Trade Unions
NOTES
Self -Instructional
158 Material
13.2.3 Workers Participation in Management
Workers’ participation is a broad concept. It has been differently viewed by
sociologists, psychologists, economists and lawyers. Sociologists view workers’
participation as an instrument of varying potentialities to improve industrial relations
and promote industrial peace. Psychologists consider participation as a mental
and emotional involvement of a person in a group situation which encourages
workers to share managerial responsibility.
Being a dynamic subject, no rigid limits can be laid down for workers’
participation for all industries and for all times. It can be elastic enough to include
workers’ representation even at the top level, namely, board of directors. It can
also be confined to the extremely limited domain of consultation at the lowest level
such as ‘to promote measures for securing and preserving amity and good relations
between the employer and workmen and to that end, to comment upon matters of
their interest or concern and endeavour to compose any material difference of
opinion in respect of such matters.’
Workers’ participation in management has been classified into five stages.
These are informative, consultative, associative, administrative and decisive
participations, the extent of each depending upon the quality of management and
the character of the employee.
K.C. Alexander has, however, suggested different modes of workers’
participation, viz. (i) collective bargaining, (ii) joint administration, (iii) joint decision-
making, (iv) consultation, and (v) information sharing.
According to Kenneth F. Walker, various forms of workers’ participation in
management are ascending participation, descending participation, disjunctive
participation and informal participation. In ascending participation, workers may
be given an opportunity to influence managerial decisions at higher levels, through
their elected representatives to works committee, shop or joint council or board
of the establishment. In descending participation, they may be given more powers
to plan and make decisions about their own work. They may participate through
collective bargaining. They may also participate informally, when for example, a
manager adopts a participative style of supervision of workers. These and other
forms of participations have played a significant role in transforming the scope and
concept of workers’ participation.
Check Your Progress
1. Why is it desirable to register a trade union?
2. How do sociologists view workers' participation in management?
