Providing sufficient worker participation in business decision-making

Offering adequate worker participation in business decision-making

Description

Providing sufficient worker participation in business decision-making involves establishing structured mechanisms—such as joint committees, consultative forums, or representative voting—that enable employees to contribute to key organizational choices. This strategy aims to remedy issues of low morale, poor communication, and resistance to change by ensuring workers’ perspectives are integrated into management processes. Effective participation enhances transparency, fosters mutual trust, and leads to more informed, accepted, and sustainable business decisions.

Context

Changes in work organization that are introduced in enterprises with a view to improving productivity often give rise to problems of adaptation for the workers concerned. There is growing recognition among employers and trade unions that such organizational changes can be more effective in improving efficiency in enterprises when accompanied by a cooperative approach between labour and management. This has led to a revival of interest in the role of both institutional and shop-floor participation schemes in facilitating cooperation within enterprises.