THEORY IS THE 'DEMOGRAPHIC SCHOOL' WHICH SEES FULL PARTICIPATORY SOCIETY ENCOMPASSING WHOLE INTEGRATED INDIVIDUALS IN DECISION PROCESSES IN ALL PHASES OF LIFE, INCLUDING THE LF. THE EARLY MARXIST 'LEFT' OPTS FOR PARTICIPATORY WORK COUNCILS WHICH WILL ELIMINATE THE PRESENT WORKER ALIENATION; RELEASING THE INHERENT CREATIVE POTENTIAL IN INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION. CHANGES MUST DEVELOP THROUGH 'STRUGGLE' FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCIALIST HIERARCHY. EACH OF THE 4 SCHOOLS SUPPORTS WORKER PARTICIPATION; THE NATURE OF THAT PARTICIPATION & THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE IT ARE DIFFERENT. THE VERACITY OF EACH POSSIBILITY MUST BE TESTED TO OFFER THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE HEALTH-ENHANCING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL & FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. 1 TABLE. T. BABITSKY.